Travel Costs in Switzerland

Overview

Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world to visit, and travelers should budget accordingly. Prices are driven by the strong Swiss franc, high wages, and premium costs for food, accommodation, and transport. As a rule of thumb, expect to pay roughly double what you would in neighboring Germany, France, or Italy for a comparable meal, hotel room, or train ride. Even so, costs are predictable and quality is consistently high — you rarely feel overcharged, just charged a lot.

So how much does a trip to Switzerland cost? Backpackers staying in hostels, self-catering from supermarkets, and using regional transport can get by on about $120 per day — roughly $850 for one week or $1,700 for two weeks per person. Mid-range travelers staying in three-star hotels, eating one restaurant meal a day, and taking scenic trains should plan on about $280 per day, which works out to just under $2,000 for a week and around $3,900 for two weeks. Luxury travel — five-star hotels in Zurich or Zermatt, fine dining, first-class rail — starts around $650 per day, or $4,500 and up per week.

Where you go matters as much as how you travel. Zurich and Geneva are consistently ranked among the world's priciest cities, and alpine resorts such as Zermatt, St. Moritz, and Verbier add a further premium in ski season (December to March). Smaller towns in Ticino, the Jura, and the eastern cantons are noticeably cheaper, and visiting in shoulder season (April to May or late September to October) brings hotel rates down 20 to 30 percent while the scenery remains spectacular.

Notes

The single biggest saving is the Swiss Half Fare Card (around $130 for one month): it halves nearly every train, bus, boat, and mountain railway fare and usually pays for itself within two or three journeys. The full Swiss Travel Pass makes sense if you plan long scenic routes on most days. Book major routes like the Glacier Express early for seat reservations, and note that regional day passes (saver day passes from around $55) can undercut everything if your dates are fixed.

Food is where budgets blow up: a simple restaurant main course runs $25 to $35 almost everywhere. Do as the locals do — buy picnic supplies at Migros, Coop, or the cheaper Denner and Lidl, eat your main meal at lunch when many restaurants offer a fixed 'Mittagsmenü' for $20 to $25, and drink tap water, which is excellent and free (many fountains on the street are drinkable). Hostels and mountain huts often have guest kitchens. Skipping alcohol helps too: beer runs $8 or more in bars, so buy it at the supermarket for a third of the price.

Related

• Switzerland country guide
• Switzerland currency & money