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| Switzerland :: While Traveling to Switzerland |
 Shopping & Nightlife in Switzerland
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| Switzerland - Shopping & Nightlife |
Switzerland's superb products make it a shopper's paradise.
 English is spoken in most shops and department stores. Any stay in Switzerland is incomplete without buying a famous Swiss watch. Fine watches come in an infinite variety and are generally less expensive than in others countries. Bucherer is the country's biggest and most famous watch retailer offering a wide range of watches from CHF 50 to 100'000.
Chocolates come in a variety of sizes, shapes and flavors. Excellent buys are: textiles, embroideries, fine handkerchiefs, linen, precision instruments, drafting sets, multiblade pocket knives, music boxes, woodcarvings, ceramics and other handmade items as well as antiques and art books.
The VAT tax you pay on purchased goods in Switzerland is 7,5%. You may ask at the shops for your Global Refund Cheque and reclaim the VAT. Global Refund offers you a swift and save cash refund system at Zurich and Geneva airports as well as at all major airport in Europe and all major road exit points. All major Credit Cards are accepted in fine shops and most department stores.
Shops are usually open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Once a week they extend their hours to 9 p.m. They are closed on Sundays except for those at airports, at some railway stations and highway rest stops.
Duty Free
Switzerland is one of the last countries in Europe where passengers can still buy duty-free goods and save up to 20 percent on perfumes and cosmetics, up to 30 percent on wines and spirits and up to 50 percent on tobacco goods. All goods on sale are original brand-name products. Alcoholic beverages are normally sold in 7-decilitre bottles, though in duty-free shops they are usually available in 1-litre bottles.
In addition to tax-free and duty-free shops, there are numerous other retail outlets in the transit zone that offer an attractive choice of products ranging from souvenirs, clothing, jewellery, watches and consumer electronics to confectionery and Swiss chocolate. These shops stock items that are not available elsewhere in the same form, quality and packaging, and are tax free, i.e. are exempt from VAT ? which can result in savings of between 10 and 15 percent.
 It's always worth making purchases at tax-free and duty-free shops at Zurich Airport thanks to a best price guarantee: anyone who buys a specially designated product and finds it on sale at a lower price anywhere on the Swiss market will receive a refund equivalent to double the difference in purchase price. Tax-free and duty-free shops at Zurich Airport sell high-quality products at extremely attractive prices!
Business Hours
Shops in smaller towns and villages are generally open from 8.30 am - 12 noon and again from 2 - 6.30 pm. In larger cities they do not close for lunch. In larger cities, shops generally extend their hours till 8 pm on one evening of the week, usually on Thursdays.
Nightlife
There are night clubs, discotheques, cinemas or theatres in most of the towns, cities and holiday locations. There are also more and more casinos in Switzerland where you can try your luck. Numerous bars and restaurants offer entertainment shows. |
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