Switzerland Master Thread

[sam28]

Did anyone stay in The Maloja Palace kosher hotel? If yes how is food ? And the rooms?

[sillypainter]

Did anyone stay in The Maloja Palace kosher hotel? If yes how is food ? And the rooms?

Yes, few years back. Very nice and good.

[VacationLover]

Did anyone stay in The Maloja Palace kosher hotel? If yes how is food ? And the rooms?

Rooms half are renovated, half are very old.

Food is good.

[smb2270]

Any minyan info for late October/early November?   It's my grandmother's dream to go to the Alps, so would like to book with a view (and near kosher?).  Any ideas or link to particular posts would be helpful.  I'll read through in interim.

[yelped]

Any minyan info for late October/early November?   It's my grandmother's dream to go to the Alps, so would like to book with a view (and near kosher?).  Any ideas or link to particular posts would be helpful.  I'll read through in interim.

If it is your grandmother's dream to go to the Alps, I would not go in late October/early November as that is rainy season and also when all the cable cars are closed for maintenance. Either go in the winter for ski weather or summer.

[S123]

Any restaurants that would deliver to airport or any kosher food in the airport?

[kosherjid]

Any restaurants that would deliver to airport or any kosher food in the airport?

No kosher food at the airport. There's a shop at the airport, across the street,  Migros, where you can buy fruit and Potato crisp and chocolate.

[smb2270]

Any restaurants that would deliver to airport or any kosher food in the airport?

I hear you, but she often says no and finally said yes, so will have to take the chance here, especially with my own work vacation considerations.   We will have a car and plan to stay in Lucerne.  Any ideas?  Also, any ideas for kosher?  I know the shuls have order options, but perhaps any reviews?  Swiss Business class should be decent (for food and otherwise), right?

[iluv2travel]

I hear you, but she often says no and finally said yes, so will have to take the chance here, especially with my own work vacation considerations.   We will have a car and plan to stay in Lucerne.  Any ideas?  Also, any ideas for kosher?  I know the shuls have order options, but perhaps any reviews?  Swiss Business class should be decent (for food and otherwise), right?

It's not even taking a chance IMO. You're just choosing what is arguably the worst time to visit the Swiss Alps and if that's someone's dreams that's just the wrong time to go to fulfill that dream. I've been both winter and summer and both are amazing in its own way but it's important to go in the right time. Summer is winding down now but until end of September you can still enjoy some of it. For Winter it doesn't start until around Thanksgiving weekend and even then it's still quiet and not everything up and running until about second week of December and runs until end of March or mid-April depending where you go. From then until early June is also shoulder season intl the summer season starts but it's still not as bad as going on October/ November IMO.

Swiss business class food is fine.

[yelped]

I hear you, but she often says no and finally said yes, so will have to take the chance here, especially with my own work vacation considerations.   We will have a car and plan to stay in Lucerne.  Any ideas?  Also, any ideas for kosher?  I know the shuls have order options, but perhaps any reviews?  Swiss Business class should be decent (for food and otherwise), right?

It's not fun to see rain and clouds. It's not so much a chance but a real statistical probability. If you can, go later and enjoy the snow and gorgeous views, or go in the summer and enjoy the beautiful green views.

[Shirabira]

Does anyone have advice for me?  I rented a car in Italy and was given a speeding ticket in Switzerland.  It was mailed to my house in the USA.  Ticket was based off a speed camera.  We were about 16 miles over limit.  There is no fine listed.  What we received was a letter from the prosecutor's office requesting very in depth financial information such as income, pension employers info etc   and then they will decide the fine we need to pay.  The letter was sent via regular mail.  It was in English.  It seems very serious.  I emailed back that we aren't Swiss citizens and please send me an amount for the fine.  They wrote that they want the financial documents submitted.  Does anyone have information on what will happen if I don't send the info?  Will they eventually send a dollar amount for the fine?  I am willing to pay....just need something reasonable... Are there any lawyers that deal with this?

Thanks

[Saulius]

Does anyone have advice for me?  I rented a car in Italy and was given a speeding ticket in Switzerland.  It was mailed to my house in the USA.  Ticket was based off a speed camera.  We were about 16 miles over limit.  There is no fine listed.  What we received was a letter from the prosecutor's office requesting very in depth financial information such as income, pension employers info etc   and then they will decide the fine we need to pay.  The letter was sent via regular mail.  It was in English.  It seems very serious.  I emailed back that we aren't Swiss citizens and please send me an amount for the fine.  They wrote that they want the financial documents submitted.  Does anyone have information on what will happen if I don't send the info?  Will they eventually send a dollar amount for the fine?  I am willing to pay....just need something reasonable... Are there any lawyers that deal with this?

