Switzerland - any PHers live there?
Discussion
Ayahuasca said:
Thanks everyone for the info! I am trying to get a feel of how it all works. Are there any places to avoid? The Swiss equivalent of say Stoke on Trent, lol. Needs to be in commuting distance from downtown Zurich. Lake views sound good.
I’ve not come across a Swiss version of Stoke yet haha! Most of the towns on the lake have train lines that run into central Zurich. I’m at the very bottom of the lake and it takes about 35mins to Zurich HB. Driving isn’t so great in the morning with quite a bit of traffic backed up around the Zurich junctions. One thing to bear in mind is your tax depends on where you live. Whilst Kanton Zug and Schwyz are a bit more of a commute, the tax is a little friendlier. That said, rent costs adjust accordingly!
A good site for looking at property is https://en.comparis.ch/ and will give you an idea of what’s available. You can then use sbb.ch to find out how long the commute will be
Switzerland is taking the Coronavirus seriously and there are new restrictions coming into effect next week e.g. masks to be worn in shops. There has been an uptick in cases here recently, also it probably helps relations with neighbouring countries to be seen to be taking appropriate measures. In general the population seems to be following the rules without too much complaint. We're not going to know for some years which approaches went relatively well or relatively poorly, but so far things seem to be going OK, all things considered.
Ayahuasca said:
Thanks everyone for the info! I am trying to get a feel of how it all works. Are there any places to avoid? The Swiss equivalent of say Stoke on Trent, lol. Needs to be in commuting distance from downtown Zurich. Lake views sound good.
Different councils offer different tax rates based on how popular the area is.So just get a list, and sort it by price. The ones at the bottom will either be less commutable, or undesirable.
Ayahuasca said:
Thoughts on importing a car from UK (or somewhere in EU) to Switzerland vs buying locally ?
Don't. They have their own specific 'tests' and it will be an absolute pain in the holio to get the car lights etc to conform. Not worth your time or hassle. I have a mechanic up the street and he even told me at the time not to even bother. Plus its a pain with getting into carparks etc.
Just buy/lease here. Beyond the German brands there is a lot of value to be had, especially for an expensive country.
Ayahuasca said:
Thoughts on importing a car from UK (or somewhere in EU) to Switzerland vs buying locally ?
I have imported cars from Germany. Whilst the information on how to do it is a bit difficult to understand in terms of the customs clearing process, it is actually reasonably easy to undertake.It can be quite a bit of a money saver depending on FX but also provide you with a much bigger choice of cars to pick from.
Cheers
Speedfr0g
Totally agree about not importing from the UK. I moved to Lausanne in January with my UK car, still have it here (you can keep UK registered it for up to 1 year, it's an old blue Landcruiser!). Also agree that getting an apartment is quite the nightmare, so if you can find an agent to help, particularly if you don't have much time or your French/German isn't great! Best of luck, if you have the salary it's a pretty good life
Sorry for being late to this party.
17 years in Switzerland. 3 in Geneva (Collonges Bellerive) then Winterthur then a village outside Winterthur and now 3 years in St. Moritz.
We were in a loft-style apartment for 3 years near the railway station in Winterthur whilst I worked in the centre of Zurich. My colleagues thought I was too far away but in truth I had a shorter commute than most of them. I quite like Winterthur, it's a pleasant town with lots of galleries and museums plus an old industrial area. Tax isn't the cheapest but for most people this is offset by cheaper rent.
Naturally I think St. Moritz is the best place to be, but close to the rest of the country it is not! It's two hours from Chur which is our Kantonal city. Milan is as quick to get to as Zurich. However the quality of life here is amazing with festivals, skiing, the Cresta and I believe more Michelin Stars than Ireland.
I did import a car when there was arbitrage to be done between the UK and Switzerland and used a broker. It was a LHD Lotus, ordered new and they handled the import hurdles. However, as others have said I would advise buying one here if you can.
There is no way I'd return back to the UK now. I do miss some things and obviously my family and friends but life here 'just works'.
17 years in Switzerland. 3 in Geneva (Collonges Bellerive) then Winterthur then a village outside Winterthur and now 3 years in St. Moritz.
