Infomation & Travel

To the left side are further navigations to guide you through differant essentials of Switzerland and holidays.

Bernese Oberland, is a guide to the region and places to visit.

Swiss Travel System, This page cover the over subscribed lists of reduction travel avaliable to the tourist

Visit Switzerland, A great page with direct liks to places in the Oberland region.

Swiss Shops, Banks, Food, Question and more question here we try to help with the basics.

Travel to Interlaken

Below is a summery of the country of Switzerland.

A Guide to Switzerland

SWITZERLAND founded 700 years ago (1291) with a vow of mutual aid among three "forest Cantons". Over the years more political regions have joined. Now, 26 politically sovereign cantons make up the modern federal state of Switzerland.

Location, Western Europe.
Time, GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Area, 41,293 sq km (15,936 sq miles).
Population, 8 million.

Capital, Bern.
Geography
Landlocked Switzerland shares borders with France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east and Italy to the south. It has the highest mountains in Europe, together with waterfalls, rivers and lakes set amid green pastures. The highest peaks are Dufourspitze, 4,634m (15,203ft), on the Italian border; the Dom, 4,545m (14,911ft); the Matterhorn, 4,478m (14,691ft); and the Weisshorn, 4,506m (14,793ft).

Government, Federal Republic since 1848.
Head of State, President Micheline Calmy-Rey (January 2007).

Switzerland has a long tradition of neutrality in its international relations, and is still not a member of the EU, following a negative vote in a referendum in 2001. Nine years earlier, membership of the European Economic Area was also rejected by referendum. Switzerland did, however, join the United Nations in 2002, and relations with the EU are now based on a wide range of bilateral agreements.

However, times are changing and, as a result of a popular vote, Switzerland joined the Schengen treaty and Dublin Convention in 2005, bringing the country into Europe's passport-free zone and increasing co-operation on crime and asylum issues. A further referendum the same year opened the job market to workers from the 10 newest EU member countries.

Seats in the Swiss Parliament, based in Bern, are allocated by proportional representation and by canton size. The largest party is currently the SVP (Swiss People's Party).

Language
German in central and eastern areas, French in the west and Italian in the south. Romansch is spoken in parts of the southeast. English (as a second or third language) is widely spoken.

Religion
Roman Catholic (48%), Protestant (44%), others (8%).

Electricity, 220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Passports
Passport valid for three months after intended period of stay required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except:
1. Nationals of the EU, except for Bulgaria and Romania, holding a valid national identity card, providing not taking up employment, for stays of up to three months;
2. Nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain with normal passports, expired for up to five years, providing not taking up employment, for stays of up to three months;

Switzerland joined the Schengen Agreement on 12 December 2008. SWITZERLAND TO JOIN THE SCHENGEN VISA SCHEME Switzerland to join the Schengen visa scheme on 12 December. Many foreign nationals residing in the UK have until now not required a visa for Switzerland. Anybody who needs a Schengen visa to visit other European countries will now need one to enter Switzerland. The Embassy of Switzerland in London will be able to start issuing Schengen visas on Monday 15 December 2008. Travellers wishing to apply for a visa must call the helpline premium rate number 090 6577 1222 to make an appointment before visiting the Embassy's premises. For further details please visit:

http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/eur/vgbr/ref_visinf/visgbr.html

Nationalities such as Indian, Pakistani, South African, Zimbabwean, Chinese, Thai, Philippines, Russia etc... need a Schengen Visa

Regulations also apply to Liechtenstein (no border control between the two countries).

Passengers arriving at Basel or Geneva airports can enter either France or Switzerland, provided they supply the correct documents for the country of entry.

The airport of Basel/Mulhouse is located on French territory.

Part of Geneva airport is located by convention in France and some flights between France and Geneva are considered as domestic flights while others are considered international flights. In this case, passengers must hold proper entry documents for either of the destination countries.

Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to three months.
Visa Note
(a) Tourists and business visitors who travel repeatedly to Switzerland but stay less than three months each time must apply for a residence permit if their total stay exceeds six months within a period of 12 months.
(b) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.

Currency
Swiss Franc (CHF; symbol SFr) = 100 cents (called centimes in French, rappen in German and centesimi in Italian). Notes are in denominations of SFr1,000, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of SFr5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes.
Currency Exchange, There are bureaux de change at train stations and banks.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. ATMs are widely available.
Traveller's Cheques
Pound Sterling, US Dollar or Euro cheques are accepted at airports, railway stations and banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, visitors are advised to take traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling, Euros or US Dollars.

Banking Hours
Mon-Fri 0830-1630.

