Fast Facts

Business Hours -- Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm (closed on legal holidays). Foreign currency may be exchanged at major railroad stations and airports daily from 8am to 10pm. Most business offices are open Monday to Friday 8am to noon and 2 to 6pm. Shops are usually open Monday to Friday 8am to 12:15pm and 1:30 to 6:30pm, and on Saturday 9am to 4pm. In most major cities, shops and supermarkets in the main train station are open on Sundays -- generally between 11am and 4pm. In large cities most shops don't close during the lunch hour, although many do close on Monday morning.

Drinking Laws -- The official drinking age is 16. As in many European countries, the application of laws governing drinking is flexible and enforced only if a problem develops or if decorum is broken. Driving while intoxicated, particularly if it results in damage to property or persons, brings swift and severe punishment involving sizable fines and possible imprisonment.

Drug Laws -- A word of warning: Penalties for illegal drug possession are more severe in Switzerland than they are in the United States and Canada. You could go to jail or be deported immediately.

Electricity -- Switzerland's electricity is 220 volts, 50 cycles, AC. Some international hotels are specially wired to allow North Americans to plug in their appliances, but you'll usually need a transformer for your electric razor, hair dryer, or soft-contact-lens sterilizer. You'll also need an adapter plug to channel the electricity from the Swiss system to the flat-pronged American system. Don't plug anything into the house current in Switzerland without being certain the systems are compatible.

Embassies & Consulates -- Most embassies are located in the national capital, Bern; some nations maintain consulates in other cities such as Geneva. There's an Australian consulate in Geneva at 2, Chemins des Fins (tel. 022/799-91-00; www.geneva.mission.gov.au). The Canadian embassy is at Kirchenfeldstrasse 88, Bern (tel. 031/357-32-00). The embassy of the United Kingdom is at Thunstrasse 50, Bern (tel. 031/359-77-00), and there is a British consulate in Geneva at 58, av. Louis Casaï, Cointrin (tel. 022/918-24-00). The embassy of the United States is located at Jubiläumsstrasse 93, Bern (tel. 031/357-70-11), with consulates in Zurich at Dufourstrasse 101 (tel. 043/499-29-60) and in Geneva at 7, rue Versonnex (tel. 022/840-51-60).

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 117 for the police (emergencies only) and tel. 118 to report a fire.

Holidays -- The legal holidays in Switzerland are New Year's (Jan 1-2), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Bundesfeier (the Swiss National Holiday, Aug 1), and Christmas (Dec 25-26).

Hospitals -- A prime location for medical aid is the Geneva University Hospital, 24, rue Micheli-du-Crest, CH-1211 Genève (tel. 022/372-60-19; www.hug-ge.ch). Most physicians speak English and German.

Language -- The three major languages are German, French, and Italian, although most people in the tourist industry speak English.

Legal Aid -- This may be hard to come by in Switzerland. The government advises foreigners to consult their embassy or consulate in case of a dire emergency, such as an arrest. Even if your embassy or consulate declines to offer financial or legal help, it will generally offer advice on how to obtain help locally.

Mail -- Post offices in large cities are open Monday to Friday 7:30am to noon and 2 to 6:30pm, and on Saturday 7:30 to 11am. If you have letters forwarded to a post office to be collected after you arrive, you'll need a passport for identification. The words POSTE RESTANTE must be clearly written on the envelope. Letters not collected within 30 days are returned to the sender. Letters are either first class, meaning air mail, or surface mail, rated second class.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Swiss papers are published in German, French, or Italian (depending on the region). Most news kiosks in major cities stock the British dailies, plus the latest editions of the International Herald Tribune, which, although edited in Paris, is printed in Zurich. USA Today, the latest copies of Time and Newsweek, and other U.S. and British magazines are also widely available.

Police -- Dial tel. 117 for emergencies.

Smoking -- Switzerland remains one of the last havens in western Europe for the smoker, and many restaurants and hotel lobbies want to keep it that way. Six out of 26 cantons have introduced laws to curb passive smoking. So far, only the Ticino and Geneva have outlawed public smoking. Since the law is in a state of flux, one should inquire before lighting up in a public place.

Taxes -- A value-added tax (VAT) of 7.6% is added to bills. In addition, drivers entering Switzerland are required by law to purchase a windshield sticker for 40F, valid for travel on Swiss roads for 1 year. Stickers are sold at all Customs posts upon entering Switzerland.

Time -- Switzerland's clocks are usually 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States, and 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. However, because Switzerland and the United States switch their clocks every spring and fall during different weeks, the time difference is sometimes only 5 hours.

Tipping -- A 15% service charge is included in all hotel and restaurant bills, although some people leave an additional tip for exceptional service. For taxis, a tip is usually included in the charges (a notice will be posted in the cab).

Toilets -- Most public restrooms are clean and modernized. However, in this multilingual country you have to know what you are looking for. Depending on the part of Switzerland, public restrooms may be WC (water closet), Toiletten, toilettes, or gabinetti. Women's rooms may be identified as DAMEN or FRAUEN, SIGNORE or DONNE, FEMMES or DAMES, and men's rooms may be labeled HERREN or MÄNNER, SIGNORI or UOMINI, HOMMES or MESSIEURS. Public restrooms can be found at bus stations, railway terminals, and cable-car platforms. If these aren't handy, use the restrooms in cafes. Most public lavatories are not free, usually costing 1F for standing, 2F for sitting. You can sometimes find free toilets in train stations.

Visitor Information -- You can get the latest tourist information before leaving home from the nearest branch of the Swiss tourism office. In the United States the center has an office at 608 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10020 (tel. 877/794-8037; www.myswitzerland.com).

In Great Britain, visit 30 Bedford St., London WC2E 9ED (tel. 020/7845-7680).

Weather -- American Express Travel Related Service Company provides hourly reports on current weather conditions and 3-day forecasts for more than 900 cities in Europe. For Switzerland, dial tel. 900/WEATHER (900/932-8437; there's a 95¢ per-minute charge for the call) and press the first three letters of the desired city: BAS (Basel), BER (Bern), GEN (Geneva), LUC (Lucerne), STM (St. Moritz), or VAD (Vaduz, Liechtenstein).