Europe · Western Europe
Switzerland
Lavaux · Photo: Lorenz Poffet · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Capital
- Bern
- Currency
- CHF
- Swiss Franc
- Local time
- Central European Summer TimeUTC+02:00
- Calling code
- +41
- Driving
- On the right
- Plugs
- Type C and J
Facts
Switzerland in figures
- Capital
- Bern
- Currency
- Swiss Franc CHFToday's indicative rate: CHF 1 ≈ USD 1.21Indicative, from the day's reference rates; a bank or card will charge its own.
- Languages
- Official: German, Swiss German, French and ItalianOfficial in part of the country: RomanshSpoken: German, French, Italian and Romansh
- Time zones
- Central European Summer TimeUTC+02:00
- Calling code
- +41
- Driving
- On the right
- Plugs
- Type C and J230 V · 50 HzAs recorded in Wikidata.
- Emergency numbers
- 112general emergency117police118fire140roadside assistance1414ambulance and other services144ambulance145poison controlAs recorded in Wikidata. Check them locally on arrival; they are not the only safety information you need.
- Population
- 9,092,436 (2025, World Bank)
- Area
- 41,290 km²
- Internet domain
- .ch
- Land borders
- AustriaFranceGermanyItalyLiechtenstein
When to go
Climate across Switzerland
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bern | 2° | 4° | 8° | 13° | 17° | 21° | 23° | 22° | 18° | 14° | 8° | 3° |
| Geneva | 3° | 4° | 8° | 13° | 17° | 21° | 24° | 23° | 19° | 15° | 8° | 4° |
| Zurich | 2° | 4° | 9° | 14° | 18° | 22° | 23° | 23° | 19° | 14° | 8° | 3° |
| Lugano | 3° | 4° | 9° | 14° | 18° | 22° | 24° | 24° | 20° | 14° | 8° | 4° |
| Sankt Gallen | 2° | 3° | 8° | 13° | 17° | 21° | 22° | 22° | 18° | 14° | 7° | 3° |
| Cities good for going, of 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mean daily highs, modelled for an area about 50 km across: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020. A cell's swatch says what the month is like (key above).
On the map
Where Switzerland is
The dashed box is the extent of the country's main landmass, from Natural Earth; outlying islands fall outside it. The dots are the cities with pages of their own.
Land borders
Cities
Cities in Switzerland
Airports
Airports in Switzerland
Large airports
Medium airports · 3
Photographs
Switzerland in pictures
BernFederal Palace of Switzerland · Photo: Flooffy · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
GenevaUniversity of Geneva · Photo: Alexmar983 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
ZurichPhoto: Ikiwaner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
From the journal
Related reading
When to go
The best time to visit Switzerland: summer, snow and the months between
June to September for lakes and mountain walks, December to March for snow. MeteoSwiss normals from lake cities to the Jungfraujoch, and hotel figures with UAE guests.
Updated 29 September 2026 · 8 min read
When to go
The best time to visit Istanbul and Cappadocia, month by month
Spring and autumn suit Istanbul and Cappadocia together, and spring is quieter. Station normals, Istanbul's monthly arrivals and the rules that decide when balloons fly.
Updated 29 September 2026 · 7 min read
When to go
The best time to visit Europe from the UAE, month by month
Official climate records, Eurostat's crowd figures and the UAE school calendar, read side by side, so you can choose the month before you choose the city.
Updated 29 September 2026 · 9 min read
Visas and entry
Visas and entry
Entry rules depend on your passport and change often, so this page does not state them. Check the destination government's official immigration website, or ask our visa desk to check your case for you.
Plan it
Plan a trip to Switzerland
Tell us where in Switzerland, when and who is travelling, and a person puts the flights, the stays and the rest into one quote.