Switzerland
Visas & entry
Switzerland is in the Schengen Area but not the EU. Citizens of many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand, can generally visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day Schengen period; other nationalities may need a Schengen visa. Check current rules, passport validity requirements and any ETIAS changes before travel.
Getting in
- Zurich Airport: The main long-haul gateway and the best all-round arrival airport for Lucerne, the Bernese Oberland, eastern Switzerland and Graubünden; direct trains make onward travel straightforward.
- Geneva Airport: The logical gateway for Lake Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Valais and western Switzerland; use it for an itinerary ending or beginning in French-speaking Switzerland.
- EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg: Useful for Basel and for overland itineraries continuing into France or Germany; it is less convenient than Zurich or Geneva for a classic Alpine first trip.
Getting around
Do not take domestic flights: Switzerland is too small and trains are usually faster city-center to city-center. Use trains, Postbuses, lake boats, funiculars and cable cars; the network reaches nearly every visitor base. Rent a car only for remote valleys, trailheads, wine villages, rural Ticino or the Jura—otherwise it is an expensive nuisance in cities and useless in car-free Zermatt. Motorway driving requires the CHF40 annual vignette; driving without it brings a CHF200 fine plus the vignette cost.
Money
Switzerland uses the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards are widely accepted, but carry a little cash for small rural purchases and occasional mountain situations; tap-to-pay is normal in cities. Service is included, so tipping is modest—rounding up or leaving a small amount for notably good service is enough.
Daily budget · CHF (Swiss franc)
- Value
- CHF110–180
- Mid-range
- CHF220–380
- High-end
- CHF500–900+
- These ranges exclude international flights. Value travel means dorms or plain guesthouses, supermarket meals, planned rail travel, free hikes and few major mountain lifts.
- A private mid-range room is usually assumed to be shared by two; solo travelers should expect accommodation to push the total upward.
- Hotels, restaurant dinners, alcohol, ski costs and CHF100-plus mountain excursions matter far more than museum admission.
- Stay at least three nights per base, picnic from Migros or Coop, drink tap water, and choose one flagship lift per mountain region rather than every summit.
- Compare point-to-point fares, Saver Day Passes, the Swiss Half Fare Card and the Swiss Travel Pass against your actual itinerary. A pass is convenient, but private mountain railways often still charge supplements or offer only discounts.
Eating well
- Use Migros and Coop takeaway counters for good-value breakfasts and picnic lunches; this is one of the few reliable ways to control a Swiss daily budget.
- Tap water is excellent and normally free when requested, though some restaurants may default to bottled water.
- Reserve destination restaurants and popular mountain-hotel dining in high summer, ski season and festival periods.
- Seek regional food in its home landscape: raclette in Valais, polenta in Ticino and dried meats in Graubünden, rather than treating fondue as the only Swiss meal.
Book before you land
Glacier Express seat reservation, required in addition to a valid rail ticket · Montreux Jazz Festival headline concerts · Popular ski-resort and mountain-village accommodation during Christmas–New Year, February school-holiday weeks and peak summer
- Zermatt is car-free; leave cars at Täsch and continue by shuttle or train.
- Do not base an entire mountain trip in Interlaken by default. It is efficient, but Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren or Grindelwald give better access and atmosphere if the budget allows.
- A clear forecast is not a guarantee in the Alps. Keep a flexible day before committing to a Matterhorn or high-mountain excursion.
- Mountain railways can be the largest single expense of the trip. Choose deliberately rather than treating every summit as mandatory.
- Swiss rail is excellent, but mountain villages involve connections, cable cars and walks from stations; allow more time than the city-to-city timetable suggests.
- Lake swimming is a real Swiss summer habit, but rivers and alpine water can be cold and currents can be serious; follow local advice and swim only within your ability.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.