Bring money

Hey Eric,

Welcome (soon) to Switzerland!

In principle you can get everything here, but might have to pay more for it and travel a bit longer to get it (especially if it's specialty food).

If you do have favorite foods & favorite brands of soap, bring them with you to save some hassle. But really, it's all here.

Nir

Nir has said it all.

As you mention diapers though, I assume you are a family, so my suggestion would be to join the Yahoo!Group Vevey Kids and follow the following blogs:

Geneva Family Diaries
Moms-in-Vaud
Lausanne Mom Blog

(Disclaimer: I founded MiV).

 Also clothing is MUCH cheaper in the US, so if you have a shipment being sent over and paid by your company, stock up on essentials (but wash everything and remove tags!).

There is nothing like a Whole Foods in Lausanne - though there are a number of small 'health food' shops and Coop & Migros have a selection of bio (ie: organic) foods. Be prepared to shop for food in a new way - you may buy your in season, organic or bio-dynamic produce from a stall at the city centre market (Wednesdays & Saturdays), nut butter from the health food section of Amvita Pharmacy, some things at La Biotique (http://www.biotique.ch/)  and the rest at Coop or Migros. 

If you or your partner are fans of 'premium' cosmetics or hair care products do stock up before you come. For exmple: Aveda is available from 1 spa in Lausanne and is about double the price compared to Canada. Lush is about 35% more, OPI nail varnish and MAC cosmetics are much more as well.  Also, quite random but  - I dislike the hair elastics (too thick & I have not found brown ones) and the bobby pins (too shiny) available here - so you partner may want to bring a few packets of each if she is particular. 

I would not worry about snack foods etc - there is a broad selection here and you will quickly find new favourites. 

Peanut butter is available and the "american" brand they have coop is ok - not great but ok. 

Over the counter drugs: expensive here and entirely different brands etc. If you have specific preferences I would bring them to start - you will find new brands but when you or the kids are sick it is annoying to have to figure it out right away. 

Good luck with the move!

I think you bring all the things you mentionned because in Switzerland we have none of all those things !!!

lol

Eric,

I don't know if Woja is kidding or not, but don't fall into the "they got nothing there so I'll bring everything" mind set. You're coming to a European country that carries most of the global brands, and you'll likely find everything here.

As said, you might pay more for it, or travel longer to find the exact US brand you want, but it's all here.

Hey Eric, Geneva has several good store in the area that has expat products.

http://www.myexpatshop.com/

http://www.jims-british-market.com/

http://www.americanmarket.ch/

Good useful website:

http://geneva.angloinfo.com/af/268/geneva-international-and-specialist-foods.html

http://worldradio.ch/

Also look into the

American Internatianl club of Geneva http://www.amclub.ch/

American Womens Internatianl club of Geneva http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/

American Citizens aborad http://americansabroad.org/

Democrats Abroad http://www.democratsabroad.org/

and most important is Glocals and http://www.buyclub.ch/geneva/ heheehehehe

Jeeez you cannot tell if I'm joking ?  Come on, that was pure British bantering ...  

also if your seaching for anything, store, restaurant, go to the following official swisscom site, its great to find things, in German, French, English, Italian

http://www.local.ch/

http://yellow.local.ch/en/q?what=organic+food&where=Geneva&rid=t2Ma

There is a really big Bio-Organic store in Eaux Vivre on Rue du Montchoisy/rue 31 du Decembre.

Urban Market is the best in Geneva/Leman region

Urban Market - Eaux Vives  
12 Rue Montchoisy
Geneva Switzerland 1207

http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=27103

A good listing is by Angloinfo:

http://geneva.angloinfo.com/af/463/geneva-bio-and-organic-foods.html

Thanks for all of the info (and bantering)
Eric Lee, Dec 16, 2012 @ 15:06

Shop about a little too .. For diapers, we found a small pack in a chemist at something like 39 chf .. Migros had same pack for 10 chf!

New American Store

www.glocals.com/#/forums/general/New-American-store---173918.htm%23msg_173940

How about your favourite men shoes (and ladies' too) which are quite often available in additional half or even quarter size ? Add to your shipment the US manufactured bed sheets and own patchwork covers with embroideries or not ( I wrote US made) especially if you bring your king size or queen size> they would fit perfect. They cost an arm and a leg over here. Same would apply to your chair cushions if you import the chairs from N.C. since most are smaller in size in Europe.

