With snow-capped Alps, forested hills, fairytale castles, Renaissance cathedrals, shimmering lakes, stylish spas and luxury ski resorts - it's easy to see why Switzerland has been one of the world's top tourist destinations for the past two centuries. It is the country that fashioned tourism, so it's no surprise that Switzerland caters to visitors all year round. In spring and summer it offers lakeside chalets, mountain trails and spa resorts. In the sunny southern region of Ticino, near the Italian border, visitors will find palm-fringed Riviera-style resorts offering a host of water sports. Those keen on hiking and mountaineering will find over 31,000 miles (50,000km) of mountain and forest trails throughout the country. Switzerland's cities are pristine and beautifully laid out with famous Swiss precision. Zurich is widely held to be the intellectual and artistic centre of the country, sporting incredible architecture and more than a thousand fountains, with many museums and galleries. Geneva is the principal city for the international community, and is home to hundreds of world organisations. Its setting on the shores of Lake Geneva give it a romantic atmosphere, and the city has an exciting, if rather expensive, nightlife

Essentials:

Time: Local time is GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October).

Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. Plugs are of the linear, rounded three-pin type, but rounded two-pin lugs will fit the outlet.

Language: The three official languages are Swiss German, French and Italian. A few people speak Romansch, but this is confined to the southeastern corner of the country. Most people know at least three languages, including English.

Communications: The international country dialling code for Switzerland is +41. The outgoing code is 00, followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the United Kingdom). City/area codes are in use e.g. (0)22 for Geneva. Mobile phone GSM 1800 and 900 networks operate throughout the country. Visitors who wish to use a prepaid sim card from Swisscom Mobile (NATEL easy) will be required to register with the service provider and produce identification. Internet cafes are available in the main towns and resorts; some public phone booths also have Internet and email access.

Climate in Switzerland: The temperature is moderate with no extremes of hot and cold, so Switzerland can be visited at anytime of year. Summer is warm lasting from about June to September, and although good for outdoor activities it is also the most crowded time for a holiday. Ski resorts open in late November and remain so until the snow begins to melt in April.

Car Rental
If you like to drive and stay at hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts, that is fine. We offer a choice of 4
companies offering budget vehicles, new vehicles and mini-buse. If you tell us your requirements we will happy prepare a quotation for you. See details: Switzerland Car Hire

Motorhome - RV - Campervan - Camper
For flexibility, freedom and value for money it is really hard to beat Motorhome, RV, Campervan or Motorcaravan hire or rental. Our friendly and experienced team are here to assist and provide valuable free advice, plus the most competitive quotes. We offer the widest selection and we have a best value and best price guarantee.
See details: Switzerland Campervan Hire

Canal Boat - Canal Barge - River Cruise
You can also travel by boat. As the largest global canal boat wholesaler, we offer you a choice of 3 self skipper companies: Peter Deilmann River and Ocean Cruise and Viking River Cruise is lots of fun. It really is a terrific bonding time for families or just a great time for a group of friends. The vessels are very comfortable and most boats have en-suites and comfortable cabins. and outdoor deck furniture complete the picture. For details, Switzerland River - Ocean - Cruises

GENEVA

Undoubtedly Switzerland's most cosmopolitan city, Geneva's reputation for religious and political tolerance dates back more than five hundred years. In the 16th century the city spawned the religious teachings of John Calvin, and was where Lenin spent his 'years of recreation'. Little of their Puritanism is left today - stately homes line the banks of the lake, overlooking an armada of luxury yachts. Jewels and designer labels spill out of exclusive boutiques and into chauffer-driven limousines that slide down palatial avenues.

As well as a host of museums and fine galleries, Geneva has a lively cultural calendar. Most notable is the celebration of l'Escalade in December, which involves costumed and torch-lit processions through the town, and the consumption of sickly amounts of chocolate and marzipan.

Geneva is a gateway to Switzerland's luxury ski resorts, an important banking centre and home to thousands of international delegates and diplomats. Among the many international organisations based in the city are the United Nations, the International Red Cross and the World Health Organisation.

