Don’t forget to send us your feedback, questions or topic suggestions: Write us an email to hello@swissandchips.com , a text message or a voice message to play on the show +41 76 282 67 66. Switzerland's handcrafted delights for children In this episode we talk about some traditional Swiss toys that are not only fun to play with, but have also withstood the scrutiny of different generations of children and even make great souvenirs. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to...
Feb 05, 2026•25 min•Ep. 89
The unspoken rule of giving a tour of your home when guests come over When guests visit where you live in Switzerland, the host almost always offers them a look around. In this episode, we talk about this unspoken rule in Switzerland and why it led to some confusion in our home. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland 00:00 - Intro 01:22 - Listener messages 08:24 - What to do if you have visitors over for the first time Guest slippers 15:36 - Swiss bytes: Snac...
Jan 15, 2026•25 min•Ep. 88
Switzerland's weekend mountain ritual Why do the Swiss regularly abandon foggy cities for the mountains? That’s the question we get into in this episode. Beyond this beloved autumn and winter weekend pastime, we take a look at your messages, our latest poll results, Swiss bytes, and we even pack in a fresh “Learning Swiss German” segment. We’d love to hear from you! Send your feedback, questions, or voice messages to hello@swissandchips.com . Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your Britis...
Nov 20, 2025•19 min•Ep. 87
What acceptance looks like amongst the Swiss Moving to Switzerland as an expat is definitely challenging and it can feel hard to be accepted. But what does being accepted really mean anyway? In this very personal episode, Jo talks about what fitting in means to her and we discuss integration from a very Swiss perspective, including their ongoing interest in expats. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland 00:00 - Intro 01:32 - Listener Feedback The Ministry for...
Oct 02, 2025•25 min•Ep. 86
In this episode of Swiss and Chips - Your British Guide to Switzerland, it's all about our listeners’ voices. We asked what annoys you about Switzerland or what you would change, and you replied! From the pain of exchange rates to supermarket stress (again), Mexican food and laundry room drama (again). Also, don’t forget to vote in our listener poll. Feedback, questions or topic suggestions? Drop us a line to hello@swissandchips.com ! Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide ...
Sep 11, 2025•20 min•Ep. 85
There is no listener poll this week, but a listener survey: What's the one thing you would change about Switzerland if you could? Send us an audio message or text to +41 76 282 67 66 or email hello@swissandchips.com . Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland 00:00 - Intro 01:08 - Listener Feedback Niesenbahn, the longest stairs in the world Marzili-Bahn, the shortest one in Switzerland 08:32 - 1st August badge 2025 1.-August-Abzeichen 2025 Swiss bytes: Send us ...
Jul 31, 2025•21 min•Ep. 84
There is no listener poll this week, but a listener survey: What's the one thing you would change about Switzerland if you could? Send us an audio message or text to +41 76 282 67 66 or email hello@swissandchips.com . Notes on this episode 00:00 - Intro 01:09 - Listener Feedback 09:40 - Coming to a restaurant, be ready to order 16:20 - Swiss bytes: As an expat, if you could change only one thing about Switzerland ( Reddit ) 21:37 - Learning Swiss German: Gaffi Crème (or Thé Crème) 25:27 - Listen...
Jul 10, 2025•27 min•Ep. 83
Let the sunshine (and fresh air) in! In this episode we talk about the Swiss ritual that plays out daily in homes, offices, and schools across the country: Lüften . It’s the practice of throwing windows open wide and letting fresh air circulate through rooms and buildings. But why is Lüften so important to the Swiss mindset? As always, we’ll give you some insights, but mostly personal experiences of living with the fresh air in Switzerland. 00:00 - Intro 01:50 - Listener Feedback 07:08 - To lüft...
May 22, 2025•22 min•Ep. 82
Not everything is as glossy as it seems Many thanks to all the listeners who reach out to us! Today’s episode is for you. If you have questions or thoughts you want to share with us and the other listeners, let us know ! In this episode, we talk specifically about Jonathan’s feedback and his experiences of visiting Switzerland. It inspired us to talk about some other surprises and controversial aspects of ordinary life in Switzerland. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide ...
Apr 03, 2025•21 min•Ep. 81
A journey to Fahy and the history of Tête de Moine cheese. In today’s episode of Swiss and Chips , we’re taking you on a journey across the Swiss-French border on foot! Join us as we explore the charming town of Fahy, visit the House of the Tête de Moine cheese, and dive into the history behind this delicious Swiss cheese. We’ll also share our experience of crossing the border and why many people shop across it. Tune in for an adventure filled with cheese, culture, and travel insights! Notes on ...
