The franc, known as the Swiss franc is the official currency used not just within Switzerland, but also in Liechtenstein, Campione d'Italia (an Italian exclave, i.e. an area of Italy that is actually in Switzerland). It is also used in Busingen, which is an area of Germany contained in Switzerland.
Since the euro is used extensively throughout Europe, the Swiss franc is now the only franc that is still issued in the whole of Europe.
Switzerland also uses four languages on an official basis, namely French, German, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic. In German, the franc is known as Franken and franco in Italian. It is called the franc in both of the other languages.
The code for this currency is either Fr or SFR and in financial terms it is identified by the letters CHF.
The franc is issued in both notes and coins and the denominations are:
Coins are issued in centimes (1,5,10, 20, 50) and in francs (1,2 and 5).
Notes are issued in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1,000 francs.
Originally the first Swiss franc was introduced in 1798. It was originally established because there had been no unitary system of currency in Switzerland up to that time. This meant that coins and notes were issued by a variety of organisations in Switzerland and trade was very difficult particularly when trading with other countries.
Thus it made sense to have just one system of money used throughout Switzerland and the franc was introduced. It was based on the French franc originally and was divided into 10 batzen, which could be then further divided into 100 rappen. So it was a decimal system. However, it was not a complete success and other currencies were still in operation. There was also a great deal of foreign money circulating throughout Switzerland.
The first franc was in circulation until the year 1850. Just before this, in 1848 an announcement was made that only the Swiss government would be allowed to produce and issue currency. With this announcement, the Government set about creating a new currency and as a result, the second franc was introduced and this became the standard of currency used today, again, very much based on the French franc, but this time it used centimes as per the French franc. When it was launched, it was launched at the same value as the French franc.
Since the year 1850, the Swiss franc has been in continual use.
Due to the fact that Switzerland is a modern country, with sophisticated financial systems, it is relatively easy to get hold of Swiss francs.
The easiest way to get cash is by using an ATM machine. You will find that foreign cards are readily accepted in all ATM machines. However, just as a precaution, you should notify your debit or credit card provider, that your card will be used in Switzerland, to prevent them from stopping the card if they suspect that it has been stolen and it is being used abroad.
One thing you will find in Switzerland is that it is very much a cash-based economy and you will see people using cash, rather than credit cards, but much more frequently then you do in other European countries.
It is not even an unusual sight, to see somebody paying for items with a FR1,000 note. Yet in most countries, people do not carry these amounts of cash. However, in Switzerland you will need cash to get by.
You should also not assume that everywhere will take credit cards, since many places will not. If you do intend to pay by credit card, then just check that it will be accepted.
There are lots of exchange centres throughout the country where you can change money into Swiss francs and it is possible to change money at banks.
If you are planning to travel to Switzerland, then you will probably be pleased to hear that it is undoubtedly one of the safest countries that you can visit in Europe. That being said, due to the fact that many people in Switzerland are quite wealthy, with some people exceptionally wealthy, there are a few pickpockets around. However, there are far fewer than you would find in other European cities and so your Swiss francs will be much less likely to be stolen, than cash would be in many other countries.
One interesting aspect to Switzerland, is that every citizen has a civil duty to help someone who is in distress. This means that actually walking away from somebody who is in distress, without helping, is actually against the law in Switzerland and this duty applies to everyone, whether you are a resident or just a visitor. But, this makes Switzerland an extremely safe place to visit and serious crime is incredibly low.
So when in Switzerland the main threat to your cash is probably just losing it, or getting tempted to buy Rolex watches!
Switzerland is world famous for a quite a few things, namely watches, clocks, chocolate, cheeses as well as the ubiquitous Swiss army knives. When in Switzerland, you will find that these are not particularly cheap items to purchase, but on the other hand you are paying for the quality and for the fact that this is an authentic Swiss watch or clock. You will also find that because you have bought quality goods, they should last for a long time. So the money that you spend is actually money well spent.
Most towns in Switzerland will have quite a display of watches on offer and many of them will be quite expensive, but if they're not in your price bracket, you can at least window-shop.
Chocolate, however, is much more affordable, even though it is not cheap, compared to the chocolate that may be found in the UK. There is always some fierce debate about whether or not Belgium makes better chocolate than Switzerland. The Swiss are generally very clear on this subject, they know that they make the best chocolate in the world, so there really isn't a discussion to be had with a Swiss person, you can just discuss this amongst yourselves. But there or at some excellent chocolatiers around and the choice of chocolate is simply amazing. All types of chocolate can be found throughout Switzerland.
If you do want to look for souvenirs to take home, then you should bear in mind that all shops are closed on a Sunday. It is actually unlawful to work on a Sunday in Switzerland, unless it is a business that is located within a railway station. So, any souvenirs that you buy or anything that you particularly want to take home with you should be bought before close of business on Saturday.
Switzerland is very much a landlocked country, so you will not see the sea anywhere in Switzerland, even if you travel around every part of this delightful country.
Switzerland tends to be known for its skiing, for Zurich and the Lake Geneva.
Zurich may be viewed as all you really need from a holiday destination, apart from the sea. It is an incredibly beautiful city and is situated on Lake Zurich.
There are lots of things to see and do in Zurich, with the City being a hotbed of wonderful museums, art galleries, an interesting red light district, as well as the famous Corbusier House, which is a house designed by the world renowned architect, Corbusier.
For those who are particularly young at heart, Zurich has an amazing range of clubs, with all types of music featured, all types of interests catered for and some amazing atmospheres. Here you really can dance the night away, no matter what kind of music you are in to.
There really is a wide variety of things to see and do, for those who appreciate culture, dancing, or just exploring the city and all it has to offer. It is also a city that can offer each and every person something, regardless of their age or their tastes.
Lake Geneva is quite a famous resort and it is one of the biggest lakes in the whole of Western Europe. It is quite an attraction for tourists and you will find that it is quite a busy area and there are lots of tourist facilities available in Geneva itself.
Travellers often ignore Switzerland because they perceive it to be not be a terribly interesting place to visit. It also had a reputation for being quite expensive, both in terms of getting there and costs whilst in the country. However, the advent of cheap flights from the United Kingdom, means that it is much cheaper to get here than it used to be. A number of low cost airlines operate services to Switzerland from parts of the United Kingdom. You can also travel by train, but this may actually be more expensive than flying.
Costs when you are in Switzerland, will be higher than in some other European countries, particularly countries on the eastern side of Europe, but it is not prohibitively expensive. Accommodation costs will not be insignificant and it is quite expensive to eat out, but on the other hand, you do get a very high standard of both accommodation and food when you are eating out.
Switzerland is a great place to stop off in, if you are travelling around Europe. It has great cities as well as some very dramatic scenery, particularly in the form of the Alps, but it is also quite a friendly country and the people have a relatively relaxed attitude towards life, which really does make it a good place to visit.
It is also a great place to watch the rich Swiss bankers go about their business, making lots of money and then spending it on luxury items. Even if those items are outside your price range, it is still great fun trying to guess the price, when you are doing some window-shopping. And bear in mind that chocolate is at least a more affordable option and it also has a feel-good factor!