HSR Symposium

Switzerland is a beautiful country, but those visiting for the first time are likely to be shocked by the high prices.  Here are Kent's top 10 suggestions for saving money during your stay in Montreux:

(1)        If you want to take a souvenir for friends and family back home, Swiss chocolates are a favorite.  Do not buy your chocolates in the tourist shops!  Buy great chocolates (and other souvenirs) at low prices in Migros supermarket (lower level) in the Centre Commercial "Le Forum".

(2)        Instead of ordering bottled water in restaurants, always ask for a "carafe d'eau" (a pitcher of water).  Swiss water from the tap is clean, tasty... and free!  Don't buy bottled water!

(3)        Avoid paying for anything in Euros (or other foreign currencies).  The exchange rate given in shops (and restaurants and hotels) is terrible.  It is much better to exchange your money at a bank, and shop using Swiss francs.

(4)        Restaurants can be very expensive.  You can normally see menus, with prices, posted at the front door.  For good value-for-money, look for restaurants with "all you can eat" lunch buffets (like the Bamboo or the Sultan) or a "menu du jour" (a "menu of the day", normally including two or three courses for a fixed price).

(5)        Rather than having a drink out in a restaurant or pub, buy wine and snacks at one of the grocery stores, and gather your friends for a picnic in one of the many lake-side parks, weather permitting!

(6)        Don't leave Montreux without seeing the famous Chateau de Chillon.  Be sure to present your Montreux Riviera Card (provided by your hotel) as it gives you a 50% discount on the admission fee.  (The same is true at Montreux's other museums.)

(7)        Also, enjoy a small glass of local white wine at the tourist information office when you present your Montreux Riviera Card.  And you get to keep the glass -- a nice way to remember your trip to Montreux!  Note, on Mondays to Fridays, the tourist information office is open from 9h to 12h and 13h to 17h30.  On weekends it is only open 10h to 14h.

(8)        Tipping at restaurants in Switzerland is not obligatory.  By law, service is included in the prices in restaurants and bars.  If you are happy with the service, it is customary to round up the amount of the bill by a couple of Swiss francs.

(9)        Many people will want to talk to family back home.  Telephone calls from hotel rooms are incredibly expensive, and roaming fees can be expensive if you are using your mobile phone.  Instead, use Skype if you have access to a computer, or purchase a an international pre-paid calling card at most corner stores / magazine shops.

(10)      Perhaps the cheapest hot food (and coffee) in Montreux are available at the Migros café (lower level of the Centre Commercial "Le Forum").  Unfortunately, it is only open until 17h, but it a great place for a cheap, hot lunch.