Hambagahle

US residents (as opposed to US nationals which is more restrictive) are still not allowed to travel to Switzerland for tourism. Switzerland is on the US governments "red" list of countries for which a "no travel" order is in place. Hopefully this will be lifted soon. The situation here in CH is improving daily and the "R factor" is now below 1 in all cantons except Inner Appenzell where it is 1.14 and Luzern where it is 1.00 The Swiss average R factor as of yesterday was .85. (Data from the Tages Anzeiger). (I have no idea why the infection is so high in Appenzell but there must be a cluster there or something similar). US travellers arriving here in CH are not required to quarantine. So I suppose everything hinges on:
1. The US removing the "no travel" status and
2. International agreement on a "vaccine passport" - seems that agreement between Switzerland and the EU for that is expected in late June/early July. I have no idea where the US is with either the EU or CH on this question...

scrb11

US is doing better than Switzerland in terms of average new infections per day per 100k people but they’re both trending downwards, as is most of Europe.

Though August and September is a long ways away in pandemic time.

Melnq8

Fingers and toes crossed for both of us.

I'm booking mostly Air BNBs with lenient cancellation policies. Finding it odd that so many places are already booked for October. That might be due to local school holidays, but don't remember having this problem when we booked for October 2019.

kleeblatt

The Swiss love travelling and the first three weeks in October are popular holidays due to school vacation. Because of the pandemic, the Swiss are staying within their borders and exploring areas they may not have otherwise. Some types of accommodation are doing brilliantly because of the pandemic.

Melnq8

I sort of figured as much. I have booked all but two spots and hope to have those booked in the next day or two.

Hambagahle

A warning - AirBnB is not well regarded in Switzerland because many of the property owners do not pay the tourist taxes that are due for rentals AND because since most Swiss are renters most properties are subject to lease agreements that do not permit sub-letting. The press here has run stories of foreign tourist renters being told by the police that they were illegal lets and the renters had to move. To protect yourself if you use AirBnB ask the owner the following questions: 1) Is the rental declared to the local authorities and is the tourist tax (a nightly per person levy) paid. 2) Does the owner really own his apartment/house or is he a renter himself.

This summer, as last, we Swiss are being encouraged to stay home which might account for higher prices in hotels since the market is strong. October - schools have 2 weeks or so holiday which used to be called "the potato holidays" because (I suppose) children were off to help with the potato harvest! The dates of these vary by canton so much of the country will be on holiday for most of the month. In the past people tended to leave for late beach holidays or even very long distance trips. That isn't going to happen this year so Swiss are looking for local destinations, as in summer.

Melnq8

I've booked with Air BNB for several trips to Switzerland and in most cases have been asked to complete a tourist form, and then pay a tourist tax in cash upon arrival. I'm then given a card that provides access to free buses in the area as well as reductions for things like pool entry, mini golf and services we don't usually use. I assume this is the tax you're referring to?

swandav2000

You had good experiences, Melnq8! I was about to book an Airbnb place in Montreux for this Oct. I asked about the Riviera Card, and he said he didn't provide it. That was a clue that the place was not charging/paying tourist tax, and I ended up not booking. I hope you are asking before booking....

s

scrb11

Hmm, I just looked at some Airbnbs in Vaud.

Only reason I didn't pick any of them was that I thought it would be better to be in the city for at least this upcoming trip.

One of them was a private room with bathroom and terrace overlooking the lake. Supposedly about 4 minute train ride from Montreux.

But in these times, there is a good argument to be made for staying at a vacation rental than a hotel where you have more chances to encounter strangers. That's of course apart from the question of whether the rental owner is complying with local laws.

Also going to Annoy in this trip and there, I did choose an Airbnb because it's location was unbeatable for the price.

Hambagahle

Exactly, Swandav2000 - this is the "litmus" test to determine if the AirBnB is a legal offering and if it complies with local law and especially taxes. There is no intrinsic problem with AirBnB but there IS a huge risk taken if you book through an illegal rental. Neighbours can report the rental to the police (and as you know from the time you have spent here, reporting things that are out of order is quite current in Switzerland) . No one wants to be turned out onto the street by the police. Caveat Emptor - let the buyer beware! Checking first on the tourist tax before renting or sending any deposit is easy to do and makes sure things are above board.

Melnq8

I hope you are asking before booking....

I did, but only in one case, as IME not every area offers a tourist card??? We booked a place that offers the Anniviers Liberté in Val d’Anniviers (but what seems odd, at least to us international visitors...most apartments in Val d’Anniviers don't supply sheets and towels or offer a way to rent them...but that's another discussion altogether).