GENEVA TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS

Lake Geneva (Lac Léman)
The largest lake in central Europe and shared by both Switzerland and France, the romantic waters of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman to its French-speaking inhabitants) have for decades drawn visitors to its shores. Attracted by the alpine panorama, quaint wooden chalet villages, vineyard-covered slopes and sailboats skimming across the blue waters, many famous writers, musical composers, actors and poets came to settle on the shores and the area has become something of an inspiration to the arts. Situated in the westernmost district of Vaud, the region contains a diversity of attractions and activities, from wine-growing villages and mountain ski resorts, picturesque castles, and magnificent cathedrals, to low-key lakeside resorts, boat cruises, and cosy fireside pots of fondue. Sophisticated shopping and cultural life can be found in the cities of Geneva and Lausanne, with sweeping views across the sparkling lake to the Alps and the distinctive pinnacle of Mont Blanc. Among the vineyards and affluent villas clinging to the slopes lie the lakeside towns of Vevey and Montreux, the pearls of the Swiss Riviera. Scenic winding roads stretch along the shores, and train trips offers outstanding views, while below steamers crisscross the waters of Lake Geneva, offering a variety of ways to experience the splendour of its location

ZURICH

Zurich is the world's banking capital, but as well as being a city of fat cats parading in pin-stripes, glued to their mobile phones and swinging patent leather briefcases, you'll also discover that this is the city that gave birth to the avant-garde Dadaist movement, and where James Joyce wrote Ulysses. The city's Museum of Fine Arts houses one of Europe's most extensive collections from 15th century religious iconography to the modern art works of Dali, Arp, Hockney, Cezanne, Monet, Gaugin, Munch and Picasso.

Visitors can spend days exploring Zurich's cobbled streets, wandering through its museums, exploring its flea markets or walking away with free gifts from its chocolate factories. The quays, with their promenades, are made for walking, especially along the shores of the lake. With an active café culture, it's ideal for people-watching, and Zurich has a lively, multi-ethnic population to rival any other major European city. The exacting order of the Swiss, with their passion for neatness and precision may create an impression of rather a prim and staid society, but visitors will discover quite the opposite when exploring Zurich's nightlife. With more bars, clubs and restaurants than you can shake a stick at, as well as a calendar packed full of street parades and festivals, Zurich can exhaust even the most energetic party animal.

ZURICH TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS

Fraumünster Church
Of the church spires that characterise Zurich’s skyline, the thin blue spire of Fraumünster is the most graceful. Overlooking the historic old square of Münsterhof, the former pig market, the church was founded in 853 and its convent inhabited by German noblewomen until the 13th century. Important architectural features include the Romanesque choir and the enormous elaborate organ, but its chief attractions are the five beautiful stained glass windows designed by the 83-year-old Marc Chagall in 1970.

Address: Am Münsterhofplatz; Telephone: (01) 211 4100; Transport: Tram 4 to the City Hall; Opening time: 9am to 6pm (May to September); 10am to 5pm (October); 10am to 4pm (November to March); 10am to 5pm (March to April). The church is closed between noon and 2pm daily, on Sundays it is closed until 2pm; Admission: Free

The Swiss National Museum
Housed in a castle-like building with a distinctive tower, The Swiss National Museum provides a fascinating look at Swiss culture and history and contains a comprehensive collection of artefacts from the Stone Age to modern times. There are works of art, everyday articles such as medieval drinking bowls and costumes, toys, a section on book-inscribing in the Middle Ages, carved altar pieces and stained glass windows from ancient convents and churches, and the wheels found in Zurich that are believed to be the first ever discovered. There is also an exhibit on Swiss clock making, and a weapons and armour display providing insight into methods of Swiss combat from 800 to 1800. Special exhibitions are held annually on themes relevant to Swiss society.

Address: Museumstrausse 2; Telephone: (0)44 218 6511; E-mail: kanzlei@slm.admin.ch; Transport: Train to Zurich’s main station (Hauptbahnhof), or tram 3, 4, 5, 11, 13 or 14; Opening time: Daily except Mondays from 10.30am to 5pm; Admission: Sfr5, concessions available. Special exhibitions Sfr8 – Sfr12


SWISS ALPS

The Alps contain some of Switzerland’s most dramatic landscapes, in a country already well endowed with spectacular scenery and fabulous alpine vistas. Situated at the heart of the Alps, Switzerland shares the mountain range with France, Italy and Austria and provides winter and summer time enjoyment for skiers, snowboarders, walkers and climbers.

