Christmas markets|
Carnival|
Switzerland's
superb products make it a shopper's paradise.
English is spoken in most
shops and department stores. Any stay in Switzerland is incomplete without
buying a famous Swiss watch. Fine watches come in an infinite variety and are
generally less expensive than in others countries. Bucherer is the country's
biggest and most famous watch retailer offering a wide range of watches from CHF
50 to 100'000.
Chocolates come in a variety of sizes, shapes and
flavors. Excellent buys are: textiles, embroideries, fine handkerchiefs, linen,
precision instruments, drafting sets, multiblade pocket knives, music boxes,
woodcarvings, ceramics and other handmade items as well as antiques and art
books.
The VAT tax you pay on purchased goods in Switzerland is 7,5%.
You may ask at the shops for your Global Refund Cheque and reclaim the VAT.
Global Refund offers you a swift and save cash refund system at Zurich and
Geneva airports as well as at all major airport in Europe and all major road
exit points. All major Credit Cards are accepted in fine shops and most
department stores.
Shops are usually open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on
weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Once a week they extend their
hours to 9 p.m. They are closed on Sundays except for those at airports, at some
railway stations and highway rest stops.
Business
Hours
Generally, offices
are open 8 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 5 pm on weekdays and closed on
weekends.
Banks
Banks are usually
open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Once a week they extend their
hours. Please check locally. They are closed Saturdays, Sundays and on public
holidays. However, money can also be changed at major train stations. Look for
the "Change/Cambio" signs.
Many banks have automated teller machines (ATMs)
that accept overseas bank cards. please check with your local bank before
leaving if your bank card is valid in Switzerland.
Post Offices
Post offices are usually open from 8 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 5
pm on weekdays, whereas some branches that are located in shopping centers are
usually open the same hours as the shopping centers, including the extended
business times that are often offered once a week. On Saturdays, post offices in
large cities are opern from 8.30 am till 12 noon, in villages they may be
closed. please inform yourself locally. All post offices are closed on Sundays.
Shops
Shops in smaller towns and
villages are generally open from 8.30 am - 12 noon and again from 2 - 6.30 pm.
In larger cities they do not close for lunch. In larger cities, shops generally
extend their hours till 8 pm on one evening of the week, usually on Thursdays.
Top tips for savvy shoppers.
The arcades of Bern.
The covered arcades that run for kilometres
in front of the baroque sandstone houses of the Old Town of Bern make up the
world’s most beautiful shopping centre.
Absinthe in La
Chaux-de-Fonds. Once controversial and banned, now legal
again: the wormwood-flavoured spirit from the
Val-de-Travers.
Blondel in Lausanne.
For 150 years, this shop has been a place of
pilgrimage for chocolate lovers, offering more than 120 different
creations.
Morand in Martigny.
Exquisite spirits and liqueurs direct from
the distillery.
Chuchilade in Solothurn.
Shop packed with stylish and witty creations
for the kitchen and home.
Hofkellerei in Vaduz.
Taste and buy the Prince of Liechtenstein’s
wines direct from the vineyard.
Plattform in Winterthur.
A former industrial quarter is now
home to the hippest address for fashionable
furniture.
|
HOME 
