Convert CAD to CHF Canadian dollar ↔ Swiss franc Free Online Secure
Type an amount in Canadian dollar and read it in Swiss franc at once. The page uses the European Central Bank's reference rate, and tells you which day that rate is from.
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Common amounts — Convert CAD to CHF (Canadian dollar ↔ Swiss franc)
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The last thirty days
Where these codes and rates come from
The three letters in EUR, USD or JPY are not an abbreviation someone invented for a website: they are ISO 4217, a standard in which the first two letters are the country's own code and the third is usually the initial of the currency. The figures on this page come from the European Central Bank, which publishes one set of reference rates each working day, around 16:00 Central European time, agreed between the central banks of the Eurosystem. They are a daily snapshot meant for statistics and accounting, not a live trading feed — which is exactly why they are the same number for everyone, rather than whatever one bank happened to quote at one moment.
Where you meet an exchange rate
You meet an exchange rate four or five times a year without thinking about it: booking a trip, paying an invoice issued abroad, buying from a foreign shop, reading a salary offer in another currency, or checking what a card charge really cost. In all of these the reference rate is the honest middle, and the price you actually pay sits a little to one side of it. Knowing the middle is what lets you see how wide that margin is.
Questions people ask
Is this the rate my bank will give me?
No, and no page can promise one. This is the European Central Bank's reference rate: the midpoint published once a day for statistics. A bank, a card scheme or an exchange office adds its own margin on top — usually between half a percent and three percent, sometimes more at an airport counter. Use this figure to judge the offer you are given, not to predict it.
How often does the figure change, and what happens at weekends?
The European Central Bank publishes once each working day, in the afternoon, Central European time. There is no publication on Saturdays, Sundays or TARGET holidays, so on those days the page shows the last working day's rate and says which day it belongs to. The chart alongside is one year of the same daily series.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
A Canadian in the Alps: trains, lakes and cheese in the most expensive country in Europe, and what a dollar buys in francs
Canadians who love mountains tend to feel they know the Alps before they arrive. The Rockies have their own glaciers, lakes and cable cars, and the Swiss Alps offer a version of the same landscape that is older, tidier and wired to a railway timetable accurate to the minute. Villages hang on slopes with cows wearing bells, a train climbs inside a mountain to a station above the clouds, and a lake the colour of milky jade lies at the foot of a castle. The only part that disappoints is the bill. Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world, and a coffee that costs three Canadian dollars at home can cost seven. Understanding how many Swiss francs a Canadian dollar buys is the first step to a trip that does not end in a nervous glance at the bank statement. Use this page to Convert CAD to CHF with the daily reference rates published by the European Central Bank, in which the Canadian dollar and the Swiss franc are both quoted against the euro; the page combines them into a dollar-franc figure and prints its date under the result. The amount you type never leaves your browser.
Using the converter
Canadian dollars in, francs out
Type your daily budget and Convert CAD to CHF, then write the date next to the answer, because the two belong together.
Type an amount in Canadian dollars and the page shows the equivalent in Swiss francs and centimes, together with the date of the fixing used. A franc is worth about one and a half Canadian dollars or a little more, so the answer is roughly two thirds of the number you typed. A fixing is published once on each working day; on weekends and public holidays the page repeats the last one and says so. A table of round sums and a graph of the last thirty days sit below the box. For the opposite direction, from francs into dollars, open Convert CHF to CAD.
The reference and the real price
When a counter offers a rate, Convert CAD to CHF first and divide their offer by the result to see the margin.
The number on the screen is the mid-market reference, with no provider's margin added. A bank, a bureau or a card will give you less, and the difference is the real price of the exchange. Divide what you are offered by what this page shows: 0.99 is excellent, 0.97 is common for a card, and anything under 0.95 invites a second quote. The sums below assume an invented, tidy rate of 1.55 Canadian dollars to the franc. It is not a forecast and not today's price, so replace it with the live figure.
Swiss money and Swiss prices
The franc in practice
The Swiss franc is divided into 100 centimes, called Rappen in German-speaking areas, and the coins range from 5 centimes to 5 francs. Banknotes in the current series are vertical and in vivid colours, in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1000. Switzerland is not in the European Union and does not use the euro, though some shops in tourist areas and border towns accept euros at a poor rate and give change in francs. The franc is considered a safe-haven currency, which means it tends to rise in times of economic fear.
How expensive is expensive?
Before you decide on a hotel, Convert CAD to CHF for the nightly rate and for three meals a day.
A coffee in a cafe costs 4.5 to 6 francs, a main course in a restaurant 25 to 45, a sandwich at a station 8 to 12, a hostel dormitory bed 40 to 60 and a double room in a mid-range hotel 180 to 300. At the invented rate, a 5-franc coffee is 7.75 Canadian dollars and a 30-franc dinner 46.50. Wages are high in Switzerland, which explains the prices, and no amount of grumbling will change them. Convert CAD to CHF for your daily needs, and set a budget that matches reality rather than hope.
