Zürich Airport to City Center Guide via Train

Garrett and I are starting to plan our next big Europe trip… and we’ve decided that we’re starting in Switzerland! I’m so pumped to be going back to Europe, but I was not excited to learn that the Switzerland tourism websites are not quite as detailed as the Japanese tourism websites I’ve grown accustomed to over the last year.

So… I have no choice! I’ve got to keep track of my research somewhere, so this seems like the place. Travel blogging hasn’t come to me as easily as I thought, but as I start planning this next trip, I really want to use this as a source for what I learn, and hopefully, others can learn from it as well!

Going in chronological order, I started looking at getting from the Zürich Airport to the Zürich city center. As far as airport trips go, this should be a pretty easy one; the Zürich airport is only 10km from the city center and should only take about 10 minutes via train!

Update: I’ve also wrote up a full travel guide for visiting Zurich, so many sure to check that out if you’re planning a trip to Zurich!

Cheat Sheet

1. Follow signs for Bahn/Trains on level -2.
   • Trains run 5am to 12:30am.
2. Buy a ticket at a machine for Zürich HB.
   • 1-day tickets will cost CHF 6.80 for adults and CHF 3.40 for children.
3. View the train schedule to figure out the time/location of the next train.
4. Press the green button on your train to open the door and board your train, and again to get off the train.

Finding the Train: Zurich Airport

The train station is located on the lowest level of the Zürich airport, level -2. It should be relatively easy to find by simply following the signs marked Bahn/Train.

Train Prices & Schedule

The train runs every 5-10 minutes between 5am to 12:30am. No long waits in Zürich!

To get to downtown Zürich you will want to take a train to Zürich HB, which stands for Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the main city center station in Zürich. To find out where to catch the next train, view the train schedule. There should be a large board somewhere in the station with a list of times and destinations. Find the soonest one that lists Zürich HB, and go to that platform.

Second class tickets will cost you CHF 6.80 for adults and CHF 3.40 for children (ages 6–16). Second class is code for “normal.” For such a short ride, I wouldn’t recommend upgrading to first class, but if you have a lot of luggage, you can always consider it.

Purchasing Tickets

Zürich has easy to use self-service computer kiosks where you can purchase your tickets. The machines will be in an area labeled Billette/Rail Tickets. You can also purchase tickets at the ticket counter or the information booth on the 2nd floor. We always use automated machines when possible! Here are the steps you need to follow in order to buy your ticket at the machine:

1. Tap the screen to start the prompts
2. Select English at the bottom of the screen (or your language of choice)
3. Select Zürich HB.
4. Select via direct. This means that you don’t want to get to Zürich HB via a certain route, you just want to get there in the most direct way.
5. Select 1 hour or 24 hour. This is up to you. You can purchase a 1-hour ticket that will last for one hour, essentially single-use. Or, you can purchase a 24-hour ticket, which will allow you to travel within the first zone for 24 hours from purchase.
6. Select 1st Class or 2nd Class.
7. Lastly, select the number of people you want to purchase tickets for, both adults and children.
8. Click the Next button. There will be a summary of your purchase. Go ahead and make your payment, and your ticket will be printed!

Using the Train

You do not have to scan or give your 1-hour or 24-hour ticket to anyone; Switzerland runs on the honor system for shorter routes like this. Please don’t try to trick the system and not buy a ticket! Every once in a while there will be someone who comes and checks that you actually purchased a ticket for your ride, and if you don’t you will get fined. That all said, this doesn’t happen very often. Vienna has a similar system,  and I never had my ticket checked the entire four months I lived there.

When you arrive at your platform, make sure to note which section of the platform you need to stand at. There will be sections for 1st and second class dictated on the signs above.

When the train pulls up, the doors will not open automatically. You or another passenger have to push a green button on the train door to open the door. This is also true when getting off the train.

Notes

• When looking online, you’ll want to look at routes from “Zürich Flughafen”, aka the Zurich airport.
• Depending on your plans, you may want to purchase the Zürich Card instead of a single-use ticket.

Resources

• The official site for train transportation in Switzerland: SBB
• How To Switzerland: How to take Public Transportation
• Rick Steves’ Video: Easy Travels in a Modern Swiss Train Station

_{**Featured image by Tomek Baginski}