15 Switzerland Travel Tips to Help Plan Your First Visit

Switzerland Travel Tips

Planning a trip to the beautiful country of Switzerland, and not sure where to start? We got you covered! Switzerland was a dream trip for us this past summer. We’ve now put together some of our best Switzerland travel tips for your first time visiting. Here’s everything from transportation to cost, and even some of our favorite places to experience!

15 Switzerland Travel Tips For Your First Visit

1. Plan for the Right Time of Year

One of the best things about Switzerland is that you can visit at all times of the year. On our most recent trip, we went in August during the peak summer season.

This is when the weather will be the warmest. You can spend time hiking in the mountains and swimming in the beautiful lakes.

While this was certainly a magical time of year, know that all seasons are amazing in their own way. During the winter, Switzerland features some of the world’s best skiing in the alps.

Spring and Fall are also nice, with less tourists than the other seasons. Whatever time of year you choose, you’re in for a great visit to Switzerland!

2. Pack For Any Weather

Make sure to prepare for the weather. If you weren’t aware, Switzerland is definitely no stranger to cold temperatures and crazy snowfall!

Even during the summer in Interlaken, the temperature would drop in the early mornings and nights. We definitely came prepared, as we were camping on Lake Brienz with extra blankets.

Most mornings when we headed off to the gondola or trains it was definitely cold. We would start with several layers that we slowly took off throughout the day as it warmed up.

Our travels even took us to the Top of Europe at Jungfraujoch, which has snow year round! The main point is that even if you are visiting Switzerland in the peak summer months, bring plenty of warm clothes with you. 

Brigitte Nothing Familiar

3. Fly Into Geneva or Zurich

For those travelers flying into Switzerland from abroad, the most popular airports are Genova, Zurich and Basel. It makes the most sense to fly into Geneva if you are exploring the west of the country, and Zurich if you plan to visit the east! 

Check out our tips for how to save money on flights with Skyscanner or you can search for your dates now.

Zurich is an amazing destination filled with history, delicious food, and so many fun attractions. On our first visit, we had a short Zurich layover and still saw so much! We loved how easy it was to get from the airport to the city centre by train. 

Zurich makes for a great place to start your Swiss adventures from. One of our best Switzerland travel tips is to spend a couple nights in the city, before continuing on to experience the mountains and small villages.

If you’re looking for a unique stay, be sure to check out this article about The Home Hotel. We also wrote about our 15 favorite things to do in Zurich.

Best Switzerland Travel Tips

4. Using the Public Transportation

You might already know that the country has an incredible network of public transportation to help you get around. Switzerland is known for its high speed trains, which we found comfortable and easy to use.

On our last trip, we decided to get the Zurich Card. This gave us access to all the trains, buses, and even discounts to museums. It’s especially useful if you’re staying outside of the Old Town or have limited time.

You can easily get from Zurich to other awesome cities like Geneva or Bern. We spent two nights at historic Hotel Vitznauerhof right on Lake Lucerne!

If you are planning to visit the lakes, know that many hotels and campsites will offer a free bus pass to use during your visit.

Zurich Train Station

5. Consider a Switzerland Travel Pass

Swiss Travel Pass

We could see how this part of our Switzerland tips article could be a little confusing. That’s due to the fact that there are so many types of discount passes available.

The most popular is the Swiss travel pass, which connects many places in the country. You can read a detailed break down of the cost and what it covers here.

If you decide to buy this pass, then many trains are free. However, some select ones will be available at a 50% discount. 

Jungfrau Travel Pass

After leaving Zurich on our recent visit, we headed straight to the stunning Jungfrau region. It features some of the best mountains in the Swiss Alps, and are connected with gondolas that go up to 10,000 feet in the sky.

Consider buying the Jungfrau Pass if you have a few days to explore this area. For a set price, you’ll be able to use the trains, buses, boats, and gondolas to get around.

Over 4 fun days, we visited the epic mountains below. It was such a great mix of hiking, scenic viewpoints, and adventure activities! 

You can pick between 3 and 8 days depending on how much time you have. Read all about our experience using the Jungfrau Travel Pass. If you plan to see as much as possible, then it’s definitely worth the money!

Jungfrau Travel Pass Gondola

6. Rent a Car in Switzerland

While Switzerland does have a great network of public transportation, there are some awesome benefits to renting a car. It will definitely give you the most freedom to explore and see the country on your own terms.

The first of our Switzerland travel tips for this section is to rent from a major city. By booking far enough in advance, you can find cars for around $30 USD per day (check your dates here). 

Depending on your itinerary, this could end up being a huge money saver! It’s also a great idea if you’re traveling in a group, compared to everyone buying train passes individually. 

One thing to mention is that if you are driving from another country (check their Switzerland policy first), you have to buy the Switzerland car pass. You can do it online beforehand or pick one up as you cross over the border. 

Switzerland Tips

7. Pick the Right Hikes

Switzerland is known for its abundance of outdoor activities. To put it simply, all hiking enthusiasts will absolutely love Switzerland! Depending on where you’re visiting, there are both hikes that start from the towns and ones that begin from more remote spots.

One of our favorite experiences was taking the railway up to Schynige Platte. Not only was it a scenic ride, but this train has been in operation for over 100 years!

From the top, we took the panoramic trail for views of Interlaken, the lakes, and surrounding mountain peaks. This is just one of the hundreds of hikes to experience around Switzerland. 

To find hikes around the area you’ll be in, check out the app All trails. There are also some great resources on the tourism board websites. 

You’ll obviously find many difficult hikes to take on, but know there are plenty of paths for beginners and kids as well. Be sure to pack your hiking boots and take plenty of water with you.

One of our best Switzerland travel tips is to download an offline map like Maps.me. This will give you a detailed map of where to go even if you don’t have service.

