Page 276 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

PRACTICAL
INFORMATION

NEED TO KNOW Practical Information all the essential advice and information you will need during your stay.
A little local know-how goes a long way in Switzerland. Here you will find

Personal Security
AT A GLANCE
Despite Switzerland’s deserved reputation for
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
safety, visitors should be vigilant, particularly
when walking in unlit streets late at night, using
EMERGENCY
POLICE
cash machines, travelling on public transport, or
among large crowds of people in public places.
112
117
If you are a victim of theft, report it at once to
the police. Obtaining a police report will enable
you to make an insurance claim. Contact your
embassy if you have your passport stolen, or
in the event of a serious crime or accident.
AMBULANCE FIRE SERVICE
Health
144 118 Switzerland has no national health service, so
medical treatment of any kind must be paid for.
A reciprocal agreement exists with all EU nations,
so if you have an EHIC card (p273), pre sent this as
TIME ZONE soon as possible. You may have to pay the fee
CET/CEST: Central and claim it back later. Private health insurance
European Summer is recommended, especially if you are planning a
Time runs from the last skiing, mountaineering or hiking holiday, or any
Sunday in March to the extreme sports. For minor ailments, seek medi­
last Sunday in October. cal supplies and advice from pharmacies. Search
the website of the SOS-Pharmacy organization
TAP WATER for open emergency pharmacies in your area.
Unless otherwise SOS-Pharmacy
stated, tap water ∑ sos­pharmacie.ch
in Switzerland and
water from fountains Smoking, Alcohol and Drugs
in towns and villages
is safe to drink. Smoking is banned on public transport and in
enclosed public places, and it is illegal to drive
under the influence of alcohol (the blood alcohol
TIPPING content limit is 0.05 per cent). Drug possession is
taken very seriously and there are heavy penal­
Round up to the
Waiter ties, jail sentences and fines depending on the
nearest SF 5–10
type of narcotic (small amounts of cannabis are
Hotel Porter SF 5–10 permitted). Taking drugs across an international
border automatically constitutes drug traffick­
ing and has a heavy penalty.
Housekeeping SF 2–5
ID
Concierge SF 10
By law you must carry valid identification at all
Taxi Driver SF 5–10 times. A photocopy of your passport photo page
(and visa if applicable) should suffice.
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