Switzerland: The Country That Looks Like a Screensaver
Snow-capped peaks, turquoise lakes, trains that run on time, and chocolate that ruins you for life.
Switzerland is that country everyone assumes they can’t afford. And look, it’s not cheap. A burger will set you back £20. A coffee costs more than some people’s lunch. But here’s the thing: you don’t come to Switzerland for cheap thrills. You come because the mountains genuinely make your jaw drop. Because the trains are so on time it’s almost creepy. Because you can be eating fondue in a medieval town one day and standing on a glacier the next.
Four national languages, world-class hiking, lakes so blue they look edited, and a train network that puts every other country to shame. Zurich, Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen, Zermatt, Interlaken… the list of places that’ll ruin your phone storage is endless. This guide covers all of it.
1.5–2 hrs
From the UK
Jun–Sep / Dec–Mar
Best time
German, French, Italian
Main language
CHF (Swiss Franc)
Currency
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See Switzerland in 60 Seconds
Best Time To Visit
Visit Switzerland is during the shoulder seasons, as in April to June and September to October. You can enjoy fewer crowds, mild weather, and lower prices. In fact, the mountain resort towns are completely empty.
Tourists flock to Switzerland in the summer months to soak up the sunshine and swim the crystal-clear lakes. The snow also thaws on the lower parts of the mountains so you’ll have the chance to hike trails that are often covered. Mountain resorts open up again but booking costs will increase.
Winter is also a high season, why? Summer tourists are gone but arriving are the skiers, snowboarders and those who love the snow dust. Prices will still be higher on the slopes but will drop elsewhere in the country if you’re looking to save a little cash.
Further Look: The Best Time To Visit Switzerland
What To Expect
19°C
- Temperature
Capital: None! But Bern is the de-facto capital of Switzerland
Population: 8.545 million
Language: There are four national languages in Switzerland, all found in specific regions of the country. The most widely spoken language is Swiss German, spoken by 63% of the population. In the western part of the country, Swiss French is spoken, and in the southern part of the country, Swiss Italian is spoken.. ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank You’ in Swiss German: “Grüezi” for hello, and “merci beaucoup” or “danke schön” for thank you.
Currency: The official currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF). 1 USD is equivalent to 0.98 CHF.. £1 GBP is equivalent to 1.27 CHF. Check the latest rates here
Credit Cards & ATMs: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, so there is no need to carry large amounts of cash on you. Switzerland is global financial capital, so ATMs are available in all towns and cities. A lot of places will also accept contactless payments like Apple Pay or Google pay.
Plugs: The voltage in Switzerland, as in most of Europe, is 230V/50 Hz. Switzerland uses type C (2-pin) and Type J (3-pin) plugs. (Type C 2-pin plugs also fit J sockets.) Most power sockets are designed for three pin round plugs.. I recommend buying a universal adapter
Safety: Switzerland has a low rate of violent crime. However, pickpocketing and purse snatching do occur in the vicinity of train and bus stations, airports, and some public parks. Liechtenstein has a low crime rate. Ranked 11th safest country in the world! It’s safe!!
Switzerland Travel Guides
From Lauterbrunnen’s valley floor to the Matterhorn’s summit. Everything you need to plan your trip.
City Guides
Itineraries + Maps
Best Places to Visit & Things to Do
Best Time to Visit
Travel Tips
Everything Else
How Much Does Switzerland Cost?
Switzerland is expensive. There’s no sugarcoating that. But knowing what to expect means you can plan around it and still have an incredible trip.
