<<I'm sure that Switzerland is nice, it just seems pretty boring,>>

Depends who your friends are. I've been invited to some farily wild parties and activities in Vevey and Montreux.

just did that flight and it will be fine, there were not very many people who were dressed up.

Boring?! Not at all, I love living here. I am a fellow New Englander from the Boston area and Switzerland is not only interesting and fun in its own right but central to everything in Europe. So travelgourmet you will be able to hop on a train to Paris or Milan in the morning and be there for lunch.

I think it was Abe Lincoln who said, "most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be..."

gruezi

Women over 60 do not wear the quilted jackets?

Switzerland boring?

If you don't like mountains, lakes, hiking, skiing, biking, long walks, exploring different areas and local festivals, then it might be a bit boring.

<i>If you don't like mountains, lakes, hiking, skiing, biking, long walks, exploring different areas and local festivals, then it might be a bit boring.</i>

I grew up in a rural area, with mountains, lakes, hiking, skiing, biking, long walks, places to explore, local festivals, and reserved people that can be fun when they open up. I left for a reason - I prefer cities. I don't mind visiting places of natural beauty, but I want to live and work in an active, vibrant city, and everything I have seen suggests that is not Zurich. Heck, I find Copenhagen to be a little sleepy at times, and it seems light years ahead of Zurich.

If I were the first person to say these things about Switzerland (and Zurich, in particular), then it would be one thing, but many, many people say the same and worse. This of course doesn't mean I won't enjoy myself (I always do), but I am pretty confident that I am not wide of the mark in describing Zurich as a bit boring.

Nonetheless, we are getting off-topic, so that is the last I will say about it.

I will make sure, though, that I head out and buy some suits, so that I can be properly dressed at the supermarket.

Yes they wear the quilted jackets, but with stockings and low heels - no sneakers!

Travelgourmet, you seriously need to check out englishforum.ch. It's a forum for expats living in Switzerland and offers great advice to newcomers.

Keep the suit for work and funerals. You won't need it anywhere else.

Now back to the velour track suit, which is great for a plane ride.

I won't even need the suit for work. Jeans are fine at my company. While there are more suits in the swiss office than Denmark, they certainly aren't even the majority.

The most exciting things I' vedone in Switzerland happened by knowing locals (nothing to do with natural beauty, although of course that is there) and had to do with copious amounts of the fine local wine.

The problem with velour is that it attracts lint. My friend wore a black velour track suit on the plane to London and by the time we got there she was covered in lint. And to be honest she looked just as rumpled and tired as I did, but she was covered in that darn lint, while I wasn't since I was wearing jeans and a black lycra t-shirt. I had a travel size lint remover roller and she practically used the whole thing up trying to get the lint off.

Since I don't wear track suits (velour or otherwise) out in public unless I'm headed to the gym, I can't speak to what you would be comfortable wearing in public. A lot of people are OK with it, but I'm just not one of them. Personally, I'm just not that much of a casual dresser.

Most of my clothes, including jeans, contain some lycra in it so they hold their shape and are less wrinkled, even after a long flight.

Then there is the possibility that if your luggage is delayed or lost, consider whether you would be comfortable wearing your track suit in Budapest until your luggage arrives or you can go out and buy some clothing. I would suggest at least one change of clothes in your carry on in case that happens.