Switzerland
Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera
Switzerland is expensive but mostly contactless. The one app you must have is SBB Mobile for trains — Swiss rail is exceptional.
🚖Rideshare & Taxi
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The most widely available rideshare service globally. Works in 70+ countries.
Available in Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, Bern, and Lucerne.
💳Payments & Wallets
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Multi-currency wallet with great FX rates. Useful in Europe, UK, US.
Multi-currency card saves on CHF FX.
🗺️Navigation & Maps
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Works almost everywhere except mainland China. Offline maps are critical when roaming.
Strong everywhere.
💬Translation
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Highest-quality translation for European languages. Now supports East Asian too.
Best translation for German, French, Italian.
🚇Public Transit
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Switzerland's national rail app with live timetables and ticketing.
Essential. Real-time train info, ticketing, and connections across all of Switzerland.
Is Switzerland one stop of several?
Add your other destinations and get one combined app list, with the adapters and currencies for the whole trip.
The practical basics
Power & plugs
- Plug type
- C / J
- Voltage
- 230V
- Frequency
- 50Hz
- Type C: Two round pins. Used across most of Europe, South America, parts of Asia and Africa.
- Type J: Three round pins, unique to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Type J is used only in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Slim two-pin Type C plugs fit; bulky grounded Schuko (Type E/F) plugs do not.
Tipping
Tipping is not required because service is included by law, but it is common to round up the bill or add roughly 5-10% for good service. In restaurants you typically tell the staff the total amount to charge rather than leaving coins on the table.
CurrencyCHF
German you'll actually use
Etiquette and scams to know
✓ Do
- Punctuality is taken very seriously; arriving late to meetings or trains is considered rude
- Greet with a firm handshake, or three kisses on alternating cheeks among friends
- Greet shopkeepers and staff when entering and leaving small shops and restaurants
- Keep your voice down in public transport and quiet residential areas, especially on Sundays
- Sort and recycle your trash carefully, as Switzerland has strict waste rules
- Respect personal space and avoid overly familiar behavior with strangers
✕Don't
- Do not make noise, mow lawns, or do laundry on Sundays in many buildings
- Avoid jaywalking; locals wait for the pedestrian signal even with no cars
- Do not assume everyone speaks the same language; regions are German-, French-, or Italian-speaking
- Avoid littering or dropping cigarette butts, which is socially frowned upon
⚠️ Common scams to know
- Overpriced taxis or refusing the meter, especially from airports and train stations
- Friendship-bracelet or petition scammers in tourist hotspots who then demand money
- Pickpocketing on crowded trains and in Zurich/Geneva stations and old towns
- Fake charity clipboard collectors who distract you while an accomplice steals
This page was last reviewed in September 2026. Apps launch, rebrand and pull out of countries all the time, so confirm anything your trip depends on. Spotted something out of date? Tell us — here's how we check.