Tour orientation in Switzerland

The orientation tour is a personalized guided tour of your future city of residence. For half a day or a day, a local consultant will show you the residential areas, schools, public transport, shops and leisure infrastructure. This tour is particularly useful for families who must choose a neighborhood and school before signing a lease.

Each tour is tailor-made according to your priorities: proximity to work, quality of schools, neighborhood atmosphere, access to public transport.

What is an orientation tour in Switzerland?

An orientation tour (or orientation visit) is a day or half-day organized for new arrivals to help them discover their future city and region of residence. This service is designed to ease the transition by helping you understand your new environment, residential neighborhoods, infrastructure and available services.

Accompanied by a relocation consultant who knows the region perfectly, you visit the neighborhoods best suited to your profile and your family needs. This is an opportunity to ask all your practical questions and make informed decisions about where you live.

For families with children, the tour orientation includes a visit to educational infrastructures (schools, nurseries, extracurricular activities) and play areas. For couples or singles, the emphasis is on cultural life, dynamic neighborhoods, sports areas and expatriate social networks.

Typical content of an orientation tour

The tour orientation is entirely personalized according to your situation: single, couple or family with children. The visit covers the essential aspects of your future daily life and allows you to compare several neighborhoods or municipalities.

• • General presentation of the region: geography, transport, culture, cost of living
• • Visit 3 to 5 residential neighborhoods matching your criteria
• • Presentation of nearby schools and daycares (international and public)
• • Locating shops, supermarkets, local markets and health services
• • Discovery of the public transport network (bus, tram, train, metro)
• • Information on sporting, cultural and leisure activities
• • External visit to international schools or nurseries (if applicable)
• • Personalized advice on housing budget by neighborhood

Main regions covered

We offer orientation tours in all major economic regions of Switzerland. Each region has its specificities in terms of cost of living, taxation, languages ​​and quality of life. The choice of your place of residence can have a significant impact on your tax burden and your daily life.

Taxation varies considerably from one canton to another and even from one municipality to another. For example, a married couple with two children and a gross income of CHF 150,000 will pay around CHF 12,000 in taxes in Zug, compared to CHF 25,000 in Geneva and CHF 22,000 in Lausanne. This factor can significantly influence the choice of your municipality of residence.

Public transport and mobility in Switzerland

Switzerland has one of the densest and punctual public transport networks in the world. During your tour orientation, we present the mobility options available to you and help you assess whether a private vehicle is necessary in your future municipality of residence.

The SBB (Federal Railways) cover the entire country, supplemented by local bus, tram and boat networks. The half-fare subscription (CHF 185/year) is the first recommended investment: it halves the price of all public transport tickets in Switzerland.

Tips for preparing for your orientation visit

To get the most out of your tour orientation, we recommend preparing a list of your priorities in advance. Think about your essential criteria: proximity to the workplace, type of school for your children, housing budget, access to transport, urban or peri-urban environment.

If possible, plan your tour orientation before your final move. Many expats take a 2-3 day reconnaissance trip to tour the area, meet with schools and begin the housing search.

• • Define your monthly housing budget (rule: max. 30% of gross income)
• • List the priority criteria: proximity to work, school, nature, urban life
• • Bring comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing for visits
• • Bring your documents (passport, employment contract) in case of a school visit
• • Take photos and notes in each neighborhood to compare later

Book your orientation tour

Our team of local consultants welcomes you with professionalism and kindness. Each tour orientation is tailor-made: we adapt the itinerary, pace and content to your personal and family situation.

We recommend booking your orientation tour at least 2 weeks in advance to ensure your consultant is available and to arrange school or accommodation visits if necessary. The tour can be conducted in French, English, German, Spanish or Portuguese depending on availability.

Steps and Timeline