Holidays
The following are public holidays throughout Switzerland:
- Christmas, incl. December 26
- New Year’s Day
- Saint Berchtold’s Day (January 2)
- Good Friday
- Easter incl. Easter Monday
- Ascension Day
- Whit Sunday and Monday
- August 1st, Swiss National Day
Store Opening Times
Stores in Bern usually have the following opening times:
| Monday - Wednesday | 09:00 - 06:30 |
|---|---|
| Thursday | 09:00 - 08:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 - 06:30 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 05:00 |
| Sunday | closed |
Times may vary slightly from store to store. Some stores in the lower Old Town, from the Clock Tower (Zytglogge) upwards, don’t open until 10:00 a.m. If you would like to visit a particular store, we recommend finding out its opening times in advance.
Bern’s main station is home to more than 80 stores that are open 365 days a year, from early till late. The large shopping centers in the city also have longer opening times.
Electricity and plugs
Current throughout Switzerland is supplied at 230 volts. Type C (euro plug, two-pin) plugs and type J (three-pin) plugs are used. The type F (“Schuko”) plugs widely used in Europe cannot be used without an adapter.
Dialing codes
The national dialing code for Switzerland is +41. The following 0 is omitted. Dialing codes from Switzerland are as follows:
Germany: 0049
France: 0033
Italy: 00390
Japan: 0081
Netherlands: 0031
Austria: 0043
USA: 001
UK: 0044
Tips
Tips are generally included in the price for all services. However, in restaurants it is usual to round up the bill by a reasonable amount.
