It might be worth reading this Thread - Tips for Trailing Spouses as it gives a lot of honest comments about folks' own experience.

In a couple of years the economic outlook will be completely different, you will be a resident, there will be more jobs than qualified job seekers (as was traditionally the case in Switzerland for a long time now) and reintegrating into the job market most likely much easier. I am not advising you to go to Switzerland, but for kids Swiss villages are indeed great I think. Whether you'll like it not I don't know, but if your priorities are, as you stated, with your kids, then surely it wouldn't be a stupid move. I personally feel that a real city person will never really get to love the life here, Zürich or not.

No traffic jams? No roadworks? Come on, thats just not correct! Which Zurich do you live in?!!

Hmmm.

My wifes pay
Scenery etc
Snow

even with the way evolution is accelerating , i reckon it'll long pass my bedtime before the following reach switzerland and become essentail; muffin tops
equal opps
sex education for five year olds
gordon brown
tri party politics
stricctly...
x factor..no 1 at christmas
gristle heads
curry as a christmas dinner
24 hour opening on holy days
the hostile attitude to christianity
susan boyle
radio 1
english divorce settlements.

i know some of these are available as extras , but as yet arnt compulsory.
happy days.

Because I Like it here
Because my girl friend is here
Because I can come and go as I please.

My alphorn is too big to take on the plane.

This could get complicated for you...If your children go to the local school then they will be taught in a foreign language..trying to understand the teachers, homework, activities etc...can be a hassle. If they go to the international school it can be quite expensive 2000chf and up per month but they won't be as knowledgable in the language or it might be difficult for them to play with the kids in their neighborhood.

Switzerland is a pretty safe country...but I am sure you have safe areas in UK too...The thing is that in Switzerland many things are kept "underground" so to speak. So child abuse, domestic violence etc...they don't want to bring too much public attention to these types of things but it does happen...

If you don't get an offer of work from an international company then it much will depend on your spouses situation. Such as his permit (which may or may not allow you to work)..Also the language..with your work experience will you know German, French or Italian to work for a Swiss company? When people don't work for international companies..many Swiss companies require more than one language. It is not unusual to seee a job advert for a person to speak lets say German,French and some English...

If you are high strung and your career is also "very" important to you...then this move may not be good for you. What do you want to do? Do you want to be a SAHM or work?

On the up side UK is not very far so it would be easy to pop back as often as your time would allow....

There are some really great posts here about the pros and cons of Switzerland and to be honest it is defo making my decision easier about moving if I get the right offer. The pros seem to far outweight the cons

I'm in Ireland at the moment and to give you an overview of how things are at the moment:

• Worst economic meltdown in living history currently happening
• 12.5% unemployment
• Property prices plummeting
• Banks basically refusing to loan money to anyone
• Gov "buying" €70 Billion in toxic debts from banks/large developers
• Health sector and service is a joke
• Public sector raging on about pay cuts even though they give a terrible service, yet striking looking for payrises!!!
• Massive Gov cutbacks in spending in every area
• Companies/Businesses closing everyday
• Rain 10-11 months of the year had serious floods and 100's of millions of Euros in damage done..
• Currently snowing at the moment in some parts of the country and they are at a standstill
• Terrible public transport which is being cut back
• Terrible road infrastructure (all spending on this stopping next year)
• Rail transport useless, always late and expensive
• Eduction system in crisis, schools completely inadequate for kids needs, lack of teaching staff as no money to employ more of them, overcrowding in class rooms, shabby crumbling school building.
• Crime. Drugs, Shootings, Murders.. everything. Little scumbags having 2-300 convictions and walking out of court smiling as there is no where to lock em up

The list goes on and on.. I'm some way lucky as the company I'm in has been very well sheltered from recession and is coming out of it nicely, buy one hiccup and its gone and I could be in the middle of all that, so to me Switzerland sounds like heaven..

