Zürich is Switzerland's largest city and the capital of the canton of Zürich, set on the northern tip of Lake Zürich where the Limmat river leaves the lake, with the Alps visible on clear days. It combines a medieval old town, world-class museums, lakeside swimming, and the luxury shopping of Bahnhofstrasse with famously punctual public transport and very high prices.
- Public
- One of the best urban networks in Europe: the ZVV fare union ties Zürich's trams, buses, S-Bahn trains, lake boats, funiculars and the Uetliberg railway into a single zone-based ticket, with punctual services every 7-10 minutes on main lines
- Taxi
- Plentiful but among the most expensive in Europe (about CHF 6 base plus roughly CHF 3.80 per km); Uber, Bolt and Free Now operate in the city; mainly useful late at night or with heavy luggage
- Rental
- Rarely needed in the city: parking is scarce and costly and the centre is a maze of tram lanes and one-way streets; useful only for rural areas and Alpine valleys not served by rail
- Walking
- The Altstadt, Lake Zürich quays, Langstrasse district and Zürich West are compact and very walkable; most central sights are within 20-30 minutes on foot
Transport at a glance
- Public
- 5/5
- Taxi
- 3/5
- Rental
- 2/5
- Walking
- 5/5
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Zürich is Switzerland's largest city and rail hub, and its public transport is exceptionally dense, clean and punctual. The Zürcher Verkehrsverbund (ZVV) integrates VBZ trams and buses, SBB S-Bahn trains, ZSG lake boats and mountain railways under one ticket system, so a single zone ticket works on all modes. Zürich Flughafen (ZRH) connects to the main station in about 10 minutes by train, and Zürich Hauptbahnhof (HB) is the departure point for fast InterCity trains to Basel, Bern, Lucerne, Munich and beyond. A car is unnecessary and generally a liability in the city. Fares below are approximate 2026 adult second-class prices at 1 USD = 0.80 CHF; confirm the exact fare in the ZVV or SBB app.
Airports
Zürich Airport (Flughafen Zürich)
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Buy tickets in the ZVV app or SBB Mobile app before boarding; tram stops have ticket machines accepting cards, and there are no ticket barriers, so spot checks with fines of CHF 100 (about $125) apply to anyone without a valid ticket
Zürich Card costs CHF 29 (about $36) for 24 hours or CHF 56 (about $70) for 72 hours (2026 prices; fares rise about 2.7 percent from 13 December 2026) and includes unlimited ZVV travel in the city and airport zones plus free or reduced entry to many museums
Airport to city centre is a 10-minute train ride from Zürich Flughafen station to Zürich HB, several times per hour from about 05:00 to after midnight - far cheaper and faster than a taxi
With a Swiss Travel Pass, ZVV trams, buses, S-Bahn and boats in Zürich are included; check coverage before buying a separate city ticket
A 24-hour ZVV ticket is cheaper than the Zürich Card if museum visits are not planned; single tickets bought in the app may be cheaper still for 2-3 rides
Lake Zürich boats (ZSG) on the Zürichsee are included in the Zürich Card and Swiss Travel Pass for the covered zones, a scenic alternative to the train to Rapperswil
Trams and buses stop around midnight; night S-Bahn trains and night buses run Friday and Saturday nights with a night supplement of CHF 5 (about $6.25)
English is widely spoken by staff, and ticket machines and apps have an English language option