Ways to eat for less
Supermarkets such as Coop and Migros sell sandwiches, salads and hot meals at far lower prices than restaurants. Many mountain huts serve a simple dish of the day for 15 to 25 francs. Picnics are a Swiss tradition, with bread, cheese, cured meats and fruit from a village shop. Tap water is excellent and free, and public fountains are marked drinkable.
Trains, boats and cable cars
The railway as an attraction
The Swiss railway network is dense, punctual and scenic. Several lines are famous in their own right: the Glacier Express, which crosses the Alps in a slow panoramic ride of about eight hours, the Bernina Express over a pass into Italy, and the cogwheel line to the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. Reserved seats on the panoramic trains cost extra. A one-day journey on the Glacier Express can cost 150 to 250 francs for a seat, and the trip to the Jungfraujoch around 200 to 230 return from Interlaken, or 310 to 350 Canadian dollars at the invented rate.
Passes that pay or do not
A pass is a large single payment, so Convert CAD to CHF for it and for the single tickets you would otherwise buy.
The Swiss Travel Pass gives unlimited travel on trains, buses and boats and free entry to hundreds of museums, from about 250 francs for three days to 450 for eight. The Half Fare Card halves the price of most tickets for a month and costs around 120 francs. Whether either pays off depends on your route. Count the tickets you expect to buy, Convert CAD to CHF for the total, and compare it with the pass price.
Lakes and boats
Steamers cross Lake Geneva, Lake Lucerne, Lake Zurich and many others, some of them historic paddle steamers from the nineteenth century. A cruise of a few hours costs 30 to 80 francs. Boat services are included in the Travel Pass. A day on a lake, with a swim in a quiet cove and lunch in a village, is one of the best uses of a summer afternoon.
Walking in the Alps
Trails and huts
A hut bed and a half-board meal look modest in francs, but Convert CAD to CHF for a week of them.
Switzerland has more than sixty thousand kilometres of marked trails, with yellow signposts that show walking times, and mountain huts that offer a bed and a meal. A bed in a hut costs 40 to 70 francs, half-board 90 to 130. Book in advance in summer, bring a sleeping liner, and carry cash, since not every hut takes cards. Weather turns quickly, so carry a waterproof jacket, a hat and extra layers. Heights are given in metres, and Convert m to ft turns them into feet.
Safety on the mountain
Check the forecast, tell someone your route, and turn back if clouds gather. Avalanche warnings apply in winter and spring. Mountain rescue is not free, and a helicopter can cost several thousand francs, so travel insurance with rescue cover is vital. Emergency number 144 reaches an ambulance, and 1414 the air rescue service.
Money matters
Cards and cash
Take only a small reserve in cash and Convert CAD to CHF to see how much that is in dollars.
Cards are accepted nearly everywhere, from hotels to mountain railway ticket offices, and contactless payment is common. Carry a small reserve of francs for huts, public toilets and village shops. Cash machines of Swiss banks give a better rate than exchange booths. If a terminal offers to charge you in Canadian dollars, refuse and pay in francs, since the rate offered is worse than your card network's.
Tipping and tax
Service is included in menu prices by law, so tipping is optional, though rounding up is appreciated; 5 to 10 per cent for good service is generous. Value-added tax is included in prices. Visitors from outside Europe can reclaim it on purchases above a minimum amount in participating shops, with a form stamped at customs when you leave.
Time, weather and units
Switzerland is six hours ahead of Toronto and nine ahead of Vancouver. Convert CET to EST gives the step to the Canadian east coast. Distances are in kilometres; Convert km to mi turns them into miles. Convert °C to °F helps with forecasts.
Cities on the water
Zurich, Lucerne and Geneva
City tickets add up, so Convert CAD to CHF for the transport pass and the museums together.
Switzerland's cities are small by North American standards but full of interest. Zurich has a lakefront promenade, an old town of narrow lanes and a large art museum; Lucerne is built around a lake and a medieval covered wooden bridge; Geneva has the jet of water in the harbour, the headquarters of many international organisations and a mild climate in which palm trees grow. Each can be seen in a day or two. Public transport in the cities is efficient, with a day ticket at 9 to 15 francs. Museums cost 10 to 25 francs, and many are free on the first Sunday of the month or with the Travel Pass.
Bern and Basel
The capital, Bern, has an arcaded old town listed by UNESCO, a clock tower with moving figures and a river where locals float downstream in summer. Basel, on the Rhine near the borders with France and Germany, has more museums per head than almost any city, and a carnival in winter that draws hundreds of thousands. A visit to both takes a weekend. Hotels in these cities are expensive on business days and cheaper at weekends.
A day in a Swiss city
Plan a morning walk through the old town, a museum before lunch, a bakery stop and a boat ride in the afternoon. A day of this kind costs 80 to 140 francs per person, including lunch. At the invented rate, that is 124 to 217 Canadian dollars. Convert CAD to CHF for each item and you will have a number to hold on to.