🎒
Backpacker
~80–120 CHF/day (~£76–114 / ~$102–152 / ~€73–110)
- Hostel dorms from CHF 35/night
- Supermarket meals + street food
- Public transport with discount passes
- Free hiking, lakes, and city walks
🍜
Mid-Range
~180–300 CHF/day (~£171–285 / ~$229–381 / ~€165–275)
- Budget hotels or private Airbnb
- Restaurants + local cafés
- Swiss Travel Pass for trains
- Cable cars, boat trips, guided tours
🏨
Upscale
~400+ CHF/day (~£380+ / ~$508+ / ~€367+)
- Boutique hotels + luxury chalets
- Fine dining + mountain restaurants
- First-class rail + private transfers
- Helicopter tours, spa resorts, ski packages
Detailed Cost Breakdown
Budget
- Hostel dorm: CHF 35–65 / £33–62 / $44–83 / €32–60
- Boutique hotel: CHF 200–400 / £190–380 / $254–508 / €183–367
- Campsite: CHF 20–50 / £19–48 / $25–64 / €18–46
Mid–Luxury
- Airbnb apartment: CHF 140+ / £133+ / $178+ / €128+
- Budget hotel: CHF 100–200 / £95–190 / $127–254 / €92–183
- Luxury resort/chalet: CHF 500+ / £475+ / $635+ / €459+
City Travel
- Single bus/tram ride: CHF 3–5 / £2.85–4.75 / $3.80–6.35 / €2.75–4.55
- Intercity train (Zurich–Geneva): CHF 50–120 / £48–114 / $64–152 / €46–110
- Day pass (city): CHF 8–15 / £7.60–14 / $10–19 / €7.30–13.75
Long Distance
- Swiss Travel Pass (1 day): CHF 75 / £71 / $95 / €69
- Uber short trip: CHF 10–25 / £9.50–24 / $13–32 / €9–23
- Car rental per day: CHF 60–100 / £57–95 / $76–127 / €55–92
Eat Cheap
- Supermarket meal prep: CHF 8–15 / £7.60–14 / $10–19 / €7.30–13.75
- Mid-range restaurant: CHF 30–60 / £29–57 / $38–76 / €28–55
- Fast food / food court: CHF 12–20 / £11–19 / $15–25 / €11–18
Eating Out
- Fondue for two: CHF 50–80 / £48–76 / $64–102 / €46–73
- Coffee (flat white): CHF 5–7 / £4.75–6.65 / $6.35–8.90 / €4.60–6.40
- Beer at a bar: CHF 7–10 / £6.65–9.50 / $8.90–12.70 / €6.40–9.20
Budget Fun
- Jungfraujoch railway: CHF 160–250 / £152–238 / $203–318 / €147–229
- Museum entry: CHF 10–25 / £9.50–24 / $13–32 / €9–23
- Glacier Express (full route): CHF 150–300 / £143–285 / $191–381 / €138–275
- Lake swimming: Free
Big Experiences
- Ski pass (per day): CHF 50–80 / £48–76 / $64–102 / €46–73
- City walking tour: Free–CHF 20 / Free–£19 / Free–$25 / Free–€18
- Scenic helicopter flight: CHF 200+ / £190+ / $254+ / €183+
Tips for Saving Money in Switzerland
💧 Tap water is pristine. Refill your bottle at public fountains everywhere and skip the CHF 4 bottled water.
🏪 Coop and Migros self-service restaurants do hot meals for under CHF 15. Way better than most tourist traps.
🚆 Get a Swiss Travel Pass or Half-Fare Card. Full-price Swiss trains will bankrupt you faster than fondue.
🌅 Lunch specials are the cheat code. Same restaurants, same food, sometimes half the dinner price.
🥾 Hiking is free and Switzerland has 65,000 km of marked trails. The best experiences here don’t cost a thing.
🎫 Grab a Guest Card from your hotel. Most give you free local transport and discounts on cable cars.
🛒 Self-cater a few meals. Even Swiss supermarket prices are high by European standards, but they’re half of restaurant prices.
💳 Always pay in CHF when your card asks. Choosing your “home currency” at the terminal means a worse rate.
🚌 FlixBus runs budget routes between cities. Zurich to Geneva from about CHF 15 if you book early.
🏔️ Visit in shoulder season (Apr–Jun or Sep–Oct). Fewer crowds, lower prices, and the scenery is still absolutely ridiculous.