Thanks

Were you 16 miles over the limit or was that 16 km?

If you were 16 km over the limit (not miles) - then that would mean you were speeding in a build up area, and the speeding fines include a deduction of 3-7 km depending if it was laser or radar.  E

There are different type of "areas/zones" in Switzerland, Built up areas, Outside built-up areas, and motorways, and each type has it's own speeding fines, and if you are above a certain threshold (which is the lowest in the built up area) - then you receive a summons where they ask for your income information and calculate your fine depending on the percentage of your daily wage.

I am sure you can edit / photoshop your documents, the Swiss gov't would have absolutely no way to verify with the IRS.
Do not waste any time with lawyers, or arguing with the Swiss authorities - Lawyers will add a few thousand to your costs, and it will not effect the outcome, other than ending up having to pay a larger fine and additional court costs because you tried to fight it.

[iluv2travel]

Just curious, what's the percentage that they use? There's no minimum or maximum penalty involved, just a percentage?

[Saulius]

Just curious, what's the percentage that they use? There's no minimum or maximum penalty involved, just a percentage?

It's called Tagessätze - and is measured based on your monthly income after taxes and how fast you were going.

In German: https://www.ssk-cmp.ch/de/node/9061 (first link has .xls sheet)

Also found this link: https://driving.legal/innerorts_en.html

Minimum is around 400-600 CHF, but high net worth individuals can be fined insane amounts.  ie https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-10960230.amp

[Shirabira]

Thanks for this important info.  How can I be sure that Swiss authorities cant cross check income information in any way?  The form so far asks only for amounts and no additional documents.  But does anyone know if they have the right to ask for documents that prove my answers?

[Saulius]

Thanks for this important info.  How can I be sure that Swiss authorities cant cross check income information in any way?  The form so far asks only for amounts and no additional documents.  But does anyone know if they have the right to ask for documents that prove my answers?

The only way they can possible verify your U.S. income would be through a tax treaty. Although it's technically possible, it's extremely unlikely.

The tax treaties between Switzerland and the U.S. are designed for bigger issues like tax evasion or serious financial investigations. For a speeding ticket, they would usually rely on whatever information you provide voluntarily. If you do not pay, there is nothing they can do, unless you would return to Switzerland in the future, or perhaps when US citizens will need to get European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) travel authorisation for visa-exempt traveller prior to travel.

And then any documents you provide, you can easily Photoshop them to whatever amount you want.

[PlatinumGuy]

The only way they can possible verify your U.S. income would be through a tax treaty. Although it's technically possible, it's extremely unlikely.

The tax treaties between Switzerland and the U.S. are designed for bigger issues like tax evasion or serious financial investigations. For a speeding ticket, they would usually rely on whatever information you provide voluntarily. If you do not pay, there is nothing they can do, unless you would return to Switzerland in the future, or perhaps when US citizens will need to get European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) travel authorisation for visa-exempt traveller prior to travel.

And then any documents you provide, you can easily Photoshop them to whatever amount you want.

If they want to they can request IRS Form 4506 to authorize the IRS to release specific returns to them...

[yelped]

If they want to they can request IRS Form 4506 to authorize the IRS to release specific returns to them...

They don't do that for citizenship applications (they do ask for full tax returns) so don't think they would do that here.

[Saulius]

If they want to they can request IRS Form 4506 to authorize the IRS to release specific returns to them...

I extremely doubt they would ask for it -- although theoretically they could request that you voluntarily provide the form, they can't force you to submit it.
I would estimate your fine to be CHF 400-600 (Maximum 3000 CHF for high income earners) plus administrative fees that could be another CHF 300-500.

[iluv2travel]

I extremely doubt they would ask for it -- although theoretically they could request that you voluntarily provide the form, they can't force you to submit it.
I would estimate your fine to be CHF 400-600 (Maximum 3000 CHF for high income earners) plus administrative fees that could be another CHF 300-500.

Wow, even that is insanely expensive. Lesson: it does not pay to speed.