Geting Swiss Francs for brief SW trip

I don't know where you're first arriving in Switzerland but I would expect most stations to have an ATM, although the tiny stations probably wouldn't, for example Maienfeld.

We'll be getting off in Lausanne around 7:30 p.m. It would be nice to have the Swiss Francs before that. I imagine we'll be pretty jet-lagged by that time and will be eager to get to our room.

Well, it's a pretty expensive way to buy money but I suppose you could get 100CHF at your bank. It won't last long but could get you through till you get over jet lag and can get to a bankomat. Will you be able to walk to your hotel or will you need a taxi from the train station? We like to stay at Hôtel Elite which is just up the hill (steep stairs) from the station. Another favorite from when I was a child was the Hôtel de la Paix but that's not what I would call a budget hotel!

There are Bancomats (ATMs) at Lausanne station indicated by the "B" in a circle on the station map.
http://www.sbb.ch/content/dam/infrastruktur/trafimage/bahnhofplaene/plan-lausanne-a4.pdf

The purple circle near the booking hall. And near the Meeting Point.

We bought Euros in July 2015, just before our RS Italy Village tour, at our AAA they had a great price and didnot charge us a fee.. I assume you could get SwissFrancs. They came really quick too. We like to go with Euros in our pockets.
We were in Switzerland fall 2014 and loved it..
Enjoy your trip,
Sue

Bob,

It looks like my post was deleted. I just want to clarify that I do NOT work for BoA or have friends or family members that do and I am no way affiliated with them. I was not advertising for them or trying to promote them.

I was just trying to give you an option to consider. And I agree with RS that an ATM is usually the cheapest and quickest way to get money.

Thanks,
DB

I agree with getting Franks at a cash machine (Bancomat / ATM) at Lausanne station. That will get you the best rate. Many restaurants and shops in tourist areas and near the border take Euros as well (which should include Lausanne), so if you only have Euros you won't starve. But ask first, and the rate will be a few % worse than from an ATM.
100 Franks is nothing. A Restaurant meal (starter, main course, drinks) will start at ~50 Franks per person.

Bob,

As a few others have mentioned, there are ATM's at Lausanne station so very easy to obtain some Swiss Francs when you arrive (even in a jet lagged state). There's a long hallway that runs along the front (street-side) of the station, and the ATM's are located there. When I was there in September one of the machines was out of commission, but I imagine that's repaired by now. You may find it helpful to read this short description of ATM use....

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/cash-machine-atm-tips

As you probably know, Lausanne is built on the side of a hill. Getting to your hotel from the station may require a Taxi or you could use the Metro (which is more like a Funicular). Which area is your hotel in?

Why would you be "jet-lagged" after merely riding a train from Paris to Switzerland? It's not even CLOSE to the exhaustion caused by a trans Atlantic flight. Also, why on earth do you think you won't be able to withdraw francs in Switzerland with your ATM card? I mean, for heaven's sake, Switzerland is the banking capital of the world. If worse comes to worse LOTS of places in Switzerland accept Euros. Yes, you'll get a less than favorable exchange rate, but maybe that will make you feel better.

You should just stop stressing over this issue and enjoy your vacation.

Tim,

When I mentioned jet-lag, I was assuming that would be the case based on the first sentence.....

"We'll be landing in Paris then taking a train into Switzerland for 3 days"

No mention was made of a stay in Paris for a few days after the long international flight, although that could certainly be the case.

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'll be using an ATM at the Lausanne train station. I was hoping that there would be another solution earlier in the day (maybe getting CHF at the airport or Gare de Lyon or who knows what).

Yes, jet lag refers to the transatlantic flight, not the train ride (I thought the "jet" part made that clear). We'll be going directly from the airport to the train station. By the time we reach Lausanne it'll be 8 or 9 hours into day 1 on the ground. My experience tells me that jet lag can affect my judgement by that time, even for something as seemingly simple as an ATM transaction. Not the end of the world, just something I'd have liked to avoid.

And thanks for your concern about stress, Tim, but advance planning like this is not only fun but also allows me to relax and enjoy my actual vacation.

And thanks Sue and Perry. I'll check into the AAA option.

Yes, Bob, I understand now. Lots of people land in Paris and then train to Switzerland after they've spent time in Paris. If you had said "immediately train to Switzerland" I would have picked up on that straight away.

I do not think that immediate jumping onto the train is a wise decision. The first part of your journey is on a TGV train with Mandatory reservation. Yes, you can go ahead and buy your ticket and reservation and hope your plane is not delayed in any way. Unfortunately you just don't ever know that. Those TGV trains can book up quickly. So what to do if you're late landing and miss your reserved train? What to do if you don't reserve ahead of time and the trains are booked? Maybe the last TGV leaving at 6:00 pm does have availability and 5.5 hours later you'll finally be into Lausanne at 11:30 pm? I just don't recommend having your plans hinge on such things. But of course it's your trip so you'll have to think of those scenarios.

Hi Bob, just wondering why you're flying into Paris rather than Geneva or Bern, Switzerland... If you don't have your flight reservations locked down, maybe it's something to consider.

Bob,
This is a situation in which I think the cost of getting $100 worth of Swiss francs before you leave vs waiting to use an atm in Lausanne is trivial. That is if it makes you feel more secure and reduces your stress. After that money goes - - and in Switzerland it will go fast - - you can just use the atm's. Btw, if you have any CHF left at the end of your 3 days, you can ask to have them applied to your hotel bill.

Thanks everyone. Your suggestions have been helpful.

Donna, yes, we already have our plane tickets to Paris and they are non-changeable. The idea of a side trip to Switzerland evolved after that.

Tim, those are good considerations. I allowed almost 5 hours from touchdown to the train's departure but of course the plane could be delayed enough to wreck that timetable. I'll chew on that.

Several of you suggested getting a few Francs before leaving the U.S. That's definitely an option, so thanks. And Rosalyn, thanks for the idea of applying leftover Francs to our hotel bill.

To me, it would have been preferable to get Francs at the airport or train station in Paris. I just didn't know if that was possible. I never meant to give the impression that this was adding any noteworthy stress to our vacation. We think that a vacation is enjoyable first in the planning, then the actual trip and last, the memories of it.

While AAA in my area does not charge a "fee" the rate they use is 10% worse than you will get at an ATM in Europe for Euros, Pounds or Francs.

When Euros were going for $1.06 through a European ATM, they wanted $1.17 at the local AAA here. For 100Euro that is $11 extra you have to pay. While this will not bankrupt me or put me over my budget for the vacation, there are lots of things I would rather do with $11. I found bank run ATMs plentiful and fee free on every trip to Europe I have taken.

I always hit the ground with the local equivalent of $100. I don't want to risk not finding an ATM or having it not work. As noted it won't get you far, but you should be using credit cards for major purchases on a trip anyway (security, convenience, etc.). Keep that cash for small stuff, use cards for other stuff. If the thought of a credit card balance gives you the creeps, pay it off immediately upon your return.

That said, in LA it's not that tough to change money. However, it can be a challenge to find CHF because they're only good in that one place. But in today's world, anything is possible with the internets.