Swiss currency. Money and prices in Switzerland. Is it worth taking credit cards to Switzerland?

You can pay in Switzerland with the Swiss franc, CHF. In rare cases, you can pay in €, but the exchange rate will not be profitable and change will be given in francs.

How much money to take to Switzerland

The most economical traveler will cost 40-50 francs in a day. (Accommodation in a very cheap hotel or hostel, self-catering, minimal entertainment).
Average level of expenses - 100 francs per person per day. (Accommodation in a 2-3 * hotel, meals in inexpensive cafes, an average amount of entertainment).
For a comfortable stay, you must have 150 francs per person per day. (Travel between cities, accommodation in a 4 * hotel, meals in inexpensive cafes, a sufficient amount of entertainment).

Switzerland is traditionally considered an expensive country for holidays, but you can still have a great time here on a small budget. Approximate prices will help you calculate how much money to take to Switzerland.

Food is usually the biggest expense for travelers, with prices above average in most restaurants. Those who want to save money can buy groceries in the store and cook on their own.

Approximate prices in Switzerland

Dinner with wine in a good restaurant: from 70 francs
Complex lunch in a cafe: 15-30 francs
Lunch at the food court: 10-20 francs
A bottle of good wine: 5-10 francs
Bottle of water: 1 franc
Pack of cigarettes: 5 francs
Chocolate bar: from 2 francs
One handmade candy: 1 franc
One night in a hostel: 20 francs

Currency exchange in Switzerland

You can exchange money in Switzerland at airports, railway stations, banks and ATMs, as well as at postal distances.

You can withdraw cash from the card at ATMs and at branches of local banks.

You can also exchange rubles for Swiss francs in Russia.

Credit cards in Switzerland

In Switzerland, credit cards are ubiquitous, they are accepted in large stores, restaurants and hotels, as well as in small shops. Credit cards Visa, MasterCard, etc.

It is advisable to have some cash with you at all times.

Tipping in Switzerland

As a rule, tips in Switzerland are included in the bill, but if you really liked the service, you can leave a tip of up to 10% of the amount spent.

It is customary for taxi drivers to leave change, it is customary to give 1-2 francs to a maid and a porter in a hotel.

Swiss banks

The largest banks in Switzerland are UBS and Credit Suisse and the National Bank.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 08:30-16:30, Sat-Sun: day off.

Taxi free in Switzerland

You can get back 7.6% of the money spent using the tax-free system in Switzerland.

HISTORY OF THE SWISS FRANK

The Swiss franc was first introduced as the currency of the Helvetic Republic in 1798. However, already in 1803, in connection with the liquidation of the republic, its release was discontinued.

Until 1850, more than 75 different institutions were engaged in the manufacture of coins in Switzerland, including 25 cantons and half-cantons, 16 cities, abbeys. There were about 860 types of various coins in circulation, of various values and denominations.

The new constitution of 1848 stipulated that the new Federal Government would be the only institution in Switzerland to issue money. Two years later, a federal law on the monetary system was issued, adopted by the federal assembly on May 7, 1850, which decided that the franc is the monetary unit of Switzerland.

The modern Swiss franc appeared in 1850 and was equal in face value to the French franc.

In 1865, France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland united in the Latin Monetary Union and agreed to exchange their national currencies at a rate of 4.5 grams of silver for 0.290322 grams of gold. Even after the currency union lost its power in the 1920s and ceased to exist in 1927, Switzerland maintained this ratio until 1967.

In 1907, Switzerland created its own National Bank, which was entrusted with a monopoly on the production of money.

With the outbreak of the First World War, many countries, Switzerland among them, retreated from the gold standard, seeking to cover military expenses with the printing press, despite the inflationary risk that this enterprise presented. However, immediately after the war, Switzerland, along with other small countries in Europe, avoided the crisis of hyperinflation by deciding to quickly return to the gold standard and the currency parity of 1914. Even before the end of the First World War, in 1918, the Swiss National Bank was the first in Europe to increase its discount rate.

