Getting around Switzerland: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

Switzerland is a train country. The network is dense, the connections are timed, and almost every mountain valley has a bus or a rack railway at the end of it. For a normal first trip, base yourself in two or three places and move between them by rail.

A hire car only pays off if you are staying somewhere genuinely off the rail map, or travelling as a group with luggage and children. Even then, check parking at your hotel first: many mountain villages charge heavily for it, and a few ban cars outright.

SBB runs the main lines and most regional ones. Trains leave at least hourly on the main corridors, usually twice hourly, and connections between train, bus and boat are built into the timetable, so a five-minute change is normal and usually works. Zurich to Bern takes 56 minutes; Zurich to Zermatt takes 3 h 15 with a change in Visp.

Full fares are the trap. A long cross-country trip costs CHF 50–130, and paying that several times adds up fast. Two fixes: a Half Fare card, which halves every ticket for a month, or a multi-day pass that covers trains, PostBus, boats and most city transport. Do the arithmetic on your actual route before buying either.

Supersaver tickets are the other lever: booked ahead for a specific departure, they can cost a fraction of the walk-up fare, but they are tied to that train. If your plans are loose, a pass is the safer buy.

The Glacier Express, Bernina Express and GoldenPass Express are ordinary railway lines with panoramic carriages and a reservation fee. The Glacier Express takes about 8 hours from Zermatt to St Moritz and costs a pass plus CHF 20–60 for the seat. The Bernina line to Tirano and the GoldenPass route toward Montreux run on the same tracks as regular trains.

If the ride matters more than the carriage, take the regular train on the same line: cheaper, no reservation, and the windows open. Reservations on the named panoramic trains sell out in summer, so book early if you want one.

PostBus fills the gaps the trains leave: high passes, side valleys and villages with no station. Fares work like train fares and passes are valid. A few popular summer pass routes, such as the ones over the big alpine passes, ask for a seat reservation.

Lake boats on Lucerne, Lake Geneva, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are slow, scenic and pass-valid. Lucerne to Flüelen takes about 3 hours. Timetables shrink sharply outside summer, so check before planning a boat-based day in April or November.

In cities, trams, buses and suburban trains run on the same ticket system. Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Bern and Lausanne all have dense networks, and a day pass is usually cheaper than three singles. Tickets are bought from machines or apps before boarding; inspectors do fine you.

A hire car costs CHF 80–150 a day before fuel, plus a motorway vignette, plus parking that can run CHF 20–40 a night in a resort. Against that, trains go almost everywhere and you do not have to find a space.

Where a car earns its keep: remote valleys in Valais, Graubünden or Ticino with infrequent buses, and trips where you are carrying climbing or ski kit. Where it does not: Zermatt, which is car-free, so you park in Täsch and take the shuttle train up. Several other mountain villages work the same way.

Winter changes everything. High passes close, some for months, and snow chains or winter tyres are required on mountain roads. Swiss motorway vignettes are sold as an annual sticker or an e-vignette; both cover the same network.

Switzerland is small enough that flying rarely makes sense. Zurich to Geneva by train is under 3 hours city centre to city centre; the flight saves little once you add airport time. Flights are mainly useful for reaching Geneva or Zurich from a distant European city, not for moving inside the country.

If you are arriving from abroad, Zurich and Geneva both have train stations in the terminal, so you can be on a train within minutes of clearing baggage claim. Basel's airport sits on French soil; use the Swiss exit for buses into Basel.

Three products cover most trips. The Half Fare card halves individual tickets for a month. A multi-day travel pass covers unlimited train, bus, boat and city transport for its duration. Regional passes cover a single area, such as one canton or one mountain region, and can be cheaper for a short stay.

Mountain railways and cable cars are the exception: many give pass holders 25–50% off rather than free travel, and a single return up a big summit can cost CHF 50–250. Budget for one headline summit and use cheaper viewpoints, or a regional pass, for the rest.

Buy in the SBB app or at station machines. Machines take cards; small village ticket offices may keep short hours.

Station toilets cost CHF 1–2; restaurants and department stores are free for customers. Shops close early on Saturday in small towns and all day Sunday, except at stations and airports, so buy snacks and water before you travel on a Sunday.

Mountain railways generally run about 08:00–17:00 and the last descent is strict. Many lifts close between seasons, in spring and late autumn, so check webcams and timetables before paying for a summit day. Weather changes fast at altitude: a clear valley morning can be cloud on top by noon.

Tap and fountain water is excellent and free; restaurants charge for bottled water, so ask for tap water if you want it. Tipping is not expected on top of the service charge, but rounding up or adding 5–10% in a restaurant is normal.