Bingley

Have a terrific time in Switzerland.
Forget about suicide bombers. You will not see any.

The only problem that you will have in Switzerland - everything costs a LOT of money. Even simple things, like buying a cooked breakfast, are very expensive compared to the USA.

You do need a phrase book.
It would be helpful to have several different credit cards.
Please make sure that you call all of the credit card companies before you depart the USA and let them know the dates of your travel.

The biggest safety device you would probably need ... is just a cell phone in Switzerland. I am sure you can probably buy a SIM card there for your phone, but ask around.

Other stuff, I wouldn't even worry about. Enjoy the Alps ... hope you have a great time!!

Ohh and my travel tip - each time you leave the airline desk at the airport ... take a quick second look for your stuff. It is super-easy to forget your passport at the airline desk. The same thing applies on the airplane. Check the seat pockets carefully before you get off. It is very easy to put something important into a seat pocket, and then forget it.

Pete