Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, these numbers are important to remember:
Police emergency call 117
Fire department emergency call 118
Ambulance emergency call (RDZ) 144
Poisoning/Intoxication emergencies 145
Rescue by helicopter: Rega 1414
Emergency road service 140
Helpline – Emotional support (Die dargebotene Hand) 143
Helpline for children and teenagers 147
Doctor on Duty (Rettungszentrale) +41 (0)41 211 14 14

Everyone should memorize the first three numbers. The essential information required when reporting an accident is the exact location and street address and the type of accident. If the location is difficult to find, someone should meet the police or ambulance at a nearby landmark and guide them to the accident scene.

If you or a family member feels sick and your usual doctor is not on duty, his answering machine will give you an alternative. You can also call the Doctor on Duty: T +41 (0)41 211 14 14, a 24-hours central telephone service that provides information and advice. If necessary, they can immediately locate doctors, dentists and pharmacies on call at the moment.

Hospital emergency services handle patients in order of their urgency. The cantonal hospital in Baar has a 24-hour emergency service, also for children. You may go there yourself, so don't wait for an ambulance if it is not necessary. The hospital will ask about your insurance coverage. If you don't have Swiss medical insurance, the hospital will probably require some advance payment or financial security.

Zuger Kantonsspital (= Zug Cantonal Hospital)
Landhausstrasse 11
6340 Baar
T +41 (0)41 399 11 11
F +41 (0)41 399 11 21
info@zgks.ch
www.zgks.ch


Shopping
Baar's main shopping area is located in the area between the main railway station and the Dorfstrasse, in the heart of the city. You will find a considerable variety of shops and restaurants. For your everyday needs, you might shop in one of the supermarket chains (the two biggest Swiss supermarket chains are Migros and Coop) or in smaller neighbourhood shops.

General opening hours for larger stores are as follows:

Monday to Thursday 8:30 am to 7:00 pm
Friday 8:30 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Some smaller shops may close earlier. There are no 24-hour stores in Baar. All shops are closed on Sundays and official Swiss public holidays. As an exception, some shops at the main train stations in Zug, Lucerne and Zurich are open 365 days a year and have longer opening hours. In December various shops in Baar are open on selected Sundays.


Media
Newspapers published in the region are the “Neue Zuger Zeitung” and the “Zugerbieter”. The "Zugerbieter", published on Wednesdays, mainly covers local events. The “Amtsblatt des Kantons Zug”, published on Fridays, contains information on cantonal events including church services. It has also a large jobs section, a section on accommodation for sale and rent, and a section for second-hand items including cars. The “Swiss News” is a monthly English-language newspaper. You’ll find a large variety of magazines and international newspapers at the kiosks and railway station newsstands. In addition to various national Radio and TV stations there are local stations. Cable TV offers a variety of 50 to 60 channels in different languages, including CNN, BBC, etc., and it is also possible to receive television via satellite and Internet.

Find a complete list of available Radio and TV programmes at www.databaar.ch.


Postal service
The Swiss Post nowadays provides a wide variety of services, only some of which can be described here. You can check the services and prices in English on the website of the Swiss Post given at the end of this section.
You will find two post offices in Baar. These post offices are open as follows:

Main Post office (Baar 1)
Dorfstrasse 16
6340 Baar
Monday to Friday 7:30 to 12:00 am and 1:45 to 6:30 pm
Saturday 8:30 to 11:30 am
Sunday closed

Post office Baar 2
Oberdorfstrasse 11
6342 Baar
Monday to Friday 7:30 to 11:30 am and 2:00 to 6:00 pm
Saturday 8:30 to 11:00 am
Sunday closed

Letters which already have a stamp on them can be placed in one of the yellow letterboxes. Swiss postal services are divided into A-Post (priority mail) and B-Post (non-priority). Domestically, A-Post is delivered by the next day except sunday, while B-Post is delivered usually after 2 – 3 days. For foreign mail, "A" priority will be delivered to a European or Mediterranean destination within two to four days ("B" mail: five to nine days) and to other countries within five to nine days ("B" mail: three to eight weeks).

You can check the services and prices in English on the website of the Swiss Post: www.post.ch


Swiss bank accounts
Once you have obtained your residence permit, it is quite easy to open a personal (non-business) account in Switzerland. Some banks may require a minimal deposit when you open the account. There are practically no restrictions on deposits, but some types of account that offer higher interest rates have restrictions on withdrawals. Each bank offers a wide variety of accounts and services – ask for full information. You will find that practically all tellers and clerks speak English. All banks, whether local or global, offer similar services and interest rates. The difference might be most noticeable in the quality of the service.


Waste disposal
For your waste you have to use a special garbage bag, available in many shops and supermarkets. The purchase price of these bags includes a charge that covers the waste disposal costs. It is an offence to use any other than official garbage bags.
However "Recycling Zug" offers alternatives for the disposal of many materials at the collection centers (glass, tins, aluminium tins, textiles /shoes, PET Bottles, paper, packaging cardboard, batteries and more) and also by means of special collections (paper, cardboard packaging, vegetable waste). Paper and cardboard, tied in bundles, are collected at the roadside on designated days.

Ökihof Baar (Garbage collecting center)
Altgasse 40
6340 Baar
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 11:30 am and 1:30 pm to 4.30 pm
Saturday 7:30 to 11:00 am

For further information: www.zug.ch/behoerden/weitere-organisationen/zeba/abfallsortierung

Waste leaflet 2013 Gemeinde Baar

Public Holidays
New Year's Day (January 1), Good Friday, Ascension, Corpus Christi, National Holiday (August 1), Assumption (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), Immaculate Conception (December 8), Christmas (December 25). These days are public holidays, even if they are on a weekday and most shops are closed. In the Canton of Zug Berchtoldstag (January 2) Easter Monday, Whit Monday and Boxing Day (December 26) people are usually off.


Speed limits, alcohol limit
Standard speed limits are 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80km/h on country roads and 120 km/h on motorways. A special speed limit of 30 km/h is being introduced in an increasing number of residential districts. The alcohol limit for drivers is 0.5 o/oo.


Swiss currency
The ISO code for the Swiss Franc is CHF, but other abbreviations such as Fr. or SFr. are commonly used. The Swiss currency is divided into Francs (in German: Franken) and Centimes (Rappen). One 1 Franc equals 100 centimes. Banknotes are issued for CHF 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 1,000, and coins are used for 1, 2, 5 Francs as well as 5, 10, 20, and 50 centimes.


Telecommunication
Switzerland is divided into about 20 zones with different area codes, such as 041 for Zug. The area code must be dialled even if calling a phone number within the same zone. In addition, there are some "area codes" for various reasons:

• 076/077/078/079: Cellular phones
• 0800: Toll-free numbers (Charges are paid by the receiver)
• 0900/0901/0906: Business numbers (Services with additional charges)

International calls from Switzerland do not normally require operator assistance. For international calls dial 00 (zero zero), the country code, the area code, and the local phone number. Usually, the leading zero of an area code must not be dialled.



For further information please consult the "zug: expat guide" which can be ordered at:
Department of Economic Affairs
Economic Promotion Office
Aabachstrasse 5, P.O. Box
6301 Zug
T +41 (0)41 728 55 04
F +41 (0)41 728 55 09
economy@zug.ch
www.zug.ch/economy