Liechtenstein Day Trip from Zurich, Switzerland
Looking to plan a Liechtenstein day trip from Zurich, Switzerland?
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting this tiny country. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in Europe, with a total area of just 62 square miles. It’s a mountainous country, situated between Switzerland and Austria in the Alps. And it makes for a great day trip from Zurich, Switzerland.
Zurich is less than 1.5 hours from Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. I recently did this exact day trip myself, and I’m going to share everything you need to know about planning your own day trip.
What Is Liechtenstein Known For?
Liechtenstein is known for several things. A major novelty of Liechtenstein is that it is the fourth-smallest country in Europe, in terms of size (62 square miles) and population (41,000 people.)
The country is a principality, a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince. The current Prince of Liechtenstein resides at Vaduz Castle in the capital. Although the interior of the castle is not open to the public since it’s an active residence, you can hike right up to the castle and admire the exterior.
Liechtenstein is also known for its beautiful alpine scenery. Being located in the Alps, Liechtenstein is a great destination for hiking in the summer months and skiing in the winter months.
One thing to know is that Liechtenstein is a very expensive country. The prices are pretty much on par with Switzerland, which is the most expensive country in the world. Like Switzerland, Liechtenstein is a very wealthy country. The currency that is used in Liechtenstein is the Swiss franc.
Fun fact, Liechtenstein is also one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world, meaning that it’s entirely surrounded by landlocked countries. (The other doubly landlocked country is Uzbekistan.)
Is Liechtenstein Worth Visiting?
Before I get into the logistics of a Liechtenstein day trip, let’s address one major question first: Is Liechtenstein actually worth visiting? And my answer to that would be, it’s complicated.
If you’re a country-counter like me, then yes, Liechtenstein is worth visiting. But if I’m being totally honest, it’s not the most exciting destination out there, and there are better day trips from Zurich.
Liechtenstein has a reputation for being a little, well, boring. Unless you’ll be doing outdoor activities like hiking or skiing, there aren’t a ton of “must-see” attractions or “must-do” activities in Liechtenstein. Many day trippers only visit the capital Vaduz, where you can see all the highlights in just a few hours.
I also just had an unfortunate experience in Liechtenstein. The weather was horrible when I visited. It was cold, overcast, and extremely foggy, so I couldn’t see any of Liechtenstein’s lovely scenery. I might have had a better experience in different weather (I felt the same way about Luxembourg.)
So if you don’t really care about visiting a new country just for the sake of saying you’ve been to one of the smallest countries in Europe, I wouldn’t say you need to visit Liechtenstein.
For a day trip from Zurich, you might consider visiting Swiss destinations like Lucerne, Grindelwald, and Lauterbrunnen instead. But if you are interested in checking out Liechtenstein, I’d say to go for it! Just don’t get your hopes up too much (but you might be pleasantly surprised and love it!)
How to Get to Liechtenstein from Zurich
As I mentioned above, it’s easy to take a day trip from Zurich to Liechtenstein.
If you have your own car, it’s a one-hour and 15-minute drive to the capital Vaduz, and you can also freely explore more of the country. However, most travelers will probably be using public transportation.
This is what I did. In this case, you’ll be more limited in where exactly you can go.
Many day trippers stick to just visiting Vaduz, although you can also use the bus once you’re in Liechtenstein to get to other destinations around the country. So let’s talk about how to reach Vaduz.
From Zurich, you’ll take the train to Sargans, a Swiss town on the border with Liechtenstein. This journey takes 55 minutes. Then from the train station in Sargans, you’ll catch the 11 or 12E bus to Vaduz. This journey takes 25 to 30 minutes. In Vaduz, you’ll want to get off at the Vaduz Post bus stop.
You can buy your bus tickets in Sargans directly from the driver with cash or by card. A round-trip fare was approximately $22 when I was there. For the train, you should buy tickets online in advance, and you’re looking at a minimum of $55 round-trip (trains in Switzerland are extremely expensive!)
