Travel Guide: 50 Ways to Save in Switzerland

The serene landscape of Switzerland. Photo: Guillaume V on Flickr

Ready to make your Swiss dreams of pristine mountain villages and rich, cheesy fondue come true? You’re not alone. Switzerland’s stunning scenery and rich cuisine have it at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists.

Unfortunately for Cheapos, the Alpine paradise is not exactly Europe’s most budget-friendly destination. In fact, it often goes down as Europe’s most budget-unfriendly destination! It’s no Portugal or Spain…

But that doesn’t mean that you need to steer clear of Switzerland, or that a visit has to empty your entire bank account. You may have to “adjust” your standards a bit — and get creative — but the chance to explore this spectacular European country is well worth the effort!

Related:

• Switzerland on a Budget: Our 5-day cheapo itinerary
• Switzerland: A Budget travel guide to Interlaken
• Switzerland: A Basel budget travel guide to help you save

Switzerland Budget Travel Guide: 50 Tips for saving

Here are 50 of our best tips for spending fewer Swiss francs on your trip. Whenever possible, we’ve also included links to more in-depth articles for further advice. We’d love to hear about any additional tips you have in the comments section at the end.

Geneva, Switzerland is easy on the eyes. Photo: Daniel J.

When to go

1. AVOID MAJOR EVENTS IN BIG CITIES

Want to keep your trip on budget? Avoid popular events in big cities like Geneva and Zurich when room rates can double or triple. Not sure when events are on? Look up each city’s calendar of events on the Swiss tourism website.

Desperate to attend a major event like Switzerland’s biggest carnival in Basel? Book as far in advance as you can manage.

2. PLAN YOUR TRIP FOR SWITZERLAND’S OFF SEASON

For the best airfares and hotel room rates in Switzerland, stay away from late spring, summer and the winter holidays. For the best prices and fewer crowds try late winter or early spring.

Getting Cheaper Flights to Switzerland

3. FLY OPEN-JAW

Don’t get attached to the idea of a round-trip fare into and out of Zurich. It may make your trip more expensive, and waste a lot of time. It might be cheaper to fly into one city and home through another. We found direct “open-jaw” flights into Zurich and out of Geneva for $600 or less in late September and early October.

4. YOU DON’T HAVE TO FLY INTO ZURICH

Depending on your travel dates, it may be cheaper to fly into Geneva, or into a major European hub like London or Frankfurt, and then hop a budget flight on to Switzerland.

5. ADD A STOPOVER FOR SAVINGS

While there are plenty of direct flights to Switzerland from New York, you could save some cash and gain a stopover in Iceland if you book round-trip flights with Icelandair. We found fares in late September for less than $500.

6. FLY BUDGET AIRLINES

Once you’re in Europe, hop a cheap flight with a low-cost airline like RyanAir or easyJet to Switzerland. Just make sure to pack light — excess luggage fees can get scary fast on these flights.

Want some more advice on how to get a cheap flight? Check out our guide to budget flights in Europe.

7. SKIP THE TAXI INTO THE CITY CENTER

Never take a taxi into the city center from the airport if you’re traveling alone. It’s just not worth the expense. Wrangle your bags and hop the bus or the train. If you’re traveling in a group, it might be worth the splurge late at night with lots of luggage.

Planning your trip

8. TAKE IT SLOW

Don’t try to cram in too many things. If you stay in one place, you’ll have time to discover off-the-beaten-path restaurants and shops along with free events and attractions. You could easily spend a few days in any of the country’s bigger cities just exploring museums.

9. FOCUS ON ONE REGION

Switzerland may be small and landlocked, but it’s covered in mountains. That means things are almost farther away (in time, if not in miles) than you imagine. Focus on one area or region for a better trip.

10. FOLLOW THE LOCALS

Skip touristy attractions and vacation where the locals go — which generally means renting a car and heading to villages that are more out of the way, like Gimmewald and Thun.