Getting Around Switzerland
Switzerland’s transport network is probably the best in the world. Genuinely. The trains alone are worth the trip.
Cable Cars & Cog Railways
Best for reaching the big peaks. Jungfraujoch, Gornergrat, Schilthorn, Titlis… all accessed by cable car or cog rail.
✅ Access to views you literally can’t get any other way
✅ Some included with Swiss Travel Pass (or 50% off)
❌ Individual tickets are CHF 80–250+ per ride
Car Rental
Best for flexibility on road trips and reaching trailheads. Not needed in cities at all.
✅ Total freedom for mountain passes and rural areas
✅ Useful for groups splitting costs
❌ Swiss highways need a CHF 40 vignette sticker. Parking in cities is painful.
Lake Boats
Best for scenic crossings on Lakes Lucerne, Geneva, Zurich, Thun, and Brienz. Some are paddle steamers from the early 1900s.
✅ Covered by Swiss Travel Pass
✅ Genuinely one of the best ways to see the country
❌ Seasonal schedules. Winter routes are limited.
Trains
Best for everything, honestly. Swiss trains connect every city, most villages, and half the mountains.
✅ Insanely punctual and scenic
✅ Swiss Travel Pass covers unlimited rides
❌ Full-price tickets are eye-wateringly expensive
Buses & PostBus
Best for reaching villages the train doesn’t go to. The iconic yellow PostBus fills every gap in the network.
✅ Covered by Swiss Travel Pass
✅ Reaches remote valleys and mountain passes
❌ Slower than trains on main routes
Cycling & E-Bikes
Best for active travellers and lakeside routes. Switzerland has dedicated cycling infrastructure and e-bike rental stations.
✅ E-bikes flatten the hills (literally a game-changer here)
✅ Dedicated cycling routes like the Rhine Route
❌ Mountain terrain is brutal without an e-bike
Which Is Right For You?
Exploring one city
Walk. Swiss cities are compact and gorgeous on foot.
Hitting multiple cities
Swiss Travel Pass + trains. No contest.
Mountain peaks & valleys
Cable cars + PostBus for the gaps
Road trip with flexibility
Rent a car, grab a vignette, go wherever you want
Quick Tips
📅
Book Trains Early
SBB Supersaver tickets can be 50% cheaper. They go fast.
💳
Get a Half-Fare Card
CHF 120 for a month. Halves the price of almost every ticket in the country.
📍
Travel Scenic Routes
Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass. Book these in advance, they’re popular.
🚶
Walk the Cities
Zurich, Lucerne, Bern, Basel. All walkable. Save your transport budget for the mountains.
Book Tours & Tickets
Related Resources
Travel Problems
Missed flights, lost luggage, dodgy hotels. It happens. Here’s how to handle all of it without losing your mind.
Theft & Scams
Pickpockets, tourist traps, and cons you won’t see coming. We break down the most common ones and how to avoid every single one.
Travel Insurance
Don’t skip this one. Especially travelling solo. We compare the best policies and explain exactly what you actually need.
FAQs
Do I need a visa to visit Switzerland?
If you’re from the UK, US, Canada, or Australia, no. Switzerland is part of the Schengen Area, so you can visit visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. You’ll need a valid passport (at least 3 months validity beyond your planned departure). The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) launched in October 2025 and is being phased in across Schengen borders, with full implementation expected by April 2026. This means biometric data (fingerprints and a photo) will be recorded digitally when you arrive, replacing the old passport stamp. ETIAS (a pre-travel authorisation similar to the US ESTA) is expected to launch in late 2026. It’s not required yet, but once live, visa-exempt travellers will need to apply online before travelling. Keep an eye on the official EU travel portal for updates.
Is Switzerland safe for tourists?
Very. It consistently ranks among the safest countries in the world. Violent crime is extremely rare and petty crime is low compared to most European destinations. The main risks are environmental: mountain weather changes fast, UV exposure at altitude is stronger than you’d expect, and hiking trails in the Alps are genuinely challenging in places. Stick to marked trails, check weather forecasts, and don’t underestimate the mountains. Pickpocketing can happen around major train stations in Zurich and Geneva, but it’s nowhere near the level of cities like Paris or Barcelona.
