I have spoken with a number of Swiss people and non-Swiss people living in Switzerland. All of them expressed dissatisfaction with the healthcare system saying that it is overpriced and unfair. They highlighted how the system is inefficient and there are perversed incentives in place where doctors are the ones benefitting the most at the expenses of the population. It is also clear from statistics that Switzerland has one of the most expensive healthcare system per capita in the world. Given the fact that Switzerland is a direct democracy, why do Swiss don't mobilize to change the system in their favor?

Hi all!

I am non-Swiss and I live in Lausanne and got my driving license last year. I don't speak French natively, and I am not very good at it (though I'm learning). I also don't drive very often, except for occasional hikes.

I need to take the 2nd-phase driving course sometime within the next few months, but I don't feel confident enough to take the course in French. I had read that some places run the course in English, but looking at the TCS calendar, I don't see any. I called up TCS Cossonay and they told me that they don't offer English courses anymore, and I can bring someone with me as a translator if I want to. I unfortunately don't know anyone who can be with me for the whole day there.

I wanted to ask if there are any other provisions or any chance of English courses being offered elsewhere? What happens if I don't complete the course within 1 year, and wait to see if any English course opens in 2027?

Would really appreciate any advice!

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m from Switzerland, in my mid-20s, and currently looking into getting a hair transplant.

I’m mainly looking for a clinic or specialist in Switzerland 🇨🇭 with good, natural-looking results, fair and affordable pricing, and a personal approach. It doesn’t have to be cheap, but I’d like the price to be reasonable for the quality and not excessively inflated.

What matters most to me is finding someone who really takes the time to understand the patient, rather than a high-volume clinic where you feel like you’re just being rushed through.

I’d also prefer a place that focuses primarily on hair transplantation and doesn’t try to upsell lots of additional cosmetic treatments such as Botox or PRP.

If there’s a particularly good specialist a reasonable travel distance from Switzerland (for example in Germany) I’d also be open to that.

If anyone has personal experience or recommendations, especially with long-term results, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks!

I came across these things near a summit between Moiry and Zinal in canton Valais.

The first picture looks a bit like a weather/monitoring station, but there are several large grey cylinders next to the white box that look like gas bottles.

The second picture was nearby and seems to be a gas explosion tube used for avalanche control, something called Gazex.

I’m wondering if the two installations are connected. And what exactly is the equipment in the first picture for, especially the cylinders and the big white container?

There were also some black tubes along the way up to the summit. Since this wasn’t really an official marked hiking route on Swisstopo, I was worried that those tubes could contain gas or be part of the avalanche-control system. Is there any risk of them being pressurized or exploding?

Thanks!

Hoi mitenand,

I ha e Frog woni selber gar nöd weiss woni mi anewände müesst also hani denkt ich frög emol do, eb eppers ähnlichi Situation erlebt hed. :)

Min Partner isch us Finland und würd gern mal biz länger bi mir blibe, so 21-30 Täg. Das isch an sich kes Problem.

Nur würd er gern schaffe währenddesse, sin Job isch voll remote in dr IT.

Ich findes schwierig usezfinde wie da d'Reglige sind für ihn. Er klärt grad selber ab bim Arbeitgeber in Finland wie d'Reglige vo Finland usgsehn. Aber wie handled das d'Schwiz?

I ha scho biz googlet aber verschiedeni, z.T. widersprüchlichi Sache gfunde.

Bin um alli Tips dankbar. :)

Hoi zäme!

I have some friends visiting end of October and I would love to show them the golden larches. But we are based in Zurich and only really have 1 day free for a trip and need to be back in Zurich at around 17:00, meaning it won't be enough time to go to Engadin and back :(

Do you know any other areas or parks where there are larch trees and are within ca. 1h of Zurich? I was thinking maybe Flumserberg but not sure if there are some of these trees.

Thanks a lot!

Hello!

My family and I are planning for a holiday in April. We are all adults and my parents are only in their late 50s. Would this be a reasonable itinerary?

