My husband will be working in Wallisellen and my son will be attending school in Baden so we will be looking for somewhere in between, possibly. Are any of the towns near the train station stops worth checking out? What tax differences might we face? We prefer an old charm feel with modern conveniences if that exists! Trying to weigh the comforts of the town/price with who has the long commute. Any advice would be appreciated. We will be visiting next week and want to check out some towns out to get a better idea before we make the move in June.
I work in Baden and we used to live in Würenlos, Aargau. It's a nice, growing area with a stop on the S6, and you can also easily reach the Killwangen train station, by bike or direct bus. It's probably not great for commuting to Wallisellen by train but by car it might be ok.
It looks like all trains between Wallisellen and Baden require a change in Zurich Oerlikon or at the Zurich HB.
I have a work colleague who lives on that side of Zurich and commutes by car to Baden. Driving through the Gubris tunnel everyday is not fun.
You have not said how old your son is but he is, in my opinion, the one who should have the shortest commute. If he is attending ZIS Baden, and not going to a local school elsewhere, he will likely make his friends at school. Living far away from them will make it more difficult for him, as well as participating in extra curricular activities.
Try Dättwil or Wettingen both place are good alternatives and only a few minutes away from Baden.
Frankly I wouldn move either to Dättwil or Wettingen nor to Baden if you husband plans to go by car everyday to work. It is about 45km only one way from A to B . However daily traffic jams in both directions at Gubrist tunnel during roush hour end up easily in a 60-90 min drive, one way.
Did you ever think about living closer to Wallisellen. The region arround lake Greifensee is also very beautiful.
Thanks for the replies! My son is 11 and will be attending ZIS. We will not have a car and will be doing all commuting/ transportation by train, bus, etc. That's why I thought there might be a good choice somewhere between the two. The friends issue is a good point. I'll have to ask next week about where most kids live. Baden seems like a nice area. Any more advice about this or in general what we need to know about anything is appreciated!!
At 11, Swiss children attending local schools may also need to travel. Once children finish primary school (5th class in Kt. Aargau) the next level of schooling may not necessarily be in their village, but a bus ride or many use their bikes, whether permitting.
You have not said how long you are staying but as ZIS Baden does not have high school in Baden, eventually your son will need to attend school in Zurich. Just my 2 cents worth.
As moving locally is expensive and a hassle, I always suggest to try and find housing initially which suits more than just short term needs.