Switzerland is one of the easiest countries to get around, whether you take the clean and efficient trains or the famous Swiss postal buses that can take you to any small town or collection of houses. Ease of travel also extends to air travel: Switzerland has eight main airports commonly used by tourists.
Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Location: at the intersection of Kloten, Rümlang, Oberglatt, Winkel and Opfikon
- Pros: clean, organized, well run
- Cons: expensive shops and restaurants
- Distance to the city center of Zurich: Taxis to the city center will cost between $ 50 and $ 70 and will take you 15 minutes. The train takes the same amount of time but costs only $ 7 each way.
Zurich Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Switzerland with 31 million annual passengers. Many international airlines serve this airport, which has excellent rail connections not only with the center of Zurich but also with the other major cities in the country. Zurich Airport offers a train and bus service to the city center. The S2 and S16 railway lines take you to Zurich’s main train station in about ten minutes. Special buses, some seasonal, take you to destinations around Zurich.
Geneva International Airport (GVA)
- Location: Grand-Saconnex
- Pros: clean, organized, well run
- Cons: Seasonal Terminal 2 has poor amenities
- Distance to Geneva city center: the airport is only 4 km from the city center. A taxi will cost around $ 70 and will take about 20 minutes. Better to take public transport – you can get a free pass for trains and buses in the arrivals hall. Trains take six minutes to reach the city center, while buses take about 20 minutes.
Geneva International Airport, unofficially known as Cointrin Airport, is located about three miles northwest of the city center; Buses and trains provide ground transportation between the two. You can get a free, unlimited 80-minute public transport pass in the arrivals hall. for long-distance buses are available on the lower level; Many destinations are seasonal. Hotel transfers are also on the lower level. All trains stop at the Geneva-Cornavin station in the city center, with a number continuing in other parts of Switzerland.
There are two terminals at this airport: the newest, largest, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, used seasonally.
Euro Airport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL / MLH / EAP)
- Location: Saint-Louis, France
- Pros: near Basel
- Cons: limited flights
- Distance to Basel city center: The airport is just two miles northwest of the city center. Taxis are expensive, around $ 65, even though the trip takes less than 10 minutes. You can also take a bus, which will cost around $ 10 and take 50 minutes.
This many-named airport serves three countries: Switzerland, France, and Germany, and is run jointly by the Swiss and the French. However, technically it is located in the French region of Alsace. EasyJet is the main operator. Buses take you to the Basel train station, as well as Mulhouse, France, and Freiburg, Germany. There is no train service, but you can find taxis here.
Bern Airport (BRN)
- Location: Belp
- Pros: close to Bern, no crowds
- Cons: small airport with limited flights to just five destinations
- Distance to Bern city center: Taxis from the airport to the city center cost around $ 50 and will take approximately 20 minutes. There is also a bus that costs $ 15 and takes the same amount of time.
The small Flughafen Bern is located 5 km south-east of Bern. It is a popular airport for visitors on charter flights heading to the Jungfrau ski region. The Blanco Airport bus transports you between the airport and the central train station in the city center. Most visitors to Bern will fly into Zurich and take a one-hour train ride to the capital city.
Sion Airport (SIR)
- Location: Sion
- Pros: never crowded
- Cons: very few flights
- Distance to downtown Sion: You can walk to downtown Sion in 30 minutes, or you can take a $ 20 taxi (it will take five minutes, but there is no taxi rank at the airport – you will have to call airport staff for one). There is also a bus that will take you downtown in just 10 minutes for about $ 2.
Sion airport is located 1.5 miles from Sion, a small town in the heart of the Valais Alps, close to many of the best ski resorts in Switzerland such as Zermatt. The bus n. 1 connects the airport with the main bus station in Sion, which is close to the train station; from there you can take the Matterhorn Gottard Bahn to reach the Matterhorn, Zermatt and other ski areas to the south.
St. Gallen – Aeropuerto Altenrhein (ACH)
- Location: Thal
- Pros: never crowded
- Cons: very few flights
- Distance to downtown St. Gallen: A 20 minute taxi to downtown St. Gallen will cost around $ 50. There is a public bus that takes about 50 minutes to make the trip, but it is fairly inexpensive.
St. Gallen Airport is located near Lake Constance, near the intersection of Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is the home airport of the small People’s airline. The bus station is opposite the airport. There is no railway station at the airport, but the Rorschach and Rheineck stations are only five minutes from the airport.
If you are in St. Gallen, there are frequent trains (every 30 minutes) running between St. Gallen and the much larger Zurich Airport, taking less than an hour.
Samedan Airport (SMV)
- Location: Southeast Samedan
- Pros: never crowded
- Cons: Very few flights, mainly serving charter or private flights.
- Distance to St. Moritz: A ten minute taxi will cost around $ 30.
Samedan Airport, also called Engadin, is located three miles from St. Moritz. The Engadin bus takes you around the entire valley, including the towns of Samedan, St. Moritz, Celerina, Bernina, and Pontresina.
Lugano – Agno Airport (LUG)
- Location: Agno, Bioggio, Muzzano
- Pros: never crowded
- Cons: very few flights
- Distance to the city center of Lugano: The 15 minute taxi ride to the city center will cost around $ 30. There is also a bus that takes about 30 minutes, but you have to walk 10 minutes to the city of Agno to catch it.
Lugano – Agno Airport is located 4 km from the city center. Shuttle buses stop outside the terminal and go to the main train station in Lugano. The FLP Lugano-Ponte Tresa train stops at Agno station, which is just a 15-minute walk from the airport. Milan-Malpensa International Airport is the nearest major major airport and is only 40 miles away.
