Know before you go: Zurich

As one of the world’s most livable cities, Zurich is on many travelers’ lists of destinations. Zurich is a wonderful place to visit and very easy to navigate. Here are some things to know about visiting Zurich.

There are four national languages in Switzerland

The national languages in Switzerland (and therefore Zurich) are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. In Zurich, the dominant language we ran into was German. If it wasn’t German, it was more likely than not French. Most of the people we encountered spoke at least some English. If they didn’t, P2 speaks enough German that we were able to navigate. If all else fails, leverage Google translate as a resource.

Switzerland doesn’t use the Euro

Although Switzerland is in Europe, it is not a member of the European Union (EU) and therefore does not use the Euro. The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc, abbreviated as CHF. The Swiss Franc is the official currency of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian region of Campione d’Italia. While you may be able to use euros in Switzerland depending on the retailer, retailers are not obligated to accept euros. If you like using cash, make sure you exchange for Swiss francs.

We did not use cash at all during our time in Zurich – we only paid using credit cards. We used the Chase Sapphire Preferred because it has no international transaction fees. It also earns 2x on travel – like the Zurich Transport Network (ZVV) pass we purchased. The Sapphire also picks up 3x on dining, a higher spending category for us when we travel.

Dogs are everywhere

Speaking of public transit, we saw so many dogs on the public transit we took. People just walked onto the train with their dogs. Since we have two dogs, we loved seeing furry friends on the train. Zurich also seemed to have an abundance of dogs, particularly in the city center, especially in contrast to many other cities we’ve visited.

You might have to pay for bathrooms

If you’ve visited Europe before, this probably doesn’t come as a surprise. For many Americans, having to pay to use a public restroom can come as a surprise. We didn’t have to pay to use every public bathroom, but there were a few. Depending on where you are, be prepared to pay for access.

Things are closed on Sundays

This was a bit of a surprise to us. While we’re used to certain places being closed on Sundays, there were quite a lot of places in Zurich that were closed on Sundays that aren’t typically closed. For example, some grocery stores are closed on Sundays. A bookstore we stopped by was closed as well. Depending on what you want or need to do, you may need to adjust your schedule to account for the days that things are open.

You can drink from fountains

Okay, you might be thinking, why are you highlighting this? There are fountains I can drink from in the U.S. Well, in Zurich you can drink from actual fountains – not just water fountains. Those fountains you see with a statue in them provide clean drinking water for residents and visitors alike. Pack a reusable water bottle and save a bit by filling up at a fountain as you stroll through the city.

Your hotel might not have air conditioning

Many European hotels (and homes) don’t have air conditioning. Depending on the time of year you visit, this could mean your sleeping environment is different than you’re used to. Previously, European temperatures, even during the summer, were not extreme enough to justify the necessity of air conditioning. Our hotel did not have air conditioning. It was described to us as “air flow”, but the environment definitely was warmer than we expected.

This is not mean to deter you from traveling – it’s just a difference you might want to consider in selecting your stay arrangements.

Summary

So there you have it! A list of some of the things that stood out to us when we visited Zurich. There will always be differences when you travel internationally, but that’s part of the fun!

Tell us – what’s something you’ve learned while traveling to a new country?