For all the time of its existence, the devaluation of the Swiss franc occurred only once, it happened in 1936, and at the same time in a rather small amount, by only 30%. The reason for this event was the economic crisis in the United States of America.

A significant strengthening of the Swiss franc occurred during the Second World War, since the country's financial institutions were not affected during the hostilities, and its banks were used as a store of gold and foreign exchange reserves by some warring countries.

In 1945, Switzerland enters the Bretton Woods monetary system and thus the franc is pegged to the US dollar. The franc was set at 4.30521 per dollar, which equaled 0.206418 grams of fine gold.

Bretton Woods was replaced by the Jamaican monetary system in 1967, which set the dollar free to float. In the face of economic instability, Switzerland, following the United States and Japan, is also introducing a floating exchange rate.

The Swiss franc is traditionally classified as an offshore currency, with zero inflation and legally secured gold and foreign exchange reserves of at least 40%. However, this peg to gold, introduced in the 1920s, was abolished on 1 May 2000 due to amendments to the Swiss Constitution.

The first series of Swiss francs 1907 issue. When issuing this series, old denominations of the cantons were often used, on which they simply added inscriptions and overprinted a red rosette with a Swiss cross.

The second series of Swiss francs 1911 issue. The banknotes were issued between 1911-1914 and withdrawn from circulation in 1956-1957. The 5 franc note was in circulation until 1980.

The third series was only partially released. Several denominations (100, 20) were presented in several versions in 1918. The rest did not make it into circulation at all.

Fourth series of Swiss francs 1938 issue. However, the banknotes were never put into circulation and became a reserve series.

The fifth series of Swiss francs 1954 - 1961 of issue. For the first time in the history of Swiss bonistics, the banknotes of this series formed a thematic and formal unity - the portrait on the front side and the design motifs on the reverse side were linked historically and thematically.

The sixth series of Swiss francs 1976 - 1979 of issue. At the end of the sixties of the last century, the Swiss National Bank completely revised its policy in the field of design and production of banknotes. He took over the planning and production of banknotes. The design of this series of francs is fundamentally different from the design of the previous series - the obverses of the banknotes feature portraits of Swiss historical figures.

The seventh (reserve) series of Swiss francs 1983 - 1985 of release. Banknotes of this series were never put into circulation, the series became a reserve.

The eighth series of Swiss francs 1994 - 1998 of release. In selecting the historical figures featured on this series of banknotes, the Swiss National Bank was guided by consideration of interdisciplinary art forms: architecture, music, literature, poetry, and taking into account the linguistic and cultural diversity in Switzerland. Graphic artist who designed the Series 8 notes: Jörg Sintzmeier. The banknotes of this series were printed in Zurich at the Orell Fussli factory.

In 2005, the Swiss National Bank held a competition to determine the design of the ninth series of banknotes. The competition was won by Manuel Krebs, but his designs, which include descriptions of blood cells and embryos, were met with enough opposition from the general public to discourage the bank from going ahead with them. As a result, the ninth series of Swiss franc banknotes will be based on designs by runner-up Manuela Pfrunder.

Initially, the new banknotes were supposed to go into circulation in 2010, but then the deadline was postponed several times. The National Bank attributes the delay to "unexpected technical problems" that may be related to the production of special paper.

Representatives of the Swiss National Bank assure that the new paper francs will see the light in 2016, but it is possible that there will be another delay, as it has already happened several times.

Reserve currency

The Swiss franc is a freely convertible currency, included in the CLS list (Continuous Linked Settlement - a system of connected continuous settlements) - this is an international system for making settlements on conversion transactions, valid for member countries of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Swiss franc is unofficially recognized as a key reserve currency along with the US dollar, the euro, the pound sterling and the Japanese yen. But, as a rule, the share of all foreign exchange reserves in Swiss francs does not exceed 0.3%.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is the central bank of Switzerland. It is a completely independent central bank with a three-member committee responsible for setting monetary policy. The Bank issues banknotes, regulates the volume of money circulation and loans, organizes non-cash payments. The Swiss National Bank is the only financial institution that issues the national currency.

