Zurich Airport Transfers: Getting from the Airport to the City

Airports serving Zurich

• Zurich Airport (ZRH) — 10 km from the centre

  S-Bahn (S2/S16) to Hauptbahnhof every 5–10 min in 10 min (CHF 6.80); taxi CHF 60–70; Uber cheaper.

Arriving by train

Zurich Hauptbahnhof runs SBB EuroCity to Milan (~3h20), TGV Lyria to Paris (~4h), ICE to Munich (~3h30), Nightjet to Berlin/Hamburg/Vienna/Amsterdam; internal Swiss connections to Lucerne (45 min), Interlaken (~2h), Zermatt (~3h20) and St. Moritz (~3h30).

Entry and arrival formalities

Schengen external-border checks at ZRH; customs allowances differ from EU (Switzerland is customs-separate).

Switzerland is in the Schengen Area (outside the EU). Many nationalities enter visa-free for 90 days per 180; ETIAS pre-authorisation applies once launched. Others need a Schengen short-stay visa.

Getting into the city

ZVV trams, buses, S-Bahn and Zürichsee ferries run on one integrated ticket; 24h zone-110 pass is CHF 9.40. Zurich Airport (ZRH) is 10 min from Hauptbahnhof by S-Bahn (CHF 6.80). The compact Old Town is walkable end-to-end in 20 minutes. The Zurich Card (24h CHF 29 / 72h CHF 56) bundles transit + museum entry.

• Trams (VBZ)

  15 lines running ~05:30–00:30 — the backbone of city transit.

• S-Bahn

  Suburban rail including ZRH airport (S2/S16) and Uetliberg (S10).

• Bus & trolleybus

  Complementary to tram network; night buses run Fri/Sat.

• Zürichsee ferries (ZSG)

  Short and long lake cruises from Bürkliplatz; some covered by day transit ticket.