Travel in Switzerland in September?

August 24, 2021 9:42 PM

My folks are going on vacation in September, and I was thinking of joining them for the Swiss portion of their trip, but I don't have a good way of weighing the safety of this plan in light of COVID.

How likely am I to get sick from going through airports, being on planes and trains, etc.? (We're all vaccinated, but I still don't want to get sick, obviously.) What's the culture around mask-wearing in Switzerland? Do most restaurants have outdoor seating? How do I minimize my risks? (Or would you say it's just not worth it to travel right now?)

I could certainly use a break, but I don't know how to make this decision. Help!

posted by archagon to Travel & Transportation around Switzerland (9 answers total)

Response by poster: Also, is there a way to avoid as much airport hustle/bustle as possible? That's probably the part I'm most worried about.
posted by archagon at 9:43 PM on August 24, 2021

Response by poster: Also also, how full do international flights tend to be these days?
posted by archagon at 9:52 PM on August 24, 2021

I was in Interlaken for a week at the beginning of August, but I went by train, so I can't really say anything about airports. My impression at the time was that the mask wearing was fairly good. A lot of restaurants did have seats outside, but the week I was there was fairly wet and cool, so it wasn't always all that comfortable and not everywhere had their outside areas open when it was wet.

At the time, masks were required in public transport, shops, indoor spaces, and the vast majority of people did so. One thing to remember though, is that in tourist areas like I was in, a lot of the people you are meeting are not locals, but tourists from either other parts of Switzerland, or from outside. And I think a lot of people (including myself to at least some degree!) seem to be a little bit more relaxed about the rules when on holiday - taking off a mask to take photos, less distancing so that you can see things better, bunching up more in trains, etc.

(I should say that I'm living in Germany, which has a generally higher level of restrictions than in Switzerland. For example, I would have to show proof of vaccination/recovery/negative test to stay in a hotel here, but nothing was necessary in Switzerland. So this colours my view a little bit.)
posted by scorbet at 1:18 AM on August 25, 2021

Overview of current measures in place including where masks have to be worn in Switzerland

Generally speaking, masks are not a large political issue here and compliance is quite high at least in Zurich and Basel, where I spend most of my time.

Swiss federal government official statistics. It is worth noting that we're just coming to the end of the summer holidays here and the immunisation progress halted somewhat due to the summer vacation period. The expectation would be that as people are back at work/school, the doses delivered over the last few weeks will now actually be used.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:24 AM on August 25, 2021

So as not to abuse the edit option - you ask about outdoor seating at restaurants. There is quite a bit of outdoor seating but in September, you can have lovely warm days and also wet cold days so outdoor seating may not be opened on the cold, wet days because nobody will want to sit outdoors.
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:26 AM on August 25, 2021

I cannot speak to Switzerland specifically, but am currently traveling internationally for the first time in nearly 18 months, so to answer your other question about travel: my flight from NYC to London was about half full. Face coverings were required in the airport and on the plane. I wore a KN95 mask comfortably for 12 hours straight (from arrival at airport through to getting to my hotel room) and that was fine. I have been tested more than once since arriving and I remain negative.

Anecdotally, a couple of my friends are in Geneva right now and they have said mask compliance is pretty high there.

If your main risk concern is while you are in transit, wear the highest grade mask you can get your hands on (N95 or KN95) the entire time you are in airports, planes, trains, and other crowded areas.
posted by bedhead at 2:53 AM on August 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

I've flown between the UK and Norway six times since March 2020. I've found the airports pretty tolerable except at border control where there are often winding queues and tight quarters.

I would advise wearing a good mask and just doing your best to maintain some distance from people.

The other thing I'd be concerned about is that Switzerland's case rate is climbing rapidly, so they could introduce stricter rules around entry and what will be open while you are there.
posted by knapah at 3:01 AM on August 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

What's the culture around mask-wearing in Switzerland?

Just a single data-point but my friend in Switzerland (in the canton of Solothurn) is a fanatic anti-vax/anti-mask conspiracy-believer who recommends the CDL bleach (says she's taken it, as have others she knows) and now even Borax, to avoid the Covid.
posted by Rash at 8:17 AM on August 25, 2021

Also also, how full do international flights tend to be these days?

I did not fly to Switzerland, but on a round trip from NYC to Madrid in early August and my flight was also about half full.

There are factors suppressing passenger volume on transatlantic flights, such as overall depressed travel demand and the US ban on UK/Ireland/Schengen travelers, but at the same time airlines have also reduced transatlantic flights, so it's a bit hard to predict how full any given flight will be.
posted by andrewesque at 1:41 PM on August 25, 2021