Switzerland Travel Money Guide
Switzerland is expensive but extremely card-friendly. The franc is one of the world's strongest currencies — budget accordingly.
Capital: Bern · Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
Paying by card
Cards work everywhere. Some cafés and small mountain huts may prefer cash. Many places accept euros but give bad change rates.
Cash and ATMs
Use UBS, Credit Suisse, or PostFinance ATMs. CHF 100 lasts longer than you'd expect for incidental costs.
Tipping
Service is included. Round up to the nearest franc for good service.
Scams to avoid
Swap risk is essentially zero. The biggest 'gotcha' is sticker shock — a coffee can cost CHF 6, a beer CHF 9.
What CHF amounts are worth
| CHF | USD | EUR | GBP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 CHF | 12.10 | 10.82 | 9.07 |
| 50 CHF | 60.52 | 54.09 | 45.34 |
| 100 CHF | 121.04 | 108.19 | 90.69 |
| 500 CHF | 605.22 | 540.95 | 453.43 |
Rates are European Central Bank reference rates for 26 Oct 2026 (published each working day around 16:00 CET; the UAE dirham uses its official US-dollar peg of 3.6725). The live converter loads the latest rate when the page opens.
Over the 30 days of ECB data to 26 Oct 2026, one US dollar bought 0.26% fewer CHF and one euro 2.14% fewer.
Before you go
- When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in CHF; the conversion it offers usually includes a wide margin.
- Tell your bank you are travelling and carry two cards on different networks in case one is declined.
- Check your card's foreign transaction fee and put it in the budget converter's fee field.
Budget the trip with the travel budget converter, see all CHF rates, or browse more country guides.
Coming home with leftover CHF cash? See what it is worth with the CHF to USD converter.
Shopping in Switzerland? Visitors from outside the country can often reclaim sales tax on goods they take home: the VAT refund calculator shows what you would get back after the refund company's fee.