Duty Free
Switzerland
The following items may be imported into Switzerland by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty by:

(a) Visitors from European countries:

- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
- 2l of alcohol (up to 15%) and 1l of alcohol (over 15%).
- Gifts up to a value of CHF300.

(b) Visitors from non-European countries:

- 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
- 2l of alcohol (up to 15%) and 1l of alcohol (over 15%).
- Gifts up to a value of CHF300.
Prohibited Imports
Most meat and processed meat, absinthe and narcotics are prohibited. There are strict regulations on importing animals and firearms.

Vaccinations
Special Precautions
Diphtheria No, Hepatitis A No, Malaria No, Rabies No, Tetanus Yes, Typhoid No, Yellow Fever No
Inoculation regulations can change at short notice. Please take medical advice in the case of doubt. Where 'Sometimes' appears in the table above, precautions may be required, depending on the season and region visited.

Other Risks
No immunisations are required to enter Switzerland, although it is advisable to make sure your tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccinations are up to date before travelling. A certificate of immunisation against contagious diseases (including Yellow Fever**) is required before the traveller can enter the country if they have been in an infected area within 14 days prior to arrival in Switzerland. Rabies is present, but extremely rare. However, if you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay.

Health Care
If European visitors or any of their dependants are suddenly taken ill or have an accident during a visit to Switzerland, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available - in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Full travel insurance is advised for all travellers.

Telephone
Country code: 41. Phonecards are available for use in payphones.

Mobile Telephone, Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good.

Internet, Internet access is available in Internet cafes and phone booths operated by Swisscom. Charges are payable by phonecard or credit card.

Post
Airmail within Europe takes three days.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1345-1830. Saturday closing is at 1100 except in major cities.

Media
The main broadcaster in Switzerland is the public Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. It operates seven TV networks and 18 radio stations. Most of its funding comes from licence fee revenues, while a smaller proportion comes from TV advertising. Private TV and radio stations operate in the regions. TV stations from France, Germany and Italy are widely available, thanks in part to the very high take-up of multichannel cable and satellite TV. Some German commercial broadcasters provide tailored versions of their channels for the Swiss market. Switzerland's press operates to a large extent along regional lines which reflect the country's linguistic divisions.
Press
- The high level of interest in local politics throughout Switzerland has led to a large number of regional newspapers.
- However, the most popular dailies are Corriere del Ticino (Lugano-based), Le Temps (Geneva-based), La Tribune de Geneve (Geneva-based), Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Zurich-based) and Tages-Anzeiger Zürich (Zurich-based).
- European and international newspapers in English, including The International Herald Tribune and USA Today, are also widely available.
TV
- In addition to the Swiss public broadcaster, Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, there is SF-DRS, a German-language public broadcaster that operates three channels.
- RTSI, an Italian-language public broadcaster with two channels.
- TSR, a French-language public broadcaster that also operates two channels.
Radio
- SR-DRS, the German-language public broadcaster, operates five stations.
- RSR, the French-language public broadcaster, has four stations.
- RSI, the Italian-language public broadcaster, broadcasts from three stations.
- RR is a Romansch-language public radio station.

Getting There
Switzerland

There by Air
The national airline is Swiss (LX) (website: www.swiss.com).
Approximate Flight Times
From London to Basle, Bern, Geneva or Zürich is 1 hour 50 minutes. From New York to Geneva is 9 hours 45 minutes and to Zürich is 7 hours 20 minutes.
Main Airports
Zürich (ZRH) (Kloten) (website: www.zurich-airport.com) is 11km (7 miles) from the city (journey time - 20 minutes). To/from the airport: Trains run from under Terminal B. Regional and night buses are available. Passengers arriving in Switzerland by air can purchase a special Fly-Rail Luggage ticket from their airport of departure which will enable them to have their luggage delivered directly to a Swiss railway station. With the Fly-Rail Baggage service, passengers leaving Switzerland can check their bags in at the railway station up to 24 hours before their flight. Taxis to the city are available (journey time - 15-30 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shops, restaurants/bars, banks, bureau de change, nursery and car hire.

Geneva (GVA) (website: www.gva.ch) is 5km (3 miles) north of the city. To/from the city: Taxis to the city are available. There is a regular train service to Geneva Cornavin Station (journey time - 6 minutes). Bus 10 runs from the airport to the city centre.

Bern (BRN) (Belp) (website: www.alpar.ch) is 9km (5.5 miles) southeast of the city (journey time - 20-30 minutes). To/from the airport: Bus services are available to Bern station. A rail service runs from Bern to Zürich Airport. Taxis are also available.

