credit card type to use in Switzerland

Don't stress about it, our magnetic strip cards will work fine in most all places. The only exception might be with train ticket machines or gas pumps.

We were in Switzerland for 3 weeks last summer and could use our magnetic strip cards in many places. Most restaurants, in tourist areas, still accept both magnetic and c&p although we occasionally got good-natured comments about how old fashioned our magnetic card was. Gas stations do accept magnetic strip cards but you have to go inside to the cashier to use them - it usually won't work at the outside pumps. Agip was the station where we got gas and used our card. They are everywhere and very modern. We found that some of the small Agip stations in small towns do still accept magnetic strip cards at the pump for people who are stuck after business hours (like we were a few times!). The only places where we couldn't use our magnetic strip cards were at grocery stores so we would just get cash from an ATM before we shopped. We also made sure we had cash in some of the more offbeat, out of the way towns we visited where they don't get a lot of tourists. Most places where tourists go you will have no problem. Just make sure to have francs on hand in case you end up somewhere that you can't use your card and you'll be fine. We always made sure we had at least 100 so we were never stuck not being able to eat or buy that souvenir we just couldn't live without!
Pretty much the same applies to southern France - for toll roads you should have plenty of cash although I haven't been there for a few years so this may have changed. I'll let someone who's been there more recently speak to this.

Toll roads in the Paris - Normandy -Loire Valley area did NOT take mag strip cards last fall -- carry cash!!

Many credit cards now have chips on them. You can ask your current company if they have them. If they do request a card with a chip. Then you don't have to worry it your card will be accepted or not over there.

If you're purchasing from a live person, not a machine, then we don't anticipate any problem using credit cards in those destinations. Do always have some cash on hand, in case of emergency or family-run businesses that may prefer cash. Plan to withdraw euros or Swiss francs from ATMs as you go. See also Rick's money articles at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money.

You shouldn't have any problems using the older magnetic stripe credit cards at staffed locations such as hotels or restaurants. However, if you're using automated ticket kiosks, fuel pumps or things of that type, you'll probably need a "Chip & PIN" card (one good example is the rail ticket kiosks at CDG, which will only accept C&P cards and Euro coins).

I've noticed on each trip to Europe that the inexorable march towards C&P technology seems to be continuing and acceptance of magnetic stripe cards is decreasing. Although you won't be in Amsterdam, one example is buying rail tickets at Amsterdam Central. I found that even the staffed ticket desks there will ONLY accept C&P cards, and anyone without an appropriate card must pay cash (fortunately all my cards are C&P so I didn't have any problems there).

It's encouraging to hear that U.S. banks are finally starting to adopt C&P technology, so you may not have any issues with this in future.

Wendy's post is a bit misleading. It is not a simple matter of just asking your bank for a chip card. Most chip cards in the US are not the same kind of chip card they use in Europe. Ours are generally chip and signature, not chip and pin., and they don't work the same way. But as others have said, you should be fine with your magnetic stripe card.

I recently used a chip and signature card in July. I always using the chip part of the card. It worked fine in every place I went. I saw couple at a shop at Pont du Gard that did not have a chip in there card. Cashier would not take there card. They had to either go to ATM and get cash or leave the item. There is no harm in getting a card with the chip and not worrying. If you can get a card with a chip, why not? Just on less thing to worry about it.

While a chip and signature card might work (just as a magnetic stripe card might work), it is not the same as a chip and pin card and doesn't not operate the same way. Having a chip and signature card does not give you any more assurance of not having a problem. Lots of places might claim to not be able to take a magnetic stripe card, but they are actually all required by the Visa or MasterCard agreement to be able to do so. Being willing to do so is another matter.