$9 a gallon for car-rental gas?

$9 a gallon for car-rental gas? Yup, if you forget to refill the tank
By Mary Forgione

You think it’s costing you a bundle to fill up your car? The$4.28 a gallon price is nothing — at least, not when you compare it with the $9 a gallon that some rental car agencies are charging when you forget to return the car with a full tank. Think of it this way: If you have a car with a 13.8-gallon tank, you’ll owe the car rental company $124.20 if you return it empty. Ouch.

Hertz is charging an eye-popping $9.29 a gallon for customers who forgot to fill up before dropping off the car at its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) site and other major airports nationwide.

USA Today reported this week that an April 25 survey of car-rental sites at 13 major airports showed Hertz was charging $9.29 a gallon at all 13 (of which LAX is one), and Dollar andThrifty were charging $8.99 a gallon at two of the sites

Where does that $9.29 figure come from and why is it so high? Hertz spokeswoman Paula Rivera says the price reflects the cost of gas and related operational charges for what the company calls a "convenience" to customers. "We expect customers will return the car with the same amount of gas when rented," she says.

And, she adds, Hertz isn't in the gas business and doesn't make money on the high rate. (USA Todayalso reported that Hertz brought in $43.7 million in refueling costs last year, though both the paper and Rivera say that doesn't reflect the company's expenses drawn against that figure.)

Of course, you can avoid the gas gouge. First, fill up the car before you return it. Rivera says customers who rent cars with GPS devices can easily find a list of gas stations closest to their returning airport. Also, you can use a free AAA TripTik Mobile app for smartphones that lists gas stations and their prices by location.

Second, customers can prepay a tank of gas at a more reasonable rate when they rent the car. Hertz takes the average price of gas at three local gas stations to come up with a per-gallon price, Rivera says. But remember: You don't get credit for unused gas when you return the car.

15 of the world's most bike-friendly cities

15 of the world's most bike-friendly cities
By Hal Amen

Grab a helmet and check out these 15 cities where drivers use all five fingers when they wave at you.

EUROPE

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The " bicycling capital of Europe" tops many lists -- including this one, it seems -- as the most bike-friendly city anywhere. Safe and extensive route networks, serious governmental promotion, and a bike culture that transcends class boundaries are all reasons why 40 percent of the city's traffic moves on two wheels.

Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona's Bicing program, one of many mass bike rental systems that have popped up recently in Europe and beyond, debuted in 2007 in the Catalonian capital. An annual Bike Week is held in late May to spread the word.

Berlin, Germany

Commuting Berliners are never lonely -- 400,000 of them pedal to work each day. City leaders still aren't satisfied with this figure, and millions of euros have been allocated to encourage more cyclists to get on the streets. One result is a mapping website that helps you plot bike-specific routes.

Copenhagen, Denmark

In the Danish capital, around a third of the workforce gets to the office by bike. By some estimates, that's more than a million kilometers pedaled every day.

For an alternative and truly bike-friendly urban experience, check out Christiania, a neighborhood of 850 that, in addition to setting up a semi-independent government and decriminalizing trade in cannabis, has banned cars.

Paris, France

Paris gets a nod here for its creation ofVélib', one of the world's largest public bicycle rental programs. Twenty thousand stylish three-speeds are distributed among 1,450 rental stations throughout the city, available to subscribers at variable rates (rides under 30 minutes are free).

NORTH AMERICA

Boulder, Colorado

Denver's little hippy neighbor to the north dedicates 15% of its transportation budget to improving and promoting bicycle travel. Nearly every major roadway has a designated cycling area, and they've even instituted a pilot program to get kids biking to school.This guy has created a very cool color-coded route map, complete with local attractions.

Chicago, Illinois

Late during his 22-year tenure, Mayor Richard Daley became set on turning Chicago into "the most bicycle-friendly city in the United States." It doesn't appear to be all talk, either, as more bike lanes pop up all the time, and more laws that protect cyclists' safety are passed.

The City of Chicago website has all you could ever want to know about the city's bicycle initiatives.


Davis, California

It's said there are more bikes than cars in this small, northern California city of 65,000. Not only that, but its official motto is "Most bicycle friendly town in the world." The city marks Bike Monththroughout May.

Ottawa, Ontario

Canada's capital claims the highest percentage of bike commuters in the country, if not the continent. Its 170 km of paths make it easy to get from point A to B, though two-wheeled traffic is sure to drop between December and March. Visit the City of Ottawa website for more.

Portland, Oregon

You were worried there for a second, weren't you? No, we haven't forgotten what most people consider the bike capital of the U.S. The only thing as impressive as Portland's bicycle infrastructure (including a 260-mile network) and commuter stats (almost 10%, the highest in the country) is the camaraderie of its cyclist community.

San Francisco, California

The founding city of Critical Mass -- mass bike rides that take place in cities around the world -- can't be overlooked. Over the past decade, bicycle collisions have declined while the number of bike commuters has nearly doubled.

Add city initiatives like removing car parking to make room for bike parking, distributing "Watch for Bikes" stickers (to be placed on driver's side rearview mirrors), and its fledgling bike share program, and you get one of the world's bike-friendliest cities.



ELSEWHERE

Beijing, China

Debatable? Sure. But I wouldn't call the city with probably the most bicycles of any in the world to be bike unfriendly.

The sheer number of cyclists necessitates some pretty sophisticated infrastructure for the travel, storage and repair of two-wheeled vehicles.

Cape Town, South Africa
African cities aren't the first that spring to mind for bike friendliness, but Cape Town is doing its best to change that.

The South African hub is committed to creating cycling lanes, dedicated bike parking and public commuter showers.

Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá's transportation initiatives have been a model for change throughout Latin America, and its treatment of bicycles is no exception. Miles of safe, segregated bike paths and Sunday Ciclovía events (where main thoroughfares are closed to cars) make Colombian cyclists very happy.

Perth, Australia
With more than 700 km of bike routes and plenty to see along them, Australia's fourth largest city takes it for Down Under. Find maps, recommended rides and other cycling resources on the Perth Bike Maps webpage.

Steven Slater's air travel lessons

Steven Slater's air travel lessons
By A. Pawlowski
Steven Slater may not be a flight attendant anymore, but he's still a fixture on planes -- no longer serving passengers but now observing them.

As he shuttles back and forth between his residences in New York and Los Angeles, Slater has collected 168,000 airline miles since August, when he burst into the public spotlight after dramatically quitting his job at JetBlue.

You'll recall that Slater had just finished a flight when he told off a passenger over the plane's public address system, grabbed a few beers from the beverage cart, opened the emergency evacuation slide and slid down at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Many people saw Slater as a hero for confronting what he said was a rude passenger trying to wedge an oversized bag into an overhead bin and for his take-this-job-and-shove-it sentiment, butthe incident also got him in trouble with the law.

These days, Slater is living off his 401(k) and some savings while "working on a few things," he said. Much of his time since the outburst has been taken up by dealing with personal affairs, like the recent death of his mother and handling her estate in California.

Slater is also writing a memoir that he plans to call "The Diary of a Mad Flight Attendant."

He's still recognized, especially on planes.

"It's a lot of high-fives," Slater said.



"I'm very, very widely embraced by airlines personnel, but it's also amazing to me how many passengers, especially the frequent fliers, will come up to me on a flight and thank me for calling attention to the lack of civility of the airplane because everyone is tired of it."

Slater recently spoke with CNN.com about the lessons he learned during his 20-year career in the air and in the past few months while sitting in the passenger seat rather than the jump seat.

1. Carry-ons are still a nightmare

"A lot of the headaches that the passengers and crews deal with are nightmare situations that the airlines have created," Slater said.

"The most glaring example of that to me is that we charge passengers to check their luggage so of course common sense would say you try to bring on whatever you can, myself included."

"Most of the temper tantrums I see revolve around baggage. You've worked so hard to get to the airplane, you get on the airplane and all you have is your one little piece of luggage and there just isn't anywhere to put it."

"Everything is so packed full because we've required everybody to bring everything on board or pay some of these, in some cases, really exorbitant fees."

"If you've got a family of four, and you're looking at paying $30 or $35 in baggage fees [per person], that's as much as a whole ticket sometimes. Sometimes the ancillary fees are going to be more than the actual ticket price, and that's kind of galling."

2. Security process needs to be improved

"It seems you see a lot of the [temper] flare-ups at security. People are faced, to my mind, some kind of really ridiculous requirements," Slater said.

"When you see children going through these full-body scanners -- if I'm a parent and I'm sending my 5-year old through that, that's offensive to me. That bothers me. It bothers me to see any child go through that."

"I see a lot of really stressed and tired people. I think that by the time you get on the airplane, you've already run the gamut, you've been through so much with getting to the airport, going through security, going through some of these just ludicrous procedures, going through the nude-o-scopes and queuing up and waiting in line for half an hour."

"It just seems like the airport experience is such an ordeal that by the time you get on the airplane, usually you're exhausted and you're thankful to just be on the darn airplane."

3. Airline industry is in a sad state of affairs

"I came from TWA, and we were in 747s going to Europe carving Chateaubriand in the aisles and pouring Dom Perignon," Slater said.

"We're now throwing Cheetos in the back of commuter planes. It's really tragic."

"The airlines are still trying to wring concessions from a work force that has absolutely nothing more to give. We have reduced rest, we have reduced salaries."

"When I started flying, we might go from New York to Los Angeles, have a reasonable layover and come back. Now it's very typical to go from New York to Los Angeles and back in a day and do that three or four days in a row."

"It's very important to say how incredibly proud I am of my fellow flight attendants and pilots and airline workers who have stayed true to their passion."

4. Flight attendants have their limits

"I think it's OK to set boundaries. Everyone wants to be a professional, you want to be courteous, you want to be empathetic and believe me, flight attendants get it," Slater said.

"We're hired to be compassionate people, we're there because we do care, we understand that people are going to weddings and funerals and they're flying for often very not pleasant experiences and there is that compassion. But it's not OK to be abused."

5. It's possible to make the experience less stressful

"I see everybody trying to do the best they can with a really bad situation," Slater said.

"I try to stay as flexible as possible. I give myself a lot of time. I try to get there early, I try to fly the day before the event -- if I have a meeting on a Friday, I make sure I fly on a Thursday."

"I never rely on the airline to provide what they say they're going to."

Which tech tools do experts use when they travel?

Which tech tools do experts use when they travel?
By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ

With the busy summer vacation season quickly approaching, The Associated Press asked several travel experts about their favorite tools for travel. Needless to say, applications for Apple's iPhone and iPad were high on most lists, but there are still plenty of great tools out there for other smartphone users and even those with just regular cell phones.

Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation: "When I fly for work or to visit my family, I want a flight that will be on time. That's why I'm glad passengers can now check the websites of the larger airlines to find the on-time record of each of the flights they are considering before they purchase a ticket. You can learn how often that flight arrives on time _ within 15 minutes of schedule _ as well as how often it arrives more than 30 minutes late. You also can find out if a flight has been canceled 5 percent or more of the time."

