Switzerland is a country with plenty of expats not only for its captivating landscape but also for its high standards of living. Despite all these advantages, the fears associated with moving to a new country always make us a little bit stressed, especially, shortly before our move.
To help you prepare for your settling in, we have gathered the most common tips to enjoy your life in Switzerland as soon as you land!
Switzerland is famous for its clocks…
Indeed, Swiss master time matters, not only in the productions of high-quality clocks and watches, but in more in practical terms. By this, we basically mean that Swiss are reliable and on time. Try to consider this, and act the same way, especially during the first meetings.
Establishing friendships
At their arrival in Switzerland, some expats struggle to meet people. This is due to the fact that Swiss like to make a clear distinction between personal and working life. In addition to this, “after-work activities” might not be as popular as in other countries. So, how can you get to know other people – either local or foreigners?
The best way is to join a club. It can be a sports club – remember that Switzerland is the perfect place for practising a wide range of sports such as hiking, skiing or sailing-, art club or just an international club.
Commit to recycling
Recycling is something important in Switzerland and something to start doing as soon as you arrive. At the beginning, you might think it is time-consuming, demanding and sometimes even complicated, but once you get used to the system, you will feel proud of preserving the environment.
When you arrive, try to check with your landlord, neighbours and local authorities the closet recycling containers – or if you should have some in your home-, the collecting schedule and the recycling system in your town.
Shop…at the right time!
When it comes to buying in the supermarket there is one thing to bear in mind: timing is important. And it is in two ways. On one hand, if you go shopping towards the end of the day, you will find that fresh products –and all those products about to expire- have substantial discounts. On the other hand, if you wait too much to make your groceries, you might run out of food, as shops close quite early on Saturdays!
Don’t expect to have friends right from the first meeting. Compared with other countries, Swiss might be considered as cold and not really friendly. This is due to their concept of friendship, which may involve a lack of openness at the beginning. However, once a good friendship has been created, it is a deep, reliable and it can last all lifelong.