Getting Swiss Francs for Your Trip

Switzerland offers incredible Alpine scenery, charming cities like Zurich, Geneva, and Lucerne, world-class skiing, and pristine lakes. But this beauty comes at a price — Switzerland is famously one of the most expensive countries in the world. Getting the best exchange rate on your Swiss Francs can save you significant money.

The Swiss Franc (CHF, often written as Fr. or SFr.) is a stable, strong currency. Notes come in CHF 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 1000 denominations. Coins include 5, 10, and 20 centimes (rappen in German), plus CHF 0.50, 1, 2, and 5.

Key insight for 2026: Although Switzerland is surrounded by EU countries using the Euro, it is NOT part of the Eurozone. The Swiss Franc is an entirely separate currency. While some tourist businesses accept Euros, you'll get poor exchange rates and change in Francs — always use CHF for the best value.

Best Ways to Get CHF Before You Travel

Swiss Francs aren't as readily available as Euros, but here are your options ranked from best to worst:

1. Multi-currency travel card (Wise, Revolut) — Best option by far. Get the real exchange rate, use your card everywhere (contactless works perfectly), and withdraw CHF from ATMs fee-free.
2. Order CHF online before you go — Services like TravelFX or Moneycorp offer better rates than high street bureaux for cash.
3. Specialist currency bureaux — Better rates than banks but less convenient than online ordering.
4. Withdraw from Swiss ATMs on arrival — With a fee-free card, this is excellent. With a regular bank card, fees add up.
5. High street bureaux (Post Office, Travelex) — Convenient but typically 4-6% worse than the market rate.
6. UK bank exchange — Generally poor rates plus fees.
7. Airport exchange — Worst rates. Can be 10%+ above mid-market. Avoid.

Can I Use Euros in Switzerland?

Technically yes, in some places. Practically, it's not a good idea. Here's the reality:

Where Euros might be accepted: Major tourist areas, large department stores, some hotels, train stations, and border towns (Geneva, Basel). However, you'll receive change in Swiss Francs at an unfavourable exchange rate — often 5-10% worse than mid-market.

Where Euros won't work: Smaller shops, restaurants, cafes, local businesses, mountain huts, public transport ticket machines, and most everyday establishments.

The bottom line: Always pay in Swiss Francs. If you have leftover Euros from elsewhere in Europe, exchange them properly rather than trying to spend them in Switzerland.

Using Cards in Switzerland

Switzerland is highly card-friendly with excellent payment infrastructure throughout the country.

Where Cards Work Well

Hotels and restaurants everywhere, supermarkets (Migros, Coop, Denner), ski lift passes and mountain railways, public transport and trains (SBB), shops and boutiques, petrol stations, pharmacies, and most tourist attractions.

Where You Might Need Cash

Small mountain huts (some remote ones are cash-only), some farmers' markets and local markets, very small village shops, occasional parking machines, and some public toilets.

Contactless Payments

Switzerland was an early adopter of contactless. Tap-to-pay works virtually everywhere, including for higher amounts than in some other European countries. TWINT is Switzerland's local mobile payment app — as a tourist, your international contactless card is the easier option.

Withdrawing Cash from Swiss ATMs

Swiss ATMs (Bancomat/Bankomat) are reliable, widely available, and typically don't charge fees to foreign cardholders.

Best ATMs to Use

Major Swiss banks including UBS, Credit Suisse, PostFinance, Raiffeisen, and Cantonal banks don't charge withdrawal fees. You'll find ATMs at train stations, airports, town centres, and shopping areas.

ATM Tips

When offered the choice, always decline Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) and choose to be charged in CHF, not your home currency. DCC typically adds 3-5% to your costs. Using a fee-free travel card means you pay zero fees on either end.

Withdrawal Limits

Swiss ATMs often allow larger withdrawals than UK machines — typically up to CHF 1,000-2,000 per transaction. Given Switzerland's high prices, this can be useful.

Exchanging Money in Switzerland

If you need to exchange cash after arrival:

At Airports

Zurich, Geneva, and Basel airports have exchange bureaux, but rates are typically poor (5-10% markup). Use an ATM with a fee-free card instead.

Train Stations

Major stations like Zurich HB, Geneva Cornavin, and Bern have SBB Change offices. Rates are slightly better than airports but still not competitive.

In Cities

Banks can exchange currency but often require you to be a customer or charge fees. Dedicated exchange offices exist in tourist areas. Honestly, a good travel card eliminates the need for these entirely.