Euros or Francs?

[kmccue]

We are starting our VF trip in Aigle, heading to Lucca in September. Will we need francs in the Suisse section (5 days) of the walk...or will most everyone take euros?

 

[pepi]

Tourist-oriented businesses will accept but at a lousy exchange rate.
Better to change to some Swiss Francs and use your CC as much as possible. (Apple pay is widely accepted and used.)

 

[kmccue]

Thanks. I was thinking for food in bars, and accomodations. So yes, I will bring some francs.

 

[pepi]

Thanks. I was thinking for food in bars, and accomodations. So yes, I will bring some francs.

In pre-Covid, small businesses like kiosks, bars etc used to refuse cards or put a minimum spending amount. But now, all is changed. I mentioned contactless and fast Apple Pay, which simplifies payment procedures.

 

[pitztop]

I agree with @pepi. I live in Switzerland. Paying with euros at grocery stores, restaurants, kiosks, etc. is complicated and disadvantageous at best. Apple Pay, Twint, and/or credit cards are accepted in most businesses, but it is also a good idea to have a little cash on hand - just in case.

 

[kmccue]

I'll look in to Apple pay. (showing my age I guess, that I don't have it.). Does Apply pay charge a fee to the vendor? For that reason, perhaps cash is best?

 

[trecile]

I mentioned contactless and fast Apple Pay, which simplifies payment procedures.

Or Google Pay.

 

[pepi]

To set up Apple Pay, you need to have an iPhone, if instead, you use an android device, it's Google Pay, Trecile is right of course.
To install either it is easy peasy, takes 2 minutes. Look up this site.

As for cash, if you take out 50 CHF p.person from an ATM, and in combination with one of the said apps, it will last "forever", in my case I often need 2 weeks to spend it.

 

[Marbe2]

In Covid times you will keep everyone safer by paying by card or phone. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated in trying to save them, at most, maybe 50 cents for a small purchase. However, in Covid times by making them less susceptible to germs, IMO, you are doing a greater kindness…keeping them and yourself safer!

 

[Corned Beef]

As for cash, if you take out 50 CHF p.person from an ATM, and in combination with one of the said apps, it will last "forever", in my case I often need 2 weeks to spend it.

Passing though Montreux, I stopped at an ATM to get some cash for food/buses. Decided to go for CHF200 and the ATM dutifully issued the CHF200 - as 1 note.

Didn't want to get on a bus with only a single note so walked into town.

 

[pepi]

Passing though Montreux, I stopped at an ATM to get some cash for food/buses. Decided to go for CHF200 and the ATM dutifully issued the CHF200 - as 1 note.

Didn't want to get on a bus with only a single note so walked into town.

ATM's in Switzerland let you choose "large bills" or "small bills", maybe you overlooked?

 

[Steve Taylor]

We are starting our VF trip in Aigle, heading to Lucca in September. Will we need francs in the Suisse section (5 days) of the walk...or will most everyone take euros?

I used my Starling Bank card in Spain last year. It's a kind of credit card, but you pre-load it with funds transferred from your bank account. There are other similar cards (I think Monza is one) and one advantage is that if you lose it, you can cancel the card, but even if it does get used fraudulently, you'll only lose the amount that was loaded on to the card.

 

[Marcus-UK]

To set up Apple Pay, you need to have an iPhone, if instead, you use an android device, it's Google Pay, Trecile is right of course.
To install either it is easy peasy, takes 2 minutes. Look up this site.

As for cash, if you take out 50 CHF p.person from an ATM, and in combination with one of the said apps, it will last "forever", in my case I often need 2 weeks to spend it.

I still have French francs left over from business trips many years ago. Nearly everyone accepts cards,Googlepay, Revolut etc.

 

[gloria lowe]

To set up Apple Pay, you need to have an iPhone, if instead, you use an android device, it's Google Pay, Trecile is right of course.
To install either it is easy peasy, takes 2 minutes. Look up this site.

As for cash, if you take out 50 CHF p.person from an ATM, and in combination with one of the said apps, it will last "forever", in my case I often need 2 weeks to spend it.

Being technically challenged I have a question about Apple Pay or any card on your phone. When you use your phone to pay must it be connected to WiFi or some phone service to use? When I’m walking I keep my data off and connect to WiFi only at end of the day. How does it work?

 

[Former member 62607]

We are starting our VF trip in Aigle, heading to Lucca in September. Will we need francs in the Suisse section (5 days) of the walk...or will most everyone take euros?
In 2019 we had to use swiss francs, i had a travelmoney card and it allows you to switch funds between virtual wallets. You can get actual money out at a cashpoint from your virtual wallet. Any cash left over got donated before we left switzerland at the pass.

 

[Richard Smith]

Being technically challenged I have a question about Apple Pay or any card on your phone. When you use your phone to pay must it be connected to WiFi or some phone service to use? When I’m walking I keep my data off and connect to WiFi only at end of the day. How does it work?

Apple Pay works the same as Pay Wave where you wave your (chip enabled) credit card over the device at the cash register. The iphone doesn't need a data connection and it is a bit more secure than just waving a credit card since the iphone reads your finger print/login code before it talks to the device.