So you’ve decided to move to Switzerland! Congratulations! The land of alpine peaks and 1000+ lakes is a great place to call home. But choosing where to live in Switzerland can be an overwhelming task, even with its dainty size. Add your preconceived ideas of what home life “should” look like into the mix, and you’ve got a difficult decision on your hands.
Should you head to an ex-pat hub for ease? Or go rural for more space? Whether you have a blank slate and wondering where in the country to pull up stumps or just finding it hard to choose between villages, ask yourself these eight questions to help to decide on where to live in Switzerland easier.
What sort of outdoor space do you really need?
You may have your heart set on a garden, just like back at home, but with many Swiss residents living in an apartment, finding a well-located, well-priced home with a garden can be a difficult and expensive task. So before you start your home search, ask yourself: how do I actually use my outdoor space? And, no, not how you wish you did ;-).
Do you enjoy mowing and maintaining the garden? Do the kids really use the garden to play? Would an apartment with a large balcony or terrace be a good compromise? Or maybe you try your luck at finding an apartment with a garden. Or could you easily get by with a local football pitch and playground close by? Could you put your name down to rent one of the community gardens as an alternative? It doesn’t always have to be a house with a garden.
What’s your commute?
How do you want to be spending your commute time: Car? Bike? Train? Bus? Walk?
Yes, Switzerland may be famous for excellent public transport, and it can pretty much get you anywhere in the country, from cities to isolated mountain huts. Still, when you live out of the main transportation hubs, your connections could be limited. For example, we live just 15 minutes from Zug, but our trains only run half-hourly. Great for my kids who have a regular school timetable, but not ideal for my husband’s varying workday schedule.
Or maybe the dream is moving to a place where you can walk or bike everywhere. Where we live, most major services are walkable! We have a Dr, Physio, Dentist, 2 Banks, a primary school, music school, sports club, all within walking distance. That means I don’t spend most of my week carpooling – a HUGE burden lifted. But we live in a very hilly village, so our bikes don’t get used as much as I would like.
What language do you want to speak?
While you can get away with English in most major cities in Switzerland, knowing the local language will help you integrate! You have officially four choices here, German, French, Italian or Römanisch – with the first three being more common.
Also remember, that while German is the official language in about 65% of the country, the Swiss-German dialect, which changes regionally, is the everyday language spoken. A big hurdle to overcome when your first learning German, as what you hear at the shops is not what you initially learn in german class.
How do you want to learn a new language?
There are only so many hours in the day, so learning the local language is not always realistically at the top of the moving abroad checklist. If this is the case for you, considering an international hub such as Zug, Zurich, Basel or Geneva for an easier transition. It doesn’t mean that you don’t need to learn the local language, every phrase you know helps, but in those rocky first months, you may find being in an international community a big comfort.
But moving into an international community also has its drawbacks. With a ready-made English-speaking community at your fingertips, it may hinder the acquisition of language, integration and local friends.
What’s your weather preference?
Switzerland’s weather spectrum varies from frigid winters to hot summers. But you are also just as likely to get very grey winters and rainy cold summers. So ask yourself what kind of weather do you like most?
Do you want an almost guarantee of snow? Then head to the higher elevations starting at a minimum of 800-900m above sea level.
Do you hate hot apartments? Then avoid western facing wooden frame attic apartments with little airflow.
Want to avoid the fog? Look at webcams early morning from October through December and determine if your future home is a fog magnet. In low lying areas, fog can stick around for days, so it is good to know if there are places nearby you can easily find some sunshine.
Want more sunshine? Then maybe Switzerland isn’t for you. 😉 All jokes aside, some cantons have more sunfilled days than others. While on first thought the canton of Ticino may be your first port of call, it is the mountain villages in Wallis starting from Sion and going up to Zemat that claim to be the sunny corner of Switzerland. Though it is colder up there.
The weather is also something to consider if you are into gardening. The lower the elevation, the longer the growing seasons.
Do you have kids to consider?
If you have kids, finding a school will be at the top of your priority list. But what type of school do you want them to attend? Will they go local or international? Do you want them to walk to school or happy for them to use public transport? Do you have your heart set on homeschooling (not allowed everywhere and often with strict conditions and requirements)? A huge decision in itself and will depend on the kid’s age, personality, and how long you are planning on staying. When choosing where to live, consider the village’s size and ask how much support, such as an integration class or extra language lessons, the school offers children who don’t speak the local language.
Also, an extra tip when it choosing where to live with kids: Head to the local playground and try and chat to the local parents. See if they are happy with the local school, or have any problems with neighbours who don’t like noise.
Do you need people or solitude?
The bonus of Switzerland’s size is that wherever you live, you are never far away from either busy city life, village life or tranquil rural bliss. But where would you thrive in your day-to-day? Do you need the white noise of a city to fall asleep? Or do you prefer a quieter retreat!
Even in more rural locations, you will need to take into account noise. For example, how close is your new place to the church steeple and does the bell ring all through the night? Swiss cows (and goats and sheep) and their bells in the neighbouring field may be what your Swiss dreams are made of, but maybe not at 5 am right outside your bedroom window?
What are your hobbies?
Hobbies are a great way to connect with the local community and a way to recharge after a difficult day of learning a new culture, so make sure you consider what you do in your spare time when deciding where to live.
For example, if you are a daily gym-goer, residing a 30-minute commute from your gym isn’t going to help with your habits. Dog walkers may want to be close to forest access, bike riders – flat terrain, art fans – museum access. If you are a new Mum, where is the established mother’s group?
Extra Tip:
Places like Facebook are full of groups with helpful members who are more than willing to share their different experiences (and sometimes strong opinions) with you – good and bad. But a word of warning: Often, these groups are used to vent a particular frustration and don’t always show the complete picture of life in Switzerland, rather a snippet. So take note, but remember, there are bad experiences, no matter where you live, and ultimately, your experience moving to Switzerland will be uniquely yours!
