By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 2nd February 2024 | Updated: 7th August 2024
Switzerland is notorious for being an expensive country to visit, let alone live in, (since moving here a few years ago we have avoided certain foods like the plague because of the cost – we’re looking at you chicken!), but you can still visit Switzerland on a budget and not break the bank in the process. With some careful pre-planning and booking before your visit, you can still enjoy a wonderful trip to this incredible country.
Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:
Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com
Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com
Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com
Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide
Is Switzerland Expensive? Can you really visit Switzerland on a budget?
Switzerland can most definitely be done on a budget, you just need to plan ahead and visit at certain times of the year. We have been living in Switzerland for a few years now, and although we do still have the occasional, ‘How much!?’, moment, we have definitely learnt a few tips and tricks that make travelling around Switzerland and in general just visiting Switzerland more budget-friendly.
15 Switzerland On A Budget Tips
1. Travel in the shoulder seasons of spring or autumn
Consider visiting Switzerland in one of its shoulder seasons, either spring or autumn, as accommodation prices and flights can be much cheaper than during the peaks of summer and winter. We have taken flights between Switzerland and the UK in spring for as little as 38 CHF / 35 GBP / 40 Euros return, and the same flight in winter has cost upwards of 163 CHF / 150 GBP / 170 Euros one way!
If you would rather visit Switzerland in the summer or in the winter then check out our posts on those seasons as well.
2. Book accommodation in advance
This kind of goes without saying, but the sooner you book your accommodation the cheaper you are likely to get it. If you try to book the night before or even a week before, you may be left with slim pickings in terms of choice and be forced to book into somewhere a bit more expensive than you had anticipated. This is especially important if you are planning on visiting a well-known destination or during an event such as Fasnacht in Basel.
3. Utilise budget accommodation options
Staying in hostels and at campgrounds is a great way to save money on accommodation as many have cabins and bungalows for cheap stays. These prices can also be more affordable as they are often near popular destinations but on the outskirts of a city or in a small town or village
4. Stay in one location and do day trips from there
This kind of goes hand in hand with booking your accommodation in advance, but often in hotels and guest houses the longer you stay the more you can potentially get discounted nights at your accommodation. Some accommodations in more touristy destinations also occasionally have a minimum number of days you can stay with them anyway, so why not make the most of it and stay at one place taking day trips to nearby locations before moving to the next destination.
5. Avoid staying in the centre of cities
Avoid staying in the centre of main cities and instead opt for the outskirts, or just off the main centre of the city, as not only will these locations still accessible by tram or bus, but they are more often than not cheaper than if you stayed in the centre with a view over a landmark. For example, if you were to stay in Basel overlooking the river it could cost you upwards of 190 CHF per night, but if you choose to stay closer to the train station it can be around 140 CHF per night.
6. Get City tourism cards / city guest cards / Free Public transport / bikes
Many cities and towns throughout Switzerland offer a Guest Card for staying with them, which gives you free, or at least very discounted, rates on the local public transport as well as local attractions. We have utilised these cards in Basel, Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen, and they are really fantastic ways to save a bit of money without even trying.
7. Swiss Travel Pass – To buy or not to buy!
The Swiss public transport system is known for being good, with nearly everything running on time and with fantastic connections throughout the country by train, tram, bus and boat. So is a Swiss Travel Pass worth getting for your visit? If you are planning on moving around a lot and sticking to the well-known locations with good public transport connections then it may be worth it, but with prices starting at 245 CHF for 3 days, and going up to 755 CHF for 15 days, you have to make sure that you will really utilise it.
Buy your Swiss Pass here
8. Book any train passes in advance
If you choose not to opt for the Swiss Travel Pass then your other option for some reduced travel costs is by getting a Saver Day Pass. Even as residents in Switzerland we regularly use the Saver Day Pass for day trips as if you book in advance you can get it for as little as 39CHF, and it gives you free travel on nearly all trains, trams, buses and boats as well as a few funicular railways and cable cars as well. This can easily add up to over 100 CHF if you were to do it by buying tickets as you go, so the Saver Day Pass is well worth it!
9. Rent a car to save on train passes
If there is a group of you visiting Switzerland and you don’t mind driving, (which, let’s be honest, is quite frankly incredible to do through Switzerland!), then renting a car is a great option to save on train passes for the entire group, even more so if you plan to get a little off the beaten path exploring. If you are only planning on visiting cities however then this isn’t such a great option as city centre parking can get quite expensive / is often difficult to find.
We can highly recommend booking a rental vehicle through Rentalcars.com, we have used them numerous times over the years and they are always just what we need as well as affordable.
