Tips, Information & Suggestions for Students Studying in Lausanne, Switzerland Summer 2011 Professor Joseph Morrissey Stetson University College of Law Resident Director, Switzerland 2011 The information is provided to assist students in making their plans for attending and participating in the study abroad program in Lausanne, Switzerland in 2011. Stetson University College of Law is not responsible for changes in rates, schedules, dates or other facts contained herein or on the websites listed. OVERVIEW Lausanne is the capital of Vaud, one of the 26 cantons in Switzerland. It is located in the western corner of Switzerland, in the French speaking area. Lausanne is about 30 minutes northeast of Geneva. Lausanne is located between Lake Geneva and the French Alpine Mountains and is part of the wine country of that French-Swiss area. Before You Leave Register your trip The US State Department likes U.S. citizens to register their trip online at http://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui. To register you will need to know your passport number, the country(ies) you are travelling, and the dates that you will be travelling. Home Banks & Credit Cards Some US banks and credit card issues will cancel debit or credit cards that are being used in other countries when they have not been given prior notification of travel. If you plan on using a debit/ATM/credit card while in Switzerland, then you should inform your bank and/or credit card company of your dates of travel and the countries you will be travelling. (Keep in mind that a hold on your card is more difficult to deal with abroad with the time difference and the costs of international calling.) You may also want to ask your bank/credit card company what they charge for using a card abroad. Some companies impose an extra fee for purchases outside the U.S. called a currency exchange fee. However, often when one uses a credit card/debit card abroad, the exchange rate is more favorable because the company uses the rate that was the best for that week in converting all purchases. Many European ATMs only accept four digits for a pin number. You may want to contact your card provider to change your pin if it is over four digits. Finally, you will want to know how to report the loss of your card from abroad as U.S. 1- 800 numbers to not work abroad. The company should also have a toll free number you can use while abroad. Meals and Budgeting Take some time to plan your Budget ahead of time. Switzerland is very expensive. Restaurants will have a plat du jour (dish of the day) that is reasonably priced. You also have cooking facilities in your residence, and you can purchase food at nearby stores. Directions to food stores are provided below. Unlike The Hague, there is no breakfast, or lunch included with the program housing in Lausanne. However, you are eligible for a 10% discount on all meals purchased at the cafeteria, or coffee shops, at the University of Lausanne. In order to obtain this discount, you must present a student identification card. ARRIVAL INFORMATION U.S. citizens traveling to Switzerland are required to have a passport that is valid for the length of their stay. Please ensure that your passport is valid for 6 months after your departure date (from Switzerland). Damaged passports may be refused. Visas are not required so long as one’s stay is less than 3 months. If you have any kind of emergency use the contact numbers at the end of this document. Getting to Lausanne International flights will arrive at Cointrin, Geneva’s international airport, which is about 2.5 miles (4 km) from Geneva’s city center. Follow the signs (which will be in English) to the baggage claim to collect your bags. After clearing customs and passport control, go to the train station located in the airport. You may want to stop here and either exchange money or use an ATM to obtain Swiss Francs. In the train station you can purchase a ticket to Lausanne. However, you will need to check the schedule to insure you get on the correct train, as not all trains leaving the Geneva airport will travel to Lausanne. You may purchase your ticket with cash or a credit card. Depending on the type of service the cost should be between 25-45 Swiss Francs. Trains depart from the Geneva airport from 5:30 AM to 12:00AM. Keep in mind, the Swiss are known for their time keeping, and these trains will be prompt! Once you arrive at the train station in Lausanne, we recommend that you take a taxi to the student housing referred to as the Rhodanie. The distance between the station and the Rhodanie is about one and a half miles, and the taxi fare will be about 15 CHF. Ask the taxi driver to take you to: Avenue de Rhodanie 64 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland Tel : +41 21 617 81 54/56 Fax : +41 21 617 81 66 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION Brief Overview of Culture Many Americans often suffer what is called ―culture shock‖ on arrival in Europe. Europe differs greatly from the U.S. in such areas as class structure, attitudes to service, and standard of living. The quality of accommodation(s), gender attitudes, etc. is quite different than in the U.S., so it is essential that you prepare yourself mentally for the fact that you are going to a foreign country. The way to deal with these differences is to be prepared for them, learn about them, and to try to be as open minded as possible about what you encounter. Language barriers can prove frustrating, but remember to be patient with yourself and those around you. The Swiss tend to dress more conservatively than other Europeans. For example if you intend to enter any churches please be advised that men must be wearing pants, and women generally need something below the knees, and pantyhose. Switzerland is home to three of Europe's major languages. Whichever language group they belong to, the different Swiss communities have linguistic and cultural ties with one of their larger neighbors. Germany, France, Italy. Lausanne is in the French-speaking region. Climate and Time Zone In July the Average low is 57°, the Average hi is 76°. Average precipitation is 3.48 in. St. Petersburg, FL in July has an average low of 77°, average high of 90°. Average precipitation is 7.54 in. Switzerland is in the Central European Time Zone (CET) the difference from EST is 6 hours ahead. Computers Students should consider bringing computers for their studies. However, this is a personal decision on each student’s part part. The pros and cons of bringing laptops are discussed in the FAQs page of the program websites Some students who want to have a constant digital companion, but find their laptops bulky opt to bring smaller Wi-Fi enabled devices like iPods and U.S. smart-phones whose service can be switched from cellular to Wi-Fi. Internet access is available in both the classroom, and the housing. If you want to use your laptop in the classrooms, you will need to bring an electrical adapter with you. Power strips will be available in the classroom. Currency/Banks Switzerland is not a part of the European Union, and thus has its own currency, the Swiss Franc (CHF). CHF 1 is equivalent to 100 centimes. The Swiss franc is issued in both coins and paper monies. Denominations less than CHF 10 (CHF ½, 1, 2, and 5 as well as 10 centimes and 20 centimes) are coins while above that are paper. For this reason, it is suggested that you carry a change purse, as you will acquire a lot of ―change.‖ The exchange rate can be monitored on www.xe.com, as of 09/10 it was 1.00 USD = 1.01375 CHF or about 1 to 1. You are advised to change some U.S. Dollars into the Swiss Francs at the airport or train station(s) when you first arrive. ATM machines (―bancomats‖) are available and accept most major credit cards. If you plan on travelling to one of the countries bordering Switzerland, you will need to exchange Swiss currency for the Euro (€). Credit Cards The best exchange rate will be achieved with purchases on a credit card. Most European stores and restaurants accept VISA and Mastercard. They rarely accept American Express. You should be able to get a cash advance on a credit card if you have a PIN number. However, the cash advance will have a higher interest rate and no grace period for repayment. Dos and Don’ts Assume that if you cannot do something here you also cannot do it in Switzerland. While there you represent the United States, act accordingly. Dress Dress for class, and social events, is casual. For court visits you will be expected to wear professional attire. For males this means a business suit and tie, as well as suitable (no athletic shoes) footwear. Females should wear a business suit—pants or skirts are appropriate. The skirt should touch the knee, and the shirt should have a collar and/or be appropriately cut. Comfortable shoes (not flip-flops, strappy sandals, or tennis shoes) should be worn you will be expected to walk. For non-court visits organized by the program, business casual clothing is appropriate. Business casual does not include shorts, jeans, t-shirts, tank tops or baseball caps. It does include comfortable shoes, but not flip- flops, strappy sandals, or tennis shoes.