How do you cope with the chaos, confusion, and frequent frustration of queuing in Switzerland? In this episode, we explore Swiss queuing culture and share our experiences and advice on how to survive and possibly thrive in the chaotic queuing land of the Alps. We have some horror stories to share that you might be able to identify with. Whether you’re a newcomer, a visitor, or a long-time resident, we hope this episode will help you to navigate Swiss queueing protocol, or at the very least,...

More Swiss and Chips 🗣️ Let us know what you think about the episode and leave a comment 💬 Find us on Threads Swiss and Chips, Jo and Simon 📸 Are you following us on Instagram? ✉️ Drop us an email: [email protected] 📞 Send us a voice message to play in the show +41 76 282 67 66 A walk through the Swiss German linguistic labyrinth New here? Join the Swiss and Chips community. Switzerland, a country known for its linguistic diversity, is home to the unique dialect of Swiss German....

Join the Swiss and Chips community!  Join the Swiss and Chips chat Send us an audio message to +41 76 282 67 66 Discovering animal sounds in Swiss German: A fun exploration at the Dählhölzli Petting Zoo Come with us on a stroll through the famous Dählhölzli petting zoo in Bern where we talk about the different animal noises in English and Swiss German. A special welcome and thanks to all our super early subscribers: Samir, Julian, Nuclei, Alicia, Nicholas, Joee and many more - we really...

Be sure to subscribe to us on Substack Join the Swiss and Chips community chat Comment on our website Send us an audio message to +41 76 282 67 66 Find us on Mastodon Swiss and Chips, Jo and Simon Are you following us on Instagram? The experience of going to see a film in Switzerland has some quirks. The first question you’re probably going to ask yourself when trying to catch a new release is what language it’s going to be shown in and secondly, how much the pleasure is going to set you...

We’d love to answer your question in our show. Please leave us an audio message directly on our website or send a voice message to 0041 76 282 67 66. After 13 years of living in Switzerland, Jo is finally allowed to have her say in her new home country and participate in the democratic process. The Swiss elections are coming up and after becoming Swiss, this might be the second most exciting day for a new citizen. The papers have arrived (a long time ago) and are ready to be explored. Let's...

We’d love to answer your question in our show. Leave us an audio question directly on our website or send a voice message to 0041 76 830 72 96. The Swiss can't get enough of it: Rivella is the Alpine nation's traditional soft drink of choice. But there's an unusual ingredient hiding beneath the bubbles of this thirst-quenching liquid. Any idea what it is? In this episode, we'll introduce you to the delights of Switzerland's weird and wonderful fizzy refreshment, and Simon takes a blind...

Don't miss the latest episode of Swiss and Chips. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, email or RSS! If you're looking for Christmas magic, put Colmar, France on your list of must-see places. A beautiful city at any time of year, it is decorated and lit up to perfection every Christmas. The city's cobbled streets are flanked by Medieval or Renaissance-period buildings and small canals run alongside the main thoroughfares. There are six different markets to see, each with a...

Don't miss the latest episode of Swiss and Chips. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, email or RSS! It can take time to figure out what the useful websites are when you move to a new country. What are the most-popular car-sharing, price comparison, weather and buy-and-sell sites in Switzerland? We crowdsourced a list of the must-know websites in Switzerland from our Facebook group, Switzerland for English Speakers. In this episode we explain why they're useful and what we...

Don't miss the latest episode of Swiss and Chips. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, email or RSS! Warning: this episode is a rollercoaster! We try to navigate our way through a traditional Swiss kitchen, and explain the classic items you'll find in any Swiss kitchen cupboard. From flavourings to implements, we lift the table cloth on the secrets of Switzerland's home dining habits - and we reveal a few foody preferences of our own along the way. Plus: what's missing in a...

Always the latest Swiss and Chips Podcast. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify email or RSS! After Jo got her Swiss passport it was time to step up and get her first real taste of Swiss democracy… and what better way to do it than going to vote in the regular Swiss polls in person. In this episode, we talk about how to vote in person or by post, and how to navigate political discussions with the Swiss. The Swiss and Chips vote Come and vote, we want to hear from you! Notes on...

