Zurich travel guide
Zurich Tourism | Zurich Guide
You're Going to Love Zurich
With 341,730 inhabitants, Zurich is the most populous city in Switzerland. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Zurich has to offer.
Where to Eat in Zurich
Aussersihl is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Zurich. These include popular favourites such as La Taquería (Kreis 4) (Badenerstrasse 138), Akaraka (Bäckerstrasse 30) and Neni Zürich Langstrasse (Langstr. 150). If you’re looking for affordable options, Outback Lodge Zürich (Stadelhoferstr. 18 Stadelhofer Passage) and Parkhuus Restaurant (Dreikönigstrasse 25) are great picks. For delicious green meals, GIESSEREI OERLIKON (Birchstrasse 108) and The Yard (62 Bäckerstrasse) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Zurich.
When to visit Zurich
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Zurich in July, when the average temperature is 19 °C, and the highest can go up to 24 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as -2 °C, with an average temperature of 0 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 128 mm. In contrast, January is usually the driest month of the year in Zurich, with an average rainfall of 63 mm.
How to Get to Zurich
Plane
When flying to Zurich, you’ll arrive at Zurich Airport (ZRH), which is located 6 miles from the city centre. The shortest flight to Zurich from Australia departs from Melbourne and takes around 24h 45m.
Train
SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Zurich, followed by ÖBB. The train journey from Zurich to Bern takes 1h 04m and costs around $47 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Geneva, expect to pay about $100 for a 2h 41m trip. Located 0.5 miles from the city centre, Zurich Hauptbahnhof is the busiest station in Zurich. Another popular train station is Zurich Oerlikon, located 3 miles from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Zurich is to pick up a car hire from Geneva, which is about 139 miles from Zurich. You’ll find branches of Europcar and Alamo, among others, in Geneva.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Zurich, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and STUDENT AGENCY. From Mulhouse, the bus ride to Zurich takes 120 miles and will cost you around $14. From Stuttgart, the ticket costs about $56 for a journey of 190 miles. The most popular bus station is Zurich Bus Station, located 0.7 miles from the city centre of Zurich. Zurich Wangen, Flugsicherungsstrasse is also a commonly used station, and is 5 miles from the city centre.
Airlines serving Zurich
Where to stay in Zurich
From 5-star hotels such as the The Dolder Grand to great affordable options like the Boutique & Art Hotel Helvetia, Zurich offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $274 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $1,005 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Youth Hostel Zurich and Saint Georges Hotel. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Zurich, with prices from $85 to $1,460 per night. Altstadt is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Zurich are about 26% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Altstadt - In Zurich’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include Widder Hotel, Swiss Chocolate By Fassbind and Hotel City Zurich.
Aussersihl - Guesthouse fürDich, 25hours Hotel Zurich Langstrasse and Greulich Design & Boutique Hotel have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Aussersihl will cost you about $147 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Zurich
Most booked hotels in Zurich
Hiring a car in Zurich
Hiring a car in Zurich costs $101 per day, on average, or $302 if you want to hire it for 3 days. Budget, Europcar and Thrifty are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Zurich is the Alamo branch at Enterprise Rent A Car, which is 5 miles from the city centre.
You’re likely to save money by hiring your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 4% more expensive than at Zurich.
Expect to pay $3.16 per litre in Zurich (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $37.88 and $50.50. Economy (Renault Clio or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Zurich, while also 67% cheaper than other types, on average.