Travellers from Canada
Coming from Canada?
The Swiss Jura speaks French, and it has never been closer to Montreal. Here is what changes for you, from the flight to the habits of the trail.
The direct flight from Montreal to Basel-Mulhouse
From summer 2027, Air Canada will fly non-stop from Montreal to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse, from mid-June to the end of October, four times a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Our summer trips offer an arrival on those days, with a transfer to the start of the hike: the airport is an hour from the first trails of the Jura.
EuroAirport is shared between France and Switzerland: on arrival, follow the “Switzerland” exit. Outside the season, you arrive via Geneva or Zurich.
Jet lag and health
Switzerland is six hours ahead of Montreal. Our trips begin with a gentle arrival day, so you can recover from the overnight flight.
If you live in Quebec, the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) only reimburses emergency care outside Canada up to Quebec rates, far below Swiss costs; if you live in another province or territory, check what your provincial health plan covers abroad. Private travel insurance is essential: medical care, repatriation, rescue and cancellation. Check what your credit card covers too.
A few words of Swiss French
The Jura is French-speaking, and the French spoken in western Switzerland has a few words of its own. Knowing them helps with a menu, a price or a conversation: on a Swiss menu, “déjeuner” is often breakfast, “dîner” lunch and “souper” dinner.
| In Swiss French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| septante, nonante (and huitante in the canton of Vaud) | seventy, ninety (and eighty) |
| un natel | a mobile phone |
| un cornet | a bag (at the shop counter) |
| un bancomat | a cash machine |
| le déjeuner, le dîner, le souper | breakfast, lunch, dinner |
How hiking here differs from Canada
- Ascent is counted in metres: a climb of 800 m is a little more than Mont Tremblant from base to summit.
- Distances are short: you often pass a village, a farm restaurant or a bus stop, and rarely go more than two hours without meeting someone.
- No bears or black flies in the Jura, but there are ticks: check yourself every evening.
- You walk through working pastures: cows, horses, gates to close behind you.
- Service is included in prices: no 15% to add, you only round up if you are happy.
- The currency is the Swiss franc: check the exchange rate with the Canadian dollar before you leave.
- Sockets are type J, 230 V: bring an adapter.
Bernese, Neuchâtel and Vaud Jura
The Grand Traverse of the Jura crests
Eight days from hotel to hotel, from Chasseral to the Creux du Van and on to Vallorbe, on the Jura's most famous trail. Your luggage is waiting for you every evening.
8 days, 7 nights · Hotel to hotel · moderateDiscover the walk
Franches-Montagnes and Clos du Doubs
Franches-Montagnes and the Doubs gorges, at an easy pace
Six unhurried days, from wooded pastures where horses graze to the little medieval town of Saint-Ursanne, following the Doubs. Your luggage travels without you.
6 days, 5 nights · Hotel to hotel · easyDiscover the walk
Canton of Neuchâtel
From the Creux du Van to Lake Neuchâtel
Five days in the same lakeside hotel: every morning, a regional train drops you at the start of the walk. The Areuse gorges, the cirque of the Creux du Van, then the vineyards sloping down to the lake.
5 days, 4 nights · Single base · moderateDiscover the walk
Read the guide: hiking in Switzerland when you come from Quebec
Your trip
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