Hi All

I'm going to be in Zurich in a couple of weeks for a few days for a final round of job interviews. Should everything go to plan I will be moving there from South Africa with my family and 2 labradors.

While I'm in Zurich, I'm going to have some time to scout around the city. I am thinking of just looking at some possible areas in which to live, and I was hoping for some suggestions from you. I would need to have a place with at least a small garden, and hopefully with easy access to somewhere to walk my dogs.

I understand that I'm probably going to have to live a little outside the city, which is fine (provided it easy enough to get in with public transport), but I wouldn't even know where to start.

This maybe should be posted under "housing", but its all for my dogs!

CH is very pet friendly. That said, I think your problems could be related to importing the pets as well as finding an affordable yet spacious home for you and the pets.

By using very efficient public transportation ( train, tram, bus, boat etc. ), you can be in the city ( if that is where work is going to be ) within say 1 hour door to door each way if planned properly.

I would probably look at the west side of Zürich, like "Affoltern am Albis" and surrounding areas. Rolling hills, lots of woods and farmland, rural, horse-country. Great for dogs, I think. Go a bit further to the west (say between "Ottenbach" and "Muri"), you have the Reuss river, if your doggies like to take a plunge. Muri itself is handy, if you have a car, as it is within a 30 minutes' commute to either Zürich, Zug, Aarau or Luzern, housing is relatively affordable. If you like to commute by train, Affoltern and along its "S-Bahn"-lines is probably better.

Another area, which is surely good for doggies, but more urban and more expensive, would be the area around the "Greifensee"

But even some parts of Zürich itself, like the "Seebach" or "Neuaffoltern" areas, have spots near the woods or near the "Katzensee", where your dogs can enjoy, adequate housing is a bit more difficult to obtain and not exactly cheap, though.

These and lots more.
Good luck

Hi there
Zurich is ok, but the houses small and mostly extremely expensive. The Park at lake side is ok for a short walk with the dog during lunchtime. If you want to have a bigger house with garden look in Mühlau(aargau) not that far from zürich since the highway has been opened (Affoltern am albis) and relative cheap.

But do not go to Schwyz...there you have to have your dog evereywhere on a lash

It will really depend on where your new office is going to be. Echoing what others have said on this thread, it will be difficult to find a house with a garden in the city itself but loads of people have dogs in the city and live near forests or good walking trails - Seebach, Höngg, Zürichberg etc.

I used to live in Höngg before moving out of the city and there is a great forest with good trails that I take my dog to (mind the ticks!! ugh). Alternatively, there is also the Limmat river in that area, where the your labs can jump in for dips.

Alternatively, check out both sides of the lake for those water loving labs. Charming little towns along the way.

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