Switzerland
Travel Guides
Welcome to our Switzerland travel guides collection, providing everything you need to know for visiting Switzerland and some of its most popular destinations. An important and well-respected country, Switzerland has everything from stunning alpine landscapes to vibrant urban culture. It may be landlocked but its magnificent lakes make it feel almost coastal and provide access to the great outdoors within minutes of almost any destination in the country. Efficient public transport and great facilities make everyday tasks simple and getting around a breeze and historical old towns in most of the large cities mean that there is always a perfect balance of old and new. All this and more make it clear why Switzerland is often regarded as one of the best places to live and work in the world.
Switzerland is stunning, and the quick and easy access to rural landscapes from practically every city makes it a great destination to see a little of everything. While some of the countries most well-known cities, such as Zurich and Geneva, should be a top priority to see for anyone visiting the country, there are so many more places to explore and the excellent train network makes getting from A to B super easy, so there’s no excuse. Bordered by France, Germany, Austria and Italy, Switzerland is a melting pot of cultures, providing a different experience depending on which areas you visit. Yes, it is expensive, and this is something that everyone should be aware of before planning a trip to Switzerland. However, with some forward planning, a Swiss getaway doesn’t have to break the bank, and shouldn’t put anyone off visiting Switzerland.
Switzerland Travel Guides - Where Do You Want To Go?
Top SWitzerland Travel Tips
How to get to Switzerland
Flights – Being a well-developed country and also a financial global hub, it is no surprise that Switzerland is well connected to the rest of the world by air. Zurich is the main airport in Switzerland and is also a key transit point for many passengers flying across the globe. However, Geneva Airport also serves many flights and several other Swiss cities have airports that offer flights in and out of Switzerland to European countries. If you’re coming into or out of Switzerland to an international country, outside of Europe, then you’ll likely be using Zurich. Swiss International Airlines are the national carrier for Switzerland and operate flights to many countries across the world from both Zurich and Geneva airports, as well as many European flights from other airports in Switzerland too. Zurich Airport also serves many other national carriers from other countries. Easyjet is one of the only major budget European airlines that operate in and out of Zurich Airport but Easyjet does have hubs in both Basel and Geneva airports so budget flights into these two airports are available through Easyjet from a range of European destinations. Air Berlin also operates seasonal flights in and out of Zurich Airport to European holiday destinations. Ryanair only serves Basel airport and some other budget airlines also use Geneva Airport. We recommend using Skyscanner for checking and booking flights. You can use tools such as the flight tracker to track the price of a flight and book it at its cheapest, a big help for any avid travellers!
Trains – Switzerland has an excellent train network and its location within Europe means that it is very well connected by train to many other European countries. There are direct trains from Switzerland to France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Netherlands and Italy. If you make changes in Germany, France or Italy, you can travel to most European countries by train from Switzerland including London by changing at Paris for the Eurostar. It’s quite incredible the number of travel routes that are available by train in and out of Switzerland. We recommend using Trainline to book European trains where possible, as it is exceptionally user friendly and covers most train services throughout Europe.
Bus – Getting into Switzerland by both flight and train is so easy that bus travel into the country isn’t usually something people consider. However, buses can be a great way to travel Europe on a budget and see more of the continent. Because Switzerland is landlocked and bordered by 5 countries, road links into the country are excellent and buses run direct from several European countries into Switzerland. Similar to trains, with changes in France, Germany and Italy, you can get in and out of Switzerland from the majority of European countries. Several companies operate long-distance bus routes throughout Europe and Switzerland but we would recommend Flixbus as one of our favourites, as they have tons of routes and an easy-to-use website that you can book through.
Useful tips for getting around Switzerland
Switzerland is a beautiful country with a mix of mountain ranges, vast lakes, metropolitan cities and traditional towns and villages. The fantastically run public transport system in Switzerland makes getting around the country super easy, so there is no excuse not to see a few places when visiting Switzerland. Here are our top tips for getting around Switzerland with the various types of transport available:
Trains – Train travel in Switzerland is an incredibly enjoyable experience. The trains are large, comfortable, fast, can be reasonably priced and generally run on time. The network route for trains across Switzerland is extensive meaning that trains can generally get you to most places in the country and offer visitors to Switzerland an easy way to get around and see more of the country. There are local trains, intercity trains and faster long-distance trains. The main train operator in Switzerland is Swiss Federal Railways, often seen as SBB. Although the trains can seem expensive compared to some other European train networks, the quality and service provide good value for money. You can also save money on trains and public transport in Switzerland by getting various discount passes or by booking your travel in advance. Taking the train to get from one city to another is a great way to get around Switzerland. As an example, a train from Zurich to Geneva, on the other side of the country, will take under 3 hours. You can book train travel throughout Switzerland in advance via Trainline, which will save you money and time while you’re away.
Bus – Similar to the train, there is also a great bus network throughout Switzerland, which can be an inexpensive way to get around the country while seeing some of the beautiful landscape. Buses generally take longer than trains, but if you’re happy to take a little longer then you’ll spend less and possibly see more. Buses are safe and comfortable in Switzerland and the majority of bus drivers will speak some English.
Car – Although Switzerland has excellent roads and driving can be a convenient way to see more of the country, we would recommend using the public transport system where you can. However, if you are going to drive in Switzerland, cars driver on the right-hand side of the road and the speed limit is 120 kph on the motorway and 50 kph in built-up areas. There are tolls on some motorways in Switzerland as well as the necessity for a sticker which you need for driving on the motorway. You can purchase the stickers at border crossings or petrol stations and various other places. They cost 40 CHF ($43) and are valid for 14 months. If you rent a car in Switzerland it should already come with the sticker.
Domestic flights – Switzerland isn’t a particularly large country so there isn’t much need for domestic flights. There are many airports across Switzerland. including Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lugano and St. Gallen but the short distance between most of these means that domestic flights are not available. The most common route would be Zurich to Geneva by Swiss Airlines but you can also take the train for this journey in under 3 hours. If you do need to take an internal flight while visiting Switzerland, we recommend checking Skyscanner to see the various domestic flight options throughout Switzerland
Local language and phrases in Switzerland
Switzerland has four languages, German, French, Italian and Romansh. The language that you hear locals speaking and the one you’ll want to communicate using depends on what region of the country you are in. We’ve included details on the language in that region on our destination-specific travel guides as well as some of the most useful words and phrases you’ll need to know when travelling. In general, though, many Swiss people, particularly those in tourist facing jobs, can speak good English. Although, we’d always recommend that you learn a few key phrases and words for your trip to help you get by and be respectful of the locals.
Switzerland travel tips
– Switzerland is a safe country, one of the safest in Europe, and is suitable for all travellers
– Switzerland uses a slightly different plug type to the rest of Europe so make sure you bring a type C or J adapter
– Dial 112 in an emergency when in Switzerland
– Tap water is safe to drink across the entire of Switzerland
– The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (Fr, CHF)
– We recommend using SafetyWing for travel health insurance in Switzerland. We always recommend getting travel health insurance for any trip
This site uses affiliate links. When you click on a link and purchase an item, we may be compensated on qualifying purchases. However, this is at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure for further information.
Switzerland Travel Articles
Switzerland Walking Tour Videos
See all of our Switzerland walking tour videos, and more destinations, on our Youtube Channel. We’ve carefully planned all of our walks and routes to make sure they take in the best landmarks and sites of any destination. You can also find a handy Google Map of each route on destination specific guides that can be downloaded to follow
