Switzerland

German citizens do not need a visa to enter Switzerland but a valid passport or identity card.

Holders of German residence or settlement permits can also enter visa-free for stays of up to three months, as well as

• Holders of German travel documents for refugees if the residence is in Germany,
• Stateless persons, provided that their place of residence is in Germany and they are holders of a German travel document,
• Holders of a German travel document for foreigners in conjunction with a valid residence title.

For stays longer than 90 days, please refer to the information provided by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.

The transport system in Switzerland is very well developed. Even remote villages can usually be reached by train or post bus. The larger cities have a dense public transport network.

By train
From Germany, for example, direct trains run the routes from Berlin, Hamburg or Frankfrurt am Main to Zurich or Basel.
Direct connections are offered from Zurich to Austria, and direct connections also exist to France and Italy.
The Swiss Travel Pass offers train travelers free travel on most rail, postal bus and shipping lines for the period of validity.
Rail travel in Switzerland is relatively expensive and trains are often very crowded.

By bus
There are a few long-distance bus lines to Switzerland, which mainly serve the major cities.
National long-distance bus lines operate much less, here the priority is on rail transport.

By car
The Swiss road network is well developed. There are several highway border crossings with neighboring countries.

By plane
The largest airport in Switzerland is located in Zurich. From here there are worldwide connections.
Other airports are located in Geneva and Basel with regular scheduled flights.

By ship
There is a ferry connection across Lake Constance, which allows entry by ship.

By bike
When cycling around Lake Constance or extending the Rhine cycle path, it is easy to get to Switzerland by bicycle.
Within Switzerland there is a well-signposted network of bicycle paths.

On foot
The network of hiking trails in Switzerland is very dense and well developed. Red-white-red marked mountain trails and blue-white-blue alpine routes are demanding.

In Switzerland there is a compulsory vignette for the use of highways and motorways. This applies to cars, motorbikes, motor homes and all other privately usable vehicles (including car trailers) up to a maximum weight of 3.5 tonnes for any number of journeys within a calendar year (annual vignette, from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year).

You can buy the vignette at gas stations, post offices, rest stops, border crossings.

The Swiss climate is moderate to alpine. In summer, temperatures are quite warm. In the mountains it usually snows heavily in winter.

The Swiss franc is the currency of Switzerland. It is divided into 100 centimes and abbreviated CHF.

In total, Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic..

There are 3 major mobile network providers with their own network: Swisscom, Salt, Sunrise. In addition, service providers offer SIM cards for private customers at a wide range of rates.
Coverage is very good throughout the country. Even in the Alps, there are hardly any dead spots.

Type C and J plugs are used in Switzerland. Type C is compatible with sockets in Germany. For type J sockets, travelers from Germany need an adapter.

In Switzerland, the tip is already included in the price. If you round up to the nearest franc, the restaurant staff will surely be pleased.