Rob Katz, chairman and CEO Vail Resorts: "When I'm traveling around the U.S. I use Yelp. It helps me quickly find almost any amenity and has reviews and additional information. I also use Open Table quite a bit."

Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO Hilton Worldwide: "I never leave for a trip without my iPad. Not only do I keep connected to the office on it via email and other applications, but I also keep current with the news, such as reading the Wall Street Journal online. When I'm traveling with my kids, it has also come in handy to have some games loaded on my iPad to keep them busy."

Samantha Brown, Travel Channel host: "I spent all last year traveling to Asia and after weeks of being fed a TV diet of only the BBC I could hum their theme music with absolute perfection and imitate up to four distinct British accents. So for me Slingbox is one of the most ingenious ideas I had ever heard for the international traveler. Essentially thru a box and a program, my laptop becomes my home TV so no matter where I am in the world I can watch my favorite DVRed shows from 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' to '30 Rock' to 'Meet the Press.' Only problem? Even 10,000 miles away my husband and I can still fight over the remote."

Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, retired U.S. Airways pilot: "Some helpful websites when booking travel include SeatGuru.com, TripAdvisor.com, Kayak.com, Yapta.com, and Bing.com. INRIX Traffic helps get you to the airport on time by showing traffic speeds and delays, and can even predict traffic speeds at certain times. When traveling, Weather.com is always a great help and the AirWX app is a tool that pilots use to get detailed aviation weather reports and forecasts, but it's also useful for the general public to check weather at departure and arrival airports because the reports are decoded into plain language. Also, FlightAware.com provides live flight tracking, iTranslate.com is useful for international travel and MileBlaster.com tracks the use of frequent flier miles."

Pauline Frommer, travel guidebook writer: "When I get out of New York City I like to do something I can't do at home: look at the stars. I really enjoy the app Star Walk as it allows me to recognize constellations, even if I'm on the other side of the world and the night sky looks quite different. Sounds silly, but it really enhances my travels, especially when I'm in a nature destination and there's not much to look at but the night sky."

Nina Zagat, co-founder of Zagat Survey: "When Tim and I are traveling in our car, we love having our in-car navigation system to guide us and our Bluetooth to make our calls. I rely on my BlackBerry for my contacts, itineraries and packing lists as well as to keep up with my emails and to have a handy nightlight."

Thomas Stuker, United Airlines top frequent flier with 9.75 million miles: "My two favorites, especially with all the international travel is Skype _ both on my computer and now on my phone _ to stay connected with friends and business associates around the world for just pennies and my second one is Slingbox _ again on both my computer and my phone _ so I can watch my Bulls and Blackhawks in the playoffs as well as my Cubbies attempt in vain to win the World Series for the 100-plus year in a row."

Five mouthwatering ice cream tours

Five mouthwatering ice cream tours

By Ashley Strickland

With hot summer days ahead, what better way to treat yourself than enjoying a childhood indulgence: ice cream. From decadently sweet to decidedly sinful, the flavors are endless, and a good ice cream shop is never too far away.

This summer, try an ice cream tour. From well-known brands to bucolic family farms, tours of ice cream dairies and factories are just waiting to be explored.

Hansen Dairy -- Hudson, Iowa

Owned and operated by the Hansen family since 1861, the Farm Fresh Dairy offers guests a hands-on tour of the working farm and dairy.

In addition to the usual farm sights, from baby calves to milking parlors to cow barns, guests can also see the creamery, the Hansen farm equipment and even domesticated wallabies that live on the farm. The dish of ice cream you receive at the end is made right there.

Visitors to Hansen's Farm Fresh Dairy in Hudson, Iowa, can see animals during a hands-on tour.

You can request for the tour to be hands-on, meaning in addition to the regular activities, you can also feed a calf, milk a cow by hand, make homemade butter and pet a wallaby.

Tours are available Monday through Saturday all year long, but visitors are encouraged to come late March to early November. The walk-through tour is $6, the hands-on experience is $10. Be sure tomake an appointment.

If the complimentary ice cream isn't enough, you can also visit Moo Roo in Waterloo, just nine miles up the road. That's Hansen's retail store, which includes their complete dairy line, ice cream, soft-serve, ice cream pies and cakes and their Moo Roo signature chocolate cake roll with ice cream.

Ben & Jerry's -- Waterbury, Vermont

The Flavor Graveyard at Ben & Jerry's is a popular attraction for visitors.

Serving up creative scoops since 1978, Ben & Jerry's is still a beloved American ice cream institution. Their popular tour takes groups of 40 visitors on 30-minute guided trips through their famed Waterbury Factory.

It begins in the Cow Over the Moon theater with a company history movie about founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Venture on to a glassed-in mezzanine overlooking the ice cream production room and learn about the manufacturing process. A tour wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Flavoroom to sample the flavor of the day.

During the summer, optional outdoor activities include visiting cows in the pasture, picnicking and visiting the Flavor Graveyard to mourn the loss of concoctions past. Also, don't forget to visit the full-service scoop shop for your new favorite flavor.

Visit their website for seasonal hours. Ticket prices are kid friendly -- ages 12 and younger are free admission, $3 for adults and $2 for senior citizens.

Boulder Ice Cream -- Boulder, Colorado

Boulder Ice Cream offers up organic flavors.

For the health-conscious ice cream indulger, Boulder offers organic cool treats that are 100% natural, meaning no ingredient name has "more than three syllables."

Located five minutes from downtown Boulder, the factory offers tours every Friday and Saturday. Visitors can learn how ice cream is made, enjoy a free ice cream tasting and wrap things up in the "Colorado Natural Products" gift shop.

Popular flavors of their organic ice cream include Island Coconut, Mexican Chocolate and Green Tea.

