You will need plenty of Swiss Francs for Herbstmesse!

This is the second of my Switzerland based blogs. As many of you may know Switzerland is a cash based society and you will end up paying for almost everything in Swiss Francs using notes and coins.

We were in Basel for Herbstmesse or Autumn Fair. Herbstmesse is a combination of Craft Markets, similar to many of the Swiss and German Christmas markets but in addition there are fair ground rides scattered all round the city’s squares. In the city plan below the blue panels represent fun fairs and the red is for the craft market that also overflows into Petersplatz and the main approach roads.  Read more... (482 words, 3 images, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

We all want the best exchange rates right? As some of you will know I have been on our annual pilgrimage to Switzerland this week and this time I have taken the opportunity to compare the exchange rates offered in a local Bureau do change, heathrow airport and Euro Airport Basel. This is a fairly graphic demonstration of how much money you can save by not buying your currency at the airport. The only way to get the best exchange rate is to order it in advance.  Read more... (387 words, 5 images, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

Interestingly our original 2009 article on whether the Euro was overvalued discussed the chances of a Eurozone meltdown. At that time we were getting less than €1.20 to the pound.  Professor Hans-Werner Sinn, President of the International Institute of Public Finance, was quoted as saying that he felt the Euro was overvalued. Professor Sin was described by The Independent as among the ten most important people who changed the world in 2011, so no light weight then. Jim O’Neil of Goldman Sachs was quoted as saying that “something needs to be done by European policy makers to stabilise the euro in the near future.”  Read more... (1119 words, 1 image, estimated 4:29 mins reading time)