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| Car Hire Switzerland |
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Switzerland is a region well connected by air and road.
Flight:
From Basle, Bern, Geneva, or Zurich to London is 1 hour 50 minutes.
From Geneva to Los Angeles is 17 hours and from Zurich is 14 hours
35 minutes. From Geneva to New York is 9 hours 45 minutes and
from Zurich is 7 hours 20 minutes
Road:
Switzerland can be reached by road from Austria, France, Germany,
and Italy. Some approximate driving times to Geneva and Zurich
by the most direct routes are Calais– Geneva: 12-13 hours
(747km/464 miles); Dunkirk–Geneva: 12-13 hours (732km/454
miles); Calais–Zurich: 13-14 hours (790km/490 miles); Dunkirk–Zurich:
14-15 hours (880km/ 546 miles).
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A Passport is valid for 3 months
after intended period of stay required by all except:
- Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta,
Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovak
Republic, Slovenia and Spain holding a valid national ID card;
- Foreigners holding national Identity Cards issued by
the governments of Belgium, France or Luxembourg provided they
are resident in one of these countries.
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Visa is required by all except
the following for stays of up to 3 months
Types of visa / cost:
Tourist; Visitor; Business; Transit. All visas cost £25 for
passengers over 18 years of age (children aged under 18 included
in a parent’s passport are not required to pay a separate
visa fee); £9 for unmarried passengers aged under 18 with
separate passports. Fees can vary due to exchange rates
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Duty-Free: people
may import the following items into Switzerland over 17 years of
age without incurring customs duty by:
- Visitors from European countries:
200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 2l of alcohol
(up to 15 per cent) and 1l of alcohol (over 15 per cent); gifts
up to a value of SFr100.
- Visitors from non-European countries:
400 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g of tobacco; 2l of alcohol
(up to 15 per cent) and 1l of alcohol (over 15 per cent); gifts
up to a value of SFr100.
Prohibited items:
Most meat and processed meat, absinthe and narcotics are prohibited.
There are strict regulations on importing animals and firearms
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| All standards from
luxury to family hotels and pensions are available. Most hotels in
Switzerland are affiliated to the Schweizer Hotelier Verein (Swiss
Hotels Association) (SHV), Monbijoustrasse 130, Postfach 3001 Bern
(tel: (31) 370 4111; fax: (31) 370 4444; e-mail: info@swisshotels.ch;
website: www.swisshotels.ch). Around 75 per cent of all overnight
stays in the country are at SHV member hotels. A service charge of
7.6 per cent is included in hotel bills, and an additional local tax
may be payable (depending on the location). |
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| Visitors holding membership
cards of a national organization affiliated to the International Youth
Hostels Federation are entitled to lower prices. An International
Reply Paid Postcard (Youth Hostel Edition) should be used if confirmation
is required. For further information, contact Swiss Youth Hostels,
Schaffhauserstrasse 14, 8042 Zürich (tel: (1) 360 1414; fax:
(1) 360 1460; e-mail: marketing@youthhostel.ch; website: www.youthhostel.ch).
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Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code:
41. Outgoing international code: 00. Phonecards are available
for use in payphones.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900/1800 networks cover
the whole country. Single band networks also in Basle, Geneva,
and Zurich. Operators include Orange, Sunrise, and Swiss GSM.
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| However, the most
popular dailies are Blick, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Tages-Anzeiger
Zürich. European and international newspapers in English, including
The Herald Tribune and USA Today, are also widely available. |
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| It is customary to
give unwrapped flowers to the host when invited for a meal. Avoid
red roses; never give chrysanthemums or white asters as they are considered
funeral flowers. Informal wear is widely acceptable. First-class restaurants,
hotel dining rooms, and important social occasions may warrant jackets
and ties. Black tie is usually specified when required. |
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| Most major towns and
resorts have nightclubs or discos with music and dancing, sometimes
serving food. There are also cinemas and theatres, and some bars and
restaurants have local folk entertainment. |
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| A service charge is
included in all hotel, restaurant, cafe, bar, taxi and hairdressing
services by law; further gratuities are not usually required. |
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| Special purchases
include embroidery and linen, Bernese woodcarving, chocolate, cheese,
Swiss army knives and luxury handmade clocks and watches. Shopping
hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1330-1830, Sat 0800-1200 and 1330-1600.
Most shops are closed on Monday mornings.
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