Switzerland is the fourth largest official gold custodian in the world. Previously, the Swiss constitution included a provision requiring the country's currency to be backed by 40% gold reserves. Despite the repeal of this provision, the link between gold and the Swiss franc is deeply ingrained in the minds of Swiss investors. As a result, the Swiss franc has an almost 80% positive correlation with gold. If the price of gold rises, then there is a good chance that the Swiss franc will rise as well. In addition, since gold is seen as the highest form of "safe haven" of money, gold and the Swiss franc benefit in times of global economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

The popularity of CHF on the Forex exchange is due to the low discount rate of this currency, so it is used mainly for operations in the carry trade system and for hedging when insuring risks. CHF is the 5th most traded currency in the world. The Swiss franc is very sensitive to events taking place in the euro zone. Forex trading mainly uses currency pairs CHF/JPY, EUR/CHF and USD/CHF. Operations in this currency account for about 5% of the total turnover of the forex market.

MODERN BANKNOTES OF THE SWISS FRANK
(8th series release)

Banknotes have a rather original design and a horizontal arrangement of portraits, drawings and digital denominations both on the obverse and on the reverse. The obverse of Swiss banknotes features stylized portraits of the country's outstanding artists.

10 Swiss francs. Size: 74x126 mm. Colors: brown-orange, blue.

Obverse: portrait of the Swiss artist and architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965). French architect born in Switzerland and famous for his pioneering introductions to architecture and construction.

Reverse: image of the Palace of Justice in Chandigarh, the facade of the Modulor secretariat building. In circulation since April 8, 1997.

20 Swiss francs. Size: 74x137 mm. Colors: red-violet on a multicolor background.

Obverse: portrait of the Swiss composer Arthur Honegger (Arthur Honegger, 1892-1955), whose name is the conservatory in Le Havre (France).

Reverse: locomotive, a fragment of musical notation of Honegger's "Pacific 231". Put into circulation on October 1, 1996.

50 Swiss francs. Size: 74x148 mm. Colours: olive green and purple on a multicolor background.

Obverse: portrait of the Swiss artist and sculptor Sophie Taeuber-Arp (Sophie Taeuber-Arp, 1889-1943).

100 Swiss francs. Size: 74x159 mm. Colors: blue and magenta on a multicolored background.

Obverse: a portrait of the Swiss sculptor and artist Alberto Giacometti (Alberto Giacometti, 1901-1966), a street in the city of Kure is named after him.

Reverse: works by Giacometti "Lotar II", "Homme Qui Marche". Put into circulation on October 1, 1998.

200 Swiss francs. Size: 74x170 mm. Colours: brown and purple on a multicolored background.

Obverse: Portrait of the Swiss writer Charles Ferdinand Ramuz (1878-1947). Many places in Switzerland are named after him, as well as the Ramyu Foundation, on behalf of which prizes are awarded.

1000 Swiss francs. Size: 74x181 mm. Colors: magenta and violet on a multicolor background.

Obverse: portrait of the Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt (1818-1897).

Swiss francs have excellent counterfeit protection. Since 1976 and still no attempts to fake them have been recorded. Banknotes are decorated in a fairly rich style with many small details and distinctive points. In addition, there is a whole set of fairly common counterfeit protection tools. The Swiss franc is one of the most secure currencies.