The tour is free, but it's by appointment only, so be sure to call ahead.

Homeland Creamery -- Julian, North Carolina

Homeland Dairy offers a hayride overview of the farm to begin the tour.

A genuine farm tour, this 90-minute excursion begins by giving visitors a hayride view of the farm, from crops in the field to cows in the pasture. Watching baby cows being bottle-fed is a special treat.

Other experiences include getting to milk a "simulated" cow and walking through the milk parlor. Owner/operators Chris, Jayne, David and Terry Bowman aim to enlighten guests about how milk products go from cow to the consumer.

Of course, the tour ends with a sample from their own creamery-made ice cream.

While no weekend tours are available, the farm is open Monday through Friday, with tours beginning at 10 a.m. Admission is $6 a person, ages 2 and older.

Hilmar Cheese Company -- Hilmar, California

Visitors to Hilmar Cheese Company can enjoy ice cream while they tour the factory.

Don't be fooled by the name -- this cheese company, founded in 1984, also has cool creamy treats on the premises.

While the Hilmar guided tour mainly highlights the cheese-making process, an impressive all-inclusive experience, visitors can request the Family Fun Ice Cream Activity as well.

After the tour, you can create and eat your own ice cream. Basic ingredients for vanilla ice cream are put in "magic jars." If you follow directions and shake properly, the "magic" happens.

"It's really fun," said Denise Skidmore, director of education and public relations at Hilmar. "If you end up with a milkshake, obviously you've done something wrong. This experience is all about learning the old-fashioned process."

The tour is free, but the activity is $3. Summer tours are Monday through Friday at 11 a.m., beginning June 6 and going through August 26.

Destinations where you need more than a passport

No visa, no entry: Destinations where you need more than a passport
By Ellen Creager

What do Brazil, China andIndia have in common?

All require American travelers to get a visa. And they are not the only countries.

"A lot of people don't know visas exist, or they think U.S. citizens don't need one," says Diane Kakoz, manager of B&K Express in Southfield, Mich., a passport-visa expediting service.

"A lot of people going to Brazil get to the airport there and get sent back."

A visa is a travel document some nations require in addition to the passport. Getting one usually costs$80 to $140, plus processing fees.

That expense can be a rude shock to individual travelers on a budget. But on a group trip, it is usually an invisible cost folded into the tour price.

"When we went to Vietnam in 2009, Vietnam Battlefield Tours out of San Antonio took care of the visas, and we didn't have a single problem," says Don Alsbro, who runs tours for Michigan veterans. "VBT just put it into the price of the tour."

The most common visas that Kakoz obtains are for China, India andBrazil. She does a lot of India visas because so many people in theDetroit area have family there. She does frequent business travel visas to Brazil and China. Other common visas sought? Vietnam,Nigeria and Russia.

While some visas take weeks to process, Cambodia and Australiaoffer visas online with near-immediate approval. Some nations let tourists get a visa when they arrive. Others, like Venezuela, accept tourist cards instead, handed out on arriving flights.

Luckily, U.S. tourists can blithely traipse around most of the world with just their passports.

In fact, Americans can travel to 159 nations without a visa. That makes us among the freest travelers in the world.

The people least free to travel without a visa? Afghans.

The reason some nations' travelers need visas and others don't is simple. Richer countries tend to make people from poor or war-torn countries get visas as an extra step to make sure visitors return to where they came from. Poor countries are more likely to admit people from rich countries without visas.

Sometimes, it's political. Experts view Brazil's visa requirement and hefty fee ($140) for Americans as a retaliation for stringent visa requirements and an identical fee that Brazilian tourists must pay to visit the U.S.

Whatever the requirements, the biggest mistake that visa seekers make, experts say, is procrastinating.

"Everybody waits until the last minute and then wastes money to get a rush visa," says Abraham Jacobi, consular liaison at Perry International in Chicago, which expedites travel documents. Applying one month ahead is good. Wait until the week you're leaving, and you'll likely pay a rush fee of up to $200.

Part of the problem is that unless you have a tour operator informing you of a visa need, you may not even know. Tourists, business travelers, students or those who plan to work each need specific visas and should check ahead for the rules (to find out if you need a visa, look up a country at www.travel.state.gov and view "entry and exit requirements "). Even then, the process can be convoluted.

Among visa exceptions and quirks are:
—Russia issues visas only for exact dates. Travelers who don't depart by the last date on their visas can face weeks of delay getting out of the country.

—Cruise passengers stopping in Brazil need visas or they can't get off the ship. Brazil charges $140 for a visa, and it must be obtained ahead of time, as many a disappointed cruise passenger has discovered too late.

—U.S. residents who are noncitizens or green card holders need visas based on the passport they hold. For instance, U.S. citizens don't need a visa to the United Arab Emirates, but Canadian citizens — even if they hold a U.S. green card — do.

—Even countries that offer visas upon arrival have specific requirements. For instance, Laos charges $35 and will take U.S. dollars, but requires two passport-sized photos.

Although it seems like a passport would be valid until its expiration date, more countries are requiring that the passport be valid for at least six months beyond your planned return date. And if you need a visa, you will need at least one blank page in your passport so the visa can be attached, Jacobi says.

It may all sound complex, but it is nothing compared to the hoops foreigners have to jump through to get U.S. tourist or study visas.

That process involves mountains of documentation and even personal interviews.

And it doesn't take days, Jacobi says: "It can take months or even years."


FREEDOM TO TRAVEL

These nations rank best in how many countries their citizens can visit without a visa.