Want some more itinerary tips? Check out the following articles:

• Gimmelwald, Switzerland: A visit to the tiny mountain village
• Mythic Waters: The Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen

Saving on transportation

11. SKIP TOURIST PASSES

Generally speaking, extra tourist passes aren’t a great deal in Switzerland. For one thing, in many Swiss cities such as Basel and Interlaken, a transit pass for visitors is already included with hotel and hostel stays. If your hotel doesn’t hand it over at check-in, ask for your pass, and if you end up dealing with someone who isn’t willing to cooperate, head to the tourist office with a print out of your paid reservation and confirmation numbers.

12. BOOK TRAIN TICKETS BEFORE YOU LEAVE

Nowhere is booking train tickets ahead more important than in Switzerland where the train is lovely but terribly expensive. Fortunately for Cheapos, booking ahead of time will save you some serious cash.

13. BUY YOUR TICKETS DIRECTLY FROM SBB

Unless you’ve found an amazing multi-country deal with Eurorail, you’re best off buying your train trips directly from Switzerland’s national rail service. You can buy tickets at a local office after you arrive or on the SBB official website.

14. BOOK TICKETS ONLINE FOR BIG SAVINGS

The best deals to be had on train tickets in Switzerland are online. Using the SBB official website, you can book “Supersaver” tickets and pay substantially less than what you’d owe for a walk-up ticket in the station.

15. USE YOUR FEET
Switzerland’s beautiful scenery and compact city centers are often best explored on foot. And the good news is that walking is completely free.

16. BUS IT FOR A CHEAP RIDE

Want to travel between cities for less? Forget romantic notions of Swiss travel and hop on a bus. There are limited schedules (and it’ll take slightly longer than in the train), but taking the bus just might be worth the sacrifice for Cheapos. Check out schedules and ticket prices on the SBB website.

17. CONSIDER A RIDESHARE

While Europe’s growing rideshare company BlaBlaCar isn’t currently available everywhere in Switzerland, it is  available between bigger cities like Basel, Zurich, and Bern. For a fraction of what it costs to travel via train or bus, you may find more flexibility when it comes to scheduling and meet an interesting local.

Need some more tip on using ride-sharing services in Europe? Check out our guide to BlaBlaCar.

18. FLY BUDGET FOR LARGER DISTANCES

It may sound ridiculous, but with the onset of budget airlines flying between Swiss cities, and the expense of Swiss trains, sometimes it’s cheaper (and faster) to fly between Swiss cities than to travel overland, especially if you haven’t booked super saver tickets ahead of time. Do a budget air search here.

Rental Cars and Driving

19. BOOK A CAR WITH FREE CANCELLATION

Book your rental with free cancellation — that way if your plans change or you find a better deal, you’re covered. Most of the agencies we work with do offer free cancellation, but be sure to double check before booking. Find rates for Switzerland car rentals on CheapoSearch.

20. BOOK EARLY

The earlier you book your car, the better selection you’ll have to choose from. This is especially important if you want a cheap car, or a car with certain amenities (automatic transmission, etc).

21. CANCEL IF YOU FIND SOMETHING BETTER

If you’re not satisfied with the vehicle and price you booked in advance and find something better, cancel your existing reservation and re-book. Just beware of sneaky fees and deductibles.

22. PICK UP YOUR CAR AT THE AIRPORT

It’s almost always easier to pick your car up at the airport. It usually costs the same (or sometimes less) and can save you time driving through the city.

23. GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME FOR PICK-UP

Don’t book your car pickup too close to the time your plane lands or expect to pick up a car just before the rental office closes. Allow yourself lots of time to avoid stressful last-minute surprises because of delays.

24. ALLOW EXTRA TIME FOR DROP-OFF

Sometimes there’s a line to drop-off your rental, and you want to have plenty of time for a careful inspection you can sign off on to avoid any fees. Give yourself extra time to return the car — especially if delays could make you miss your flight.

