Email At-A-Glance

Here's what's inside:

• 📰 NEWS: Train derailed in Switzerland
• 🧲 Are you a collector?
• 🤑 What you need to know about money in Switzerland
• 🧳 How to save money on Swiss travel
• 🤓 But wait — there's more!
• 🧳 How long with you be in/near Lucerne?

Before we jump into this week's email, we wanted to address the headlines.

This past week, a train derailed in Goppenstein, Switzerland (the line between Spiez and Brig). No one died and only a few were injured, but they believe the accident was caused by an avalanche crossing the tracks.

We're so grateful that no one lost their life, and we're hopeful that the engineers can safely clean up the tracks and reopen the line.

This is a solid reminder to be aware of the weather and warnings when you go out into the mountains (all year round — not just in Winter). All mountain stations show weather warnings and which areas are open or closed. If you aren't sure, check MeteoSwiss!

Reader, are you a collector? Of 🥄 spoons, 🧲 magnets, ❤️ stickers, 👕 t-shirts?

My dad has always collected money.

He often traveled around the world for work and brought back interesting bills from South Korea, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and beyond.

As a kid, I wish I could have put those bills in my plastic toy cash register. But of course my dad reminded me that, "They're not a toy." (I didn't like that answer as a kid, but now I totally understand!)

As his collection grew, he displayed all of those colorful bills in a big frame in his office. It's such a great conversation piece.

When you come to Europe, you expect to use the Euro. But that's not the currency in the land of cheese and chocolate.

As a tourist in Switzerland, here's what you need to know about money:

• Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). (Sometimes, but not always, Euros are also accepted.)
• Coins come in 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 1, 2, and 5 CHF.
• Bills come in 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 1000.
• Nearly everywhere accepts cash, credit cards, and debit cards.
• We suggest traveling with both cash and credit cards (and a debit card is often the best way to get cash from an ATM at favorable rates).

There's more to know...

Here are more interesting facts about Swiss currency — because Jana loves to learn and teach others!