Swiss etiquette – what not to do/do in Switzerland
A traveler, Naseer, is looking for tips on what actions to avoid while visiting Switzerland to be polite and environmentally friendly. They specifically mention not leaving car engines running as part of their inquiry into Swiss etiquette and best practices for tourists. The discussion highlights various cultural norms to help visitors integrate respectfully during their stay.
- Always greet people with a polite 'Please' when asking questions in English.
- Use greetings like 'Gruezi' in German-speaking regions and 'Bonjour' in French-speaking areas.
- Remember to dispose of trash properly since Switzerland is known for being very clean.
- It's polite to let deboarding passengers exit first when using public transport.
AI-generated summary-
Hi Minnie-
<<“Yes, Slowpoke…the Volg is a chain grocery store, I know, which is different to the community-run dorfladen but they do have local produce. The ice-cream is a welcome treat after hiking from Meiringen!”>>
Thanks.
Hope to be in the area in September. I’m thinking to check if Herr Anderegg is still doing magnificent cooking at the Victoria in Meiringen.
Do you know if he is, indeed, still there?
Slowpoke
Ah yes, the Hotel Victoria in Meiringen. Simon and Franziska are indeed still there, ready to attend to all of your needs ! And Sherlock Holmes is sitting nearby, puffing his pipe while patiently waiting to renew your acquaintance.
Hallo Minnie,
Volg has over 580 locations in Switzerland, but they are far more common in the German part of the country. I have on occasion shopped in the one in Le Landeron, NE, when going to la Fête de la Brocante which is held there each year in late September, this year from the 28th to the 30th.
Hallo Naseer,
Another thing you may or may not know about traffic lights in Switzerland. A second or so before the end of the red light, it turns yellow and then turns green. This is the Swiss way of preparing you to proceed, particularly if you have start-stop technology, as you will be able to get the engine running in that space of time. I can just imagine the number of accidents that would occur if yellow before green was implemented in the USA or Egypt, but in Switzerland, it improves the flow of traffic. I mention these two countries because of personal experience (in Washington DC and Cairo), where drivers continued to drive through intersections well after the light had turned red. Drivers trying to cross the intersection have sometimes had to wait a full cycle of the lights before being able to proceed. So don’t run traffic lights in Switzerland, and above all, be sure to respect speed limits. Speeding tickets can become very expensive.
<<“So don’t run traffic lights in Switzerland, and above all, be sure to respect speed limits. Speeding tickets can become very expensive.”>>
Indeed, I missed a green to red light transition by a fraction of a second, perhaps in Zürich, and the radar camera recorded my evil deed and I got an expensive ticket in the mail.
The stretch of autoroute just east of Luzern near Ebikonm and Buchrain ( Route # 14) is notorious for a fine collection of radar cameras and sudden changes of speed limit downward to 80 km. per hour.
Slowpoke
Nothing slow about Slowpoke.
<<“Nothing slow about Slowpoke.”>>
You haven’t followed me up a mountain trail recently, or you might change your mind. ;-(
Slowpoke
Hello all,
Any tips on boarding and deboarding a public transport like a tram or a bus?
Hi Anup,
With buses and trams (in most towns) you buy your ticket at the stop before boarding. If getting on a bus in the countryside or small villages you pay the driver.
Each stop will have a ticket machine (if it doesn’t, the stop across the street will have one for the opposite direction).
Buy your ticket with a card or cash Sometimes bills are accepted and sometimes not. I usually would pay with card or coins. No need to show the drivers. Just keep it with you and show it if asked by staff who do random checks (both in uniform and undercover)
Hi Anup,
Boarding passengers don’t stand in line London style. But they let deboarding passengers step out first. Some seats are marked as reserved for disabled passengers, and prams have priority in some areas inside the bus.
In addition to the ticket vending machines mentioned by Lucas, tickets can be bought by sending a text message to a specific number. Caution: this is valid only if you have a Swiss mobile phone subscription!
If you stay as a tourist in a hotel, ask reception if they give you a free day pass for the local transport system (some do). That would make things so much easier for you.
Thanks Lucas ans Snowman.
Alos, wanted to know if there are separate gates for entry (Back gates) and exit (Front gates) on buses like they have in London?
Nothing specific that I’ve noticed on buses. Certainly there are no “gates”.
As you don’t show driver a ticket you can enter and exit where it is convenient. I do notice not too many people exit at the front door though.
<<“I do notice not too many people exit at the front door though.”>>
I do too.
In many cases, especially on trams, the front door is not as large as the back door(s), which is where it is easier to board with a pram or a wheel chair. And, where it is easier to get on and off because of the width.
Slowpoke
In rural areas, where you pay to the driver (usually the yellow postal coaches), obviously you will board through the front door. Otherwise you may board through any door. In the winter, on cold days, you may be asked not to use the front door.
Really, it’s just a matter of doing what other passengers are doing. Feel free to ask anyone. Most people, esp. younger ones, understand some English and would gladly help you.
<< If you stay as a tourist in a hotel, ask reception if they give you a free day pass for the local transport system (some do). That would make things so much easier for you.>>
Perhaps this is an opportune time to mention the Neuchâtel Tourist Card, which is the title of a new thread I have started.
Bonjour Slowpoke:
You said: << Indeed, I missed a green to red light transition by a fraction of a second, perhaps in Zürich, and the radar camera recorded my evil deed and I got an expensive ticket in the mail. >> Was there not a yellow light between the green and red light ?
As for the ticket, even if you are driving a rental car, the Swiss will find out who you are and where you live, and then mail you a ticket. Anybody who is foolish enough to not pay or not appeal will be found guilty and then things get even more expensive. There are no extraditions for traffic fine deadbeats, but anybody contemplating not paying is advised that if they ever return to Switzerland and happen to be controlled (this may or may not happen) they will be in trouble. Not something that a visitor wants to happen.
I might add that appealing a ticket is not practical in most cases for visitors, as it’s cheaper to pay than to fly back at some later time (and then possibly still lose). Also, if you were not driving the car at the time (they flash the license plate, not the driver’s face) you will be required to denounce the person who you allowed to drive the car.
And, to add insult to injury, Avis charges me a fee for referring the ticke to me, instaed of to their rental car or their company.
😉
I think that the Swiss want us to drive within the speed limits and obey the traffic controls. For sure!
Slowpoke
Every thing is in order! They do allow you to pay with a credit card in cases like Slowpoke. I you are 20-30% over the speed limit, you can forfeit your license. Crime doesn’t pay in CH.
< Crime doesn’t pay in CH >
Well, depending on the level and category of crimes…
wikileaks.org/wiki/Cat egory:Switzerland
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/s wiss-ambassador-to-luxembourg-arrested/2815386
etc…
Well, depending on the level and category of crimes…
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/b usiness/offshore-money_big-swiss-names-surface-in–paradise-papers-/43653454
wikileaks.org/wiki/Cat egory:Switzerland
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/s wiss-ambassador-to-luxembourg-arrested/2815386
Hey Snowman –
Citizen’s of the USA are familiar with “Bigger is Better.”
😉
Slowpoke
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