1. United Kingdom, 166 countries

2. Denmark, 164

3. Sweden, 163

4. Finland and Luxembourg, 162

5. France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, 161

6. Belgium, Japan, Spain, 160

7. U.S., Ireland, Norway, 159

These nations rank worst in how many countries their citizens can visit without a visa.

1. Afghanistan, 26 countries

2. Lebanon, 32

3. Iran, 34

4. Pakistan, 36

5. China and Nepal, 38

6. Vietnam and Egypt, 43

7. India, 50

(Source: Henley & Partners Visa Restriction Index Global Ranking 2010)

WHAT YOU NEED TO GET A VISA
—Passport

—Completed application

—Passport-size photos

—Payment for the visa and the expeditor processing fee

—In some cases, a letter from your sponsor or trip-provider, plus a contact in-country

—In some cases, a copy of your airline ticket, cruise ticket or itinerary

—In some cases, a driver's license, birth certificate or bank statement

Travel to Switzerland

Travel to Switzerland 

Switzerland 

(German: Schweiz, French: Suisse, Italian: Svizzera, Romansch: Svizra) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It has borders with France to the west, Italy to the south, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east and Germany to the north.

The climate is temperate, but varies with altitude. Switzerland has cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters and cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers.

Switzerland is known for its mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) but it also has a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes. The highest point is Dufourspitze at 4,634 m while Lake Maggiore is only 195 m above sea level.

Understand
Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers and Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations, but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.

Switzerland showcases three of Europe's most distinct cultures. To the northeast is the beer-drinking, sausage-eating German-speaking Switzerland; to the south-west the wine drinking and shopping spills effortlessly into France; in the south-east the sun warms cappuccino-sippers loitering in Italian-style plazas; and in the center: classic Swiss flugelhorns and mountain landscapes. Binding it all together is a distinct Swiss mentality.

Switzerland can be a glorious whirlwind trip whether you've packed your hiking boots, snowboard, or just a good book and a pair of sunglasses.

Economy
Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise to 1.8% in 2004-05. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average.

Cities
The capital city of Berne
Zurich - Switzerland's biggest city and a major center of banking also has a thriving nightlife.
Geneva - This center of arts and culture, the second-largest city in Switzerland, is by far the international capital-- home to around 200 governmental and non-governmental organizations. Geneva was the home of John Calvin during the Reformation, elevating the city to the rank of "Protestant Rome," the effects of which drive Geneva today.
Berne - The Swiss capital features an amazingly well preserved old-town with arcades along almost every street. Great restaurants abound, as do bars and clubs. Check out the Einstein sites as well.
Basel - Slightly smaller than Geneva, Switzerland's third city is the traveler's gateway to the German Rhineland and Alsace.
Lausanne - While Geneva is busy being the international capital, Lausanne fills the role in most of the rest of French-speaking Switzerland. Scenery, dining, dancing, boating and the Swiss wine-country are the draws.
Lugano - Italian-speaking Switzerland's top destination, with a gorgeous old-town and a pretty lake. The food is simply amazing.
Lucerne - Central Switzerland's main city with direct water links to all of the early Swiss historic sights. It's pretty too, and though it is heavily touristed the views and museums make putting up with the crowds well worthwhile.

By Airplane
Major international airports are in Zurich, Geneva and Basel, with smaller airports in Lugano and Berne. Flying into nearby Milan (Italy), Lyon or even Paris (France) or Frankfurt (Germany) are other options though rather expensive and time-consuming (3h Frankfurt-Basel, 4h Milan-Zurich, 5h Paris-Berne) by train. Some discount airlines fly to Friedrichshafen, Germany which is just across Lake Constance (the Bodensee) from Romanshorn, not too far from Zurich. The Flagcarrier of Switzerland is SWISS  which is a member of Star Alliance and successor of the famous Swissair.

By train
Trains arrive from all parts of Europe. Switzerland is together with Germany one of the most central-lying countries in Europe, making it a center of railways and highways to the rest of Europe. Some major routes include:

The TGV, with several trains daily from Paris, Avignon, Dijon, and Nice.
Hourly trains to/from Milan with connections to all parts of Italy
Hourly ICE (German high-speed trains) from Zurich to Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Frankfurt in Germany, many continuing toward Amsterdam, Hamburg or Berlin.
Regular ICE trains from Zurich to Stuttgart and Munich
Night trains from Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague, Vienna, Belgrade, Barcelona Rome and Venice to Basel, Geneva, Zurich and some also to Lausanne. These trains are either "EuroNight" (symbol: EN) or CityNightLine (symbol: CNL) services 

By bus
Eurolines has incorporated Switzerland in its route network.
Due to the Bosnian war in the 1990'ies there are several bus companies serving the Bosnian diaspora, which provide a cheap and clean way of getting to the Balkans. Turistik Prošić runs from various destinations in the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina to Switzerland.

By car
Common tourist destinations within Switzerland are easily reachable by car, e.g. Geneva from central eastern France, and Zurich from southern Germany. Although Switzerland is now part of the Schengen agreement, it is not part of the EU customs/tariff union. Therefore EU/Swiss border posts will focus on smuggling etc. and checks on main roads will remain in place even after 2008. Delays are usually short but cars may be stopped and no reason needs to be named. Some delay may be caused by queuing at busy times and there are often queues lasting hours to use the tunnels under the Alps from Italy such as Mont Blanc, Gotthard etc. Swiss motorway vignettes can and should be purchased at the border if your car does not already have a valid one for the year and you intend to use the Swiss motorways which is almost unavoidable.