Mar 13, 2025•16 min•Ep. 80
Tips, passes, and resort advice for newbies on the pistes In today’s episode of Swiss and Chips, we’re talking about how to enjoy a ski day when you’re ready to move beyond your first slope but you’re not ready to hit a “red” yet. We discuss some basics, like choosing the right ski pass or picking a resort, and skiing etiquette. But mainly Jo shares her personal experience. 00:00 - Introduction to this episode 01:26 - Listener feedback 03:08 - Swiss Bytes: Alertswiss 05:04 - Skiing in Switzerlan...
Feb 13, 2025•24 min•Ep. 79
It’s been a while, but we’re back - and we’re diving straight into a topic that’s Swiss and surprisingly sensitive: the (unspoken) rules of the shared washing room. We’ll share some personal stories of washing room drama and tell you what you need to know when searching for a new flat. 00:00 - Intro 02:42 - Swiss Bytes Most popular Swiss songs in the 1980's Cow song: Link to the cow video 06:27 - The curse of the washing room in apartment buildings 18:47 - Learning Swiss German: Töggelä 20:46 - ...
Jan 23, 2025•22 min•Ep. 78
“Especially in times of the pluralisation of lifestyles, there is a need to know how things should be done correctly. Because manners provide security in how to shape interactions positively. They simplify interactions and prevent misunderstandings.” This is a quote from the ‘Swiss Knigge’, a book about good manners and behaviour in Switzerland. Though often associated with formal manners, Knigge in Switzerland has evolved to cover modern-day needs, while retaining its core values of explaining ...
Oct 28, 2024•37 min•Ep. 77
Let's dive into another episode about Swiss German through the lens of the traditional Swiss radio game ‘ABC SRF 3’. We' haven’t laughed so much in an episode yet; we’ll let you decide if that’s a good thing. And we introduce two new segments. First, we address user questions and feedback, featuring Cathy, who proudly participates in Swiss traditions. Second, get ready for the brand new "Swiss Bites" (with a must-hear sound effect) and our listener poll. 00:00 - Intro 01:53 - Listener Feedback 0...
Aug 08, 2024•23 min•Ep. 76
Swiss National Day is coming up! Let’s talk about what happens on the big day and what it means to the Swiss. We’ll help you figure out how to mark the occasion even if you haven’t been in Switzerland for long. We also have some new features in our podcast for you: “Swiss bytes”, listener feedback and our survey. 00:00 - Intro 01:58 - Listener Feedback 03:14 - Swiss Bytes US Marine reacts to Why the Swiss love their Guns (more than Americans) Another interesting Video about Why Switzerland has 3...
Jul 18, 2024•18 min•Ep. 75
How do you cope with the chaos, confusion, and frequent frustration of queuing in Switzerland? In this episode, we explore Swiss queuing culture and share our experiences and advice on how to survive and possibly thrive in the chaotic queuing land of the Alps. We have some horror stories to share that you might be able to identify with. Whether you’re a newcomer, a visitor, or a long-time resident, we hope this episode will help you to navigate Swiss queueing protocol, or at the very least, give...
Mar 05, 2024•21 min•Ep. 74
Switzerland, a country known for its linguistic diversity, is home to the unique dialect of Swiss German. It has many variations around the country, with words, sounds and phrases changing by city or valley. Here, we dive into a very specific topic of Swiss German - the use of nicknames. In this episode of ‘Decoding Swiss German Nicknames’, we aim to unravel the meanings, origins, and usage of nicknames. Let’s decode together! Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switz...
Dec 21, 2023•19 min•Ep. 73
Discovering animal sounds in Swiss German: A fun exploration at the Dählhölzli Petting Zoo Come with us on a stroll through the famous Dählhölzli petting zoo in Bern where we talk about the different animal noises in English and Swiss German . A special welcome and thanks to all our super early subscribers: Samir, Julian, Nuclei, Alicia, Nicholas, Joee and many more - we really appreciate the early support! And Krissy! She was the first to comment in the subscriber chat about what advice she’d g...
Dec 07, 2023•20 min•Ep. 72
The experience of going to see a film in Switzerland has some quirks. The first question you’re probably going to ask yourself when trying to catch a new release is what language it’s going to be shown in and secondly, how much the pleasure is going to set you back. In this episode, we talk about which kind of cinema typically shows films in which languages, how dubbing or subtitles come into play, the financial consequences of a cinema trip in Switzerland and where to find out what’s on. We als...
