Visitors arriving in Switzerland from the surrounding Euro countries will probably feel their budgets being blown after that first meal or taxi ride in the country. The Swiss franc's conversion rate is currently less than one to one against the euro but goods and services in the country come with noticeably higher price tags. As the franc's value increases while investors search for a "safe-haven" currency in light of the Euro and dollar crises, the situation is becoming worse.
Zurich - photo by SnippyHolloW from Flickr.
Why is everything so expensive in Switzerland? Import restrictions, small markets and oligopolies all play their part. An economist wrote this excellent explanation about why Swiss products and services are so expensive for readers who are interested in the details, but my interest was to determine whether travel to Switzerland was worth it. And I think it is!
1. Scenery
Despite its small size, Switzerland offers such a wide array of scenery that it delights year-round. One doesn't have to travel far to see beautiful forests, lakes, castles, cathedrals, glaciers, valleys and snow-capped mountains. Three-fifths of the country is covered by the Alps and here one can also find the Jura Mountains, Swiss Plateau and the southeastern mountains. I haven't experienced such a breadth of scenery in such a small area since visiting New Zealand earlier this year.
View of the Alps - photo by Tim Caynes from Flickr.
2. Quality
Yes, you'll pay more. But the trade-off for high Swiss prices is better quality. The people of Switzerland actually examine quality before price and are used to their system providing them with superior, locally made items. Swiss manufacturers are said to be perfectionists. Transportation, infrastructure and public spaces are run efficiently and well-maintained. Living standards are very high and it's easy to get used to the comforts of Switzerland once you're there.
Musicians perform on a street in the centre of Bern.
3. Neighbourly
While they could be described as formal and somewhat reserved, the Swiss are so polite and compromise-loving that I can't help but wish they would export that model along with their other quality goods. What other small country could balance four different languages so beautifully? I've read in a few places that the people are obsessed with living peacefully together - and as a visitor I could easily feel that in our daily interactions. It's just a pleasant place to be.
Europe's top ski slopes - photo by TRAILSOURCE.COM from Flickr.
4. Neutrality
Switzerland has not been a party to any external conflicts since 1815. Though criticised for some of its banking actions during World War II, the country was not militarily involved in the war. Its neutrality is guaranteed and protected by the Treaty of Paris and the Congress of Vienna. With all of the conflicts going on in the world today, I can't help but think of Switzerland as a safe haven for people opposed to war and violence.
The cute little capital city of Bern.
5. Outdoor Activities
Where should an adventure enthusiast begin? Perhaps choosing a season will narrow it down. In winter, ski-gliding, sledging, snowboarding, ice climbing, deep-snow skiing, heli-skiing, glacier-walking, snow-biking, snowshoeing, tobogganing, ice skating and dog-sledding are most popular between January and March. Skiiers can choose between downhill and cross-country trails for day and night and at all levels. In the warmer months, cycling, climbing, hiking, sailing, water-skiing, canoeing, swimming, rafting, rowing, canyoning, abseiling, bungee jumping, paragliding, skydiving and hang-gliding are just some of the activities to be enjoyed here.
Have you visited Swtizerland? Did you feel that your experience was worth the cost?
Keen to visit Switzerland, I didn’t realize it was so expensive
I couldn’t believe it either – but so worth it!
I havn’t been to Switzerland yet, but it is definitely on my list of things to do! I miss the European life style so much!
I love it there, Jade – definitely visit if you get the chance! =)
Ha ha. Expensive?! You have not been in Moscow 🙂
I haven’t! Did not know it was a pricey city – why is that?
I enjoyed my short time in Switzerland, but it definitely took my wallet by surprise! My first meal there with my sisters consisted of a pizza, a salad, and 3 sodas – and I was horrified by the $60 bill. Yikes!
Meals are the worst! I couldn’t believe the cost of fondue!
I love Switzerland. Taxis are expensive nearly everywhere in Europe. My advice would be to look up the bus and metro timetables and information before you visit. The same with hotels. Research your accommodation before you go. Hotels were cheaper away from city centres. I can’t say that I have found the food to be ludicrously expensive, but then I rarely eat out at restaurants. The budget Etap Hotel at Luzern was too expensive in my opinion, but I stayed at a hotel near Interlaken in January of this year and found the room rates reasonable, the meals were not… Read more »
Thanks for sharing your experiences here, John =) I believe you can do both sky diving and base jumping – I’ve definitely seen advertisements for sky diving there. You’re absolutely right about researching bus and train schedules as well as whether the hotel can be accessed by one of these – we lost a lot of money the first day not taking the train.
Restaurant meals are pricey – everything seems to be about double, but the supermarkets seemed to have quality products for less as you’d expect.