By plane
The following carriers offer domestic flights within Switzerland:
SWISS (Basel/Mulhouse (EuroAirport Swiss), Geneva (Geneve-Cointrin Airport), Lugano Airport, Zurich Airport)
Darwin Airlines (Berne (Belp Airport), Geneva (Geneve-Cointrin Airport), Lugano Airport)
FlyBaboo website (Geneva (Geneve-Cointrin Airport), Lugano Airport)

But in almost every case you will be better off taking the train.

Public transport
The Swiss will spoil you with fantastic transportation - swift, disturbingly punctual trains, clean buses, and a half dozen different kinds of mountain transport systems, integrated into a coherent system. The discount options and variety of tickets can be bewildering, from half fare cards to multi-day, multi-use tickets good for buses, boats, trains, and even bike rentals. In general there's at least one train or bus per hour on every route, on many routes trains and buses are running every 30 min, but as with everything in Switzerland the transit runs less often, or at least for a shorter period of the day, on Sundays. Authoritative information, routes, and schedules can be found at or from a ticket window in any train station.

Tickets
Almost nobody in Switzerland pays full fare for the transit system. At the very least they all have a Half-Fare Card (Demi-tarif/Halbtax) which saves you 50% on all national buses and trains and gives a discount on local and private transit systems. Press the '1/2' button on the ticket machines to indicate you have this card, and be prepared to hand it to the conductor along with your ticket on the train. Annual half fare cards cost CHF165; visitors from abroad can buy a 1-month Half-Fare Card cards for CHF99. You save CHF 57 on a round-trip ticket from Zurich to Lugano, so if you are planning on traveling a lot, it will quickly pay for itself. Children between ages 6 and 16 pay 1/2 price for travel around Switzerland.

The next step up from a half-fare card is a Swisspass, which grants you access to all national bus and rail, all city transit systems, and hefty discount on privately operated boats, cable cars, and ski lifts. These range from CHF 260 for a 4-day, 2nd class pass to CHF 578 for a month pass, 2nd class. Like the half-fare, you can buy this from any train station ticket office.

Only two trains in Switzerland require reservations: Bernina Express, running daily between Chur and Tirano and the Glacier Express running from St. Moritz to Zermatt.

On most trains in Switzerland, tickets can be bought on board, but with a surcharge of CHF 10, so it is recommended to buy tickets before hand. Though this does not apply for the suburb trains (you'll get fined if you haven't got a ticket). Swiss Rail kiosks accept credit/debit cards, although they require that a PIN be entered. You can also buy a ticket on the Swiss Federal Railway website or on the SBB iPhone app.

Travel
Using the trains is easy, although the number of different kinds of trains can be a bit confusing unless you know that the schedules at a Swiss train station are color coded. The yellow sheet is for departures and the white sheet is for arrivals. Faster trains appear on both of these sheets in red, while the trains in black stop at more stations. For long trips it is often easier to use the website, as it will pick transfers for you. You need not fear transfers of five minutes or less. You will make them, provided you know exactly which platform you arrive on and which one you depart from. Many Swiss commute with a one or two minute transfer!

At the track, the signs indicate the destination and departure time. The small numbers and letters along the bottom show you where you can board the train. The letters indicate the zone you should stand in, and the numbers indicate the class. The class (1st or 2nd) is indicated by a "1" or "2" on the side of the car, these correspond with the numbers on the sign. All Swiss trains are non-smoking — this is also indicated on the side of car, as well as inside.

Luggage can be stowed above your seat or in between seats, or on a rack at the end of the car. During busy periods, people often stow large luggage (or skis) in the entrance area in between cars. This is usually fairly safe, but use common sense.

The variety of trains is bewildering at first, but is actually quite simple. The routes the SBB-CFF-FFS website suggests will make much more sense if you understand them. All trains have a one or two letter prefix, followed by a number, for example RE2709, IR2781. Only the prefix, the destination, and the time of departure are important.

Regio/Régional (R) trains are local trains. They stop everywhere or almost everywhere, and generally reach into the hinterlands of a major station like Lausanne, but not to the next major station (in this case Geneva). If you are going to a small town, you may transfer at a large station to an R train for the last leg. Often you can use tickets from city public transit on the S system, but ask before trying.

RE (RegioExpress) trains generally reach from one major station to the next, touching every town of any importance on the way, but don't stop at every wooden platform beside the tracks.
IR (InterRegio) trains are the workhorses of Swiss transit. They reach across two or three cantons, for instance from Geneva, along Lake Geneva through Vaud, and all the way to Brig at the far end of the Valais. They only stop at fairly large towns, usually those that boast three or four rail platforms.

IC (InterCity) trains are express trains with restaurant cars. They are sumptuous and comfortable, often putting vaunted services like the TGV to shame, and make runs between major stations, with occasionally stops at a more minor one where tracks diverge.
ICN trains (InterCityNeigezug, or Intercity Tilting Train) are the express tilt-trains, as luxurious as the IC trains. They run between major cities like Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich, Biel, and Basel.

There are also a number of narrow gauge railways that don't fit this classification that supplement the buses in the hinterlands, such as the line from Nyon to La Cure or the line from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen.

You can bring your bicycle on every train in Switzerland, with two provisos: you must have a ticket for it (available from the ticket machines, CHF 10 for a day pass), and you must get on at a door marked with a bicycle. On ICN trains and some IR trains this is at the very front of the train.

As good as the Swiss train system is, if you have a little time, and you only want to travel 1-200 miles, you could try purchasing the world's best footpath maps and walk 10-20 miles a day over some of the most wonderful and clearly-marked paths, whether it is in a valley, through a forest, or over mountains.

The trails are well-planned (after a number of centuries, why not?), easy to follow, and the yellow trail signs are actually accurate in their estimate as to how far away the next hamlet, village, town or city is--once you've figured out how many kilometers per hour you walk (easy to determine after a day of hiking).