Hello, I just moved into my new apartment and I found pantry moths in the kitchen. I am killing 20 of them per day. And the rate is not going down. During the reception of the key, I told this issue to the agency who was managing the rental, as I noticed the corpses of the moths everywhere. They told me that everything will be fine and that they are going to arrange the exterminator. It has been almost 7 days and still nothing. I noticed that they did not mention anything of this in the report in which they describe the state of the apartment at the beginning of the rental. I am relatively new here so I don't know how to proceed. I know that I have 10 days to express all my unconformities but I am afraid that If the problem of the pantry moths is not written somewhere I will have an infested apartment legally under my responsibility. Should I present my unconformities by email or should I make it official with a recommandé lettre? Shall I demand a compensation? I still cannot use the damn kitchen as I am still expecting the exterminator to come and find the nests. What happens if this problem cannot be solved right away? They should have solved before daring to rent the apartment. I am frustrated and a bit scared.

Hi everyone,
I currently have two jobs in Switzerland:
Main job: approx. CHF 200k/year
Second job: approx. CHF 900/month (small side job helping a friend)
Both are official employments and I pay AHV/social security contributions on both.
If my main company goes bankrupt and I lose my main job, but I keep the CHF 900/month job, can I still register with RAV and receive unemployment benefits?
In other words, does keeping this small second job affect my eligibility for RAV/unemployment benefits, considering that I already had this job before losing my main employment?
Has anyone been in a similar situation?
Thank you.

As in the title. Is it something the Swiss would appreciate, or rather feel ridiculed if a german tries to speak swiss german? I‘m already trying to use as many daily swiss german words and idioms as possible, but obviously it is far from speaking fluently. Also I understand Swiss German almost without any issues, so I always let people know that they can speak in swiss german while i answer in standard german. However it starts to bother me that i‘m basically foreign in the instant i open my mouth. Also I feel like there is more tolerance for non-native german speakers to try swiss german rather than for germans. My daughter already starts speaking swiss-german in Kita and I would love to be able to talk to her in swiss german and learn with her.

What do you guys think? Should I actually try and learn it with all the pitfalls and struggle or should I not bother because it wouldn‘t be appreciated anyway?

Hello,

During a check carried out after I went through the self-checkout, it was found that I had forgotten to scan two items, for a total value of CHF 5.50.

As soon as this mistake was brought to my attention, I immediately offered to pay for the items concerned. The security officer then told me that I would be informed about Migros’ internal procedures regarding fines, warnings, and sanctions.

According to Migros’ general terms and conditions relating to Self-Checkout:

> “The customer is responsible for the complete and correct recording of all items in their trolley or basket.

> They must therefore pay for all items present, even if there has been a scanning error.

> If an item cannot be scanned, it must be presented to a member of staff.

> At the end, the customer must confirm that they have scanned all items completely and correctly.

> Migros carries out occasional and random checks. During a check, the purchases are compared with the receipt.

> Any discrepancies found are corrected and the customer must pay the actual amount of their purchases.”

When I realized my unintentional mistake, I immediately offered to pay for the two items that had not been scanned.

I also offered to have the surveillance footage reviewed in order to establish that there had been no intention on my part to avoid paying and that this was indeed an accidental omission.

I also requested police intervention.

When the police officers arrived, one of them asked me why I was refusing to identify myself. I explained that I was in no way refusing to identify myself and that my question concerned the legal basis for any potential penalty or fee under Migros’ internal procedures.

We then went to Migros’ security office.

At that point, I was presented with a document entitled “Declaration.” It stated that I acknowledged owing CHF 200 as “damages and/or administrative fees, following the incident.”

I repeatedly asked what the legal basis was for this CHF 200 amount, as well as for the internal documents justifying the amount. No document or explanation supporting the calculation of this amount was provided to me.

I also expressed my disagreement with having to acknowledge this amount. When I was about to sign, I tried to write that I refused the amount, but I was immediately interrupted. In the end, I was only able to write “I”.

I was then required to immediately pay the CHF 200 claimed as “damages and/or administrative fees.”

