Budget

According to a recommendation by the Zurich Centre for Women's Affairs, the holiday budget for a family with a net income of 7,000 francs and average living costs is likely to be between 2,000 francs and 4,000 francs a year. If you prepare a budget before you plan a holiday, there is a lesser risk for you to end up spending too much.

During planning, it is essential to provide for extra costs that may arise during the holidays, such as transport costs, meals, overnight stays, days out or souvenirs. However, expenses may also arise before the journey, such as:

Mode of payment

Cash

Ensure that you never carry too much cash during your holiday because it can be a risky option. Cash is not covered and if it is stolen, no one can return this money. However, you will need some amount of ready cash for smaller day-to-day spending.

PostFinance Card

You can use the PostFinance Card to withdraw cash at post office cash dispensers and ATMs abroad with the "Eufiserv" or "Plus" symbol. You pay a charge of 4 francs for each withdrawal. There is no charge for withdrawals from Swiss post office cash dispensers day and over the post office counter. If you make withdrawals at ATMs, you will have to pay 2 francs for withdrawals in francs and 5 francs for withdrawals in euros. If you lose your card, it is protected by a PIN code. You can also have the card blocked by calling up immediately.

Travellers' Cheques

Travellers' Cheques are a well-established form of payment for people on holiday. If they are lost or stolen, they are generally replaced within 24 hours. In addition, you also benefit from a more favourable exchange rate when using Travellers' Cheques than when exchanging cash. The fees are 1% of the amount of the cheque and are paid off immediately when you buy them.

Travel Cash card

The Travel Cash card is a very safe means of payment during travel. You credit your Swiss Bankers Travel Cash card with a certain amount in CHF, EUR or USD. You can then use it to withdraw cash in the local currency at ATMs in over 120 countries. The fee that you have to pay is 1% of the value credited to the card account, and EUR 3 or USD 3. The card is secured by a PIN and Internet code. If it is stolen or lost, the balance is generally reimbursed within 48 hours.

Maestro card

Most people already use the Maestro debit card in Switzerland. They can use it abroad as well as at home. The advantage of the Maestro card is that it can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs as well as make non-cash payments at certain other places. If the card is stolen, it can be protected by a PIN. Secondly, all operations using the card can be stopped by blocking the card PIN. However, do not forget the fees. They vary depending on the bank and are generally higher than in the case of Travellers' Cheques (e.g. Credit Suisse: 4.75 plus 0.25% of the amount; UBS is fixed at 5 francs).

Credit card

A credit card gives you great flexibility abroad. You can use it at shops, restaurants, hotels, railways stations and petrol stations. You can also use it to withdraw cash at ATMs. It is more expensive to use a Credit card than a Maestro card. Sometimes, you need to use your credit card as a guarantee, for instance if you wish to hire a car or book a flight. A further advantage is that if you use your credit card to pay for your travel, you are then automatically insured against accidents on public transport (cfr. the various benefits of credit cards). If other people use your card fraudulently, you will not be held liable for any of the charges accrued provided you have used the card with requisite care. The fees vary depending on the card issuer. Before embarking on a long trip away, you should contact your card issuer and discuss how to keep your payments updated while you are away. You may also need to raise your credit limit.