There are plenty of places to sleep in a tent (but don't pitch one on a seemingly pleasant, flat piece of ground covered by straw--that's where the cows end up sleeping after a lazy day of eating, and they'll gnaw at your tent string supports and lean against your tent sides. And definitey don't do this during a rainstorm!), lots of huts on mountain tops, B & B's on valley floors, or hotels in towns and cities. You could even send your luggage ahead to the next abode and travel very lightly, with the necessary water and Swiss chocolate!

Learn
Switzerland has some universites of world renown, like ETH in Zurich, University of Lausanne or the University of St. Gallen (also known as the HSG). Keep in mind, it's much better to speak the local language, so if you can't speak either French, German or Italian, better go for a language course first. There are a few English courses as well, but it will be much easier to go with local language. Also have in mind that if you're a foreigner, and you want to go for popular subjects, you have to pass entry-tests, and it will cost you a lot, not only for university fees, but also for living.

If you like cheaper learning, go for Migros Klubschule, they offer language courses in almost every language as well as a lot of different courses for many subjects, just have a look on their website. You may also want to try the different "Volkshochschule", which offer a large variety of subjects at very reasonable fees (such as in Zurich, for instance).

If you are looking for quality French courses for adults or juniors, you can learn French in one of the ESL schools centres located in Switzerland. You can also choose LSI (Language Studies International) and go for one of the many schools in their extensive network to learn French in Switzerland.For more info about Best 5 colleges in Switzerland

Work
If you want to work in Switzerland, be aware that you generally need to obtain a work permit.

Switzerland signed an agreement with the European Union that allows citizens of the old EU-15 states to work and search jobs at arms length with Swiss citizens. In these cases you only need a valid passport and have to register with the local administration. The same system applies in general to citizens of the new EU-10 states (Eastern European states in general) plus Bulgaria and Romania but there are limitations on the number of permits. For all other countries in the world the best way is to check with your embassy if there are, for example, exchange programs.

Switzerland has an unemployment rate of about 4.2% (Mar. 2010) and skilled academics will have good job opportunities.

The high level of Swiss salaries reflect the high costs of living, so keep in mind that you must spend a lot for accommodation and food, when you negotiate your salary. Still, if you want or have to make money fast, you can save a substantial amount per month while working in a low-paying job. In general, you work 42 hours/week and have 4 weeks of paid holidays.

Switzerland has no legal minimum salary. The salary depends on the industry you work in, with most companies paying at least 3500 CHF per month, for example as cashier in a supermarket. Overtime work is usually paid (unless otherwise agreed in contract).

If you want to check the average salaries by industry or make sure you get the right amount paid, Swiss employees are heavy organized in trade unions SGB and always keen to help you.

Sleep
Most tourist areas in Switzerland have a tourist office where you can call and have them book a hotel for you for a small fee. Each town usually has a comprehensive list of hotels on their web site, and it is often easiest to simply call down the list to make a reservation rather than try to book online. Many hotels will request that you fax or email them your credit card information in order to secure a reservation. In general, hotel staff are helpful and competent, and speak English quite well.

Hotel rates in Switzerland can get quite expensive, especially in popular ski resort areas.

There is also a hostel network in Switzerland for students. Types of hotels in Switzerland include historic hotels, traditional hotels, inns located in the country, spas and bed and breakfasts.

Stay safe
Switzerland is not surprisingly one of the safest countries in Europe, but anywhere that attracts Rolex-wearing bankers and crowds of distracted tourists will also bring out a few pickpockets. Obviously, keep an eye on belongings, especially in the midst of summer crowds.

Quite a few Swiss establishments will print your entire credit card number onto the receipt, thus raising identity theft concerns when shopping with a credit card in Switzerland. Therefore, visitors utilizing credit cards should carefully review the information printed on all receipts prior to discarding them. This happens, for instance, in some book and clothing stores and even at the ubiquitous K-Kiosk. This list is obviously not exhaustive; therefore, the visitor must beware whenever using a credit card.

Women traveling alone should have no problems. The younger Swiss tend to be very open with public displays of affection - sometimes too open, and some women may find people getting too friendly especially in the wee hours of the club & bar scene. Usually the international language of brush-offs or just walking away is enough.

Swiss police take on a relatively unobtrusive air; they prefer to remain behind the scenes, as they consider their presence potentially threatening to the overall environment (practice of deescalation). Unlike some more highly policed countries, officers will rarely approach civilians to ask if they need help or merely mark their presence by patrolling. However, police are indeed serious about traffic violations. Jaywalking (crossing a red pedestrian light), for example, will be fined on the spot. The upside to stringent traffic rules is that automobile drivers are generally very well-disciplined, readily stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks, for example (but note that, in Basel city at least, whilst the cross-walks give priority to pedestrians many drivers will stop on and reverse over cross-walks without much care or attention). Generally, you are safe anywhere at any time. If, for any reason, you feel threatened, seek a near restaurant or telephone booth. The emergency phone number in Switzerland is 117, and operators are generally English-speaking.

Football (soccer) games are the only notable exception to the above rule. Due to the potential threat of hooligan violence, these games (esp. in Basel or Zurich) are generally followed by a large contingent of police officers with riot gear, rubber bullets, and tear gas, in case of any major unrest.

Switzerland has very strong Good Samaritan laws, making it a civic duty to help a fellow in need (without unduly endangering oneself). People are therefore very willing and ready to help you if you appear to be in an emergency situation. Be aware, though, that the same applies to you if you witness anyone in danger. The refusal to help to a person in need can be punishable by law as "Verweigerung der Hilfeleistung", i.e. refusal of aid. The general reservation of Americans to avoid entanglement with strangers due to possible future civil liability does not apply in Switzerland, for it would be practically impossible to wage a civil suit against anyone providing aid.