How expensive is Switzerland, really?
It’s the most expensive country in Europe. Probably the most expensive travel destination in the world that isn’t a tiny island. A sit-down meal at a mid-range restaurant is CHF 30–60 (£29–57 / $38–76 / €28–55). A coffee is CHF 5–7. A day pass for a cable car can hit CHF 200. Budget travellers who stay in hostels, cook some meals, and hike can get by on about CHF 80–120/day (£76–114 / $102–152 / €73–110). Mid-range is closer to CHF 180–300/day. It’s expensive, but the value is in the experiences. A CHF 150 Glacier Express ticket buys you one of the greatest train journeys on earth.
What's the best time to visit Switzerland?
It depends entirely on what you want to do. For hiking, lakes, and green valleys: June to September. For skiing and snow sports: December to March. For fewer crowds and lower prices: April to June and September to October (shoulder season). The shoulder months are genuinely underrated. The weather is mild, the alpine meadows are full of wildflowers in spring, and autumn colours in the Engadin valley are unreal. Just be aware that some mountain passes and cable cars close between seasons (typically mid-October to mid-November and mid-April to mid-May).
Do I need a Swiss Travel Pass?
Not “need” exactly, but it’s one of the best travel passes in Europe. It gives you unlimited travel on trains, buses, boats, and trams across the entire country, plus free entry to 500+ museums and 50% off most mountain railways. Passes start at around CHF 244 for 3 consecutive days. If you’re doing more than a couple of train journeys, it almost always pays for itself. The alternative is a Half-Fare Card (CHF 120/month), which gives you 50% off everything. For a short trip, the Half-Fare Card often makes more sense.
What currency does Switzerland use?
The Swiss Franc (CHF). Switzerland is not in the EU, so it doesn’t use the Euro. Some tourist-heavy spots will accept Euros, but the exchange rate at the till is always terrible and change comes back in Francs. Cards are accepted almost everywhere. When paying by card, always choose to be charged in CHF, not your home currency. The “home currency” option at terminals uses a markup that costs you more.
Do I need travel insurance for Switzerland?
Yes. Switzerland is not in the EU, so the UK’s GHIC card doesn’t work here. If you get injured on a mountain or need hospital treatment, Swiss medical bills are among the highest in the world. A helicopter rescue alone can cost CHF 10,000+. Good travel insurance with mountain sports and altitude cover is essential if you’re doing any hiking or skiing. Compare policies in our Travel Insurance hub.
What language do they speak in Switzerland?
Four national languages: German (spoken by about 63% of the population, mostly in the north and centre), French (about 23%, in the west), Italian (about 8%, in the south, Ticino region), and Romansh (under 1%, in parts of Graubünden). In tourist areas, English is widely spoken. In German-speaking Switzerland, the everyday dialect is Swiss German, which sounds quite different from standard German. “Grüezi” is hello. “Merci vielmal” is a common thanks (yes, they mix French into German — it’s great). You’ll get by fine with English in cities and tourist spots.
Can I drink the tap water?
Yes. Switzerland’s tap water is some of the cleanest in the world. Most of it comes from mountain springs and glacial sources. Public drinking fountains are everywhere, including in train stations and village squares. Unless a fountain is specifically marked “kein Trinkwasser” (not drinking water), it’s safe. Bring a reusable bottle. Buying bottled water here is just burning money.
How far in advance should I book?
For flights from the UK, 6–12 weeks out usually gets you good prices. Switzerland is a short-haul destination, so there are regular sales. For trains within Switzerland, SBB Supersaver tickets go on sale 60 days in advance and sell out fast. For accommodation, book as early as possible if you’re visiting during ski season (Dec–Mar) or summer peak (Jul–Aug). Popular mountain towns like Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen, and Grindelwald fill up months ahead. Shoulder season is more flexible, but the best-value places still go quickly.
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