How to Save Money Traveling in Switzerland
Wondering how to save money traveling in Switzerland? I’ve got you covered.
Switzerland holds the dubious distinction of being the most expensive country in the world. It’s the most expensive in terms of cost of living, as well as traveling. A trip to Switzerland can often feel like you are simply lighting the money in your wallet on fire. So why would you even want to visit?
Well, because Switzerland is beautiful! It’s home to some of the most stunning alpine scenery in Europe, and it’s filled with historic cities and charming small towns. It’s a paradise for outdoor adventures like hiking, mountain climbing, skiing, and more. It’s also a great destination for history and culture.
The first time I went to Switzerland, it was on a quick weekend trip while in college studying abroad in Paris. As you can imagine, I was on a tight budget and didn’t get to experience much of Switzerland.
I vowed to return when I was older and had more money, and I finally made that happen almost ten years later. And although my budget stretches much further than it did when I was in college, I still like to get the most value for my money. I can’t stand feeling ripped off, and I’m always looking for ways to save.
So below, you’ll find my top money-saving tips for a trip to Switzerland. Let’s get into it!
1. Book accommodations far in advance
My hotel costs in Switzerland weren’t unreasonable (about on par with what I’d expect for hotels in other Western European countries), but I think that booking in advance helped with this a lot.
When I looked at last-minute hotel prices at the time I was actually traveling (December), they were much higher. So booking in advance (ideally, at least three months out) can help you save money.
2. Look for budget-friendly accommodations
Hotels in Switzerland can still be quite pricy, even if booked in advance. You can expect to pay upwards of $400 to $500 a night for a luxury hotel, and $200 to $300 a night for a mid-range hotel.
One major way to save money on accommodations is by staying in hostels. Even hostels aren’t cheap in Switzerland, with a bed in a dorm room running $30 to $50 a night. But this is a significant savings compared to other options! Some hostels also have private rooms for around $100 a night.
Staying in locally-run guesthouses or B&Bs rather than chain hotels is another way to save money on accommodations in Switzerland, if you’re looking for something quiet and private.
3. Get a Swiss Travel Pass
The Swiss Travel Pass can save you money — but it’s not for everyone. This is a pass that gives you unlimited access to train, bus, and boat travel throughout Switzerland for between three and fifteen days.
If you plan to do a lot of train travel in Switzerland (which many people do), this pass can help you save a lot of money. Train travel in Switzerland is notoriously expensive, and buying individual tickets adds up fast. It’s common for a one-hour journey between cities to cost $30 to $50.
This Swiss Travel Pass also includes free bus and boat travel, as well as free admission to hundreds of museums and attractions in Switzerland (another major value), and discounts to many more.
You’ll need to do your research on whether or not you can extract enough value from the Swiss Travel Pass (it costs roughly $100 a day), but depending on your travel plans, it might be worth it for you.
Learn more about the Swiss Travel Pass here.
4. Take advantage of guest cards
Several cities in Switzerland offer guest cards that give you free public transportation and other discounts. You’re eligible for a guest card as long as you’re staying at a hotel or other accommodation in the city.
For example, Basel offers the BaselCard, which lets you use all public transportation in the city for free, and also provides discounts on museums and attractions. Bern has a similar scheme, the Bern Ticket, that’s just for public transportation. Geneva also offers a free Geneva Transport Card to visitors.
Lucerne, Lausanne, Montreux, and the whole region of Ticino offer something similar.
5. Look into free admission days
One of the benefits of the Swiss Travel Pass is that it includes free admission to roughly 500 different museums and attractions around Switzerland. But what if you don’t have the Swiss Travel Pass?
Many museums also offer free admission days! I recommend researching these in advance if there are any museums you particularly want to visit. For example, the Kunstmuseum Basel is a popular art museum that is normally 30 CHF ($39 USD) for adult visitors, or 22.50 CHF ($29 USD) with the BaselCard.
But you can also visit for free on Wednesdays from 5 PM to 8 PM, the first Sunday of every month, and from 5 PM to 6 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. That’s a huge amount of savings!
There are many other museums around Switzerland that offer free admission days. It does require some flexibility in your travel plans to take advantage of these, but it’s absolutely worth it.
6. Plan free activities
Speaking of saving money on things to do in Switzerland, there are also plenty of activities that are always free. You can find a big list of free museums, nature parks, and gardens in Switzerland right here.
Activities like hiking are almost always free, and there are hundreds of amazing hikes you can do in Switzerland, for all skill levels! The same goes for other outdoor activities like swimming in lakes.
Some cities even offer free bicycle rentals. Zurich has the biggest program, known as Züri Rollt. You have to leave a deposit, but you get it back as long as you return the bike in the same condition.
7. Eat grocery store meals
I’ve already talked about how transportation and activity costs can be exorbitant in Switzerland. Food is another area where you’ll be shocked by the prices, especially if you go out to eat at restaurants.
Eating meals from grocery stores in Switzerland is a great way to save money. Two of the biggest grocery store chains are Migros and Coop, and you’ll find their locations all across the country. Both offer food at fair prices, including hot meals, sandwiches, and prepared foods in addition to groceries.
I did not buy groceries and cook my own meals while in Switzerland, but I did pop into the grocery stores to grab a quick bite to eat for at least one meal every day. It’s so much cheaper than going out to eat.
8. Skip meat and alcohol
Meat and alcohol are two of the most expensive things in Switzerland. As a vegetarian, I always save money anywhere I travel, but you can really experience the savings of a meatless diet in Switzerland.
Similarly, alcohol is something that is very pricey in Switzerland. This goes for drinks at bars and alcohol you can buy in the grocery store or liquor store. Cut out these two things, and you can save a lot of money!
9. Take advantage of lunch specials
Another food-related money-saving tip for Switzerland is to take advantage of lunch specials at restaurants. If you do want to go out to eat while on your trip, lunch is almost always cheaper than dinner.
Some restaurants offer lunch specials with a fixed menu. You can still pay anwhere from 25 CHF to 50 CHF for lunch, but this is, believe it or not, going to be significantly less than a nice dinner out.
10. Consider the Swiss Coupon Pass
Finally, one more way to save money in Switzerland is with the Swiss Coupon Pass. This is a coupon book that costs 49 CHF, and includes roughly 100 two-for-one deals. This means it isn’t helpful for solo travelers, but ideal for two travelers. You can buy one, get one free at locations all across Switzerland with this.
That includes tourist attractions, museums, castles, guided tours, restuarants, culinary experiences like cheese and chocolate tastings, and more. You’ll want to check out the full list to see if it’s worth it.
If you plan to visit at least several of the places covered by the Swiss Coupon Pass, it’s not hard at all to extract 49 CHF worth of value from it, and then start saving a significant amount of money on things.
How to Save Money on Your Trip to Switzerland
This guide showed you how to save money traveling in Switzerland.
Although Switzerland is an extremely expensive destination, there are ways to save money while traveling here. No, you’ll never be able to spend what you might spend in one of the cheapest countries in Europe.
But you can at least reduce some of your expenses and get the best value for money by following these tips. Although it’s pricey, a trip to Switzerland is worth a spot on your travel bucket list.
Enjoy your time in Switzerland!
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