Always the latest Swiss and Chips Podcast. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify email or RSS! The traditional ways to travel between the UK and Switzerland are plane, train and car. 2022 turned out to be the year we used the channel tunnel to make the trip for the first time. We drove from Bern to England and then back a few weeks later. It was an experience to remember! And one that’s worth talking about and sharing with you. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British...

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The BEA is open! This annual traditional Swiss fair is a must-see for anyone living in or around Bern and it's open until May 8 this year. From donkey displays to fairground rides and the chance to sample local beers and a staggering range of cheese, there is so much to see for children and adults. We recorded while out on a day trip in Switzerland, so there's not one, but two recommendations of places to visit in this episode. One of them is an insider tip about a slightly hidden place. ...

Snow, a frozen lake and beautiful mountains: there aren't many more things you need to complete the perfect Swiss winter destination. When we headed to St. Moritz in January 2022 we had high expectations for this famous ski resort with a glitzy reputation. And it absolutely lived up to them! With breathtaking winter scenery and vintage Winter Olympics sights, there is lots to do here even if you're not skiing. First time here? Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! (iTunes, Spotify, ...

What is it really like to move to Switzerland? In the second of two episodes looking back at when Jo first relocated from the UK, we delve into some of the unexpected sides to setting up a new life among the Swiss. In this episode we cover: Differences in lifestyle between England and Switzerland The surprises that come with renting a flat Working in Switzerland and finding a job Previous episodes we refer to in the show: How to find an apartment in Switzerland as an expat How to find...

Jo moved to Switzerland just over a decade ago, so it seemed to be about time to talk about her experience, the highlights, and what she would do differently if she would do it all over again.

If you have a British-Swiss child and live in Switzerland, like we do, how do you go about getting their first passports? In this episode we'll explain everything from organising all of the documents to taking a suitable picture of your little one. First time here? Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! (iTunes, Google Play Music, Spotify) Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland Organising the Swiss passport: where to get it, what you need and how to...

It's the big moment in the Swiss citizenship process: finally you will meet someone face-to-face who will decide whether all the paperwork you have collected, all the forms you have filled out and all the studying you have done is enough to make you a viable candidate for becoming Swiss. This is what happened at my interview.

Vines, food and splendid views: if you're looking for a short and easy walk to do by yourself or when you have visitors in town, this is an episode for you! We talk about a scenic, circular walk in canton Bern that will take you from the village of Twann to Ligerz, via the vineyards and back along the lakeside to Twann. To get to Twann, you can go by train or park your car at the train station. First time here? Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast!

Once you have fulfilled all of the criteria to apply to become Swiss (take a look at our previous episodes in this mini-series if want to know more about this), you will be faced with filling out "the form". This is where you provide all of your personal details including your entire education history and certificates, Swiss employment history, references and more. In this episode, I explain exactly which documents I had to gather as part of the more than 50 pages I had to put together.

Before or instead of a dinner, at a garden party, a wedding, an office function or even a funeral, it‘s always the right time and place to join or organise a classic Swiss apéro. But what is expected at this typically Swiss get-together? We talk you through the food and drinks, the preparation, and, as always, the subtleties of navigating a Swiss event.

Please welcome Maeve, our beautiful baby girl, who you may now hear in the background of some of our recordings. Now that the chaos has calmed down we wanted to give you an update and share Jo's thoughts on how pregnancy and having a baby in Switzerland is different to the UK. Learning Swiss German We've also introduced a new regular slot in our show to help you learn Swiss German! In every episode we'll talk about one typical Swiss tradition, event, word or saying you need to know.

Setting foot into another country can mean a significant change of your lifestyle and sometimes a culture shock. We asked in our Facebook group about your weirdest thing you’ve experienced when you moved to Switzerland and got loads of fun and interesting comments as well aas interesting discussions started. Thanks a lot for that! In this episode we talk about a few of them and Jo will tell you about her personal story when she moved to Switzerland.

Christmas is drawing nearer but thanks to coronavirus, making plans to celebrate it this year isn't very easy. It's difficult enough to get together with family if you live in the same country, but almost impossible if you don't. In this episode we talk about the parts of a Swiss Christmas that are perfect for our socially-distanced, outdoor times and how you can mix these with your usual festivities to make some wonderful winter days.