Switzerland Guide
Money
Contrary to the stereotype, it's no more expensive to travel in Switzerland than in parts of Germany, Italy or England – and Swiss standards of service and facilities across all budgets far outstrip those elsewhere. The country's reputation for priciness is misleading: value for money is the national motto, and in most situations you get what you pay for.
Switzerland is the wealthiest country in the world, nursing an average per-capita income of around £28,000 a year – and that's after paying taxes of some thirty percent. The Swiss franc (CHF) is renowned for its stability and is one of the benchmarks against which international standards are set.
Prices in both Switzerland and Liechtenstein are in Swiss francs. The most common abbreviation is "Fr." – but you may also see "fr", "sFr", "Sfr", "SF", "FS", or the official bank abbreviation "CHF". Each franc is divided into 100; these are called Rappen (Rp.) in German-speaking areas, centimes (c) in francophone areas, and centesimi (also c) in Italian-speaking areas. There are coins of 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, Fr.1, Fr.2 and Fr.5, and notes of Fr.10, Fr.20, Fr.50, Fr.100, Fr.200 and Fr.1000.
The currency in all the neighbouring countries – France, Germany, Austria and Italy – is the euro (€), divided into 100 cents. Across Switzerland, you'll find vending machines, ticket dispensers and phone booths which may accept euro coins as well as Swiss coins, or which may accept only one or the other; they'll be clearly marked either way. Tourist brochures and hotel lists often quote prices in CHF and EUR. For exchange rates, check 
www.xe.com .
Every corner of Switzerland is plastered with banks, almost all of which have English-language ATMs which accept foreign debit and credit cards. You can pay for most goods and services around the country using a foreign debit/credit card, although there may be a lower limit of Fr.20 or Fr.30, and some shops and supermarkets don't accept foreign cards at all. As usual, charge cards such as Amex or Diners Club are less widely accepted. There's a growing push nationwide to reduce the reliance on cash: you'll see stickers at supermarket checkouts and on lots of vending machines for a domestic Swiss cashless smart-card, known – rather confusingly – as "CASH". This often has wider acceptance than international brands of plastic.
Invariably, the best place to change foreign cash or travellers' cheques is the desk next to the ticket counter at most train stations: rates are identical to the banks, no commission is charged (except at some airport locations), and they're usually open seven days a week for long hours.