Switzerland boasts the first ever ski resort, and since then over 200 first class resorts have attracted thousands of Swiss and international downhill and cross-country skiers as well as snowboarders. The tradition of skiing goes back two centuries. Today, with more than 1,700 mountain railways and ski lifts, renowned ski schools and instructors, the best ski equipment in the world, and outstanding slopes and facilities catering for all levels of ability, it deserves to be called ‘Europe’s winter playground’

Climbers and walkers head to the Alps between June and September when the weather is warmer and more settled. There are more than 40,390 miles (65,000km) of well-marked and maintained hiking trails as well as longer treks across the country that will reveal miles and miles of unspoiled beauty. Grindelwald has long been the capital of summer hiking in the Bernese Alps, and more recently added a network of groomed trails for winter hikers. Climbers have long been lured by the challenges of the Matterhorn and there are some memorable hikes up to the cliffs below the summit. The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) is the best source of information on mountaineering.

The most accessible and visited alpine area is the magnificent Bernese Oberland region in the centre of the country with classic Swiss scenery - picturesque peaks, quaint wooden chalets and charming mountain villages, green pastures, lakes and the tinkle of cow bells. This is a fabulous area for walking and provides exceptional winter sports.

CONTACTS:
Lastly and I hope you don't need it, but should you require consular help - here are the details
Swiss Tourist Office: +41 (0)1 288 1111 (Zurich) or www.myswitzerland.com
Swiss Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 745 7900.
Swiss Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7616 6000.
Swiss Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 235 1837
Swiss Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6162 8400.
Swiss Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 452 0660.
Swiss Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 (0)1 218 6382
Swiss Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand: +64 (0)4 472 1593/4.
United States Embassy, Berne: +41(0)31 357 7011.
British Embassy, Berne: +41 (0)31 359 7700.
Canadian Embassy, Berne: +41 (0)31 357 3200.
Australian Consulate-General, Geneva: +41 (0)22 799 9100.
South African Embassy, Berne: +41 (0)31 350 1313.
Irish Embassy, Berne: +41 (0)31 352 1442
New Zealand Embassy, Berlin, Germany (also responsible for Austria, Cezch Republic, Hungary and Switzerland): +49 (0)30 206 210.
Emergencies: 117 (Police); 144 (Ambulance)

AIRPORTS:
Geneva Cointrin International Airport (GVA)
Location: The airport is situated three miles (5km) north of Geneva. Time: GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October). Contacts: Tel: +41 22 717 7111. Transfer to the city: Public buses leave for the centre every few minutes from the departures and arrivals levels. A free hotel shuttle transports passengers to major hotels. A train leaves for Cornavin RR Station in the city centre every 10 minutes, from where connections can be made to destinations throughout Europe. Taxis are also available outside Arrivals and cost between CHF 30 and 35 to the centre of Geneva. Car rental: Car rental companies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and National. Travellers should ensure they hire their car on the French side of the border if they are going to France, and vice-versa. Facilities: Luggage lockers can be found in the Train Station Mall and on the arrivals level. A Skycom Airport Business Centre and Business Corner offer a range of business facilities. Other amenities include banks, bureaux de change, ATMs, bars and restaurants, tourist information, a hotel reservation desk, post office and shops, including duty-free. Facilities for disabled passengers are good; those with special needs should contact their airline in advance. Parking: Long and short-term parking, and valet parking is available. Eurocard, American Express or Visa cards can be used to pay for parking in parking lots; cards are inserted in automatic machines on entry to record the date and time, and inserted again on exit to calculate the relevant fee. Departure tax: None.

Zurich Airport (ZRH)
Location: The airport is situated eight miles (12km) north of Zurich. Time: GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October). Contacts: Tel: +41 43 816 2211. Transfer to the city: Swiss Rail (SBB) provides fast and efficient transport to the city centre, taking only ten minutes to Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof (central station). The station is located below Arrivals and trains leave every 15 minutes for Zurich and other destinations. There are also taxis or a hotel shuttle is available. Taxis take around half an hour to the city centre. Car rental: Car rental companies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Europcar and Hertz. Facilities: Facilities include banks, bureaux de change, bars and restaurants, postal services, shops including duty-free, business facilities and a crèche. Facilities for disabled passengers are excellent. Parking: Short and long term parking options are available. Departure tax: None.

Berne Belp Airport (BRN)
Location: The airport is situated six miles (9km) southeast of Berne. Time: GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October). Contacts: Tel: +41 31 964 0919. Transfer to the city: Trains travel regularly between the city and the airport. Taxis are also available. Car rental: Car rental companies include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Europcar and Hertz. Facilities: Facilities include banks, bureaux de change, bars and restaurants, tourist information and hotel reservations, duty-free shopping and business facilities. Facilities for disabled passengers are excellent; those with special needs should contact their airline in advance. Parking: Short and long term parking options are available. Departure tax: None.