We were in a loft-style apartment for 3 years near the railway station in Winterthur whilst I worked in the centre of Zurich. My colleagues thought I was too far away but in truth I had a shorter commute than most of them. I quite like Winterthur, it's a pleasant town with lots of galleries and museums plus an old industrial area. Tax isn't the cheapest but for most people this is offset by cheaper rent.
Naturally I think St. Moritz is the best place to be, but close to the rest of the country it is not! It's two hours from Chur which is our Kantonal city. Milan is as quick to get to as Zurich. However the quality of life here is amazing with festivals, skiing, the Cresta and I believe more Michelin Stars than Ireland.
I did import a car when there was arbitrage to be done between the UK and Switzerland and used a broker. It was a LHD Lotus, ordered new and they handled the import hurdles. However, as others have said I would advise buying one here if you can.
There is no way I'd return back to the UK now. I do miss some things and obviously my family and friends but life here 'just works'.
Hi all, moved to near Zürich a couple of months ago from the UK.
Currently not in an interesting car but would like to meet up with petrolheads/benzinekopfs around here, are they any cars & coffee type events going on?
I went to the Swiss Classic World in Luzern a few weeks ago which was great.
Currently not in an interesting car but would like to meet up with petrolheads/benzinekopfs around here, are they any cars & coffee type events going on?
I went to the Swiss Classic World in Luzern a few weeks ago which was great.
Wow, thread is two years old ..
I eventually moved to Switzerland back end of last year, living in Zurich 8001. Although I planned to get a car right away, I found that day to day I don’t need one - public transport and a pushbike are much handier for getting around the city.
Currently more interested in sailing on the lake, it’s lovely.
I eventually moved to Switzerland back end of last year, living in Zurich 8001. Although I planned to get a car right away, I found that day to day I don’t need one - public transport and a pushbike are much handier for getting around the city.
Currently more interested in sailing on the lake, it’s lovely.
Still in St. Moritz.
There are 3 main car events this summer here:
8 - 10th July British Classic Car Meeting
26 - 28th August Passione Engadin (Classic Italian)
2 - 11th September International St. Moritz Automobile Week (includes the Bernina hillclimb and a RM Sothebys auction if you're feeling very flush).
The other main car event here every year is the ICE in late Feb / early March on the lake. Worth putting in your diary for next year.
There are 3 main car events this summer here:
8 - 10th July British Classic Car Meeting
26 - 28th August Passione Engadin (Classic Italian)
2 - 11th September International St. Moritz Automobile Week (includes the Bernina hillclimb and a RM Sothebys auction if you're feeling very flush).
The other main car event here every year is the ICE in late Feb / early March on the lake. Worth putting in your diary for next year.
you were here in dubai previously right? just spent 6wks in lausanne, prob the only place i've ever been that's more expensive!
damn lovely though. 'friend' just moved their with work. would love to join her but seems the employment opportunities for my line of work seem severely limited.
damn lovely though. 'friend' just moved their with work. would love to join her but seems the employment opportunities for my line of work seem severely limited.
Dubai is expensive. It is also Britain in the sun … everyone speaks English, and there is Waitrose and M&S ! It’s a very easy place to live. No language barriers. No income tax. Cheap domestic staff. As a Brit you can almost pretend to be living in colonial splendour. You see lots of supercars everywhere, but only the latest models.
Switzerland is much more expensive, and has income tax on top of that, and language barriers. It has a much more foreign feel. Nicer scenery, obvs. It at least the internet is not censored. Not as many supercars, but a lot more classics - not unusual to see F40s, Porsche 356s, air cooled 911s..
Some friends of mine spend half the year in Dubai, and half in Switzerland, that sounds about perfect.
Switzerland is much more expensive, and has income tax on top of that, and language barriers. It has a much more foreign feel. Nicer scenery, obvs. It at least the internet is not censored. Not as many supercars, but a lot more classics - not unusual to see F40s, Porsche 356s, air cooled 911s..
Some friends of mine spend half the year in Dubai, and half in Switzerland, that sounds about perfect.
Gassing Station | Switzerland | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff