I completely understand and agree with what you are saying. For someone who is busy with work they enjoy there may be some advantages being here. For others (in my case I manage my UK business from here) it can be a bit of a nightmare as the life here is quite different from UK in lots of ways (not always positive) that become more apparent the longer one stays. I do not think attractive scenery or well run services are everything and so-called "quality of life" should take into account the general atmosphere and behaviour of the locals as well, which, quite frankly, is not always particularly inspiring here.

There are also practical considerations to bear in mind such as the extreme housing shortage in the more pleasant parts, the excessive cost of everything and the annoying, rigid bureaucracy.

I would advise anyone thinking of coming here from UK to stay away. For all its faults UK is still a more human place.

The majority of people on this forum, surely, are expats. People who have decided to move to Switzerland. If it eventually becomes clear (or slowly the disadvantages outweight the advantages) that this isn't the place to be, then they can simply move back to their previous country, or to another one.

Switzerland isn't somewhere like Thailand where you sell your house, buy a villa and maybe a business, then eventually lose all your money to scams and prostitutes Everyone moving here should be able to afford to move somewhere else.

Edit to add my actual point : I think moving to Switzerland is a fantastic idea and I can't wait to get to Basel. Once I tire of it I'll move back.

Quite honestly my wife is Swiss and would hate to live in England.

This philosophical approach is not always applicable to families with children. Any move needs agreement of both parents + involves considerable upheaval and disturbance to everyone.

I am English, and I will NEVER move back to the UK. Whenever I go back, I notice how things have gotten worse. The media is more sensationalist, there's another government scandal, the crime rate is off the scale and increasing, not to mention the weather ( not so much that actual weather, but how the Brirish react to it - 4 people died last night in CARS stranded on snowy motorways - the country cannot deal with anything more than a light drizzle, if not - the country goes to a standstill ). The English have not lost their humour or their sense of community, the sense of "one against all" and they have a great sense of humour and resiliiance ( which they didn't lose since the war, jesus ) , but, still. It's my mother country and whenever I go back there, I feel more and more I am walking into Romania in 1980. My advice, go there, experience the warmth of the people, the beauty of some of the areas ( Scotland, South Downs, New Forest - exmoor in the fog is BREATHtaking, like a sea of mist - totally beautiful ) - but have an exit plan after 2 years. There, I did it. My parents still live there and I urge them emigrate whenever I can. Oh, and if you have kids - Britain has the highest rate in Europe for under 16 drug taking, binge drinking and pregnancy. Yoou have been warned, welcome to the UK.

Indeed.

"United Kingdom – you’re welcome to it."

The subject of this thread is why people stay in Switzerland; the last 2 posts merely attack UK. Do these people only have negative reasons to stay in Switzerland? Perhaps they could enlighten readers with any positive reasons why they like being in Switzerland so much.

It's relevant to the thread, so people can write what they wish about the UK. PLenty of good things about CH have already been said.

I stay in Switzerland because the UK is so bad. Makes sense to me. I stay because the skiing is better. Btw, the rant about how awful Switzerland is, I just don't recognise. Obviously Basel is not like the rest of the country...

What you say makes sense. Apart from those on special tax breaks I'm sure many people only come to and stay in Switzerland for negative reasons - e.g. "because the UK is so bad" - and relatively superficial considerations such as "the skiing is better". I do not believe that over time such reasons are sufficient to make one really enjoy living in another country.

Absolutely agree piccadilly, and I think that's why there are obviously so many frustrated expats here, they came to Switzerland for economic or family reasons, rarely because they knew the country or culture and wanted to live here, and hoped the rest would be alright, "Switzerland is modern and rich, so hopefully there won't be too many issues".
And after that they get all worked up because of cultural differences they could have informed themselves about beforehand. An expat going to China, India, even Singapore will go there with a completely different mindset, expecting differences and hopefully enjoying them, but I don't get that feeling much here at all. It's as if the many or most of the people who come to work here are culturally inflexible, without the wish or ability to adapt to local customs, correct me if I'm wrong. I think I can compare it a bit to other countries because I regularely read a few other expat forums in Asian countries where I lived and worked, or just visited before, and the vibe is completely different, there aren't many helpless "Oh no, this isn't like back home!" threads at all, just people trying to adapt and learn and exchanging experiences.
Now objectively Switzerland is quite a good country, but that will not decide whether or not you like it here. After all I love India, but obviously it won't rank very high up in any expat rankings or living standard ratings, so it all boils down to what kind of experience and life you seek.

Well put Simon. Writing from person experience I would say the most disturbing thing about living here is the lack of friendliness, cheerfulness and warmth on the part of the locals. It's like living in a ghost town.

I frequently chat and interact with the locals for business and pleasure and have often found them friendly, cheerful, and warm. Maybe it's just you.

I always wonder about this. I'm a pretty easy going, happy person and I've never noticed people to be less friendly than anywhere else. (More so, if anything. People you walk past on the streets in the US rarely, if ever, said hello.)

If you're wandering about with a scowl on your face and a ****** attitude, you'll probably get the same in return. You usually get what you give.

You're probably right. However, I still find them venal and intransigent is most financial dealings.

On a personal level people are good at using polite formulas (bonne journée, bon appetit, bonnes fetes etc) which seem to be an effective barrier against any real contact.

Admiteddly, I don't work in finance and the nature of my work has nothing to do with financial dealings. If I had to deal with bankers all day, Swiss or otherwise, I'd probably be pretty miserable.

The politeness takes a bit of getting used to, but "Sie" is nonexistent in my workplace, and I pretty much only use it for telephone conversations or greeting older folks, much as I would have used "Mr." or "Mrs." in the US.

For 3 years I tried to uproot my other half from CH. No sucess. He ended up conviencing me it is better here and had better luck uprooting me

I don't get why partners of people who have come over here moan, you have a perfect opportunity to learn something new, do all the things you ever wanted to do but didn't have the time, learn a new language, get fit, start your own business etc etc etc, instead you moan about being bored, and missing your friends and family (er webcam and skype??) and just wasting a once in a lifetime experience.

Well, Swiss in general differentiate very much between business and private life, and in negotations, especially financial dealings we tend to be very strict/intransigent as you say. I also feel there are huge differences within Switzerland, while I understand why people in Zürich appear unfriendly and cold I as perceive them so as well, it's a completely different thing when I go back to my home village (where people don't know me anymore but still greet with a Grüezi and smile). I think a lot of perceptions here of expats are valid to a degree, it's just you need to learn to overcome the famed aloofness of the Swiss to enjoy their company.

100% agree, but then I suspect that many people who come here indeed aren't like that, that they don't cherish, but fear opportunites and change.
They try to reproduce their old lifestyle asap and don't create a new life.
I can't live without change and new challenges, that's probably why I often groan at silly or ignorant complaints, as I don't understand their mindset.