Digital BW, The Print

My daughter is living in Lugano, Switzerland, and
through her experiences offer the following advice:

1.  Items (and restaurant meals - read the Rick Steves
comments on Swiss restaurant prices) are very
expensive when bought in Switzerland compared to what
we are used to in the US.
    a.  A bottle of contact lens saline solution $23.
    b.  Develop 3 rolls of color print film $60.
Prices for her in Italy are much more reasonable, and
Lugano is very close to the Italian border.  You do
have to be somewhat careful about what you bring or
ship across the border.  Used items usually won't be
charged duty, but new ones probably will be charged. 
If you take equipment from the US make sure you get
the Customs form 4457 completed on which you register
the equipment you are taking with you when you leave
the US.  That way you won't have to pay duty on it
when you return to the US.  You can only get this form
filled out at certain US Customs locations.

2.  Switzerland uses 220 volt 50 cycle electricity. 
You will need to make sure your electrical equipment
can handle that.  Some laptop and digital camera power
bricks can take the 220 volts, some cannot.  (My Canon
Digital Rebel battery charger handled it fine with a
plug adapter.  My daughter's power supply for her
Toshiba digital camera would not, and she had to buy
one that would work on 220 volts.  The plug is
different, but that can be handled with a plug adapter
set.  I used the ones that came with the adapter I
bought so my electric razor would work.

We are taking another (first in Oct. '04) trip to
visit our daughter in May and plan to travel to
Venice, Vienna, Zurich (where my Swiss ancestors came
from), and a few other places.

Good luck on your time in Switzerland!

Mike


--- djmay6782 <djmay6782@...> wrote:
> 
> I will be moving from the USA to Switzerland for a
> year and may want 
> to use a scanner and printer while there.  My
> choices are to buy 
> equipment in the USA and take it with me or wait
> until I get to 
> Switzerland and buy it.  I do not intend to take the
> equipment I 
> currently own.
> 
> I would appreciate recommendations.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jesse
> 
> 
> 
> 


		
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