25. PARK CAREFULLY

Switzerland is expensive. You don’t need to add a parking ticket to your expenditures. Unless you’re really sure that space on the street is free, stick to parking garages open to the public — it’s worth ponying up the parking fees to avoid the much bigger expense of a parking ticket.

26. KEEP YOUR SPEED UNDER CONTROL

Drive carefully and keep your speed within legal maximums and minimums. And don’t run any lights! If the rental car license is ticketed by a camera, the bill will get to you eventually — trust us.

27. HAVE A PAPER MAP AND GUIDEBOOK

Batteries die and sometimes you don’t have reception or the GPS hasn’t been updated — paper maps and guidebooks are a good back up for this probability.

28. USE GPS

If you don’t have reasonably priced data on your phone with a maps program, pay extra for a GPS with your rental. When you’re trying to find that picturesque Swiss chalet in the middle of nowhere, you’ll be very grateful.

29. DON’T DRIVE IN BIG CITIES

Large cities in Switzerland have dependable public transit systems, and while they’re not exactly what we’d call cheap, they’re certainly cheaper than paying for gas, a rental car and parking. Besides, driving in cities is almost never worth the headache for visitors.

30. PICK UP YOUR CAR WHEN LEAVING TOWN

If you’re flying into a big city (like Zurich or Geneva) and sticking around for a few days before heading off through the mountains, start your car reservation when you’re leaving town. It will will save you the hassle of having a car in the city, and the expense of extra days of renting (and parking!).

Hotels and Accommodations

31. BOOK EARLY FOR THE BEST PRICES

Book as far in advance as you can manage for the best selection of rooms at the best price in Europe. Search and book on EuroCheapo, and check out our favorite budget hotels in Zurich.

32. STAY CENTRAL

You can find deals way outside the city center, but you’ll spend a lot of your time and money on getting around.

If you’re headed to Zurich, one of our favorite cheap and stylish options is near the city center. Rooms at Zum Guten Glück start at only $70 per night for a single room —a bargain for the country’s biggest city.

33. DON’T BOOK A ROOM WITH A VIEW

Those mountain views out your hotel window in Switzerland sure are pretty… expensive! Since your room is really only a place to sleep, you can skip the view and save your francs for other activities. And who knows, maybe they’ll give you the view for free.

34. RENT SOMETHING WITH KITCHEN FACILITIES

Prepare yourself: A cup of coffee will cost you about $4 a cup, and eating out can be exorbitant. You’ll want to cook some of your own meals. A kitchen with your hotel stay would make that easier.

35. SLEEP IN A CAMPSITE

Where available, Swiss campsites are well priced for an alternative to a hotel. Some campsites even have cabins if you don’t want to pack a tent. Here’s a list of more than 200 campsites on the official Swiss tourism website.

36. STAY SOMEWHERE NICE WITH A LAST-MINUTE BOOKING

If you don’t mind gambling a little, you can wait until the day of to book a hotel and sometimes you can stay in an upscale place for the same price as a budget hotel. Read our guide to when to book for the best rates.

37. SEARCH BUDGET HOTELS ON EUROCHEAPO

Know your travel dates now? Search over 11,000 hotels across Switzerland. Save on your hotel bill and have plenty leftover for sightseeing and dining!

Seeing the sights

38. HIT UP THE TOURIST OFFICE FOR ADVICE

First stop: The tourist office for some free advice! The people at the tourist offices are there to help you and will do their best to save you money if they can. If nothing else, you’ll get a free map. Every city has one — usually in the train station and in the city center.

39. PREBOOK ANYTHING YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST SEE

Switzerland’s a popular destination, so if there’s something you really have to see (especially during high seasons at Christmas and in summer) you should go ahead and pre-book it. You’ll save yourself time waiting in line.

40. PRIORITIZE FREE ACTIVITIES

In large urban areas like Basel and Zurich, most museums have at least one free day or afternoon a week. Check those days in advance, as the savings can be substantial (plus you’ll feel less guilty about just popping in for an hour or so).

