As we’ve already seen, Zurich is a lively city that never sleeps!
The issue is that, at the beginning, you probably cannot enjoy the city with a friend, because you haven’t anyone to call yet. Of course, you can go out on your own to discover the new city and it can be great for a while, but it’ll get a little bit lonely as the days go by.
Making friends in a new city or country is no easy task, and takes some time and patience, but – once you manage to get along with the local people – your Swiss friends will most likely be your best friends for life!
4 ways to rock your social life in Zurich
1. Keep up with expats and meet-up groups
Both the Internet and the local meetups offer many options for connecting with other expats seeking company and things to do, so you may:
- Sign up on Glocals community of expats and the Swiss English Forum;
- Join the well-known Facebook group Worldwide People in Zurich;
- Check the Girlfriend Guide to discover the best first-class events of the city;
- Join the international expats’ communities: take a look at Expatica’s list of groups and InterNations;
- Try a Meet Up group: whether you’re into sports, cooking or languages, Meetup is an online platform that connects people based on their interests, also used to organize social events that are often free to join!
2. Give a try to a German class
We’ve already seen why overcoming the language barrier should be a priority to you, and it’s more than true when it comes to making new local friends!
The best ways to socialize while learning German? Here they are:
- Take part in a tandem academic program to offer your English in exchange for a Swiss tandem partner’s German: some nice options are offered by the Language Center of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich and the ZHAW School of Applied Linguistics;
- Join the Tandem app’s community to find a language learning partner: just log in, find someone online who speaks your target language, and invite them to chat for free!
3. Experience volunteering
If you have some extra time, you can use it to help others and meet people at the same time. Some interesting volunteering opportunities in Zurich may come from those associations:
4. Join a club or after-work activity
Last but not least, you should know that more than 42% of Swiss adults are active members in a club.
From sports, music to cooking, clubs are a great way to know people who have your same interests, and in Zurich there are also many English-speaking clubs, as well as after-work activities.
A quick tip? Give a try to the Klubschule Migros, which offers various activities at reasonable prices!