In the near future, the country intends to change the design of banknotes and strengthen the degree of protection. There are already options for a new design, perhaps more attractive than today's.

coins

All coins of Switzerland have a regular round radial shape. Coins in denominations of 5 rapen are minted from an aluminum-nickel-copper alloy, and coins of all other denominations are minted from an alloy of copper and nickel. On the reverse of coins in denominations of 5, 10 and 20 rapenes (centimes) the profile of the head of the statue of the Roman goddess of freedom Libertas is minted, in denominations of 0.5 francs, 1 franc and 2 francs - a statue of the Roman goddess of liberty Libertas with the national symbols of Switzerland, and in denominations of 5 Franks - a portrait of the national hero of Switzerland, William Tell. On the reverse of Swiss coins, their digital face value and the year of the issue series are minted in the center, which is framed by a wreath of branches of either oak or grapes.

Rapen coins are made with a smooth edge and only half a franc and above with a ribbed edge. On the face value of 5 francs, in addition to the ribbed edge, there is the inscription "DOMINUS PROVIDEBIT" and thirteen stars.

The issue of coins is handled by the federal mint. In addition to banknotes for simple circulation, he issues commemorative coins containing precious metals or bimetallic and depicting national treasures, important events. For commemorative coins only denominations of 10, 20 and 50 francs are used.

Note to tourists

Guests and tourists arriving in Switzerland and Liechtenstein can exchange their currency for Swiss francs without quantity restrictions at the branches of numerous national and foreign banks, which are located almost everywhere, both in large cities and tourist centers. When exchanging, state tax is not levied either in Switzerland or in Liechtenstein. It is also possible to export Swiss currency outside the countries of the customs union without limiting its quantity, since it is freely convertible.

Most shops accept francs, but prices are often written in euros (for the convenience of tourists). You may be refused to pay for purchases with euros, although many stores accept euros. In stores, you can also pay with Visa, Mastercard.

In Switzerland, the exchange rate is higher than abroad, so it is better to exchange money in your own country. Currency can also be exchanged at the airport, exchange offices, train stations or banks. The hotel usually has the most unfavorable exchange rate. When buying tickets for trains and buses, the ATM does not accept paper money and coins with a face value of 5 rappen. The maximum withdrawal amount at an ATM is up to 1000 francs.

Switzerland(official name - Swiss Confederation, in past - Helvetian Republic) is a state located in the central part of Western Europe. Switzerland shares borders with Liechtenstein and Austria in the east, with Italy in the south, with Germany in the north and with France in the west. Has no access to the sea. The name of the state comes from the name of the geographical area on its territory, and now the canton of Schwyz. According to another version, the name of the country comes from the German word "Schweitz", which means "swamp" in translation.

The territory of Switzerland is compactly located in the northern foothills of the Alps and is a mountainous area elevated above sea level. In the foothills of the Alps in Switzerland, there are several picturesque mountain lakes. Among them, it is worth noting Geneva, Firwaldstet, Zurich and Boden. The total area of Switzerland exceeds 41 thousand square kilometers.

The population of Switzerland is almost 8 million people. The ethnic composition is dominated (94% of the total) by the Swiss, which are divided into Italian-Swiss, German-Swiss and Franco-Swiss. German, Italian and French are constitutionally recognized as official languages.

The capital of the Swiss Confederation is the city of Bern, which has a population of almost 130 thousand people. In addition to the capital, major and significant cities of the country such as Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich, Basel, Lugano and others are noted.

According to the results of the archaeological excavations, it can be judged that the territory of modern Switzerland was inhabited by cave people in the prehistoric period. During the Roman Empire, most of the territory of the modern country was inhabited by the Celtic tribes of the Helvetians (hence the old name of the state). They repeatedly clashed with the Roman authorities, raising uprisings and raiding the territory of Southern Gaul, but were eventually assimilated into the Romans. In the period from 264 to 470, the entire territory of modern Switzerland fell under the control of the Germanic tribes of the Burgundians and Alemans, and subsequently into the state of Charlemagne. The state itself was formed as a military alliance on August 1, 1291, concluded between the cantons of Schwyz, Unterwalden and Uri for joint military operations in repelling an attack from Austria and Burgundy. In the 16th century, other cantons joined this union. In the era of the Napoleonic Wars, Switzerland was occupied by the French army, and after the defeat of Napoleon, under the treaty of 1815, it received the Alpine passes as part of its territories and became forever a neutral state. Switzerland, as a neutral state, successfully survived the First and Second World Wars, which, of course, bypassed it.