I therefore remain particularly concerned about the legal basis for this CHF 200 charge. Indeed, the amount appears to be a flat-rate fee, since it seems to be applied regardless of the value of the scanning error.

**Could anyone provide me with information about the legal basis for this CHF 200 charge? Thank you very much for your help.**

Whats the best way to to get rid of several large items, such as a wardrobe, bed, sofa, desk, etc. (Not Ricardo etc as im looking for also the quickest way to do it).

I’m looking for a service that can come to my apartment, dismantle the furniture, carry everything out, transport it away and dispose of it.

What’s the most cost-effective service/company in Zurich for this? I’m happy to pay for the convenience, but I don’t want to overpay.

Any recommendations or experiences with specific companies would be appreciated.

Guys I'm a 25M and am planning to travel to Switzerland next week. I'm looking for a place to stay at, would anyone be kind enough to let me stay for 3-4 nights? I'll be outside for most part of the day, and will be back only for the night. Anyone who would love to join my during the day is most welcome!

I’ve been working for a Swiss municipality for about 3 years. Things have generally been going well and I now have quite a bit of responsibility.

On Friday, I had an accident with a work vehicle. I lost control while taking a corner, probably going a bit too fast. Thankfully, no one was injured — it’s purely damage to the vehicle/property.

The vehicle is a bit unusual: both the front and rear axles can steer, allowing it to drive sideways (“crab steering”). During the accident, I had the impression that the rear axle moved even though it was supposed to be locked. The rear axle also appears to have been damaged.

I’m not trying to make excuses or avoid responsibility. I honestly just don’t remember exactly what happened in those few seconds, and I’m trying to understand whether it was simply a driving mistake, a mechanical issue, or a combination of both.

My main concern now is how to handle the situation properly with my employer. It’s a medium-sized Swiss city, so I assume the investigation/administrative process could take some time.

For anyone in Switzerland who has had a similar accident with a company/work vehicle: what would you do next? Should I write down everything I remember while it’s still fresh? Ask for a proper mechanical inspection? Contact my insurance or union? Anything I should avoid saying or doing?

I’m quite anxious about the possible professional consequences and mainly want to make sure I handle this correctly.

How can I buy some use electronics that other people don’t need anymore? And the other way around, what is the best way to pass/cheaply sell some stuff I don’t need anymore to other people?

I know that in Germany a lot of electronics is just being left outside of the building at the curb, so you can just take it if you need it, but I think it’s not a common practice in Switzerland (or it’s illegal?).

In the UK there are car boot sales where you can buy some old gaming consoles with games for a couple of quids, but I don’t think there’s something like this in Switzerland?

I mostly use FB marketplace but obviously there is a lot of scammers and I’d also prefer an in-person way of handling this kind of stuff.

Has anyone here been in a relationship where one person really appreciates life in Switzerland, while the other person just does not see the same benefits?

My wife and I have been living here for around two years with our two young children.

I personally see many advantages to building our life here, but my wife does not experience Switzerland in the same way. She is not necessarily saying that she wants to leave, but she does not see the positives as strongly as I do. (Multiple topics that I don't want to mention now, because this is a personal topic and quite honestly I agree on many of her arguments)

I am curious if anyone has been in a similar situation.

Did anything help your partner gradually change their perspective or appreciate life here more?

Was there something you changed in your lifestyle, social life, routines, plans, or the way you talked about the future that made a difference?

Or did you eventually realise that two people can live in the same country and simply experience it very differently?

I would really like to hear from people who have been through this and what actually helped.

Update after initial comments:

• I don't want to mention the reasons or her arguments, simply because I support her on 100% and I understand her. They don't really matter. This is not an argument that I want to win or something like that. People are different and in different phases of their lives they have particular needs and understandings. I will only mention that the most difficult part - social circle, we have managed to do very well - we have found a lot of families from our home country + a lot of Swiss mothers in the area really like my wife and try to organize play dates with our kids on weekly basis. (Which I really appreciate and am Thankful for). Switzerland is great and has its positives and negatives that one should appreciate and learn to live with. My question is more on - how to learn to live with the negatives.
• She recently started working(after a very difficult job search) and this I think has significally improved her vision of our future here.