If you’re staying in Switzerland and planning to do a lot of train travel, it’s worth looking into the Swiss Travel Pass or the Eurail Pass because both can save money compared to buying individual tickets.
Best Things to Do in Liechtenstein
Once you arrive in Liechtenstein, what should you do? Here are the top things to do in Vaduz:
Stop at the Liechtenstein Center
The Liechtenstein Center is located just a few steps away from the Vaduz Post bus stop. This visitor center is the perfect place to start your day trip and get oriented with Liechtenstein once you arrive.
You can write and mail postcards from the visitor center (super cool to get mail postmarked from one of the smallest countries in the world!) and you can also get a souvenir passport stamp.
The visitor center also offers free WiFi, which extends all across Vaduz, a nice perk for visitors.
Check out one of vaduz’s museums
I visited the Liechtenstein National Museum, and I’m on the fence about how I feel. On one hand, it’s an incredibly thorough museum about the history and culture of Liechtenstein. I wanted to love it.
But on the other hand, it was just kind of… boring? I’m typically a big fan of museums, but the collections here were a bit dry. That being said, I do think this museum is still worth a visit.
Two other museums in Vaduz that I did not personally visit are the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (the state art museum) and the Liechtenstein Postal Museum (a small, free museum all about stamps.)
Hike up to Vaduz Castle
Although you cannot go inside Vaduz Castle, which sits on a hill above the capital, it’s a nice hike up to the top and you can admire the exterior of the castle, as well as take in a great view from above.
It’s a steep uphill walk that takes about 20 to 30 minutes. I did not actually do this while I was in Liechtenstein because it was so foggy and I knew I wouldn’t be able to see anything. However, the views from the top look amazing, so if you’re here on a nice day, you should definitely check it out.
Walk Across the Alte Rheinbrücke
The Alte Rheinbrücke is a historic bridge across the Rhine River in Vaduz. It’s the only remaining wooden bridge that crosses the Rhine, and it’s unique because it leads straight to Switzerland!
One minute you will be in Liechtenstein, and the next you’ll be in Switzerland after crossing this pedestrian bridge. The bridge is located about a 20-minute walk from the Vaduz Post bus stop.
Visit the Court Winery of the prince of liechtenstein
Liechtenstein may be a small country, but it has a thriving industry of wine production. While in Vaduz, you can visit the prince’s own vineyards at the Court Winery of the Prince of Liechtenstein.
The winery is located a 15-minute walk from the Vaduz Post bus stop. Every day except Sunday, the winery is open to visitors with public tastings where you can sample four of the local wines.
My Experience Visiting Liechtenstein
As I’ve alluded to a few times already, I didn’t love Liechtenstein. But I think a lot of this was a me problem, and not actually a problem with Liechtenstein. I was a bit tired at this point in a very busy trip where I’d been traveling nonstop for over three weeks already, so I didn’t do as much as I could have.
The weather was also terrible the day I went to Liechtenstein, which didn’t help things. But I think if factors had been different, I would have enjoyed my visit to Liechtenstein a lot more.
There are several things I didn’t do, like hiking up to Vaduz Castle to take in the views. There are also lots of things to do outside Vaduz, like hiking or visiting other castles. I would actually love to go back to Liechtenstein one day (in the summer) so I can see more of the country and give it another chance.
Day Trip from Zurich to Liechtenstein
This guide showed you how to take a day trip to Liechtenstein from Zurich.
Ultimately, visiting this tiny principality is worth it. It’s a unique experience, and although it might not be the most exciting destination in the world, it’s still worth taking a day to explore.
Since it’s such a small country, you can pack a lot into one single day. If you get an early start from Zurich and stay in Liechtenstein all day before returning to Zurich in the evening, you can get a great overview of this country. I’m glad I went, and I would like to return to Liechtenstein again one day in the future.
Enjoy your visit to Liechtenstein!
Related Guides:
