Switzerland Holidays

How to reach Switzerland

• Flight time: Flights to Switzerland from London take approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your destination.

• Transfer time: From Zurich Airport, trains depart from the subterranean station, taking about 10-15 minutes to reach the centre. Geneva Airport has a similarly swift transfer, with trains reaching the city centre in roughly 7 minutes. Flying into Basel, you’re just a 15-minute bus ride away from the city.

• Price: In Zurich, a train ticket to the city centre costs around CHF 6.80. Geneva’s city train ride is slightly cheaper, costing about CHF 3. Basel’s airport bus costs CHF 4.70 one-way. Taxis from all three airports will set you back about CHF 40-50.

Best time to visit Switzerland

If skiing and snowboarding are the priority on your holidays to Switzerland, then the winter months are an obvious choice. Urban centres can be visited any time of year, but the weather still might influence your decision.

• December to March: High season for mountain resorts like Zermatt, Verbier and St. Moritz, so expect substantial crowds and pricier accommodation. Temperatures range between -5°C and 5°C, and there’s certainly plenty of snowfall. In the towns and cities, a combination of sunshine and Christmas markets paints the most romantic urban picture.

• April to June: The shoulder season, when many of the resorts close down, but it’s a fantastic time for hiking and exploring Switzerland’s towns minus the crowds. Temperatures rise from around 10°C to 20°C, with moderate rainfall (40–80mm) and 6–8 hours of sunshine.

• July to August: The ideal time for outdoor pursuits like hiking, mountain biking and lake swimming. The mountains offer a cool escape, with temperatures between 15°C and 25°C, while for cities, towns and lower altitude destinations, the temperate summer months are particularly pleasant.

• September to November: Expect cooler temperatures, from around 5°C to 15°C, more frequent rain (70–100mm) and about 4–7 hours of sunshine. September, and even October, are still great times to venture into the mountains for some hiking.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Otherwise, most people in Switzerland speak English to a very high level.

• Local habits and customs: All bar, restaurant and hotel bills are calculated with 15 percent service included: staff are on proper salaries and tipping is officially abolished. Sundays are a day of rest and most shops are closed.

• Health and safety: An extremely safe country, Switzerland has only a small force of plain-clothes federal police (Polizei, police, polizia). You must carry your passport at all times.

• Currency: Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). Almost all Swiss banks have English-language ATMs which accept foreign debit and credit cards, and you can pay for most goods and services using plastic.

• Getting around: The Swiss public transport system remains one of the wonders of the modern world; you can get anywhere you want quickly, easily and relatively cheaply. Train timetables are well integrated with those of the postbuses, which operate on routes not covered by rail (including remote valleys), as well as ferry services on Switzerland’s many lakes. Cyclists are well served by the Swiss instinct for green thinking.

• Electricity and plug types: Switzerland uses Type J plugs, with a standard voltage of 230V. UK travellers will need an adaptor.

• Time zone: Switzerland operates on Central European Time (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT.

• Required travel documentation: UK travellers do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days. You’ll just need your passport.

Best things to do in Switzerland

In this most orderly of countries, you’ll discover a place that has strong regional identities, exuberant carnivals, local culinary traditions and urbane cosmopolitan cities. More than anything, it is the magnificent mountain ranges enclosing the country to the south that define it.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• The Matterhorn: Instantly recognisable – if you make it to just one mountain during your Switzerland holidays, it should be this, the “Toblerone” peak. Travel via Brig or Visp to Zermatt, from where you can set out on the breathtaking cable car journey up to Klein Matterhorn.

• Alto Ticino: In summer you can drive (or take the bus) over the legendary Gotthard Pass for some of the country’s most awesome views.

• Schilthorn, Mürren: For a Bond-worthy panorama, take the cable car up to Schilthorn. The revolving restaurant Piz Gloria, made famous by the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, offers 360-degree views of the Alps.

The best districts

• Old Town Zurich: With a quaint old town, the flagship Kunsthaus, world-class restaurants, and a dynamic alternative bar and club scene in the post-industrial spaces of Zürich West, this financial city is also a very attractive cosmopolitan destination.

• Lausanne: Tiered above Lake Geneva and crowned by a stunning Gothic cathedral, Lausanne is a beautiful city with a lively street life and some fascinating museums.

• Fribourg: With a wonderful Old Town of cobbled streets, wooden bridges and a Gothic cathedral, Fribourg is one of the most enchanting spots in Switzerland.

• Basel: This ancient Rhine-side city straddling the French and German borders is enhanced by fine medieval architecture and one of Switzerland’s best art museums, the Fondation Beyeler.

Museums

• Museum Tinguely, Basel: Admire the humour and ingenuity of one of Switzerland’s best-loved artists in a stunning Mario Botta building.

• Fondation Beyeler, Basel: A masterfully elegant building, designed by Renzo Piano, it houses a small but exceptionally high-quality art collection featuring works by some of the 20th century’s best artists – Picasso, Giacometti, Warhol, Rothko, Rodin, Klee, Kandinsky, Bacon, Miró and more.

• Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern: Housed in an eye-catching Renzo Piano building, this superb museum holds the world’s largest collection of the famous Swiss artist’s works.

Parks and gardens

• Rosengarten, Bern: The city’s Rose Garden has a lovely collection of flora (220 varieties of rose, 200 of iris and more) and spectacular morning views over the Old Town. The terrace of the garden’s hilltop café is a great place to stop for a drink and admire the panorama.

Historical monuments

• Lausanne Cathedral: On a par with the greatest of French Gothic architecture, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame is Switzerland’s finest Gothic building; the interior is stunning, every line and detail drawing your eye dizzily up to the lofty vaulted heights.

• Abbatiale de Payerne: Gaze in wonder at the remarkable artistry of this superb Romanesque abbey; its square, turreted tower, with a slender twisted spire, dominates the town.

• Grossmünster, Zurich: No trip to Zürich is complete without a visit to its iconic “Great Minster”, from where Zwingli preached the Reformation.

Day trips in the area

• Appenzellerland: This beguiling, deeply traditional region offers charming villages, beautiful mountain scenery and a host of unique customs that still form an indelible part of local life.

• Geneva: For all its international stature, Geneva is a surprisingly quiet, reserved city. Take a day or two to visit its major sights before setting out to explore its beautiful namesake lake.

• Interlaken and Jungfrau region: If you’re a mountain completist, then travel on to Interlaken for the journey to Jungfraujoch, which has the highest train station in Europe. Stay overnight in one of the region’s small mountain villages such as Wengen or Mürren.

Activities for families in Switzerland

With its visitor-friendly efficiency, tolerant attitudes and unimpeachable safety record, Switzerland is an easy country to travel in with children - and the activities available are limitless.

• Train rides: Switzerland has some of the world’s great train journeys. Take the ride up to Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest station, perched at 3454m on a crag above the mighty Aletsch glacier; or there’s the Golden Pass, a superbly scenic train journey from Montreux into the surrounding mountains.

• Boat trips: Take a boat ride to the centre of the mighty Rhine Falls – just upstream from pretty Schaffhausen – and feel the spray on your face. Setting off from St Gallen, travel up to the wide-open Bodensee. From Kreuzlingen on its shores at the border with Germany, you can take a boat along the wide, meandering Rhine, stopping at Stein-amRhein and finally Schaffhausen, near the roaring Rhine Falls.

• Interactive museums: The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne is one of Switzerland’s most popular family museums, featuring interactive exhibits on transport, communications and space exploration. Kids can try out simulators and even walk inside a decommissioned aeroplane.

Free things to do in Switzerland

Switzerland may be known for being one of Europe’s most expensive destinations, but there are plenty of things you can do without breaking the bank.