Basel (BSL) (Basel-Mulhouse) (website: www.euroairport.com) is 12km (7 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Bus 50 runs from the airport to Basel railway station. Taxis are also available.
Departure Tax
None.
Getting There by Rail
Travelling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes) and, from there, to Switzerland. For further information and reservations contact Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK or +44 1233 617 575, outside the UK; website: www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; website: www.raileurope.co.uk).

Other connections from London via the main channel crossings are available (minimum journey time of about 14 to 15 hours to Basle and Lausanne, the main points of entry). There are also through trains from Spain, Italy and Germany.

Getting There by Road
Switzerland can be reached by road from Austria, France, Germany and Italy. Some approximate driving times to Geneva and Zürich by the most direct routes are: Calais-Geneva: 12 to 13 hours (747km/464 miles); Dunkirk-Geneva: 12 to 13 hours (732km/454 miles); Calais-Zürich: 13 to 14 hours (790km/490 miles); Dunkirk-Zürich: 14 to 15 hours (880km/ 546 miles).

Coach: There are coach services to Switzerland as well as scheduled coach tour operators. Contact Switzerland Tourism for further details (see Contact Addresses). Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080; website: www.eurolines.com) serves Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Fribourg, Lausanne and Bern from most major European cities (journey time from London - approximately 18 hours).

Getting Around
Switzerland

Click here for more imagesGetting Around by Air
All services are operated by Swiss (LX) (website: www.swiss.com). Domestic air travel is fast but expensive, and with the exception of the Geneva to Zürich flight (journey time - 45 minutes), many businesspeople prefer to travel by rail or road.
Getting Around by Rail
Rail transport is particularly well developed in Switzerland, with excellent services provided by Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB) (tel: 00800 1002 00300; website: www.sbb.ch) and many other operators. Use of the Swiss Pass (see below) is a superb way to view the scenery, although mainline services are geared to the needs of the hurried business traveller.

Trains run at least hourly from the major centres and there is a country-wide timetable of regular services. There are dining cars on many trains and snacks and refreshments are widely available. Independent railways, such as the Rhätische Bahn in the Grisons and the Berner-Oberland-Bahn, provide services in certain parts of the country. The SBB has introduced specialised cars for travellers using wheelchairs.

There are also a large number of mountain railways which are sometimes the only means of access to winter resorts. Some of these are attractions in their own right: the Gornergrat-Bahn in Zermatt is one of the oldest mountain railways and climbs to a height of over 3,000m (over 9,800ft) above sea level, offering a spectacular panorama of the Matterhorn and surrounding mountains.
Rail Passes

InterRail's One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Switzerland. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (tel: 0844 848 4064, in the UK; website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Road quality is generally good. Many mountain roads are winding and narrow, and often closed in heavy winter conditions; otherwise chains and snow tyres may be necessary. Rail is often more efficient than driving.

Bus: Postal motor coaches (tel: 00800 10020 0300; website: www.post.ch) provide a service to even the remotest villages, but under the integrated national transport policy, few long-distance coaches are allowed to operate.

Taxi: All taxis have meters for short and long trips, although it is advisable to agree the fare for longer distances out of town.

Car hire: Available in all towns from hotels and airports and at all manned rail stations. All major European companies are represented.

Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18. Seat belts are obligatory and children under 12 years must travel in the back of the car. Dipped headlights are compulsory during the day. Speed limits are 80kph (50mph) on country lanes; max 120kph (75mph), min 60kph (37mph) on motorways; and 50kph (31mph) in towns. An annual road tax (vignette) is levied on all cars and motorbikes using Swiss motorways. An additional fee applies to trailers and caravans. The vignette (sticker) is valid between 1 December of the year preceding and 31 January of the one following the year printed on the vignette. These permits, which are available at border crossings, are valid for multiple re-entry into Switzerland within the duration of the licensed period. To avoid hold-ups at the frontier, however, it is advisable to purchase the vignette in advance; call the Swiss Travel Centre (tel: 00800 1002 00300) for more details.

Emergency breakdown service: Swiss Touring Club (tel: 140; website: www.tcs.ch).

Documentation: A national driving licence is sufficient. Green Card insurance is advised - ordinary domestic insurance policies are valid but do not provide full cover. The Green Card tops the cover up to the level provided by the visitor's domestic policy.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
Highly efficient and integrated urban public transport systems serve as a model for other countries. There are tramways and light rail services in Basle, Bern, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Zürich. These and a further dozen cities also have trolleybuses. Fare systems are generally automated with machines issuing single or multiple tickets at the roadside. Tickets are also available at enquiry offices. Fares are generally zonal. There is a day ticket for travel in one or more Swiss cities on any given day at a standard fare. Taxis are widely available and drivers expect a 15% tip.