My family and I are moving to Zug Switzerland early next year, we are looking at area's to rent in, Baar has been recommended, any comments on english speaking life in Baar? We are from South Africa, I believe SAB Europe is loctaed in Baar, and hvae been told there are quite a few SAF's here, enough to start a touch rugby league?
Probably one exists already but certainly Baar is a nice place to live but just expect too much in the shape of great restaurants or bars. I lived in Baar for a year and its a nice enough place, Zug is equally nice and dare I say it, Cham is the best out of the three but I am sure that some may disagree.
Zug and Cham have the advantage of being on the lake but hey if you live in Baar you're only 5 minutes away!!!
Living outside of these three town will depend on where you will work and where the kids if there are any will go to school but public transport is super efficient. There are numerous international companies here and in all honesty, English is spoken throughout (well at least by 80% of the people if they can be bothered)
Just say a fond farewell to shopping centres and Sunday trading before you leave South Africa along. Apart from that everything here is wonderful!!!
Thanks for the feedback, so where is the action in Zug? Cham and Zug itself? My wife and I are young and active with two children, we enjoy our outdoors, nightlife dinning, sports etc.. We are spoilt for choice in SA and want to get the best out of Switzerland, we are moving permanently.. How is the house rental market in Cham/Baar?
Yes there are bars here but it really centres around a couple and most people will seek action elsewhere if I am honest either in Zurich or Luzern (which I prefer)
The house market here is expensive because Zug has one of the lowest levels of tax (each canton charges a different rate). In the end I believe that it all evens itself out with the higher taxed cantons being balanced with lower rents with some notable exceptions.
There is plenty to do for active people, walking, the lake, the mountains so in that respect you are in the perfect place. The quality of life here is dare I say it, exceptional and this coming from someone who used to live in Melbourne and Perth in Australia.
It's not cheap but... its well worth it. Great place to bring up kids, its safe, very clean, its just a very nice place.. but not the place to party or for that matter shop!
I would live in Unterageri given a second chance; certainly not Baar, Zug ot Cham. In the winter they are enveloped in fog for one or two months a year! Today we live in Neuheim also a great little village; just above the fog.
Houses are very difficult to find and expensive; finding a place anywhere in the canton of Zug is going to be a challenge!
Feel free to drop me a PM if you got specific questions. we lived in Switzerland for more then a decade; Zug for the last three years!
I have lived in Cham and Baar for 2 years and the fog hasn't ever been that bad! Unterageri and Neuheim are nice villages too, there are lots of options, just make sure you see where places are on the map before you decide... best of luck.
We are driving around Baar and Ober/Unterageri tomorrow with an agent, so will definately give feedback on impressions. of both.. Rent from chf3-4500pm seems to get you the best places. Is it possible to get something in the ageri's below this? The views are probably the reason for the price, I am a photography enthusiast, so want the best position possible, plus my wife wants to wake up to a view... ;-) . Club nightlife is not NB, more a good restaurant meal, and excellent sports facilities, outdoors life is NB...
Make sure you don't crash with all that Fog!!! We have a spacious 3 bed apartment in the centre of Cham for a lot less than that but I guess it just depends what you want. I love photography too and that what living by the lake is perfect. Every day its different.
The verdict is out, we want to stay near or in Unter/Oberageri/Morgarten, or anywhere on the agrisee. looked at two properties, one over the raod from the lake in Morgarten, 1 floor of very large family home, the other is right at the top, in all respects, CHF6500, but every convenience you could ask for, and the best view. What we liked is that when you drive into the area you get a sense of old world, holiday/vacation, relaxation, the city is cool, Baar looked a little to industrial in the town, the drive from Neuheim to Baar is great, so am sure we would find something there if we looked, but the ageri's appealed to us..
for convenience Baar is great, lots of high salaried people live here to take advantage of low taxes. For some shopping and action zug is great and cham is also ok by the lake
I wouldnt live in unterageri... you would know what i am talking once its starts snowing
To be honest, CHF 6,500 is a lot to pay for one floor. That will get you a nice 5-8 room house in my neighborhood - just minutes from central Zug (my husband can get to Zug station in 4 mins if he runs), very quiet with views down to Jungfrau (Rigi, Pilatus, Eiger ect too) and the Zug lake.
I popped out for coffee with a friend with minutes notice today and when the kids grow up I won't need to drive them anywhere
Re Touch Rugby - there is occasional touch played in Zug as far as I know, but regular touch is played in Zurich, not so far away.
If you are half decent you will be able to play for Switzerland. The team is fairly new - they went to the World Cup in Stellenbosch South Africa, and The European Cup in Edinburgh and then Paris.
Get in touch with me or see or google swisstouchrugby.ch (or similar) for the website.
In Switzerland, they plan for and expect snow. The only people it inconviences is those silly ones who did not get around to changing their tyres to winter ones! (which I believe is against the law too, invalidates you insurance as well)...
Anyway I rest my case; Unterageri has the best playground too!!
Good luck, I hope it all that you hope it is but I would say that 6K is a lot even for Switzerland.
I like it up there too but bear in mind that it is not quite so English speaking friendly and its probably 2-3 degrees cooler each day.
Thankfully we all like different things and I am sure we are all pleased if you have found your piece of Switzerland. As they say different horses for different courses. Keep us all posted on what you decide!!!
We lived in Walchwil for 3 years and I commuted to Duebendorf and then to Spreitenbach, mostly by train. We had great views of the Zugersee and Rigi. Walchwil itself had a couple of good restaurants and a shop.
Our daughter and her partner live in Cham and it has more night life with regular music from well known bands like Doctor Feelgood et al.
Zug is very international and you will find plenty of people who speak English. I cannot comment on the schools, but I am sure they are good. We found Baar a bit pedestrian compared to Zug, but that was 10 years ago!