Hi,

I am in the processs of buying an apartment in the Alps for (hopefully) long holidays as old age creeps on (not there yet).

I only know Switzerland as a long-standing tourist so I hope to find out more about actually spending more time in the country. Currently I live permanently on Cheshire.

Hiya Mildred, welcome to the site, what are you confused about?

From the ongoing age distribution poll you will see that there are few retirees here, so you will probably have to phrase the questions specifically rather than hope to get an answer to generic "what is life like for retirees here?" questions.

Good luck, I have always dreamed of retiring in Switzerland; alas all I can do is visit it each summer (living there permanently is just too expensive for me).

And with the USA dollar heading south it's going to get a lot more expensive..!

Switzerland is a great country to live in.

But the Alps are not the best place for retirees. Skidding on ice? Shoveling snow from the doorstep? Also medical facilities are limited in the Alps. Suggest Ticino or the Riviera of Lake Geneva as retirement places.

Basically, it is a mistake to retire in a strange country. Big effort to learn the language, other social security, medical, tax and insurance systems, etc. The various threads here reflect the pains of immigrants.

Hmm ... not sure whether I should groan you for being discouraging, or thank you for being realistic ... hence I am doing neither

More to the point ... it never was a realistic option. But what is the point of dreaming, if all your dreams are realistic?

I strongly disagree. Age is a relative thing. Many of my contemporaries (I am 70) have fled New England for the warmer weather in Florida. I shudder at the thought I love winter in New Hampshire, and do substantial hikes at least a couple of times a week year round.

On the other hand, the Riviera of the Leman is a wonderful place, with lots of choices. You can enjoy the warmth of the south facing slopes, or be in the Alps (Valaisannes, Vaudoises or Bernese) in a couple of hours. The relatively large cities of Lausanne and Geneva are also nearby.

I'm already here (20 years now) and have already bought my own place here but with some 11 or so years to go till retirement even I am not 100% sure my dream of staying is realistic at this point..
Only time (and money) will tell.

There are both good and bad points about living in the mountains. Say over 1200 metres.

Downside:
1) Long winters - with snow on the ground from November to April

2) Cool summers, with no long balmy evenings as in the lowlands

3) Closed communities with little chance of an outsider being anything other than an outsider for 50 years and a couple pf generations

Upside:
1) Stunning scenery and views

2) Great fresh air

3) Healthy lifestyle

4) Continuous stream of friends and family looking for a cheap holiday with you. This could also be a downside...

You don't actually say you're going to retire and live permamently in Switzerland but suggest you aim to spend more leisure time here. You also imply some familiarity with Switzerland as a long standing tourist. So as Oldhand asked...what are you confused about?

Hi,

Mainly I am confused about how forums work!

Thanks to all who posted a reply but Switzerland is not a strange country for me (been backwards and forwards for donkeys years), the dollar is not an issue (though the £ and the Euro are), I can speak German and a bit of French and I have 40 years left on the planet if I eat right! There seem to be plenty of octogenarians showing us how it can be done on the cross-country ski tracks too!

Best wishes to all

Those upsides are also possible by living near but not in the Alps. The Riviera Lemanique is an example. Also, many places along the lake of Zurich offer splendid views and proximity to forests, fresh air, etc., yet close to the city's superb infrastructure.

I've lived in Basel area for 10 years. It is not considered the most scenic part of Switzerland, but it really has allot to offer: France (Alsace) and Germany are only minutes away (many expats buy their groceries in either place and save 20-40%); The Alps about 2 hours away; superb train/tram connections to everywhere; 30 or so museums; reasonable size (one recent day I walked accross central Basel 3 times on business - in what major city could I do that?). The ex-Pat environment is large and growing (the Int School was about 400 when I arrived, now it is 1000+), with a bulge in the technical/science field stimulated by Roche and Novartis. English is ubiquitous (I am proof of this with my poor German) and it is an easy place to live - if you can afford it. Finally, the Basel Fasnacht, first week of Lent, is one of the most unusual experiences one can imagine. A local politico said it recently: Basel is the Swiss city with the German mind and the French heart.

Yes indeed. It could also be argued that you actually get a better view of more mountains from the lowlands. You also have a choice of visiting many more mountainous areas if you are not committed to living in just one. Which is probably one of the reasons that the majority of the Swiss population don't live in mountain resorts....