There are many wonderful online resources and communities for families in Switzerland, most with positive, supportive parents eager to answer questions and make recommendations. Here are a few of my favorites that I use regularly. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, so please comment and leave your suggestions.
Facebook Groups & Forums for families
These are places to ask questions and give advice to parents living in Switzerland.
International Mothers Living in Switzerland – Facebook group focused on parenting in Switzerland, with a wide range of topics from looking for certain baby supplies to very personal discussions about difficulties of raising children in Switzerland. I find it leans more toward those with babies and small children.
Zurich Silver Coast Parents – Facebook group for parents living near Zurich, answering general parenting in Switzerland questions as well as sharing info on local resources like playgroups, doctors and babysitting.
Family Matters Switzerland – an online parenting journal for English-speaking parents in Switzerland, run by volunteers. This bi-monthly publication was in print for 20 years and moved online in 2012.
Swiss Family Travel – this Facebook group is “for families to share their travel ideas and tips for traveling with kids in and around Switzerland,” moderated by Kristin from the Swiss Family Travel website.
Bloggers in Switzerland – Facebook group of English-speaking bloggers in Switzerland supporting each other and sharing advice on building and maintaining their personal and commercial blogging ventures.
English Forum Switzerland – this long standing forum answers all sorts of questions about living in Switzerland and the expat experience. Some posters can be a little aggressive, so tread carefully.
Family Bloggers in Switzerland
I love hearing stories from other expats in Switzerland, seeing where they travel and what they do with their families. Here are a few of my favorite bloggers in Switzerland, who write about family-friendly activities in their regions of Switzerland.
Our Swiss Experience – Hana writes about family friendly activities in Switzerland, particularly in the Bern region where she lives. She writes in Czech, English & German.
Z’nuni – Kristin writes about life and family activities in Switzerland. She is Australian, married to a Swiss man and speaks Swiss German, so she has a unique perspective that helps bridge the cultural gap. She’s lived in Switzerland for 16+ years, now in Zug with her family.
Packed Again – Corina is Swiss, the mother of twins, living in the Valais region. She blogs about family travel worldwide and lots of hikes in Switzerland, particularly in the Valais. She blogs in English and German.
Gelato Travel – Julie is an American living in Ticino. She writes about family travel and Swiss hiking, particularly in Ticino.
Slovenien Girl Abroad – We mostly follow Urška’s adventures with her young child on Instagram and her YouTube channel, but she also has a blog. She lives in the Luzern area.
Tiny in de Bergen – Hiking blog for Switzerland in Dutch.
Parentville – A fantastic resource for families living in the Geneva area, with lots of activities for children. She’s written a children’s book: ABC Geneva. Every summer Olga also writes a Staycation guide for the Geneva area, available as an eBook.
Mom in Zurich – Kate has been blogging about her family travel adventures since she moved to Switzerland from her other expat experience in London. She chronicled the pregnancy, birth, and adventures with baby on her blog, noting the differences between her experiences raising children in the US and London compared to Switzerland.
Family Earth Trek – Dawan and her adorable toddler are based in Bern, blogging about world travel and hikes in the western part of Switzerland. They are currently traveling around the world, but they have lots of great Swiss hiking suggestion on their blog.
Lausanne Mom (retired but still great info while it lasts) – family activities in and around the Lausanne area.
Mont Blanc Family– family activities, particularly hiking with kids, in the Chamonix/Mont Blanc area
More hiking blogs in Switzerland
These hiking bloggers do more challenging hikes, so not all suitable for families. But I often find good ideas there.
Wander We Go. Alex is always climbing a mountain and getting the best views.
Culture & Lifestyle Bloggers in Switzerland
One Big Yodel – Chantal is every expat’s favorite blogger writing hilarious personal accounts of Swiss life. She is currently living in the US, but still writes frequently about Swiss culture. She is the author of Swiss Life: 30 Things I Wish I’d Known and 99.9 Ways to Travel Switzerland Like a Local, which are great reads.
Zurich Little Kitchen – Fran blogs about Swiss food traditions, like explaining the mystery behind Bircher Müesli. She was raised in Switzerland and lives in Zurich with her family.
More websites for family activities around Switzerland
- Family First Switzerland – web portal for family activities in Zurich and Basel regions
- Play Basel
- Basel in English
- Basel Children’s Trust
- Geneva Family Diaries
And a few in German:
- Schweizer Familie – lots of tips, but I go here for hiking ideas and their list of fire pits (feuerstelle)
- Lola Brause – great resource for kid-friendly events, like concerts and theater
- Leben in Adliswil – love how enthusiastically this little town south of Zurich promotes all sort of fun local activities and events
Did I forget your favorite? What are your favorite family websites for your corner of Switzerland?
