Switzerland

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Overview

Being Vegetarian  |  Tipping Practices  |  Coffee  |  What to Wear
 

I don't normally travel to European countries because they are pricey, and Switzerland is no exception. Definitely the most expensive country I've been to but man is it impressive! Every stereotype you can think of for the Swiss Alps, it is. Green, mountainous, wildflowers everywhere, waterfalls, wooden chalets, you name it.
Chocolatiers (hazelnut and praline are popular add-ins) are popular as are surprisingly extreme sports like base jumping and paragliding.
The food is not much to write home about in my opinion put part of that is because of the ridiculous high price of everything. I was happy to find a lot of apricots!
The train system is easy, extensive, and scenic, but also not cheap.

For budget travel, there are hostels even though they are not cheap, and you can find more affordable food in places like grocery stores, bakeries, and bars. Prebook train tickets for super saver tickets save at least a few dollars.
May 2026

Being Vegetarian in Switzerland

It's easy to be vegetarian here as there is a large variety of food from pasta to pizza to the local rosti potato dish.

One thing I learned that I was unaware of however, is that some of the Swiss cheeses (gruyere, etc) are made with pork rennet! :(

Tipping Practices

General:
Not a tipping culture (thankfully because prices are already so high). A service charge is already built in to the price in restaurants, transportation, hotels, etc.
Restaurants:
If you feel the need to tip or if the service was really outstanding, you don't tip by percentage. You simply round up to the nearest convenient amount. i.e. 48 becomes 50

Coffee

Most coffee and Switzerland is made by automatic machine. It's just not very good. You can find proper coffee if you look for it, like at Italian cafes.
I have had both powdered packets and Nespresso for my hotel in-room coffee. At least the pods tasted better.

What to Wear

Sort of like being in a ski town, it's a lot of function over form. Casual winter wear like leggings or sweats, trainers, and a jacket suffices. I thought being a European country, it would be a little more stylish, but casual is fine.
I brought some cute Sorel waterproof boots and honestly would have done better with my waterproof Merrell hiking shoes or even my On trainers.
Definitely bring lots of layers! The weather can vary greatly even in a given day. I went from freezing in a big ski coat, to a skirt and tank top the following day, and back to freezing that night.