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Voykit pocket guide · Switzerland
Saint Gallen
Sankt Gallen
Give Saint Gallen one night for the abbey library and the old town, then use it as a rail base for Appenzell and the Alpstein.
Saint Gallen is eastern Switzerland's main city and rail hub, 1 h from Zurich Airport by direct train. The UNESCO abbey with its baroque library is the reason to stop; the old town is small, car-free and walkable in half a day. Most travellers sleep one night, or two if they plan to hike the Alpstein and Appenzell.
- Country
- Switzerland
- Local name
- Sankt Gallen
- Best months
- May–Sep, Dec for the Christmas market
- Avoid
- Nov (grey and quiet), and the youth hostel closes in winter
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CHF
- Money
- Currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere; euros are sometimes taken with change in francs.
- Daily spend
- Budget CHF 90–140 excl. bed · Mid CHF 140–230 excl. bed · High CHF 230+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt sell prepaid SIMs (ID needed); Swisscom covers the most mountain terrain.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 118 · European emergency 112 · Rega air rescue 1414
- Plugs
- Types J, C · 230 V · 50 Hz · Swiss three-pin sockets are recessed: thin two-pin (type C) plugs fit, but thick German Schuko plugs do not — bring a Swiss adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Service included; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.; Café or bar: Round up.; Taxi: Round up.; Hotel: Optional; CHF 2–5 for porters.; Mountain guide: CHF 20–50 for a day, optional.
- Water
- Tap and fountain water is excellent. Restaurants usually charge for bottled water; ask for 'Hahnenwasser' / 'eau du robinet'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | CHF 4–6 |
| OLMA bratwurst from a street stand | CHF 6–9 |
| Lunch, one course | CHF 18–30 |
| Beer: draught / supermarket can | CHF 6–9 / CHF 2–3 |
| Abbey library entry (baroque hall and lapidarium) | CHF 12, concessions CHF 9 |
| VBSG single bus fare | CHF 2.70 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | CHF 15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ZRH · Zurich Airport
- Direct trains to Saint Gallen about twice an hour, roughly 1 h
- ACH · St. Gallen-Altenrhein
- About 19 km northeast; limited and seasonal routes, check the timetableAbout 12 mi northeast; limited and seasonal routes, check the timetable
- FDH · Friedrichshafen (Bodensee-Airport)
- Alternative across Lake Constance; onward by bus or train, check
Typical fares
- Zurich Airport → Saint Gallen, direct train
- about 1 h, twice an hour
- Saint Gallen → Appenzell, Appenzeller Bahnen
- about 45 min
- VBSG bus, one direction
- CHF 2.70
Get around
The old town is traffic-free and best on foot. VBSG buses cover the edges of the city and run frequently; buy at major stops or from the machine on board. The Trogenerbahn runs south to Speicher and Trogen for trailheads. Taxis wait at the station and along Marktplatz.
See and do
Known for
- Abbey of Saint Gall and its baroque library (UNESCO)
- Car-free old town with painted bay windows
- OLMA bratwurst
- Gateway to Appenzell and the Alpstein
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Appenzell | Appenzeller Bahnen from Saint Gallen station, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Säntis and the Alpstein | Train to Schwägalp or Wasserauen, then cable car or on foot | 1.5–2 h |
| Rorschach | Train along Lake Constance, about 20 min | About 40 min |
| Zurich | Direct SBB trains several times an hour | About 1 h 15 min |
| Vaduz, Liechtenstein | Train to Buchs, then bus | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Old town and Marktplatz
- Walk to the abbey, library and restaurants; quietest option for one night.
- Around the railway station
- Hotels, shops and buses on the doorstep; 500 m to the old town.
- Near Lake Constance (Oberwaid, Rorschacher Strasse)
- Spa and lake side, 2–3 km out; bus or taxi into the centre.Spa and lake side, 1.2–1.9 mi out; bus or taxi into the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | GrüeziGRUE-tsi |
| Thank you | Merci vilmalMER-si feel-mol |
| Please | BitteBIT-teh |
| How much is it? | Was kostet das?vas KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-teh TSA-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?vo ist dee toy-LET-teh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; three cheek kisses among friends; avoid: Skipping the greeting in shops
- Punctuality: Be exactly on time; avoid: Running for the train expecting it to wait
- Language: Greet in the local language, then ask for English; avoid: Speaking German in Geneva as a default
- Quiet: Low voices in trains; quiet carriages are marked; avoid: Speakerphone calls
- Money: Keep financial talk discreet; avoid: Asking people's salaries
- Recycling: Separate PET, glass and cans; avoid: Leaving rubbish in hotel or flat bins unsorted
Scams and watch-outs
- Sunday: many shops and the Migros station garage close.
- The abbey library is a working historic room: no photography, bags in the lockers, and short opening hours — check before you go.
- The youth hostel closes in winter.
- Buses are one-direction tickets: a return trip needs a second fare.
Saint Gallen is a low-risk Swiss city; the real issues are pickpockets around the station, bicycles in the old town and winter ice on the slopes.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saint Gallen yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Abbey of Saint Gall and its baroque library (UNESCO)
- Car-free old town with painted bay windows
- OLMA bratwurst
- Gateway to Appenzell and the Alpstein
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Saint Gallen Tourism: www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch/
- Abbey Library of Saint Gall: www.stibi.ch/
- SBB — Swiss Federal Railways: www.sbb.ch/en
- VBSG city buses: www.vbsg.ch/
- Wikivoyage: Saint Gallen, revision 5322377 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5322377
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Saint GallenSankt Gallen
Bitte zu dieser Adresse
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries: embassies in Bern; the US and UK have no consulate in Saint Gallen — check your embassy's list before you travel.
Swiss German is spoken locally; English works in hotels, museums and most restaurants.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/saint-gallen). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.