Budget Help for Switzerland

Liz,
The first thing is - Switzerland does not use the euro - they use swiss francs. The good news is that the exchange rate for dollar vs. swiss francs is pretty even right now. The bad news is that from what I read, Switzerland is very expensive. My husband and I are going for two weeks in late August and we will also have a kitchen so plan to cook some meals.
If you would like, I will post a report when we return to give more specific details. I am also interested in what feedback you receive from people who have already been there.
Kathryn

Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc, not the Euro. The Swiss Franc is about equal w the dollar currently. a budget of $500 for food sounds ok for two for 7 days, so long as you think that each of your two meals daily will amount to no more than an avg of $17 per person.
If you have a kitchen, why not cook a few evening
meals ? THAT would likely save you quite a bit. We cooked almost all of our meals and it saved a lot for us and allowed us to bcome familiar with local stores and markets and their patrons and workers

First, you need CHF - Swiss Francs - and not Euros in Switzerland. The conversion rate is almost 1:1.

It really depends where you eat. If you sit down at a restaurant in Lucerne with view of the covered bridge the meal for 2 will easily be 100 CHF. It wasn't fancy at all, just a very touristy location. We did that once because of the amazing view and it was our splurge! The next day we simply stayed in and cooked dinner ourselves. In the small village where we had rented an appartment all four of us ended up paying 80 CHF for a meal of Swiss specialties incl 1 drink for everyone.

I would guess your budget of $500 is doable but rather tight if you are staying mainly in touristy sites.

From what it sounds, it looks like I will need to increase my budget to 700 CHF. Although, now that you mention it Paul n Sara, it might not be a bad idea to cook dinner maybe 2-3 times that week. I just can't believe 500 CHF would be tight! I guess Switzerland really is expensive! So would 50 CHF for a meal for 2 be reasonable?

Hi Liz,

... It appears to us that you should spend about 60 percent of your food budget on groceries from the marketplace. If you are on holiday, we suggest you use those groceries frequently to picnic. What a great country CH is for that!
... You might even gain weight ... bon appétit! P

A lot of the Swiss supermarkets and department stores have restaurants attached to them. These are not fine dining, but they are reasonably good value.

We had nice sticker shock on our recent visit to Switzerland and looking at the food prices. I think a small meal at McDonald's was even 12-14 US dollars. I think most any restaurant I saw was typically 20sf and up for a meal (1 person).We quickly became friends with the Coop stores in Switzerland. Where we stayed had a full kitchen. We didn't use it for lunch time meals but it was great for dinner. Most of the bread products and pastries we'd buy there were 1-2 sf.

Even while out and about though, you can easily pull any supplies you need at a store for a nice picnic lunch. After our first day spending way too much on food we ate pretty cheaply the rest of the way all things considered. We wanted to spend more money in Switzerland on activities than on food.

One of my favorite meals on our trip was maybe the cheapest we had, when I had a nice $6 lunch on a park bench by the Mill Bridge in Lucerne. All bread, meat, freshly sliced cheese, etc bought from the Coop 80 feet away.

All this talk about food in Switzerland and not one mention of Rosti...one of the best low cost meals we had in Switzerland was Rosti (in a roadside tavern in Wassen just east of Susten Pass). Loaded with bacon and cheese, these fried potatos will fill you up with authentic Swiss cooking...lunch for the two of us, about $20 (not counting beer or wine).

Liz, Switzerland isn't any more expensive than any big european city. I think the suggestions on other posts (ie: Paris, London) should give you an idea on prices and budget.

As a rule, if you want sit down, that will cost you more than take away. So if you want to sit down, chose lunch instead of dinner.

Food is more expensive in the major cities than in the smaller towns and mountain villages. In the latter, you can have a nice lunch of Rösti for around 10 CHF, mixed salad for 7.5 CHF, soup for 7 - 8 CHF, or pizza for 12 CHF. Beverages are extra and can add up quickly. Better to stop in a bakery and get take-out sandwiches for around 7 or 8 CHF. Or just buy yogurt, cheese, bread, fruit, etc. in the grocery---prices are about the same as in the US and quality is very high.

For dinner, you can usually find entrees of chicken or fish for around 25 CHF. Here, for example, is a menu (with prices) from a place we know and love:
http://www.oeschinensee.ch/content/sommer_en/13/154/
Although it says the menu is for group banquets, the prices are representative of regular menu prices.

Thanks Lola, that really helps!

Liz,
We have visited Switzerland several times....my daughter lives there....and it is expensive. One of my favorite ways to save money and get good food is to visit the markets. Almost every town has one. You can find the day by checking with a tourism office or asking someone. For example, I can buy a fully cooked chicken for about $10. Throw in some bread, maybe a dessert and you could eat a good supper for less than $20 and have some leftovers. The markets usually have butchers, bakers, (no candlestick makers) produce sellers, cheese merchants, some have wine sections and some have flea markets. They are a ball to wonder and ogle. There are also chain markets, like Coop that a poster mentioned, and Migros. Buying food to make picnic lunches is another way to save dollars. Save and reuse your grocery bags because some stores charge for bags. There are American chains...Starbucks is in Vevey and McDonalds are in several cities. Ask the person who you are renting from about local restaurants that are good values...I'm sure they will be able to give you quite a list. And like a poster already said....try the rosti!
Terry

Hi Liz and all, 6/7/08

My 18 year old daughter and I are heading over to Switzerland for 22 days beginning June 16th. We figured to take advantage of hostels and Bed and breakfast establishments which serve breakfast.

We also have an x-exchange student who has invited us to use her apartment when we arrive at her home town of Zug which is just south of Zurich.

I am looking forward to doing alot of picnicing as we budget like mad. The market suggestions are appreciated too.
This is a trip of a life time for us as we plan to visit Appenzell, Pontresina, Lugano, Berner Oberland (4 days), Luzern, Bern, Basel, and then drive south for the Montreaux Jazz Festival on July 4th and see Sheryl Crow, Joe Jackson and others.

WOW!
We have $500 cash, $500 debit and a credit card and we plan to be frugal. Yet we will take the trip up to Schilhorn and to Jungfraujoch. We won't miss that.

Joe,
I will be very curious to see how far your budget went for the two weeks you are over there. You will have to give us all an update when you get back. Safe Travels!

Liz, we will do that. We will have "free boarding" at our friends apartment in Zug for about 10 nights.
That really helps out on the old funds. Her family in Steinhausen, a small hamlet nearby are also very friendly and hospitable. We are very excited for we have not seen them for over 10 years so it's a kind of reunion!