Hambagahle - as a resident of Switzerland, maybe you can tell me if Solothurn, Locarno (the Welcome Card?), Sils/Silvaplana and Tifencastel/Albula/Alvra offer tourist cards? I see that there's an Engadin card for St Mortiz/Pontresina (and we may end up staying there as I'm having trouble finding a place we like in Sils/Silvaplana), but is there a card for Sils/Silvaplana?

The only apartment I have concerns about is the one I booked in Locarno, and we are considering canceling that one anyway once I find a suitable replacement.

neckervd

May be you will have a look at https://www.engadin.ch/en/public-transport-included/
https://www.valdanniviers.ch/en/accommodation-172.html
https://www.valdanniviers.ch/en/pass...berte-198.html

scrb11

I read around, last week Switzerland reached 1 million fully vaccinated or about 11% of the population. They are doing about 50-53k vaccinations a day, of Pfizer and Moderna. They've administered about 2.8 million shots from December to the end of April.

The goal at one point was to reach 70k a day and hit like 70% some time in the summer. In Zurich, only 52% of staff at nursing homes have been vaccinated, with many declining. Overall vaccine hesitancy appears to be declining compared to older polls.

New cases are dropping but the restrictions are easily too slowly for the hospitality industry. For instance, only outdoor dining, no indoor dining.

Goal is to have a pass of some kind which will be compatible with the EU Digital Green Certificate, which shows recovery from covid, vaccination or a recent negative test, by the end of June.

No word on opening up tourism.

kleeblatt

Vaccinations are being offered to younger ages, depending on the canton. I got my first jab yesterday, which was a Sunday. We're finally making headway and I can imagine there will be more lessening of restrictions in a month. Like everyone else, the Swiss are becoming stir crazy.

Hambagahle

[QUOTE=Melnq8;17240249]I hope you are asking before booking....

I did, but only in one case, as IME not every area offers a tourist card??? We booked a place that offers the Anniviers Liberté in Val d’Anniviers (but what seems odd, at least to us international visitors...most apartments in Val d’Anniviers don't supply sheets and towels or offer a way to rent them...but that's another discussion altogether).

>>I have never once rented an apartment here that did not supply sheets and towels. Occasionally I have had to pay laundry fees for them in addition to the rental for the apartment. I really do not think this is normal and your rental in the Val d'Anniviers may well have been illegal...>>

Hambagahle - as a resident of Switzerland, maybe you can tell me if Solothurn, Locarno (the Welcome Card?), Sils/Silvaplana and Tifencastel/Albula/Alvra offer tourist cards? I see that there's an Engadin card for St Mortiz/Pontresina (and we may end up staying there as I'm having trouble finding a place we like in Sils/Silvaplana), but is there a card for Sils/Silvaplana?

>>I do not know about Solothurn as I have only visited there on a day trip but Locarno is covered by the Ticino Card and the Engadin Card covers ALL the Upper Engadin including Sils Maria, Sils Baselgia and Silvaplana. In fact when we go to the Engadin we normally stay in Sils Maria and we get the card.>>

Melnq8

Thank you!

neckervd

https://www.solothurn-city.ch/en
I never heard about a Solothurn Card.
For the main day trips from Solothurn, like
Aar River boat to Altreu - Bueren - Biel/Bienne and corrresponding Lake Biel/Bienne and Lake Neuchatel boats along the vineyards to St. Peters Island - La Neuveville - Erlach - Neuchatel - Murten;
gondola to viewpoint Weissenstein;
direct trains to Bern, Biel/Bienne - Neuchatel, Burgdorf - Thun, or Olten - Aarau - Zurich,
Swiss watchmaking museum at la Chaux-de-Fonds and Doubs river (Lake Brenets) cruise,
train and bus ride to the famous Jura cliffs (and viewpoints) of Creux-du-Van (bus stop Le Couvent, 5 kms easy hike away) or Grenchenberg (bus stop Untergrenchenberg, 1 km easy hike away),
train and/or bus to the small medieval cities of Bueren, Aarberg, La Neuveville, Erlach, Murten, Liestal, Sursee, Willisau........
the Swiss Half Fare Card may be the best solution.

Ingo

Mel - not all the apartments and hotels participate in the Engadin. More information here:

https://www.engadin.ch/en/mountain-railways-inclusive/

Please note that there are different versions of the Engadin Card, too. Differs from one hotel/apartment to the other what they offer. Some include public transportation, some not. Public transportation may include the Bregaglia valley or not.

Melnq8

neckervd - yes, we plan to get the Half Fare Card, we usually do. The subject of tourist cards came up in the Air BNB discussion as a means of determining if they were legal or not, but seems that's not always an indicator.

Thanks Ingo, I'd noticed the different versions on different sites. We've been visiting Switzerland for 25 years and we're still figuring things out.

scrb11

How would you compare the Alps to the Rockies?

I've not really visited Utah or Colorado much. Or the Canadian Rockies for that matter.