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8. Swim in the Swiss Lakes

A major highlight of our visit to Switzerland in the summer was swimming in the lakes. We camped right on Lake Brienz and started our day with a refreshing dip every morning!

Interlaken sits directly between Lake Brienz and the magical Lake Thun, which makes it easy to visit both. Just know that even in the summertime you’re in for some cold water.

Brienz is actually a glacier lake, so it will sometimes appear in a more tinted blue color. In comparison, Lake Thun was much clearer and a tad warmer being on the other side. 

Even if you’re not up for an icy dip, there are plenty of ways to get out on the water. We went kayaking on Brienz one morning, did stand up paddle boarding on Lake Thun, and used the ferries that we’ll talk about next.

Lake Brienz

9. Use the Swiss Ferries

Much like the trains, the Swiss ferries are a great way to get to get many small towns. BLS-Schiff is the main company which operates on Lake Brienz and Thun.

Check out their full schedule here or you can book a day pass to use as you wish. Be sure to pay close attention to the routes and times before getting on the boats.

There was a couple of instances where we got confused and almost got stuck in one of the small towns! Luckily, there were buses available still that went back to where we were staying. 

Lake Lucerne Ferry

10. Luxury vs Budget Hotels

It’s no secret that luxury stays will cost top dollar in Switzerland. However, budget accommodations are also quite expensive compared to other destinations in Europe. 

It’s important to take your budget into account when planning out your trip to Switzerland. While we were camping for one week of our trip, we also stayed at two beautiful spa hotels.

The first was at DeltaPark Vitalresort, which is located right on the shores of Lake Thun. It was complete with 4 floors of spas, making for the ultimate Swiss retreat.

We headed to Lake Lucerne afterwards, where we stayed at the incredible Hotel Vitznauerhof. We spent plenty of time at the spa, floating on the lake, and taking in the beautiful views.

Many of the best hotels in the country will cost upwards of $400 USD per night. For this reason, it may be better to save these experiences for days where you’re not planning to be out exploring.

After all, the point of being at a spa hotel is to completely relax and enjoy it!

11. See the Small Villages

The cities are totally worth visiting, but you won’t want to miss out on the small villages! Some of our favorite days were when we were strolling through the small lakeside towns.

We actually stayed right next to Iseltwald Switzerland on Lake Brienz, which is considered by many to be the most beautiful in Switzerland. If possible, you should try and stay in one of these local villages.

However, it’s easy enough to use a place like Interlaken as your home base, and make day trips. Some of our favorite things to do in Interlaken involved taking the ferries around to the towns on the lakes! 

Tips for Switzerland

12. Take the Historic Trains

We’ve now detailed at length that using public transportation is one of the best tips for visiting Switzerland. Still, you should know that taking the trains is a fun activity in itself!

Not only are these train rides incredibly scenic, but many of them have been in operation for over a century. We couldn’t believe we were actually riding on a piece of history up mountains like Schynige Platte, Jungfraujoch, and Harder Kulm.

To be honest, it was slightly terrifying barreling through dark tunnels that were carved into the mountainside. In other countries we have avoided older trains, but Switzerland is known for having some of the best technology and safety standards in the world. 

Be sure to include some of these historic trains, along with the more modern gondolas and cable cars during your trip.

Schynige Platte

13. Eat Traditional Swiss Food

Switzerland is full of delicious dishes, with many centered around its famous cheese. Some of our favorites include raclette, fondue, and rosti.

You’ll also find a ton of influence from the surrounding countries such as France, Italy, and Germany. Yet, just like the hotels, know that eating out will often come with a hefty price tag.

Another one of our cost-effective Switzerland travel tips is to head grocery stores like Lidl and Aldi. While they are well known European chains, we still found massive displays of local cheese and meats for reasonable prices. 

Here you can grab everything you need for a picnic by the lake or sandwiches for your hike! You’ll also want to keep some cash (Swiss Francs) on you while you’re out and about.

We passed so many farm stands on our summer road trip, and even came across cheese vending machines stocked with local products. 

Lastly, you won’t want to miss out on the wine and beer. Swiss wine is severely underrated, with endless refreshing white and red blends.

14. Ride One-Way Gondolas 

Did you know Switzerland has some of the best gondolas and cable cars in the entire world? That’s right!

In the winter, you can use them to get up to the mountains for skiing and other winter sports. While in the summer, they can take you up high for some epic hikes.

If you decide that you don’t want to get a pass, you can pay for the gondolas individually. One popular option is to take them one-way to the top and then do a long 6-8 hour hike back down the mountain.

Now this obviously doesn’t work everywhere, so you may be taking the cable cars both ways. One unique experience we had was the day we spent at Grindelwald-First.

We started our morning on a ride up the Firstbahn cable car. After a fun day zip lining and hiking to Lake Bachalpsee, we decided to descend down in a different way. Here, they actually have trottibikes and mountain carts that you can ride back to town on!

We even took the gondolas to Plz Gloria for a fantastic Schilthorn brunch. This was the epic filming location of the 1969 James Bond movie, and a meal we’ll never forget!

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15. Check Your Visa Days

The last of our tips for visiting Switzerland is extremely important! It can be somewhat confusing, as the country is not an official member of the European Union.

However, it is a part of the Schengen Area, which allows free movement around the continent. Many travelers don’t realize that the 90/180 day visa rule applies to Switzerland.

If you’re planning a longer Europe trip, you’ll want keep this in mind so you don’t go over your allotted days. Before Jake got his residence in Spain we were definitely double and triple checking the calendar constantly to avoid this issue!

Switzerland Hiking Tips

Have any questions about this article or want to share your own helpful Switzerland travel tips? Leave us a comment below! 

Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake

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Brigitte & Jake

We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!

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