u/Ordinary-Scratch-120

Looking at the overall picture (cost of living, salaries, taxes, work culture, social life, bureaucracy, healthcare, infrastructure, etc..) how does living in Liechtenstein compare with living in Switzerland?Are there any differences that really stand out?

I’m planning a bike trip, and part of the route goes along Lake Lucerne, from Altdorf to Schwyz via Axenstrasse. However, I just found out that bikes are banned on this section and there is a bus replacement.

I was wondering how the bike shuttle works in practice. Is it easy to take a bike on the bus, or would it be better to avoid this stretch altogether?

Thanks!

I understand that priority is generally given to major cities. However, there are also some very rural areas that have 3D coverage (Switzerland is a good example).

I was wondering what criteria or rationale are used when deciding which areas get 3D mapping. Is it mainly based on population, tourism, available data, cost, or something else?

Also, do you think we’ll ever see the entire globe available in 3D? And does anyone have an idea of how much more expensive 3D is compared with 2D, in terms of storage, rendering, bandwidth, etc.?

Thanks!

I understand that priority is generally given to major cities. However, there are also some very rural areas that have 3D coverage (Switzerland is a good example).

I was wondering what criteria or rationale are used when deciding which areas get 3D mapping. Is it mainly based on population, tourism, available data, cost, or something else?

Also, do you think we’ll ever see the entire globe available in 3D? And does anyone have an idea of how much more expensive 3D is compared with 2D, in terms of storage, rendering, bandwidth, etc.?

Thanks!

As the title says, I’m just curious to know whether people born in FL usually work in the country. Is this the norm, or do people often find work in neighboring countries (Switzerland or Austria)?

Next to my main investment in ETFs, I have had 60k sitting in a high-yield savings account for quite some time. However, I recently decided that I’d like to invest it in ETFs as well.

What would you suggest given today’s market conditions? Lump sum or dollar-cost averaging?

I know lump-sum tends to outperform DCA most of the time, but I’d still like to hear your thoughts and any other advice or considerations.

Thanks!

Since I moved to Switzerland, I started looking at car plates. For some reasons, the idea of finding the lowest number plate possible somehow intrigues me.

Here below are the lowest 1 digit numbers I have seen per canton:

AI 7, BE 4, LU 9, SO 5, SH 9

What is yours? Have you ever spotted a XX 1?

You have to follow the speed limit, and I think we can all agree on that. But here, you really have to follow it in the literal sense of the word.

If the limit is 60 km/h and then changes to 80 km/h, you’re expected to immediately go 80. Otherwise, you’ll have someone driving 5 metres behind your bumper, clearly annoyed that you are too slow.

And the speed limits seem to change constantly. When I drive here, I feel like I spend more time staring at my speedometer than actually looking around.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find driving here unnecessarily stressful?

32M, no kids. I currently have around CHF 130k invested in ETFs and another CHF 40k sitting in my current account as an emergency fund.

Since my current account pays 0% interest, CHF 40k in cash feels like quite a lot to keep there.

I only recently moved to Switzerland, so I'm curious how others here handle their emergency funds. Are there high-yield savings accounts or other very low-risk options with say 2-3% interest rate?

Thanks!

I pass in front of Lenzburg Castle every day, and every day I wonder about this.

Despite the castle being in Aargau, it has a large Bernese flag painted on it. I'm sure there is a historical reason for this, but why is it still there today? What's the story behind it?

Thanks!

M32, no kids. I currently have around 130k invested in ETFs and keep another 40k in my current account as a safety net. However, 40k in cash feels like quite a lot, and I'm wondering whether I'm being overly conservative.

I fully understand that this depends heavily on your personal situation, but I am mainly curious to hear what others are doing.

How much do you keep as an emergency fund/safety net, and how did you decide on that amount?

I work as a scientific software developer. Over the past six months, I don't think I've written a single line of code. I mostly review Claude generated code and, once it works, I approve it, merge it, and move on.

I see at least two problems with this.

First, I don't feel like I own the code or the methods anymore. I still have a broad overview of the whole system, but I can't really explain what happens in the details. During my PhD, I used to understand and own practically every line of code I wrote. In a sense, that gave me a lot of trust in myself and confidence in my work. Now, I can say, "It works," but I don't have that same level of confidence. Not even close.

Second, I feel like I've lost part of my identity. I used to genuinely enjoy coding and thought of myself as a programmer. Now I'm not really programming anymore, and I don't know what that makes me.

That also worries me from a career perspective. If I had to apply for a new job tomorrow, what skill do I actually have to offer?

I'm sure that I am not the only one with these feelings. How do you deal with this?

As the title says, I’m curious about how much economic differences can vary between different municipalities, and if there is any at all, given the size of the country. Would you say that the differences are noticeable when you travel from one municipality to another?

I'm looking into (fee-free) credit cards for Switzerland.
Here below are the options I looked into and excluded

- Cembra Certo: does not allow e-bills, only LSV (direct debit). However, my bank (Yuh) does not allow LSV payments. Therefore, it is a no

- Swisscard: the only way to reach out to them in case of problems is by phone call. The call costs 2 CHF/min. I don't like it

I am opting for the Coop supercard. How your experience has been? Does it support e-bills? Is the app for tracking expenses reliable/easy-to-use?

Thanks!

I’m looking for advice on choosing a (fee-free) credit card in Switzerland.

My main use case would be car rentals abroad, probably only 2–3 times a year. For most other purchases, I would use the card domestically. I already have alternative payment options for EUR purchases that don’t require a credit card, so I’m not particularly interested in a card just for everyday EUR spending.

What would you recommend for this use case? What card setup do you personally use?

Thanks for your advice!

I moved to Switzerland about 1.5 years ago, to the German-speaking part. I’m a native Italian speaker and speak decent French, but I arrived with absolutely zero knowledge of German.

I initially intended to learn German, but progress was pretty slow during my first year. I recently started taking one-on-one lessons for an hour per week, and things seem to be moving a bit faster now. I’d say I’m around A2 at the moment.

I’m curious to hear from others who have gone through something similar, how long did it take you to reach a comfortable level of German? What did your learning process look like? Have you ever managed to actually learn Swiss German?

Thanks!

Just curious, do you ever get weird looks because of the plate on your car?

I imagine the effect probably gets stronger the further you travel from Liechtenstein, but I still remember the first time I saw a Liechtenstein plate and genuinely wondered about what that was.