• Carnivals: Switzerland has a long tradition of carnival, with Basel and Lucerne offering two of the biggest and best, where thousands pack into the cities for parades, music and merrymaking. Superb free entertainment.

• Lake promenades: Stroll along the shores of Switzerland’s lakes, such as Lake Geneva, Lake Zurich or Lake Lucerne just absorbing the scenery.

Nature and outdoor activities in Switzerland

Switzerland is heaven for outdoorsiness of all kinds: kids start skiing as toddlers, and it’s common to see Swiss grandparents hiking and cycling on Alpine trails. Safety standards are very high.

• Hiking and trekking: The Swiss love hiking, and with over 60,000km of marked trails, most boasting stunning Alpine vistas, it’s easy to see why. The Jungfrau and Matterhorn regions are particularly popular, as is the legendary Bernese Oberland.

• Skiing and snowboarding: For skiers and snowboarders, the choice is overwhelming: Verbier is renowned for its challenging off-piste skiing, while scenic Zermatt is suitable for all abilities. The picturesque resorts of the Jungfrau region – Grindelwald, Mürren and Wengen – are better suited for intermediates.

• In-line skating: Another massively popular pursuit, this is essentially roller skating on skates with a single set of wheels – also known as rollerblading, There are three national routes across the country, supplemented by lots of shorter local and regional trails: the most popular is the Rhein Skate route between Landquart and Kreuzlingen.

• Mountain biking: Switzerland’s vast network of trails provides endless mountain biking opportunities. The regions of Graubünden and Valais are especially popular, offering a range of routes from beginner-friendly to advanced.

Local dishes in Switzerland

Switzerland has a wide range of local cuisines, absorbing influences from French, German and Italian cooking while sticking close to its Alpine roots. Nothing beats a good fondue though.

Some typical dishes

• Fondue: A communal pot of melted cheese served with bread cubes for dipping, the classic style is a moitiémoitié (“half-and-half”), using either Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois, or Gruyère and Emmental.

• Rösti: Shredded potato formed into a large patty and fried golden brown on both sides. This can either be an accompaniment to a main course or, with the embellishment of ham, melted cheese, a fried egg and/or bacon bits, be a comfortably affordable main course.

• Raclette: A large half-round of cheese is held in front of a fire, and as it melts it’s scraped (raclé) onto a plate, and served with boiled potatoes, pearl onions and pickles.

Meat dishes

• Zürcher Geschnetzeltes: Diced veal in a creamy mushroom sauce often served with rösti.

• Saucisson Vaudois: This pork and beef Vaud sausage is famous for its delicately smoked flavour, served boiled or steamed alongside papet vaudois, a purée of potatoes and leeks.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Truite meunière: Lakeside resorts prepare fresh fish in a hundred different ways, most deliciously as truite meunière, fresh trout floured and sautéed in butter.

Street food

• Bratwurst: A popular street food across Switzerland, these juicy, meat-packed sausages are typically served with a side of bread or mustard.

• Pretzels (Brezel): Sold at markets and bakeries, these soft, salty breads are just the job for a quick bite on the run.

Sweets and desserts

• Chocolate: Today, more chocolate is sold in Switzerland per head of population than in any other country. The country has a long tradition of confectioners producing hand-filled luxury chocolates for special occasions, such as chocolate-covered chestnuts in autumn, and chocolate bears, which are a Bernese favourite.

• Meringues: Invented in or near Meiringen, most Emmental and Bernese Oberland villages offer their own cream-laden meringue creations.

Local drinks

• Swiss wine: Switzerland’s wine industry is modest, but a couple of regions produce some impressive vintages, most notably Lavaux.

• Kirsch: The country’s most famous distilled spirit or liquor, this is a cherry spirit from Zug and around Lake Lucerne.

• Swiss beer: Beer (Bier, bière, birra) on draught (vom Fass, à la pression, alla pressione) comes as a flavourful lager-type brew, always served with a large head of foam.