Currently, Switzerland is an economically and politically developed state that bases its economy on offshore financial activities, being a politically neutral center of both Europe and the whole world.

Liechtenstein(official name - Principality of Liechtenstein) is a small Alpine state with a monarchical form of government in the central part of Western Europe. Liechtenstein borders Switzerland to the west and Austria to the east. The name of the country comes from the surname of the dynasty that bought this territory from the Holy Roman Empire and received permission from Emperor Maximilian I of Germany to rename it.

The territory of Liechtenstein is located in the eastern part of the Alps and the valley of the upper Rhine. The total area of Liechtenstein is about 160 square kilometers.

The population of Liechtenstein is slightly more than 33 thousand people. The ethnic composition is dominated by Liechtensteiners (descendants of the German tribes of the Alemans), but there are also many Italians, Swiss and Austrians living in the country. German is constitutionally defined as the state language, but its dialect, Alemannic, is very common in colloquial speech.

The capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein is the city of Vaduz, inhabited by about five thousand inhabitants. In addition to the capital, it is worth noting the cities of Shan, Nendeln and Melbun.

The history of Liechtenstein dates back to the time of the Roman Empire, when this territory was included in the province of Rezia. In 536, the Franks invaded these lands and included these territories in the state of Charlemagne. In 1507, Emperor Maximilian I of Germany granted special privileges to the territory, including sovereignty under the rule of the Austrian Liechtenstein dynasty. During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the Principality of Liechtenstein acted as an ally of Austria, and subsequently established close relations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the end of the First World War, all agreements with Austria-Hungary were terminated, and the political vector was reoriented to Switzerland. During World War II and beyond, Liechtenstein was a neutral state.

Currently, the Principality of Liechtenstein is part of a customs union with Switzerland and its economy is closely linked to and dependent on the Swiss economy.

The monetary unit of the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein is currently Swiss frank(CHF code 756). The name of the Swiss national currency is borrowed from France, which is explained by the long political and economic influence on Switzerland from its neighbor in the Middle Ages. In the everyday life of traders, the Swiss currency is also called " Swissy».

For the first time, the Swiss franc was put into circulation at the beginning of 1798 on the territory of the Helvetian Republic, but was withdrawn in connection with its liquidation. The second appearance of the Swiss franc in circulation occurs in 1850. At that time, it was equal to the French franc. Since then, and also after a period of depression in 1933, the national currency of Switzerland has been the most stable monetary unit in the world with zero inflation.

The Swiss franc is currently a freely convertible currency. Its rate is such that when exchanging for 10 US dollars, you can get a little more than 9 francs, and for 1 euro - about 1.24 Swiss francs.

1 Swiss franc is divided into 100 rapen. The name of the Swiss fractional currency comes from the German language, where it means centime.

Currently, the National Bank of Switzerland, which forms the financial and emission policy in the territory of the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein, has issued banknotes with a face value of 10 (ten), 20 (twenty), 50 (fifty), 100 (one hundred), 200 ( two hundred) and 1000 (one thousand) Swiss francs. Along with this, coins in denominations of 5 (five), 10 (ten), 20 (twenty) rapen (centimes), as well as coins in denominations of ½ (half a franc), 1 (one), 2 (two ) and 5 (five) francs.