I would suggest that you visit your dentist and get as much work done as you have time for.  Ditto your ophthalmologist or optician.  Bring spare eye-glasses including shades, contact-lens solution, etc.

Bring a good supply of regular medications, plus prescriptions. You can buy most preparations or their equivalent, but CH prices are high.

Bring sports and underwear,  skin-care products,  toiletries.  Subscribe to favourite magazines.

Adaptors for CH power plugs are also useful.

The list is long but a stash of trusted products will keep you going until you have time to look around and discover appropriate local alternatives.

Good luck!

R.

Shoes and clothes are very very expensive here.

Bring a 5 way american power socket with a cable so you can change the plug on it to a swiss one and charge stuff up.

Bring some nice beers.

Now give me a break here. You guys make it sound like Switzerland is a 3rd world country. Seriously, dentist? Come on - there are brilliant dentists here. Food - Swiss food is brilliant and most of it is local grown in the country. It costs a bit more - but the quality is extremely high in most cases. Want to go cheap, go to the Aldi, Lidl and Denner (great for wine, diapers and crisps).

You might look in the mirror, and think "why am I moving" - it's an adventure! Enjoy new things, walk through the supermarket and try out new things, you might happily surprised. My suggestion. Bring nothing and try out something new!!! It might spruce up your life and for sure is fun!!!! Every time I visit a new country one! of the highlights is going into the supermarket and try out all that new stuff!!!!

Owww. And be carefull with your converter plugs from the US... We have 230V here @60 cycles.... Might give some unexpected fireworks with some applyances. (phone chargers etc.etc. normally work fine but better check :-))

I concur with Martin.

The electronics all need checking to see if they will work. from simple kitchen appliances (mixers / microwaves etc) , to the most important (TV & DVD) etc. A simple internet search will solve your questions on this.

Playstations here work on zone 2, not the US zones... DVD's here are zone 2 and wont play on a US dvd player, assuming the elec works. However it is "legal" here to download movies (illegal to seed) .....

As to the other stuff... yes you can get alot of American food here in various shops, and Bio food is sold widely here... all at a huge premium to what you will be used to paying in the States. 

Best advice... be prepared to adapt a little, and keep an open mind, expect the unexpected and you will be fine.

I think that the dentist point is more regarding the cost.

I guess so,

Not sure but I have no price tag on my health or oral health. They are or good - or horrible. if the latter - stay away and be prepared to pay a bit more. 
You normally get what you pay for IMHO. 

Not sure that Swiss dentists are better than anyone elses dentists, from personal experience I would say that they are not. But they are definitely far more expensive.

If you need dental treatment, get it done before coming to avoid a big hit.

Health insurance is expensive too, but the hospital services are very good compared to other places, so there you do get what you pay for, in my experience. Anyway you can't do much about becoming ill before coming.

Good point about the dentists actually. Dental prices here are, on average, twice than those in the US. So if you get all the dental work done abroad before you move over, you'll be saving good money.

With regards to the dentists, I'm going to France, just across the border. I might have been lucky but he's a great dentist (He's Dutch actually but speaks fluent French, Dutch and English), and only charges about half what Swiss dentists do. He's also a surgeon (do i spell that right?) and does implants. He's Dutch, French and as far as I know American qualified. His assistant does the cleaning - whitening etc.etc. and is in MO great as well. Friendly bunch of people who make you at ease. They don't do kids though. PM if you want the details. 

any PeanutButter related PRODUCT

Welcome !! peanutbutter good products MISSING...all the rest pretty good . Nice spot Vevey.

dont bring anything..... what i mean is you'll know what you miss from home when you're here..... so you can bring it when you go visit home next time.

diapers and so on can be found here.... peanut butter too (in carefour), soap? hahaah they have soap here!!!

what you'll need to bring with you when you move here is :MONEY, is expensive to live here, and PATIENCE: you'll need a lot of that to settle here.

they have american peanut butter in carefour, allegro, metro in annemasse.... and even in the american market in geneva....