I.C

What makes me stay in Switzerland?
A boyfriend who cannot speak English!! LOL

Ireland will bounce back very soon and none of the above will be valid

My Husband, Daughter and I moved here in July and are seriously looking at the possibility of having to return home to the UK soon because our daughter is so unhappy.
Since we moved ,she has had a lot to cope with, new country, language, school, friends, she misses her Brother, who is in the uk at uni .and we had to have our beloved dog put to sleep only a few weeks ago.

The international school she attends is fine, but I'm becoming very concerned about the things her peers get up to outside of school. It is certainly a world away from what she is used to back home and because she chooses to steer clear of their social preferences, is becoming increasingly bored as there is not a lot else to do.

You would think that because we are surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery, there would be lots going on, but I'm afraid , from a teenagers point of view, life here is dreary. I have seen that there is far less to do here for them, than there is back home.
Life is too short to be unhappy, but we will wait a while to make our decision.
Life here for me is certainly more difficult due to the language barrier, and Switzerland (for us ) is not half as much fun as home.
We'll see what happens in the new year.

They are all still moaning about snow and freezing temperatures everywhere else in Europe. There is no snow in Zurich!! They cleared it all.

Transport - 15 minutes to work no hassle could walk if I wasnt so lazy but can you beat getting on a tram that turns up at the time it is supposed to. Real luxury for me.
Lidl - its cheaper than it was at home
Efficiency - I ask for something I actually get it.
Economy - dont have to listen to people on TV droning on about it only have dubbed tv and cant understand it.
Clean - reckon those super cleaners are out at night polishing the streets
People - putting up with me not being able to sprocken anything other than english.

Downside
Shopping hours - me being a shopper would like a bit more flexability like them being open 24 hours.
Accommodation - finding it is a bit of a nightmare but I am sure it will work out.
Medical Insurance - bit expensive since I refuse to go to a Doctor unless I am on deaths door but its compulsary.

I really like the realistic view of the Swiss, they are not scared and bogged down by 'political correctness'. They say it how it is!

Also the good majority of the people are like sheep, they've been raised and bred into their personal position in life (jobs and family etc.) and never really question why or why not. Just do as they are told, and make sure to do the best job they can.

It's a great little dystopian paradise.

Rich wrote everything I wanted to write. The more time I spend in the UK, the more pleasant and enjoyable Zurich becomes, even with the negatives

Swtizerland is good for "children" up to ages 6-maybe 9 or 10. After that the limitations of Switzerland become too difficult especially for a teenager. The Swiss don't understand talent or "self expression"...If you don't act or are a certain way, then they feel there is something wrong with you. Disaster for a teenager...If a child comes to Switzerland when they are extremely young (baby almost) then they can feel like they are raised in the Schweiz and it is easier-up to a point-...
Bringing a teenager or any child over age 10 or 11 is asking for trouble...LOL.. Its difficult enough for adults to adjust...more less a person just discovering themselves...
The energy with the country is you are either "this or that" no room to change or compromise...If you don't know what you want to do with your life by the time you are 15 or 16yrs young then shame on you...Some people don't know even in their 30s! I sympathize with your daughter...If she had come much younger it may be easier for her...

Sorry to hear about your situation. Moving with teenagers is really difficult. International school is often the only option and while academically the school may be fine, socially it may not be. This is difficult and can have negative consquences on the academic side.

Sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. That must have been very hard particularly so soon after you moved here. Where one lives can make a big difference too in terms of feeling isolated. It takes time to adjust to living here. A view from your window doesn't change things....just means you like looking out the window.

Many families with older children do not relocate as a family. As much as I advocate families staying together, it can't always work, particularly when the children are teenagers. Sometimes it means a year or two of a long distance marriage and then once the kids are settled in uni the situation is completely different.

In your shoes I would probably move back to the UK. I know husbands who commute practically every weekend to the UK to see their families. Plus getting another dog is not nearly as complicated in the UK as it is here now.

• I have sensational neighbours
• I like the town in which I live
• I have a job that I like
• Government and law are fairly predictable
• It is a safe country
• Taxes are not exacting like in most other European countries

OK here is the topic i was looking for

And of course, the economy is no Scheiße like in many other places in Europe:



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