EXPATS LIVING IN SWITZERLAND!

Wow, we have officially lived in Switzerland for six months!! I honestly cannot believe that it has already been that long! It seems like just yesterday we were packing up for this big adventure with no idea what was to come! Luckily, we really enjoy being expats living in Switzerland!

So, are you wondering what everyday life is like here in Basel? Now that we have lived here for a whopping six months, I feel like I have a decent understanding. So, I’m going to break this down into five parts: language, school, transportation, cost of living, and other thoughts.

Language

Let’s start with language. There are four official languages of Switzerland, and these are German, French, Italian, and Romansch. The language spoken in Basel is Swiss German, and we are so thankful to call the outskirts of Basel home. So, what is Swiss German? Well, it’s a dialect of German spoken in the German parts, or Northern regions, of Switzerland.

When you are taught German in the language schools, you actually learn high German, or German that is spoken in Germany. This can lead to some confusion when trying to understand Swiss locals! But for the most part, they will understand what you are saying if you speak high German. Not me personally, because although I am learning German, I have come to realize it will be a long process.

As far as English spoken throughout Switzerland, lots of the people that we have run into can communicate in numerous languages, especially in the city area. I have found that if you try to speak in German, you are much more respected. So, I often speak Germish, which is when I start with German and end with English. I am truly amazed at the language skills of the Swiss and many other Europeans. Being able to communicate in multiple languages is truly a talent I am envious of.

School

In public schools, German is the main language spoken. Students also learn French and English throughout their school years. But, the girls go to an international school. We wanted them to learn German to assimilate, as well as learning English grammar like they would at home. Luckily, we found an international school that teaches German on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and English on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

They also teach children within the class at different levels of these languages because there are German and English native speakers as well as other first languages. The English and German teachers work together to form a smooth education for the students, and we have been extremely happy with the school.

Another part of Swiss school-life that we have enjoyed is the idea of half-day Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, the students are dismissed at noon. Many of the children’s activities are offered on Wednesday afternoons as well. It is a really nice to break up the week!

One of the other main differences are the use of indoor and outdoor shoes. Once the children arrive at school, they change into their indoor shoes. During PE, they also have a separate pair of sneakers that are only used for PE.

Lastly, the children in the primary level are given no homework on weekends or holidays. This has been really nice as their homework load can be pretty rough due to split days.

Transportation

The major forms of transportation are by train, tram, bus, bike, car, or on foot. We live about 30-35 minutes on public transportation to the girls’ school, and Gregg’s office is right by the school. So, this can be a lot in the morning if you wake up late, etc. We recently leased a car so that has been great for school drop off as it is only 15 minutes from home to school. We have a parking spot in our living complex which has been so nice.

When we go on day trips, we usually take the SBB train system. Swiss trains are extremely efficient, clean, and usually on-time. They are also expensive, but luckily, we can purchase the half fare travel card. After the initial purchase, all train rides are then half price.

Cost of Living

Isn’t Switzerland the most expensive country? Is everything expensive or just some things? Well, yes, there is a lot that is expensive, but there are some ways around it. Buying a home is extremely expensive. We have also noticed that chicken and beef is crazy expensive. But when the borders are open, a lot of people head to the neighboring countries of Germany or France to purchase their groceries. You can only bring back 1 kg of meat per person into Switzerland from either country so it’s good to go with all of your family members!

Another item that we have found high in price is trash. You need to purchase a sticker to put on your trash bag in order for your trash to be picked up. A sheet of stickers is about $20 for 10 stickers or $2 per sticker. This can add up quick if you are accumulating too much trash. It pushes people to recycle as much as possible which is great for the environment.

However, things like electronics are similarly priced to those in the United States. We had to purchase a few various items because the voltages are different here and we left most of our electronics back home, sold them, or gave them to some lucky family members.

Also, it can be very expensive to eat dinner at a restaurant. In the US, we went out often for lunch or dinner. Once the restaurants re-open – they have been closed since January – we will go out every so often. Gregg and I both worked in the hospitality industry previously and we really feel for those who have been impacted by the pandemic. While we won’t go out as often as we did in the US, we want to support the local businesses here.

Other Thoughts

Switzerland is a beautiful country. It is extremely clean and well taken care of. While the cost of living may seem high, the standard of living is really exceptional. The healthcare system is very good, they really cater to dogs and children, the crime rate is low, and the variety of cultures, languages and even the terrain is just magnificent. The Swiss people are rightfully proud to be Swiss.

What else would you like to know about our Swiss life? Thank you so much for wandering along with us!