I did say I would eke out my questions, so here is the latest. How much (roughly) would a pair of glasses cost? At the moment I am lucky enough to live in the country of cheap most things - specs here would cost around 3500 baht (just put it into xe.com and it comes out to 130 chf). Does that sound reasonable in Zug or much more expensive. I can't have too many pairs made as my prescription will change inveitabley, but more than one pair?

check the health insurance you have; I believe some will fund a pair of glasses per year on the policy.

Check the insurance, I think mine, Assura, allows 1 pair every 2 years and I think it may only cover the lenses. The cost is certainly tax deductible in Baselland. I got some last year, cheaper frame and not to strong lenses and they cost around CHF 280.

Glasses are (like most things :-) expensive in Switzerland. I used to need a very strong correction (before I had laser eye surgery) and paid about 800 Fr. for reasonably thin lenses. Most insurance companies will pay 200 Fr. every other year towards new glasses.

The cheapest place to get glasses from in Switzerland is a company called Fielmann - they have 25 stores (according to their website: http://www.fielmann.ch/) in CH. Depending on your correction, you can get nice looking and good quality glasses for as little as 50 Fr. That also includes a 2-year warranty (even covering loss and accidental breakage for a year or so). My whole family has been buying from them for years.

The cost will really depend upon your prescription. Both myself & my son have "special" prescriptions, he has an astigmatism & I'm just blind as the proverbial bat so need special lightweight lenses. Glasses cost for us in excess of CHF1000. In my experience only private insurance covers glasses for adults (but that may only be my insurance) for kids it is around CHF250.

Lou, have you considered laser treatment? What numbers are you on?

My missus was 2.75/3.25 and now is completely happy with nothing.

Was -7.25/-5.75 until two months ago - now also completely happy with nothing. I can recommend the surgery - it's extremely quick (took less than 10 minutes for both eyes), completely pain-free and the discomfort after the procedure only lasted for about 10 days. I'd go for a FEMTO-Laser treatment rather than the mechanical version despite the higher costs.

I just got a pair of glasses (minus 2.75 both sides, ultrathin etc) with a titanium frame which cost me about 750 CHF. My health insurance (SWICA) pays 50% of the price up to 200 CHF.

Brilliant. You are all so helpful. I'll get a couple of pairs here and some prescription sunglasses before we leave.

My husband was zapped & says it's the best thing he ever did (apart from marrying me of course ). Unfortunately my eyes are not yet stable & are so bad that I have been told I could only be made better & not perfect. My current prescription is -9/-9.5. You only have to get to 10 to be legally blind .

bloody hell, EF's very own Stevie Wonder!!

I am so happy I can wear contact lenses .

That would be me for sure

Are there any benefits to be blind in Switzerland? Let's say, Australia wouldn't accept disabled to the country. Are Swiss more tolerant? Are companies obliged to hire a certain number of disabled people?

Hi Lou

I am in exactly the same situation, I am 9 in one eye and 9.5 in another. I have worn contact lenses since I was 12 and it is getting worse every year (I wonder if I get free TV licence...) and I am 27, so not sure what I will be like in 10 years time.
I was thinking about LASIK, but I found a couple of websites that positively scare me out of it, plus I would never have perfect vision anyway, although to the people that have had it done, is it worth it? I heard the majority of people see "halos" at night, and the thought that I would not be able to see at night (and I mean sober!!) quite worries me.

It's nice to know I'm not the only one with such terrible vision. I would have laser surgery if it fixed my eyesight halos or not! My husband has never regretted it. His surgeon did say you had to have a stable prescription for 3 years before being considered and I've never gone that long between changes.

3 YEARS?? No chance.. My prescription changes every year..
I think it amazes some people to know that I have such a high prescription, when I get asked "what is the smallest letter you can see on the board" I usually cannot even see the board, it blends in with the wall...
Thank god for contact lenses...

-17 is my lucky number and your story is so familiar. Are Swiss ophtalmologists good? It was a big shock for me to come to UK and try to make my GP to refer to the right doctor, ie trying to prove that nothing changes if I see an optitian, I need to be examined by a specialist! In Lithuania it used to be easier Wonder how it works in Switzerland (we're moving there in a month!)

Surgery today can effectively correct short-sightedness up to about -8 - above that, they either won't do it anymore at all or they'll attempt a partial correction. That's why I took the plunge this year - I didn't want to wait until I got over 8

I do see some halos around bright objects at night - especially around car headlights. But that's really nothing new to me - my contacts produced the exact same effect. The halos have also drastically improved already - while I might see them for a while yet, I don't regret going for the surgery at all.
My prescription has been stable for about a year and a half - they told me that's enough to have the surgery. My correction went up from about -5 to -7 in the last 12 years - mainly in two surges. Once at about 25 and then again at about 28. The doctors told me it's normal for many people to have a decrease in vision in their late twenties.
Anyway - I'm fully aware that I might need glasses or contacts again in a couple of years - but at the rate my vision has been decreasing I hope I won't go over -2 again until I hit 40. After 40, short-sightedness usually (with the occasional exception) doesn't get worse anymore - in favor of an additional far-sightedness :-) As this has been the case for most of my family, the same thing will probably be true for me as well.

But at -2 I'd be able to get glasses for 50 Fr. from Fielmann rather than for the 700-1000 Fr. I've been paying lately.

Out of curiousty - I always though laser surgery was hideously expensive, how much does it actually cost?

asked and answered, m'lud!
Need new glasses (Zurich)