Switzerland

Switzerland
Switzerland🇨🇭

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Traveling to Switzerland? Land Connected.

Switzerland is mountain trains, lake boats and precise timetables — connections are tight, and a phone with data makes every transfer painless. Install your CGOO eSIM before you fly and you connect the moment you land, with your own number still reachable for calls and texts back home.

Choose the Plan That Fits Your Trip

  • Fixed data: 1 GB to 100 GB, valid 3 to 90 days — from light maps-and-messaging trips to heavy streaming and hotspot use.
  • Unlimited & Unlimited Plus: 1 to 30 days at full 5G speeds. A fair usage policy applies — in rare cases speeds may be reduced after 1 GB of use in a day, and full speed resumes the next day.
  • Networks: plans run on major local carriers including Swisscom (5G), Sunrise (5G) and Salt (5G). The exact carrier and speed for each plan are listed in its Plan details, right on the plan.
  • Instant delivery: your QR code and installation link are emailed within minutes of checkout. Install before your flight; validity starts on the day you activate.
  • Good to know: your phone must support eSIM (dial *#06# and look for an EID), and your 15-digit IMEI is required at checkout so your eSIM can be provisioned.

Travel Highlights

  • Zermatt and the Matterhorn: car-free village streets and the Gornergrat railway to glacier views.
  • Lucerne: the Chapel Bridge, the lake, and the Pilatus cogwheel railway.
  • Interlaken and the Jungfrau: the railway to the Top of Europe, with lakes Thun and Brienz below.
  • Zurich: the old town, Lake Zurich, and the Lindenhof viewpoint.
  • Geneva and Lausanne: the Jet d’Eau, the UN quarter, and vineyards along Lake Geneva.

Getting Around

  • Airport to the city: Zurich Airport (ZRH) connects to Zurich Hauptbahnhof by direct train; Geneva Airport (GVA) connects by train as well. Use the official taxi rank at the terminal and ignore anyone offering a ride inside the terminal.
  • City transport: trains, trams and buses are frequent and punctual throughout Switzerland, and a single ticket system covers most city transport. Buy tickets at a station or in the transit app before you travel — ticket checks are common and fines are strict.
  • Ride-hailing — yes, in major cities: Uber operates in Zurich, Geneva, Basel and other major cities, with upfront prices in the app. Taxis in Switzerland are among the most expensive in Europe, so trains and trams are usually the faster and cheaper option in cities. Other local taxi apps exist, but their current availability was. Lyft does not operate in Switzerland.
  • Driving: if you rent a car, check whether your licence needs an International Driving Permit before you arrive, and note that a motorway vignette is required for Swiss motorways. Full rental details will have their own card later.

Safety and Practical Tips

Switzerland is generally safe for travelers, with low crime rates. The main risks are pickpockets at busy stations in Zurich and Geneva and opportunistic theft on trains — keep bags in sight.

Mountain weather changes fast: check forecasts before a hike or pass drive, and carry layers even in summer. Switzerland is expensive, and cards are accepted almost everywhere, so you rarely need much cash.

Entry and Visa

Visa rules depend on your passport. Many passports enter Switzerland visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under Schengen rules; other nationalities need a Schengen short-stay visa applied for before travel. Check the latest requirements for your passport before you book, and make sure your passport is valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen area.

Official information: State Secretariat for Migration (Switzerland) and the Travel to Europe (EU).

Weather and Climate

  • Climate zones: temperate in the lowlands, including Zurich, Geneva and Bern, with colder, snowier conditions in the Alps and the Jura — altitude matters more than latitude, and the same day can be mild in the valley and snowy up high.
  • Zurich at a glance: January averages around 1°C (highs near 4°C, lows near -2°C); July averages around 19°C (highs near 24°C, lows near 14°C). Rain totals around 1,100 mm a year and is spread through the year, with summer thunderstorms.
  • Best months: May, June, September and October are generally the best for sightseeing — mild, with longer days and fewer crowds than summer. July and August are the warmest and best for lakes and mountain hiking. December to March is ski season in the Alps.
  • What to pack: layers all year, plus a light waterproof jacket and comfortable walking shoes. Summer: light clothes and sunscreen, plus a warmer layer for the mountains. Winter: a warm coat, scarf and gloves, and shoes that handle snow and wet pavements.

Money and Payments

  • Currency and cards: Swiss francs (CHF), not euros — euros are sometimes accepted in border areas and tourist shops, but change is usually given in francs. Cards are widely accepted in shops, restaurants, hotels and transport; contactless is common, with a CHF 80 limit per tap without a PIN in most places.
  • WISE and similar travel cards — yes, supported: the Wise card works in Switzerland wherever Visa or Mastercard is accepted, and a Wise CHF balance means you spend francs without converting each time. Similar multi-currency cards, such as Revolut, work the same way on the Visa/Mastercard network. Check the card app for current ATM limits and fees before you travel, as these change.
  • Tipping: service is normally included in restaurant prices, so tipping is optional — rounding up, or a small amount for very good service, is appreciated but not expected. Taxi drivers are usually rounded up to the nearest franc.
  • Cash tips: use ATMs in town rather than airport exchange counters, which usually give worse rates, and always choose to pay in francs (local currency) if a terminal or ATM offers to convert to your home currency — that conversion is almost always worse.