Page 277 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Switzerland

Local Customs TVA (Taxe sur la valeur ajoutée), IVA (Imposta sul
valore aggiunto) or TPV (Taglia sin la Plivalur).
Be respectful of the religious beliefs and political Non­EU residents get a tax refund on purchases
opinions of the local people and try to adhere to over SF 300, subject to con ditions. Ask for a tax
local customs, both at national and cantonal receipt and relevant docu mentation at the time
level. The Swiss take their recycling seriously and of purchase, and show these at Customs (with
expect tourists to do the same. Punctuality is ID) when leaving the country for your refund.
key, whether you’re attending a business
meeting or a dinner reservation. Discount Cards
LGBT+ Safety Switzerland Tourism (p273) offer a range of
passes and tickets exclusively for visitors. Their
LGBT+ rights in Switzerland are progressive Swiss Museum Pass allows free entrance into
compared to many European countries, espe­ 490 museums and galleries and is avail able from
cially in major cities. However, smaller towns and tourist offices, railway stations, post offices and
rural areas are often more conservative in their larger museums. They also offer travel passes
views, and overt displays of affection may for three regions – Bernese Oberland, Central
receive a negative response from locals. Switzerland and Lake Geneva­Alps.
Some cities (Bern, Lucerne, Neuchâtel and
Visiting Churches Winterthur) offer their own visitor’s pass or
and Cathedrals discount card. Others also cover the cost of
public transport, for instance, the Zürich Card,
Dress respectfully in places of worship: cover the BaselCard and the GenevaPass. Certain
your torso, upper arms and knees. regions (including the Engadin, Davos­Klosters,
Arosa, Saas Fee, Villars and Adelboden) offer
Mobile Phones and Wi-Fi schemes whereby guests staying more than
one night in a participating hotel receive free
Wi­Fi is widely available throughout Switzerland, transportation dur ing the summer.
and cafés and restaurants will usually give BaselCard
customers their Wi­Fi password. Visitors with ∑ basel.com/en/BaselCard
EU tariffs are able to use their devices abroad GenevaPass
without being affected by roaming charges. ∑ geneve.com/en/see­do/geneva­pass/
Check with your service provider for details. Zürich Card
∑ zuerich.com/en/visit/your­city­travel­pass
Post
WEBSITES AND APPS
You can purchase stamps (Briefmarken/timbres/
francobolli) in post offices and some news­ Switzerland Tourism
agents. Allow from a couple of days to one or
two weeks for delivery of international mail, myswitzerland.com produces or partners
depending on the service you select. excellent free apps, including Family
Trips, SwitzerlandMobility, Swiss Events,
Snow Report and various city guides.
Taxes and Refunds Swiss Museums
This museums.ch app offers a wealth of
Switzerland’s standard VAT rate is 7.7 per cent,
information on museums and exhibitions.
although there is a reduced rate of 2.5 per cent Via Michelin
on certain everyday consumer goods such as
food, non­alcoholic beverages, newspapers, App providing live speed restriction and
traffic alerts, navigation and other tools.
magazines, books and medicines. Hotel stays Meteo Suisse
(including breakfast) are taxed at a special rate
of 3.7 per cent. Due to the four official lan guages, The country’s official weather app.
VAT may be called Mwst (Mehrwertsteuer),
277

270-277_EW_Switzerland.indd 277 15/11/2018 11:23