10. Free drinking water
Most fountains throughout Switzerland provide clean and safe-to-drink water, fresh from the mountains! So be sure to bring a reusable bottle with you on your trip, or even purchase one in Switzerland as water can be rather expensive to buy otherwise. Pro tip – don’t ever order water for the table in a restaurant, not only will it be one of the most expensive drinks on the menu, but why pay for it when you can get it for free from a fountain outside!
11. Don’t eat out for every meal
One of the biggest budget killers in Switzerland is eating out for every meal. Instead, buy breakfast from a local cafe or bakery, grab food for a picnic from Migros, Coop or Bretzelkönig, (they do reasonably priced and tasty sandwiches, salads and snacks, or you can eat in some of the larger stores which have food court) and then either eat out in the evening or opt to cook your own meal if you have accommodation with kitchen facilities.
12. Too Good To Go
If you would really like to eat out often and are staying in, or even travelling through, a city then a great option for reduced-cost food is to get the Too Good To Go App, which connects you with discounted food across the city. Anything from local delicacies, to fast food, and supermarket takeaway food to restaurants that have too much left over at the end of the day. You can easily get a real deal for your money, as long as you are willing to have some unknown food.
13. Museums & gallery events
Some museums and galleries have free entry or discounted entry on certain days of the week or month, with some even having special events where you can pay a one-off admission fee and have entrance to multiple locations. The Museum Nacht in Basel is one of these events, and not only gives you reduced admission to museums, but they are also open until 2 am allowing you plenty of time to really experience them!
14. Free walking tours
Often when visiting a city for a short amount of time you really want to learn about the history and see the main sights in a short amount of time, that is where free walking tours come in. These are often held on different days throughout the week depending on the destination but are a great way to learn about the city from a local.
15. Visit the free things – the landscape!
Yes, it is all well and good visiting the ‘Top of Europe’, but when it costs anything from 95CHF each on top of any day passes you may have bought, you can easily spend that money on numerous other things and visit some more cost-effective, authentically Swiss and even free attractions instead.
Many incredible destinations in Switzerland are free to enjoy and it is only the cost of public transport there that you need to worry about. Some of our favourite trips in Switzerland have been when we have hiked out to relatively unknown locations to tourists, such as Zug, Niederhorn and even Mount Rigi.
Average costs in Switzerland
📍 Cup of coffee – anywhere between 5 and 10 CHF depending on the size, (Starbucks is the most expensive place for coffee so be sure to opt for a local cafe or coffee shop instead.
📍 Glass of wine – from 7 CHF upwards depending on the wine, if it is local or not etc and the size of the glass, You can buy a small ‘takeaway wine’, (called Wine & Go), in Coop for around 4.50 CHF however, which is again perfect for sitting and enjoying the sunshine with!
📍 Local beer – a local beer in a bar is roughly 7 CHF, but if you head to Coop you can get a can of beer for around 2.30 CHF, (perfect for a drink in the sun overlooking a river or lake!)
📍 Take away sandwich – anywhere from around 5 CHF to 9 CHF depending on the filling. We would recommend going to Bretzelkönig for some delicious and reasonably priced baguettes and bretzels.
📍 Meal in a restaurant – a main meal in a restaurant can be anything between 20 and 30 CHF at lunchtime, depending on the dish, but between 20 and 50 CHF in the evening. You can easily rack up a 100 CHF bill for a three-course meal with a drink.
Switzerland On A Budget FAQs
How much budget do I need for a trip to Switzerland?
This is slightly dependent on how long you plan to stay in Switzerland and where you plan to visit, as obviously the longer you stay the more it will cost and if you plan on visiting typical tourist destinations or cities only, then again it will be more expensive. On average we would suggest it costs around 100 – 130 CHF per day, not including accommodation which could cost another 100 CHF or more depending on the level of accommodation you are staying in.
How to survive in Switzerland on a budget?
The best thing to help ‘survive’ a trip to Switzerland on a budget, is to plan in advance! We cannot stress this enough, but if you plan in advance you will without a doubt save some money before you even get to Switzerland.
What is the cheapest city to visit in Switzerland?
Switzerland isn’t known for being cheap, and the cities are no different. The main cities of Basel, Bern, Lucerne and Zurich are some of the most expensive places to visit unless you are staying overnight and can take advantage of a city card. The cheapest city to visit in Switzerland is not really known, as there are so many variants as to what can make it cheap to visit, but generally, the areas around the Jura, Neuchâtel and Thurgau are deemed some of the cheapest.
Conclusion: Switzerland On A Budget
Switzerland is well known for being one of the most expensive countries to visit in Europe, (if not the world!), but it is still possible to enjoy a trip to Switzerland on a budget. Not only can you visit Switzerland without breaking the bank but you can have an incredible trip at the same time.
Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.