Everything you need to know to get started: summer vacation tips and tricks

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Towards summer! The first cantons, including Graubünden, both Basel and Appenzell-Innerrhoden, initiate the schooling period. The holiday pleasure is great, the summer temperatures in Germany for days, foreshadow the weather in the best holiday destinations abroad. But where there is great drought, there is also the risk of wildfire. And in some places it’s not easy to jump into the waves. Blick gathered useful information for the best days of the year and asked the experts for their best tips.

If you book your holiday, hotel or holiday apartment online, you should delete cookies and browser history before searching. That’s what consumer advocates recommend. Another tip: browse in incognito mode. This prevents platforms from displaying a possibly higher price because the researcher considers them particularly rich based on features such as IP address. Searching for the same offer multiple times also often leads to a higher price – the calculator records high interest in a particular hotel. What applies to online hotel and holiday apartment booking also applies to flight booking portals.

An international driver’s license is the “translation” of a national driver’s license for driving abroad. Therefore, it is only valid with your national driver’s license. Therefore, both documents must always be presented. An international driver’s license is recommended for driving in all countries outside the EU and EFTA. Some countries and many car rental companies require an international driver’s license. Find out from the travel agency, the responsible consulate or a road traffic association which travel documents you need for the relevant country before you go abroad.

When it comes to diesel vehicles, it’s usually not worth filling up in Switzerland. Tip: Fill only enough to cross the border comfortably. Refueling the vehicle abroad is especially beneficial for those traveling to neighboring countries such as France, Italy, Austria or Germany. Diesel is much cheaper there than in Switzerland, due to government subsidies. The price per liter of unleaded 95 is not so clear: Germany and France currently cost almost the same as in Switzerland, while in Italy it is slightly more expensive, and in Spain, Austria and Slovenia it is much cheaper than in Switzerland.

close the car window! The person who opens both windows while driving creates an additional consumption of approximately 0.2 liters when traveling at 100 km/h. Less load also helps to save: 100 kilos of additional load provides up to 0.3 liters of additional consumption. Too little air in the tires increases fuel consumption. Therefore, check the tire pressure regularly.

Lucia Oeschger, 37, biologist at Swiss animal welfare, advises dogs and cats to stay cool: “Travel with animals in cooler morning or evening hours and leave the car’s air conditioning on.” When driving, make sure there is adequate air supply, clean water, and – especially when it comes to dogs – regular pee breaks. “The car is usually not a place for animals,” says Oeschger. Despite all the warnings, there are always dogs that get locked in stationary cars and die from the heat. “A few minutes in the car is all it takes and the dog can get heat stroke,” says Oeschger. In direct sunlight, an outside temperature of 20 degrees will suffice. It doesn’t help either to park the car in the shade and open the window a little.

Each country defines the rules differently. Therefore, each holiday region should be looked at separately. In Italy, Greece, Great Britain, and various other countries, any modification of sandy beaches is prohibited by law. This means that no bottles are filled with sand, no shells or stones are collected. Anyone caught will face a fine. In Sardinia, for example, there is a risk of fines between 500 and 3,000 euros if tourists are caught shopping. Turkey is particularly restrictive when it comes to such “souvenirs”. Collectors of old stones or broken pieces can go to jail.

Not everything sold can be brought seamlessly across the border. You should be careful when it comes to souvenirs containing animal or herbal products. For example, carvings made from rhino horn or protected wood species are prohibited. For example, an export permit is required for a bracelet made from elephant hair in Botswana. You should also have a good knowledge of plants and foods. For example, medicine made from Indian snake root is haram. Meat from wild animals (bush meat), canned crocodile meat or dried shark fins are also prohibited.

Favorite Swiss holiday destinations are in the Mediterranean: Italy, Spain, Greece and Cyprus are popular. Average summer temperatures in Italy in the past ranged from 28 to 29 degrees Celsius. In times of climate change, the situation is different: our southern neighbors are currently battling a heat wave of up to 40 degrees Celsius. It’s not unusual for it to be more than 30 degrees during the day in Spain. However, it is very hot in Spain right now. The heat wave in Andalusia’s Huelva province, which has been continuing since Friday, reached its peak with 44.4 degrees on Monday. The Greek mainland and most of the Greek islands are characterized by the Mediterranean climate. The average temperature in July and August is around 35 degrees, and it can rarely cool down to 22 degrees during the day.

Radiation intensity is highest between 11:00 and 15:00 at noon. Therefore, you should stay in the shade or buildings during this time. Shade or clothing that covers the skin, a sun hat, and sunglasses provide the best protection. Caution: Sunscreen only protects against sunburn for a limited time. Repeated application of the cream does not prolong the protection period. Even if the sunscreen says “waterproof”, you should reapply it after bathing or drying. Expired sunscreen no longer has adequate sun protection factor. Therefore, it is important not to use old creams.

When traveling, the following applies to food: cook, peel, boil or forget! Or in German: peel, boil, fry or do without it! Particular attention should be paid to raw food such as oysters, carpaccio, ice cream or salad. If you peel the skins of uncooked fruits and vegetables yourself, you can eat them without hesitation. Clean water is scarce in many countries. Tap water is often heavily contaminated with microbes and is not suitable for our drinking water quality. Therefore, quench your thirst with water and soft drinks from sealed bottles or cans. You should avoid ice cubes in drinks and freshly squeezed juices. Another tip: Restaurants in tourist miles advertise with “weekly” and “daily hit” on the one hand. Secondly, it’s probably not a problem because it’s newly bought and prepared. You should pay attention to the highest temperatures of the week – also about summer temperatures.

Yes! It can be expensive to take the buses home and leave them where they are. You could be on the wanted list on an open bus, which could result in a ban. According to the Federal Police Service (Fedpol), the vehicle can be seized in the country in question until the next time a fine is paid. The following applies to fines from France, Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein: Enforcement benefits based on agreements are available. In other words, foreign fines are also collected in Switzerland. There are very high reminder fees for non-payment in Italy. Many countries have discounts if the fine is paid quickly. But you should not simply accept arbitrariness. If you are faced with a fine that seems excessive for a minor sin, you should request a payment receipt and have it sent to your home, for example with your legal protection, for further clarification of the penalty.

Unfortunately, no. There will be a lot of traffic in the summer! This is what the Federal Office of Highways (FEDRO) expects in its latest estimate. No surprises: traffic jams are expected, especially in Gotthard and San Bernadino. However, the traffic areas of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Lugano are also affected. ASTRA advises: “If possible, avoid the main travel days Friday through Sunday and drive throughout the week. The same applies to (daily) trips to areas particularly affected by traffic jams. If you have to travel during the peak travel season, take enough time and have enough drinks in the car.»

Source :Blick