Nov 23, 2023•11 min•Ep. 71
After 13 years of living in Switzerland, Jo is finally allowed to have her say in her new home country and participate in the democratic process. The Swiss elections are coming up and after becoming Swiss, this might be the second most exciting day for a new citizen. The papers have arrived (a long time ago) and are ready to be explored. Let's do the unboxing together and talk about the specialities of the Swiss elections. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerla...
Oct 19, 2023•16 min•Ep. 70
The Swiss can't get enough of it: Rivella is the Alpine nation's traditional soft drink of choice. But there's an unusual ingredient hiding beneath the bubbles of this thirst-quenching liquid. Any idea what it is? In this episode, we'll introduce you to the delights of Switzerland's weird and wonderful fizzy refreshment, and Simon takes a blind Rivella taste test to find out how Swiss he is after all. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland Facts and figures D...
Feb 02, 2023•17 min•Ep. 69
If you're looking for Christmas magic, put Colmar, France on your list of must-see places. A beautiful city at any time of year, it is decorated and lit up to perfection every Christmas. The city's cobbled streets are flanked by Medieval or Renaissance-period buildings and small canals run alongside the main thoroughfares. There are six different markets to see, each with a different focus such as artisan crafts, food or even an area aimed at children. On top of all that, the city's park has an ...
Dec 22, 2022•11 min•Ep. 68
It can take time to figure out what the useful websites are when you move to a new country. What are the most-popular car-sharing, price comparison, weather and buy-and-sell sites in Switzerland? We crowdsourced a list of the must-know websites in Switzerland from our Facebook group, Switzerland for English Speakers . In this episode we explain why they're useful and what we personally think of them. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland Send your audio file...
Dec 01, 2022•19 min•Ep. 67
Warning: this episode is a rollercoaster! We try to navigate our way through a traditional Swiss kitchen, and explain the classic items you'll find in any Swiss kitchen cupboard. From flavourings to implements, we lift the table cloth on the secrets of Switzerland's home dining habits - and we reveal a few foody preferences of our own along the way. Plus: what's missing in a standard Swiss kitchen? We name three items that we can't live without, but which have proven to be somewhat of a novelty ...
Nov 10, 2022•20 min•Ep. 66
After Jo got her Swiss passport it was time to step up and get her first real taste of Swiss democracy… and what better way to do it than going to vote in the regular Swiss polls in person. In this episode, we talk about how to vote in person or by post, and how to navigate political discussions with the Swiss. The Swiss and Chips vote Come and vote, we want to hear from you! Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland First time voting in Switzerland! When can yo...
Oct 20, 2022•17 min•Ep. 65
The traditional ways to travel between the UK and Switzerland are plane, train and car. 2022 turned out to be the year we used the channel tunnel to make the trip for the first time. We drove from Bern to England and then back a few weeks later. It was an experience to remember! And one that’s worth talking about and sharing with you. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland Why did we end up driving by car? What is the advantage? Which route did we take, how l...
Sep 29, 2022•14 min•Ep. 64
It took around two years, but the moment has finally come. Ten months after the final interview a confirmation letter arrived in the post: Jo is Swiss! Now that's worth talking about. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland What happened so far: Check out our other episodes on 'How to become Swiss'. What happened since the interview What changes after becoming Swiss What's next? Learning Swiss German Our word in this episode is: 'Gschtabi'. ... Don’t forget to...
Sep 08, 2022•14 min•Ep. 63
The BEA is open! This annual traditional Swiss fair is a must-see for anyone living in or around Bern and it's open until May 8 this year. From donkey displays to fairground rides and the chance to sample local beers and a staggering range of cheese, there is so much to see for children and adults. We recorded while out on a day trip in Switzerland, so there's not one, but two recommendations of places to visit in this episode. One of them is an insider tip about a slightly hidden place. Notes o...
May 02, 2022•11 min•Ep. 62
Snow, a frozen lake and beautiful mountains: there aren't many more things you need to complete the perfect Swiss winter destination. When we headed to St. Moritz in January 2022 we had high expectations for this famous ski resort with a glitzy reputation. And it absolutely lived up to them! With breathtaking winter scenery and vintage Winter Olympics sights, there is lots to do here even if you're not skiing. Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland Reasons to...
Apr 14, 2022•12 min•Ep. 61
What is it really like to move to Switzerland? In the second of two episodes looking back at when Jo first relocated from the UK, we delve into some of the unexpected sides to setting up a new life among the Swiss. In this episode we cover: Differences in lifestyle between England and Switzerland The surprises that come with renting a flat Working in Switzerland and finding a job Previous episodes we refer to in the show: How to find an apartment in Switzerland as an expat How to find a job in S...
Jan 20, 2022•20 min•Ep. 60
