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 l

Decoding Swiss German Nicknames

Dec 21st, 2023 19m 9s

More Swiss and Chips 🗣️ Let us know what you think about the episode and leave a comment 💬 Find us on Threads Swiss and Chips, Jo and Simon 📸 Are you following us on Instagram? ✉️ Drop us an email: [email protected] 📞 Send us a voice

What noise does an animal make in Swiss German?

Dec 7th, 2023 19m 56s

Join the Swiss and Chips community! Join the Swiss and Chips chat Send us an audio message to +41 76 282 67 66 Discovering animal sounds in Swiss German: A fun exploration at the Dählhölzli Petting Zoo Come with us on a stroll through the fa

5 things you need to know before going to a Swiss cinema

Nov 23rd, 2023 11m 17s

Be sure to subscribe to us on Substack Join the Swiss and Chips community chat Comment on our website Send us an audio message to +41 76 282 67 66 Find us on Mastodon Swiss and Chips, Jo and Simon Are you following us on Instagram? The experi

Unboxing the Swiss ballot papers - becoming Swiss

Oct 19th, 2023 15m 46s

We’d love to answer your question in our show. Please leave us an audio message directly on our website or send a voice message to 0041 76 282 67 66. After 13 years of living in Switzerland, Jo is finally allowed to have her say in her new home

We taste traditional Swiss food and drink so you don't have to: Rivella

Feb 2nd, 2023 17m 18s

We’d love to answer your question in our show. Please leave us an audio message directly on our website or send a voice message to 0041 76 282 67 66. The Swiss can't get enough of it: Rivella is the Alpine nation's traditional soft drink of cho

From Bern to Colmar: Swiss and Chips over the border

Dec 22nd, 2022 10m 36s

We’d love to answer your question in our show. Please leave us an audio message directly on our website or send a voice message to 0041 76 282 67 66. If you're looking for Christmas magic, put Colmar, France on your list of must-see places. A b

The must-know websites for Switzerland

Dec 1st, 2022 18m 49s

We’d love to answer your question in our show. Please leave us an audio message directly on our website or send a voice message to 0041 76 282 67 66. It can take time to figure out what the useful websites are when you move to a new country. Wh

Six things you'll find in a Swiss kitchen (and what's missing!)

Nov 10th, 2022 20m 21s

We’d love to answer your question in our show. Please leave us an audio message directly on our website or send a voice message to 0041 76 596 34 23. Warning: this episode is a rollercoaster! We try to navigate our way through a traditional Swi

Voting in Switzerland

Oct 20th, 2022 16m 56s

Always the latest Swiss and Chips Podcast. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify email or RSS! 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 goi

Driving to the UK from Switzerland

Sep 29th, 2022 13m 43s

Always the latest Swiss and Chips Podcast. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify email or RSS! 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 tu

Becoming Swiss, part seven: 'Crossing the Finish Line'

Sep 8th, 2022 13m 56s

Always the latest Swiss and Chips Podcast. Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify email or RSS! 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

A 'BEA' Special: the must-see traditional Swiss agricultural fair

May 2nd, 2022 11m 19s

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 c

E61 St. Moritz in winter

Apr 14th, 2022 12m 3s

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

Relocating to Switzerland: Part 2

Jan 20th, 2022 20m 4s

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:

Relocating to Switzerland: A personal perspective

Dec 30th, 2021 14m 29s

Jo moved to Switzerland just over a decade ago, so it seemed to be about time to talk about her experience, the highlights, and what she would do differently if she would do it all over again.

How to organise a Swiss (and British) passport for your newborn

Dec 9th, 2021 14m 57s

If you have a British-Swiss child and live in Switzerland, like we do, how do you go about getting their first passports? In this episode we'll explain everything from organising all of the documents to taking a suitable picture of your little

Becoming Swiss, part six: 'the interview'

Nov 18th, 2021 5m 56s

It's the big moment in the Swiss citizenship process: finally you will meet someone face-to-face who will decide whether all the paperwork you have collected, all the forms you have filled out and all the studying you have done is enough to mak

Trip tip: An easy walk through the vineyards

Oct 14th, 2021 7m 49s

Vines, food and splendid views: if you're looking for a short and easy walk to do by yourself or when you have visitors in town, this is an episode for you! We talk about a scenic, circular walk in canton Bern that will take you from the villa

Becoming Swiss, part five: ‘One form to rule them all’

Jul 29th, 2021 10m 38s

Once you have fulfilled all of the criteria to apply to become Swiss (take a look at our previous episodes in this mini-series if want to know more about this), you will be faced with filling out "the form". This is where you provide all of y

What to expect at a Swiss apéro

Jun 17th, 2021 13m 48s

Before or instead of a dinner, at a garden party, a wedding, an office function or even a funeral, it‘s always the right time and place to join or organise a classic Swiss apéro. But what is expected at this typically Swiss get-together? We t

Having a baby in Switzerland

Apr 6th, 2021 7m 56s

There have been a few long breaks between our last podcast episodes, but we had a good reason: we have a new person in our family! Please welcome Maeve, our beautiful baby girl, who you may now hear in the background of some of our recordings

Weirdest thing you saw when you moved to Switzerland

Feb 23rd, 2021 18m 49s

Setting foot into another country can mean a significant change of your lifestyle and sometimes a culture shock. We asked in our Facebook group about your weirdest thing you’ve experienced when you moved to Switzerland and got loads of fun a

How to celebrate Christmas as an expat in Switzerland

Nov 24th, 2020 13m 31s

Christmas is drawing nearer but thanks to coronavirus, making plans to celebrate it this year isn't very easy. It's difficult enough to get together with family if you live in the same country, but almost impossible if you don't. We like to l

Becoming Swiss, part four: The Swiss citizenship test

Oct 27th, 2020 19m 22s

We're still here and still making podcasts: not as often as we'd like, but there's a good reason for that, which we'll explain in this week's episode. But the main topic in this episode is the Swiss citizenship test. Did you know we have a Fa