" I will be moving my family to Geneva in early 2000. We would like to find out as much as possible regarding housing costs, as well as generally informative information, or personal experiences. "

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" Dear John, Me and my family recently moved back to Switzerland. As I am originally from the German-speaking part (near Zurich), I feel a little bit like an expat here. We were looking for information on the web and did not find a lot. We were however lucky by buying a book which I can really recommend. It is called Know-i-all parents by Lisa Cirieco & Lindsey Williamson It is really the ""ultimate guide for English-speaking parents in the Geneva and Nyon areas"". Excellent book with tips on Switzerland that were even new to me as Swiss. I bought the copy at the reception of the International School of Geneva (don''t know where your kid(s) will be going). We found it difficult to find a good and affordable place in the Lausanne area and now settled for a place about 35 km away between Lausanne and Geneva. It is important to note that there are main dates where appartments are vacated in Switzerland, these are 1.4., 1.7. and 1.10 but not 1.1.! Between these dates you do find appartments but this is more rare. Do you have the right to live in France? If yes, that might be a cheaper and better alternative. It all depends on what visa type you get. Most visas restrict your right to living in the canton where your workplace is situated although some major corporations have been able to strike deals. You can also try this website which will provide you with a daily email with offers that fulfill your criteria: http://swissclick.eurospider.ch/cgi-bin/IndexCGI?ALL.immo.d Please do not hesitate to contact me on- or off-list if you need more assistance. Best regards, Jan P. Mumenthaler "

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" John, You have probably already noticed that the Swiss are paid quite well?? They also have a high cost of living. A Swiss middle class wage earner falls within the range chf80,000 to chf200,000 per annum. Hence the cost of living is about 30% higher than surrounding countries. I will list some interesting prices for you based on my experience in Bern (Note: most food prices in Geneva are lower because of their closeness to the French border). 4 bedroom apartment with 1.5 rooms for living area chf1,800 to chf3,600 per month depending on the closeness to the city centre and any other extra''s. They also charge extra for heating which equates to about chf200 per month; and extra for parking in a garage - chf100 per month. International schooling for children ranges from chf8,000 to chf24,000 per child, per year for day school and chf36,000 to chf54,000 for boarding school. Average day school rate for mid-school students is about chf16,000. Careful here as they usually have a building fund and seek an additional chf1,000 to chf2,000 in the first year. Geneva has the usual MacDonalds, Kentucky Fried and Pizza Hut outlets at not so usual prices. Expect to pay chf10 for a MacDonalds Meal anywhere in Switzerland. Germany is about 30% cheaper while France and Italy are about the same price (slightly cheaper). Note here - I use MacDonalds as a quick test for cost of living and comparisons between countries. Expect to pay huge prices for meat, except on special which is almost acceptable (usually half-price). The average Swiss eats lots of bread, pasta and potatoes (rice also to a lesser degree). Cheese although a staple part of the Swiss diet can also be very expensive except for their Fondue and Raclette cheese, which are usually discounted due to high demand. Geneva from my experiences is a lot cheaper than other parts of Switzerland for daily food stuffs and general supermarket goods. Still expect a shock after the US, UK or Australia. Trading hours in Switzerland are typically 8/9-6 Monday to Friday and 8/9-4 on Saturdays. Sunday trading does exist, but is hard to find - usually in the railway stations and a few small outlets. I have been told that the Swiss generally cross the border into France for Sunday trading. Car prices are dearer in Switzerland than surrounding countries, but cheaper than countries such as Australia with high import duties. I believe they are slightly dearer than the US. Second hand goods of any description can be marvellous buys. Used car prices can be exceptional if you are able to shop around. The quality in second hand shops can also be high with prices low. Seriously look 2nd hand for furniture and other items. The Swiss in the German speaking areas have a very low regard for 2nd hand goods and bargains are definitely available. The larger international community in Geneva means less opportunities. Geneva probably has the highest percentage of English speaking people in Switzerland, so language is a minimal problem. I hope I haven''t bored with so much info, but as the Switzerland section has received so little movement on this site I am providing a lot of info. I am the representitive for Switzerland section so if you have any more questions, please get back. Regards Allan "

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" Allan, Thank you for the wonderful information on living in Switzerland. My spouse and I are very interested in this type of information so your concern that it may have been too much, or too detailed couldn''t be further from our reality. Your response was marvelous for us. We will most definitely be getting back to you with additional inquiry. If it is not inappropriate I would also like to speak with you at some time if you wouldn''t mind sharing your telephone number. Again, truly grateful for your response. Best Wishes, John Manella "

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" Allen, We just moved to Lucerne yesterday. I am back online and found your message of great interest. After spending the last two years in Budapest, the cost of living here is sure to be shocking! Thanks for the informative message! Jan "

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" Jan Welcome to Switzerland. If you have any questions please don''t hesitate to ask and I will try to help. It would be nice too if anyone else has any specific questions I can help with. Also those of you not currently living in Switzerland, might have some questions about the cultural experience. Regards Allan "

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" I have just moved to Geneva alone, and without really wanting to walk into bars and restaurants alone, was wondering where the best place to meet people was. I''ve just come over from the UK, but speak French and am not necesarily looking for other English speakers (but nor am I ruling that out either!). If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know! "

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" Hi Lindsey, We have just moved to Lausanne and would recommend you check out the Internation Clubs. Best regards, Jan P. Mumenthaler "

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" Alan, Gruezi.....thanks for all this info... I would have thought Zurich would have had the most English speakers...good to know.....I love Switzerland very much and travel there often, so this info was priceless..... Maybe you can answer a question for me?? Why is it that the Italian Swiss speak very little, if any??, English, vs. the rest of Switzerland that does so well??? We visit Locarno every year and outside of the hotels, English is just about non-existant(with my speaking to them in French and German)...... then we go to Interlaken and everyone speaks English... I almost never have to speak a word of German(though they appreciate it when I do) and everyone is so friendly.... I would love to hear your thoughts... Gruezi and ciao.....Michael "

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