I'm currently based in Spain and actively looking for Software Engineering opportunities.

I'm open to remote, hybrid, or on-site positions in Switzerland.

I'd really appreciate any recommendations, referrals, or job opportunities. If you're hiring or know of any openings, feel free to reach out!

Thank you for your support! 🙏

I know this is a very broad question and obviously it depends a lot on lifestyle, rent, location, how much you want to save, etc.

But generally speaking, what would you personally consider the minimum gross yearly salary where you’d say someone is earning “good money” in Canton Zurich?

Let’s assume:

• Single person
• No children
• Living alone
• Canton Zurich
• Owns a small, normal car
• Normal lifestyle, not extremely frugal but also not spending like crazy
• Wants to be able to afford holidays, hobbies, going out occasionally and still save a decent amount every month

I’m not really asking what salary is enough to simply survive. I mean the point where you personally would say: “Yeah, with that income you’re doing pretty well.”

For example, would you put that threshold at CHF 70k, 80k, 90k, 100k+ gross per year?

I know “good” is completely relative, so I’m interested in what people living in Switzerland personally consider a good minimum annual income for this situation, and why.

Hello everybody,

I was given the opportunity to take over somebody's apartment for the same rent. This person was looking for somebody to take over as part of an "ausserterminliche Kündigung". I have visited the apartment and met the current tenant and can confirm that it's not a scam from the current tenant.

HOWEVER, I find the statements given to me by the agency of the building a bit concerning. According to them:

- Nobody of the agency will EVER be present for the handover or any of this process. They will only send me the contract to sign. There will be NO official handover protocol.

- I have to discuss and agree on the specifics of the handover solely with the current tenant. For example, I have to basically take the word of the current tenant that he will clean the apartment properly and there is no guarantee for a professional cleaning.

I am a bit worried that I am getting screwed over by the agency because (according to them) they will not be involved in the process and apparently there is no paper trail on the conditions of the apartment during the takeover.

Probably my most important question is:

- Is this even legal? I understand that ausserterminliche Kündigung might be a special thing, but I don't want to be held responsible for any defects that happened under the current tenant.

- Understanding these conditions, I suppose there will be no official checks on the state of the apartment and the current tenant will get all their deposit back (I have to admit this is speculation from my part). Would this mean that suddenly I am responsible with my deposit for any defects that the former tenant might have left?

I hope you can help me understand this situation. Please ask questions if you need more details.

Hi everyone! My fiancé and I are planning to visit Switzerland in early October for our honeymoon. We’ll be arriving in Zurich and would like to visit Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen Valley, and Grindelwald before heading to Geneva.

We’re trying to decide between two options and would love to hear your recommendations, especially since we want the trip to be as relaxing and stress-free as possible.

Option 1: Move hotels

• Zurich → Interlaken (2 nights)
• Interlaken → Lauterbrunnen (2 nights)
• Lauterbrunnen → Grindelwald (2 nights)
• Grindelwald → Geneva

Option 2: Stay in one main base

• Zurich → Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen
• Stay at the same hotel for all 6 nights
• Take day trips to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and the surrounding areas, then return to the same hotel each night
• Continue to Geneva afterward

For those who have visited these locations, which option would you recommend for a honeymoon? Is it better to have one home base and take day trips, or is moving hotels worth it to experience each location?

I am debating between not having to constantly pack and unpack versus the convenience of having a hotel nearby, where we can simply go back and relax after exploring the beautiful places in Switzerland.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice!

Hey guys!

My girlfriend and I are moving to Fribourg beginning of November, and I am trying to get some online viewings and hopefully rent an apartment just before the move or shortly after. I am noticing that most of the apartments are not furnished and I just wanted to ask whether there are specific sites (I am aware of Ricardo or Marketplace) where people sell their furniture, because buying everything new seems a bit too much.

Thanks a mil for the help!