Chocolate, cheese and watches
Edible souvenirs
Swiss chocolate is a national product, and a bar from a supermarket costs 2 to 4 francs, while a box from a confectioner may cost 20 to 50. Cheese comes in dozens of local varieties, from Gruyère and Emmental to Appenzeller and Tête de Moine; a piece of a hundred grams costs 3 to 8 francs. Fondue, a pot of melted cheese eaten with bread, costs 25 to 40 francs per person in a restaurant. Check Canadian customs rules on cheese and meat before you buy.
Watches
Switzerland produces watches from 50 francs for a plastic quartz model to six figures for a hand-finished mechanical masterpiece. Shops along the lakeside in Geneva and on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich display the big names, and museums in Geneva and in La Chaux-de-Fonds explain the craft. If you buy an expensive watch, keep the paperwork and the certificate, and ask about the tax refund for visitors.
Knives and cowbells
A red pocket knife with a white cross is the classic gift, with models from 20 to 200 francs. Cowbells, carved wooden toys and embroidered cloth are other traditional souvenirs. Buy from established shops and avoid cheap imitations, which are common in tourist areas.
A week, with figures
Seven days in the Alps
A couple spends a week split between Lucerne, Interlaken and Zermatt. Six nights at 200 francs are 1,200. A regional travel pass costs 500 for two. Meals at 100 francs a day for two make 700, mountain railway excursions 380, museums 100, local extras 120. The total is 3,000 francs, which at the invented rate is 4,650 Canadian dollars, not counting the flights. Convert CAD to CHF for every line to see where the budget is tightest.
Ways to save
Self-catering apartments and youth hostels cut lodging costs by half. Shops close early on Saturday and on Sunday, so buy food in advance. Look for regional guest cards: many hotels in resorts give them free, and they include discounts on lifts and local transport. Walking trails cost nothing and are among the great pleasures of the country.
Winter in Switzerland
Skiing from Canada's point of view
A Canadian used to Whistler or Banff will find Swiss skiing different in character: smaller resorts perched in villages that have existed for centuries, long runs that end at a railway station instead of a car park, and mountain restaurants where lunch comes with a glass of wine. Lift passes cost 70 to 100 francs a day at the main resorts such as Zermatt, Verbier, St. Moritz and Davos, and 45 to 65 at smaller ones. A week of skiing for one person, including six days of lifts, equipment rental and shared lodging, comes to about 1,500 to 2,200 francs, or 2,325 to 3,400 Canadian dollars at the invented rate. Convert CAD to CHF for each line when you choose between resorts.
Winter without skis
Switzerland offers plenty for those who do not ski. Cleared walking paths lead through snowy forests, sledging runs descend from many mountain stations, and spa towns have thermal baths with outdoor pools open in winter. Christmas markets fill the squares of Basel, Zurich and Montreux from late November, with mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. Trains run reliably in snow, and a bus connects every village.
Clothing and kit
Dress in layers, bring waterproof boots with good grip, and pack sunglasses and sunscreen, because the sun at altitude burns even in winter. Gloves, a hat and a neck warmer weigh little and make a large difference. Rental shops at resorts offer helmets and gear, but bring your own boots if you have them.
Language and politeness
Words in four languages
German, French, Italian and Romansh are national languages, and a visitor may meet all of them in a single trip. In German-speaking areas, say grüezi for hello and merci or danke for thank you; in the French-speaking west, bonjour and merci; in the Italian-speaking south, buongiorno and grazie. English is spoken widely in hotels, shops and on trains. A friendly greeting when you enter a shop, a bakery or a lift is standard, and people notice if you skip it.
Habits to respect
Switzerland values punctuality, quiet and cleanliness. Do not make noise late at night or on Sundays in residential areas, sort your rubbish when it is expected, and keep your voice low on trains. Queues are respected and walkers on trails greet each other. In a restaurant, wait to be seated, and do not ask for tap water in a place where it is not offered; ask politely, and they will bring it.
Hiking etiquette
On mountain trails, uphill walkers have priority, cows must not be disturbed, gates on pastures should be closed behind you and dogs kept on a lead near livestock. Rubbish must be carried out. In case of mist, stay on the marked path. These rules protect both visitors and the farmers who use the mountains for summer grazing.
Other conversions
If the trip goes on
Travellers who continue to the euro area can use Convert CAD to EUR, those who cross to Britain Convert CAD to GBP, and those who go home through the United States Convert CAD to USD.
A habit worth keeping
Write down the rate and date each time you change money. A look at the note at home tells you what the trip really cost.
Mistakes to avoid
Underestimating the prices
A single dinner can shock, so Convert CAD to CHF for it in advance and plan the rest of the day around it.
Switzerland is expensive even for Canadians. Convert CAD to CHF for a day of meals before you decide how long to stay.
Paying in dollars
A terminal that offers to charge you in Canadian dollars uses its own rate. Pay in francs.
Using an old rate
The franc can move quickly in turbulent times. The date beside the result protects you whenever you Convert CAD to CHF.
In short
The only thing fetched from the network is the table of daily rates; your amount stays in the browser and no account is needed. From a cogwheel train to a mountain hut, one habit pays: Convert CAD to CHF, read the date and weigh every offer against the figure on this page.