Swiss franc banknotes have a rather original design and a horizontal arrangement of portraits, drawings and digital denominations both on the obverse and on the reverse. The obverse of Swiss banknotes features stylized portraits of the country's outstanding artists. So, for example, on the obverse of a banknote in denominations of 10 francs there is a portrait of Le Corbusier, an architect, designer and artist, 20 francs - Arthur Honegger, poet composer, 50 francs - Sophia Tauber-Arp, an outstanding artist and sculptor, 100 francs - Alberto Giacometti, Italian and Swiss sculptor, 200 francs - Charles Ferdinand Ramyu, prose writer, 1000 francs - Jacob Burckhardt, an outstanding cultural figure, ethnographer and historian. The digital denomination of the banknote is depicted in its upper part and in the lower right corner in a horizontal position, and the name of the issuing bank in German and Italian in the lower left part, but in a vertical position. The reverse of Swiss banknotes depicts drawings of fragments of works of outstanding cultural figures of Switzerland indicated on the obverses. So, on the reverse of a banknote of 10 francs, fragments of buildings built according to the project of Le Corbusier are depicted, for 20 francs - a musical trumpet and piano keys, for 50 francs - the head of Dada by Sofia Tauber-Arp, for 100 francs - fragments of sculptures by Alberto Giacometti, 200 francs - fragments of the texts of the manuscripts of Charles Ferdinand Ramyu and the coast of Lake Geneva, 1000 francs - fragments of the works of Jacob Burckhardt. The digital denomination of the banknote is depicted in a vertical position at the top and bottom right, and the name of the issuing bank in French and Latin in a horizontal position at the bottom right of the bill.

Swiss franc banknotes were printed and are still being printed at the Swiss Mint in Zurich.

All coins of Switzerland have a regular round radial shape. Coins in denominations of 5 rapen are minted from an aluminum-nickel-copper alloy, and coins of all other denominations are minted from an alloy of copper and nickel. On the reverse of the coins in denominations of 5, 10 and 20 rapen (centimes) the profile of the head of the statue of the Roman goddess of freedom Libertas is minted, in denominations of half a franc, 1 franc and 2 francs - the Roman goddess of freedom Libertas with the national symbols of Switzerland, and in denominations of 5 francs - a portrait of a national hero Switzerland by William Tell. On the reverse of Swiss coins, their digital face value and the year of the issue series are minted in the center, which is framed by a wreath of branches of either oak or grapes.

Swiss coins of the early series were minted at the Royal Mint in Great Britain, and later series - at the Swiss Mint in Zurich.

Exchange rates in Liechtenstein

Other Swiss currencies: Swiss franc (CHF)

The national currency of Switzerland is presented in the form of a monetary unit called the Swiss franc. The Swiss currency has a letter designation (CHF), one Swiss franc is equal to 100 centimes. Until now, the Swiss franc is considered the official currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Franc banknotes are issued by Switzerland's central bank, the Swiss National Bank, while coins are issued by the federal mint (Swiss Mint). Today in Europe, only the Swiss currency is called the franc. In circulation there are denominations of 10 Swiss francs, 20 Swiss francs, 50 Swiss francs, 100 Swiss francs, 500 Swiss francs and 1000 Swiss francs, as well as coins of 5, 2, 1 Swiss francs, 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes. The Swiss franc originated in 1850, the par value of the Swiss franc was equal to the French franc. It replaced the various currencies of the Swiss cantons. In Switzerland, many stores accept convertible currency and accept all major credit cards and traveler's checks. You can change money at any branch of a Swiss bank, in the evening - at exchange offices in Switzerland, large department stores, airports and some travel agencies. It is better to change money abroad, as in Switzerland itself the Swiss franc is slightly overpriced. Credit cards of the following types are preferred: Eurocard, American Express and Diners Club. In the banking center of Switzerland - Zurich, there are the most banks and they work longer than in other places. Usually, on business days from Monday to Friday, Swiss currency can be exchanged at banks that open at 8:50 and close at 16:30. The exception is Thursday, when they remain open until 18:00. The exchange office at the Hauptbahnhof of this city is one of the busiest "railway" points in the country. It is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. The Swiss franc is not just one of the world's leading currencies. Even among other hard currencies, it stands out for its stability. For this he is respected. At the end of 2007, the Swiss franc was equal to the US dollar at 1.52/1.