The Grand-Saint-Bernard route (A21) will remain closed until further notice, Swiss authorities have confirmed, citing an elevated risk of rockfall following an avalanche on 17 April 2025. The avalanche damaged the Toules gallery, a key protective structure on the A21. Although repairs to the gallery are due to be completed today, the Federal Roads Office […]
Swiss tourists avoiding the US
Travel from Switzerland to the United States has dropped sharply, especially among the young and families, according to recent US travel data. The number of Swiss holidaymakers visiting the United States fell steeply in February and March, according to figures released this week by America’s International Trade Administration. The decline, which began in February, intensified […]
Planning a trip to the UK? Don’t forget a visa
From 2 April 2025, travelling to the United Kingdom will require a visa. EU and EFTA nationals, including Swiss passport holders, can now (from 5 March 2025) apply online for an U.K. Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The ETA costs £10 and lasts for 2 years from the date of issue. Currently, only citizens of EU […]
Basel Fasnacht 2025 – no ordinary festival
A parade that starts at 4 in the morning? With piccolos? And drums? In winter? Really? Yes, and you’ll be enchanted by the whole thing. Every year in the city of Basel on the Monday after Ash Wednesday (this year, March 10th), the Morgestraich (“Morning sweep” in Basel dialect) marks the beginning of the three-day […]
Catching ski pass cheats – reactions, fines and worse
In the very early days of skiing, checking whether skiers had valid ski passes was hit and miss. However, today, with modern technology it has become easy. According to a report by SRF, the ski resort of Verbier catches an average of three to four people a day passing through the turnstiles with a ‘borrowed’ […]
Swiss Rail’s European ranking drops from 2nd to 11th after error corrected
In a ranking published in December 2024, Swiss Rail was ranked the second best railway company in Europe. This week, RTS reported that its ranking had dropped to 11th out of 27. Why? Oddly, in its app, Swiss Rail presents half price tickets as the default price, describing them as “tickets from” the half price […]
Swiss emergency rescue numbers rise sharply this Christmas
Over the three days of the Christmas period the Swiss Air Rescue Service Rega flew more than 150 rescue missions, an average of more than 50 a day, reported SRF. The number of air rescue flights over the 24th, 25th and 26th of December 2024 was 20% higher than over the same period in 2023. […]
Swiss ski accidents rise significantly among those over 40
Data published this week by the Swiss insurance company Suva, show a rise in the number of people over 40 involved in ski accidents. Every year, around 35,000 people are injured while skiing in Switzerland. Accidents are often due to poor physical condition, fatigue or over confidence. These injuries are costly. Suva estimates that around […]
Verbier misses emission busting opportunity
Holidays generate greenhouse gas and ski holidays are no exception. However, if no flying is involved, ski holidays can be relatively low carbon. The carbon consulting firm ecollective, includes a train-based ski trip to France (from the UK) among its list of lowest-carbon holidays. Transport fairly obviously accounts for most of the emissions associated with […]
Government recommends Swiss nationals leave Iran
This week, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) recommended Swiss nationals leave Iran in a post on X. It also advised against travel to the country. According to the FDDA, the situation regarding the conflict in the Middle East is very volatile. The risk of escalation has continued to increase, the evolution of the […]
