Meal budget estimation & money change Switzerland

  • Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    29 April 2018 at 19:08:04 #815614

    Hello Sir/Madam,

    Would like to seek your advise on

    1) How much cash do I need to budget per day, in case credit card not accepted? I’ve already bought Travel Pass and Paid in full for accommodation online. How much a meal cost in Switzerland? Say 1 McDonald’s meal for estimation.

    2) On the last day before I depart from Switzerland, say I want to change back the CHF to any other currency (e.g. UDS/JPY), how much commission the money changer charged?

    Thanks in advance.

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    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    29 April 2018 at 22:43:47 #883600

    Hej !

    Here is the McDonalds menu for their establishment at the train station in Neuchâtel. I suspect that the offerings and prices will be the same for all of Switzerland. Click on any of the items you see and this will give you a full description as well as the price in CHF. Be sure to top off your meal with a Schorle Pomme (3.50 CHF) You might also try either a Migros or a Coop Restaurant for quality food at reasonable prices. The German companies Lidl and Aldi are also moving into Switzerland with their low prices.

    On the last day of you visit to Switzerland, the exchange rates may not be in favour of the currency you wish to convert your CHF into. If you are planning to come back, why not just hold on to whatever is left ? The Swiss franc is a strong currency so you are not risking much by keeping them. If you watch exchange rates on a regular basis, you can always switch to your home currency after you are back home and the rates are a bit more in your favour.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    29 April 2018 at 23:00:15 #883601

    Hi kabsMY

    This will guide you:

    http://www.statista.com/stati stics/274326/big-mac-index-global-prices-for-a-big-mac/

    Peterli gave a good lead for Migros and COOP. They often have restaurants, typically a buffet/cafetria style. Good prices, acceptable quality, reliable. They also have takeaway.

    Essentially all restaurants ( ecept perhaps the most expensive ones) have so called “menus.” By the way, what I call a menu in the USA is a “card” ( for example, die Karte in German).

    There may be a set of “menus” at different price levels. Especially at sim[pler restaurants, often, they will try to have a basic 3 course meal for 25 CHF. By countries standards, that is not cheap, but byu Swiss standards it is a good value.

    So, that means food is expensive at restaurants. Sandwiches at bakeries and convenience stores ( Kiosk, Aperto) are an option for lunch.

    Regarding currency exchange, my experience has been that the Travelex brand of currency exchange charges exorbitant fees.. bad exchange rates and a a fee on top. I avoid them always.

    If I need CHF, I go to an ATM and withdraw from my bank in the USA. Generally, about 3% in their favor on the exchange rates, and – with my particular credit cards and bank cards – no “fee.”

    An ATM or currency exchange window in Switzerland will give you generally good rates… Don’t know what you will get at home, but I have no reason to agree with Peterli that it will be cheaper.

    I do agree that you could save your CHF for your next visit. 😉

    I do.

    Oh yes- I almost forgot. It i snot uncommon for a Swiss inn or hotel to include a breakfast in the room cost. Some can be quite generous. At the places I use, I can always have enough breakfast to mean that lunch can be very light.

    Ask your hotel/inn about breakfast.

    Slowpoke

    Removed user
    Participant
    72625 posts
    30 April 2018 at 6:35:09 #883602

    Hi kabsMY,

    In case you would like to read some information on how to save some money, please read the information on this page:http://www.myswissalps.com/pl antrip/doityourself/sa vemoney.

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    1 May 2018 at 6:24:43 #883603

    << Don’t know what you will get at home, but I have no reason to agree with Peterli that it will be cheaper. >> The point I was trying to make was that there is no guarantee that the day a traveler is leaving Switzerland will also be the day when one’s home currency (say JPY or USD) is the weakest vs the CHF, and that if one just takes his remaining CHF home, and watches the currency exchange rates, one can then switch to one’s home currency when the CHF is even stronger. Also, if one figures that a return trip to Switzerland is a sure thing, why not just keep whatever CHF remain. Having said all this, there are no guarantees that any currency will rise in value in relation to any other currency. For example, I was just looking at one foreign exchange site (XE) and see that the CHF was worth over 1.08 USD as recently as February 15 and now it is just under 1.01 USD. So an American tourist leaving Zurich back on February 15 would have done quite well converting all his residual CHF to USD. I will attach a chart showing how these two currencies have danced for the last year.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    1 May 2018 at 9:12:45 #883604

    <<“and that if one just takes his remaining CHF home, and watches the currency exchange rates, one can then switch to one’s home currency when the CHF is even stronger. “>>

    Good point. I missed the idea of waiting for a better rate.

    If you can predict ForEx rates, you can become rich and famous. If you miss, however, you might become infamous. 😉

    Slowpoke

    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    2 May 2018 at 1:59:14 #883605

    << If you can predict ForEx rates, you can become rich and famous. If you miss, however, you might become infamous. 😉 >> I wouldn’t mind becoming rich, but I would not want to be famous. The less the rest of the world knows about my finances, the better.

    Slowpoke
    Participant
    7567 posts
    Peterli
    Participant
    1206 posts
    5 May 2018 at 0:18:16 #883607

    Interesting article about real-estate growth in Montreal !

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