41. BE CAREFUL BUYING PASSES

As noted in #11 above, be careful when buying city tourism passes that include city transportation and museum entrances. Why? If you’re staying at a hotel in the city, a city transit pass will already be included in your stay. Thus, these other tourism passes are really just covering museums and sightseeing, so do the math and see if they’re worth it.

Do you like cheap eats? Keep an eye out for bakeries and supermarkets on your Swiss vacation. Photo: Kecko

Saving on eating and drinking in Switzerland

42. EAT OUT AT LUNCH

If you want to eat well for less, go out for lunch, not for dinner, and go for a fixed price menu. Lunch deals are much easier to come by in Switzerland than dinner deals.

43. HEAD TO THE SUPERMARKET

In Switzerland, food is expensive, especially when compared to destinations in Southern Europe. If you want to save on dining, eat out less, head to the grocery store for pre-made meals and groceries, and cut down on your meat buying (even in grocery stores). It’s so expensive in Switzerland that lots of locals have adopted at least one meat-free day per week.

For cheap and filling prepared meals, try the restaurants at area supermarkets like ALDI and COOP — don’t expect anything terribly fancy though. Imagine eating at a Swiss IKEA, and you’re pretty much on the mark.

44. FORGO FAST FOOD

Think you’ll save by simply eating out at international fast-food chains? Think again! Even chains like McDonald’s will hurt your budget in Switzerland. In fact, a Big Mac meal is more expensive than takeaway from many popular Indian and Chinese restaurants in Basel.

45. DON’T OVERTIP

When you do dine out, a service fee is typically included in the bill at Swiss restaurants. If you’re exceptionally pleased with your experience, you can always round up to the nearest franc, but more than that isn’t expected.

46. CUT BACK ON CAFFEINE

If you have a serious coffee habit, you may want to cut back during your Swiss vacation. Caffeinated drinks can be pretty expensive. In most establishments, a coffee starts at around $4.

Another option? Drink as much as you can at your hotel’s breakfast service, and make yourself instant brew in your room. Or you could switch to tea…

47. CAREFUL WITH THE PRICEY ALCOHOL

When you’re on a budget in a pricier destination, alcohol price tags can quickly add to your costs. Sticking to water and cutting out soft drinks wouldn’t hurt either. When you want a tipple, stick to beer and wine (they’re always the cheapest) and scope out area hostels with happy hours for an inexpensive buzz.

Keeping in Touch

48. NEGOTIATE WITH YOUR CARRIER BEFORE YOU GO

Switzerland’s phone services don’t have agreements with the rest of Europe for roaming, which is disappointing, to say the least. Unless you plan to stay for a month or more, Switzerland is the exception to our general advice to buy a local SIM card when visiting Europe.

Instead, negotiate ahead of time with your carrier at home and use any services on an as needed basis. Your best option? Keep in touch with loved ones with your hotel’s free WIFI.

If you’re traveling in Europe long-term, grab a SIM card in a country that’s a full-on member of the European Union with a carrier that offers free roaming in the European Union, wherein you’ll be paying local rates for data, and calls wherever you go.

Banks and Money

49. USE NO-FEE CARDS

Call your bank and credit card company before you go to find out about fees and exchange rates (and let them know when and where you’ll be traveling to avoid unpleasant surprises). Then stick to using those cards and accounts with good rates and no (or low) fees to get the best deal on Swiss francs.

50. DON’T CHANGE CASH

While changing money at the airport is still common and sometimes a necessary evil, the exchange rates and fees never work out in your favor. You’re much better off taking out as much cash as you think you’ll need at an ATM. Remember, Swiss francs are only good in Switzerland, it’s not like you can use them anywhere else on your trip.

That said, in Basel, Euros are accepted at important places like the central train station and the airport.

Bonus Tip: You might want to buy travel insurance for your Swiss adventure. The coverage might be helpful for any hiccups that come up during your trip.

Your Switzerland budget tips

Have you been to Switzerland? Share your best money-saving tips in the comments section below!