The drinking age for beer, wine and alcoholic cider is 16 (but not in all cantons, so make sure to ask before buying) while the age for any other alcohol (e.g. spirits, "alcopops",...) is 18. The public consumption of alcohol in Switzerland is legal, so do not be alarmed if you see a group of teenagers drinking a six-pack on public property; this is by no means out of the ordinary and should not be interpreted as threatening.

Switzerland is not a country of insane civil lawsuits and damage claims; consequently, if you see a sign or disclaimer telling you not to do something, obey it! An example: in many alpine areas, charming little mountain streams may be flanked by signs with the message "No Swimming". To the uninitiated, this may seem a bit over the top, but these signs are in fact a consequence to the presence of hydroelectric power plants further upstream that may discharge large amounts of water without warning.

In mountain areas, be sure to inquire about weather conditions at the tourist information office or local train station as you head out in the morning. They should be well informed about severe weather conditions and will advise you about possible avalanche areas.

There have been problems with police assuming that any Black, East European, or Arab person without an ID card or passport is an illegal immigrant, and treating them accordingly. That could be a considerable problem if you are travelling alone.

Stay healthy
Generally there is no problem with food and water in Switzerland. Restaurants are controlled by strict rules. Water is drinkable everywhere, even out of public fountains unless specially marked. There are many organic food stores and restaurants available and it's currently illegal to sell any genetically modified food.

RespectLearning the mother tongue of the area you will be staying in is a great sign of respect. English is widely spoken in Switzerland, but any attempt to speak the local language is always appreciated, even if you're replied to in English. It’s always polite to ask if they speak English before starting a conversation.

Make an effort to at least learn Hello, Goodbye, Please, and Thank You in the language of the region you will be traveling in. "I would like..." is also a phrase that will help you. If you are in the German speaking region of Switzerland, it is generally wise to try to communicate in German rather than attempting to speak Alemannic. The German Swiss almost instinctively switch to German once they notice that they are speaking to a foreigner.

German, French, and Italian all have formal and informal forms of the word you, which changes the conjugation of verb you use, and sometimes phrases. For example, the informal phrase don't worry about it in French is ne t'en fais pas and the formal is ne vous en faites pas. The formal is used to show respect to someone who is older than you, who you consider to be a superior, someone who has a greater rank than you at work, or simply a stranger in the street. The informal is used with close friends, relatives, and peers.

As a general rule, you shouldn't use the informal with someone you don't know well, someone who is your superior in rank, or an elder.

Use the informal with your close friends and younger people. Peers can be a gray area, and it is advisable to use the formal at first until they ask you to use the informal.

Friends kiss each other on the cheek three times (left - right - left). This is the usual thing to do when being introduced to someone in the French and German speaking part. If it is a business related meeting you just shake hands. Don't be shy as you if you reject the advance it appears awkward and rude on your part. You don't have to actually touch your lips the skin after-all, as a fake kiss will do.

Do not litter. While Switzerland will not fine you (as in Singapore), littering is definitely seen as bad behaviour in this country and in general in German speaking Europe or Central Europe for that matter. Also make sure that you put it in the correctly labeled bin (e.g. recyclable). Some bins actually have times to when this should be done to avoid excess noise!

Be punctual. That means no more than one minute late, if that! Not surprisingly for a country that is known for making clocks, the Swiss have a near-obsession with being on time.

Contact
Many of the internet cafes that have emerged in the 1990's have closed since, probably because Switzerland has one of the highest rate of high-speed internet connections in homes in the world, but almost any video rental shop and most train stations will have a few internet terminals. The tourist office should be able to direct you to the nearest one. The going rate is 5 CHF for 20 minutes. Also, you can send email, SMS (text messages to cell phones) or short text faxes from just about every public phone booth for less that 1 CHF. Some public phone booths allow you to browse the internet. There are many shopping centers and cities (Lausanne and Vevey for example) that offer free wireless internet access: ask the young locals, maybe they know where to go.

The public phones are surprisingly cheap, and have no surcharge for credit cards.

If you stay for some time, it may be advisable to buy a pre-paid cell phone card that you can use in any phone that supports the GSM standard on the 900/1800 Mhz bands - they usually cost around 10-40 CHF and are obtainable in the shops of the mobile service providers Swisscom, Orange or Sunrise in most cities. Mobile network coverage is close to 100% by area, even in the mountainous, non-populated areas.

There are also a lot of cheap prepaid cards for local calls from other providers. The prepaid cards of the big supermarket chains Migros (M-Budget-Mobile) and Coop ( Coop Mobile) for example cost around 20 CHF and include already 15 CHF airtime. The cheapest prepaid card for calls within Switzerland is Aldi Mobile0,14 CHF/min Switzerland fixed and Aldi mobile, 0,34 CHF/min other mobiles. The cheapest prepaid card for international communication is yallo: 0,39 CHF/min within Switzerland as well as to all European and many more countries (to the mobile and fixed networks). This includes the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. SMS cost 0,10 CHF. The prepaid cards can be bought online (30 CHF with 30 CHF airtime inclusive), in most post offices (29 CHF with 20 CHF airtime inclusive) or Sunrise shops (20 CHF with 20 CHF airtime inclusive). An other prepaid card with cheap rates offers Lebara Mobile (Sister concern of Sunrise). The prepaid card is available for 5 CHF with an equivalent talk time and recharge vouchers offer the talktime equivalent to the price of the voucher.