Resources for Geneva, canton Vaud & neighbouring France
Browse the categories list on the left, or use the search tool, top right, or find a resource by putting in the name of a city or region.
We spotlight resources that are especially useful right now or that are new. And when we add or change information for a resource you’ll find it mentioned under “newly updated.”
We suggest you bookmark this page, for Swiss EMERGENCY NUMBERS
- Police 117
- Fire 118
- Ambulance 144
- International Emergency 112
- Vehicle Rescue 140
- REGA Air Rescue 1414
- Toxic poisoning 145
- Samaritans 143
- Childline 147
CH.CH, a government information site in English, has a Swiss emergency numbers card (pdf file) that you can print out and keep handy. Their web site provides several other useful medical services numbers, countrywide.
Spotlight on:
- 3D glasses for free
Switzerland is offering an unusual way to see the country: through 3D glasses, which the government will send you for free. Request your pair from the Ch.ch site, which is a great resource for official information on Switzerland, and they will show up in the mail a couple days later. You can use them to view the members of the cabinet, Swiss scenery, and when you’re tired of three-dimensional Switzerland you can google “3D” and see the rest of the world.
- Cakes and cookies made for you
Geneva-based Laura Moser makes beautiful classic cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more, but her specialty is custom designed cakes.All ingredients are fresh, not frozen.
Most items need to be ordered in advance but a limited number of baked goods can be ordered with 24 hours notice.
- How to work out your Swiss salary
It’s difficult in Switzerland to know what anyone earns, which makes it hard for many people to work out what their salaries should be, compared to the market. Some helpful official online tools: canton Vaud has a salary calculator, in French, as does Geneva, and the Union Syndicale Suisse has one, in French, German and Italian, for all of Switzerland. They’re imperfect and no calculator lists every job, but they’ll give you a relatively good idea of what value is put on various jobs, experience.
The Swiss federal Solarium web pages give salary data for regions, by gender, foreigners compared to the Swiss, and more – keep in mind that “foreigners” covers a wide range of workers, with many of them in the hotel and restaurant industry, one of the lowest paid business sectors in Switzerland.
TSR recently published a chart with salary indications.
Newly updated:
- Swiss social security, leaving Switzerland
The Swiss government released in January, in English, new versions of two useful brochures for people working here who are considering relocating or retiring elsewhere. Both are in pdf format and can be downloaded:
- Philately: new Basel Carnival stamp
The Swiss postal service, La Poste, begins issuing the new Basel Carnival commemorative stamp 5 January. You can order them online, in English. Great for collectors, or even as easy gifts for non-philatelists: these are particularly charming stamps. Background story on GenevaLunch - Trendiest night spots in Lausanne
Check out Nextstop’s brilliant list of all the trendiest night spots in Lausanne! (from Rambling Epicure, Jonell Galloway-White, on GenevaLunch)
- Sell or buy a home: timely resource
Finding a home in Switzerland has never been easy, and the tight housing market in the Lake Geneva region makes it even more difficult. A web site that can might help you is Homes.ch, which has existed for some years, but owner Simon Allen has been adding new functions and marketing it more strongly. The site gives some idea of price trends and allows people to place free multi-lingual advertisements.
- Perfect gift for birdlovers
The Swiss Ornithological Institute has just made life easier for anyone who wonders what that bird is, on Lake Geneva or up in the woods or out in the garden. It has published, in five languages, the Swiss Bird Guide, for CHF38, available online from the institute’s shop. The book features:
- 500 colour photos, 256 pages, 105 x 18cm
- Information of species exclusively in form of symbols, pictograms an graphics
- Including CD with pictures and birc call (for Windows and Mac)
- Introduction and bird names in 5 languages
