Switzerland (CH)

Switzerland is a landlocked federal republic of 26 cantons at the heart of Europe, bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

Capital: Bern

Region: Europe

Language: German

Currency: CHF (CHF)

Cost of living: Very expensive (index 122)

Emergency: 112

Getting Around

Transport options for living in Switzerland.

Public Transport Overview

Switzerland has arguably the most tightly integrated public transport system in the world. SBB (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen / CFF / FFS) operates the national rail network; every town is reachable by train, bus, lake boat, or mountain cable car, and all are coordinated through a single timetable and a single ticket system. Trains are legendary for punctuality (97% arrive within 3 minutes). The SBB Mobile app and the sbb.ch website are the only tools you need — they sell tickets for buses, trams, boats, and most cable cars in addition to trains.

Main operators:

SBB / CFF / FFS (national rail)PostAuto / CarPostal (yellow postbuses reaching every village)BLS (Bern–Lötschberg–Simplon rail network)VBZ (Zurich city tram/bus), TPG (Geneva), Bernmobil (Bern), TL (Lausanne), VBL (Lucerne), VBSG (St. Gallen), ATM (Lugano)Swiss International Air Lines (domestic and international flights, a Lufthansa Group member)

🎫 Transit Passes

GA travelcard (Generalabonnement / Abonnement général) CHF 3,995 (2nd class, adult, 2026); CHF 6,520 (1st class). Youth (under 25): CHF 2,780 2nd class. Senior (from 65): CHF 3,040 2nd class.

Unlimited travel on virtually every train (SBB + all private railways), bus, tram, and lake boat in Switzerland, plus many mountain railways and cable cars at 25–50% discount.

💡 The gold-standard national pass. Expensive but unbeatable value for regular commuters or travellers — break-even is roughly 4 return trips Zurich–Geneva per year. Linked to your SwissPass (a single credit-card-sized RFID card).

Half-Fare travelcard (Halbtax / Demi-tarif) CHF 185/year (CHF 170 if bought online first time promo); multi-year discounts available.

Halves the price of virtually every public transport ticket nationwide for one year. Does not include city transit monthly passes (those are separate).

💡 Owned by more than 2 out of 5 Swiss residents. Break-even is roughly one Zurich–Bern return. Essential for any regular traveller. Loaded onto the SwissPass.

seven25 night pass CHF 129/year

For under-25s: unlimited free travel throughout Switzerland daily from 19:00 until 05:00.

💡 Huge value for young people going out. Requires a Halbtax or GA for daytime travel.

ZVV Monatsabo / TPG abonnement CHF 85–180/month depending on city and zones

Unlimited travel within your city or city-region transport network (Zurich ZVV, Geneva Unireso, Bern Libero, Basel TNW, etc.)

💡 Each regional transport authority sells zone-based passes. Monthly, yearly, and discounted youth/senior versions exist. Integrated with SwissPass.

Swiss Travel Pass (tourists only) CHF 244 (3 days 2nd class) up to CHF 477 (15 days 2nd class)

Unlimited travel on public transport for tourists for 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 consecutive days. Includes free museum entry (500+ museums).

💡 Only for non-residents. Purchase before arrival at sbb.ch or via partner sites. Not worth it if you already have a Halbtax.

Taxi & Rideshare

Taxis are plentiful in cities but expensive: CHF 6 flagfall + CHF 3.80/km (Zurich, Geneva). A 5km ride is CHF 25–35. Prices rise at night. Book via taxi companies (Taxi 7×7 Zurich, Taxiphone Geneva) or use apps.

Rideshare (Long-distance)

Uber operates in Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Lugano — often cheaper than taxis. Bolt available in Zurich and Geneva. Swiss Taxi Verbund (7×7) runs its own Mobitaxi app. Heetch in French Switzerland. No traditional ridesharing (BlaBlaCar works for intercity but limited volume).

Cycling

Cycling is popular and well-supported, though hilly topography limits it compared to Dutch/Danish cities. Many cities (Zurich, Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lugano) have growing bike lane networks. PubliBike and Donkey Republic offer city bikeshares. Swiss Bike Plus app recommended for routes. SBB rail network allows bikes on all trains with a dedicated bicycle day ticket (CHF 14) or a bike GA.

Intercity Trains

SBB runs IC (InterCity), ICN (tilting IntercityNeigezug), IR (InterRegio), and RE (RegioExpress) services. Zurich–Geneva: 2h47 every 30 min. Zurich–Bern: 56 min every 30 min. Bern–Basel: 55 min every 30 min. Standard ticket prices are high (Zurich–Geneva CHF 92 full fare) but a Halbtax halves them. "Supersaver" discount tickets from SBB Mobile app slash prices 30–70% when booked a day or more ahead.

Driving

Drive on the right. Motorways (Autobahn/Autoroute) require an annual vignette sticker (CHF 40/year, valid calendar year — new design: the e-vignette at via.admin.ch replaces the physical sticker as of 2023/2024). Speed limits: 50 km/h urban, 80 km/h rural, 120 km/h motorway. Strict enforcement, heavy fines, and possible licence suspension for serious offences. Winter tyres are not legally mandatory but strongly recommended (Oct–Apr) and your insurance may reject a claim if you drive on summer tyres in snow. Many alpine passes (Furka, Grimsel, Susten) close in winter.

Airports

Zurich (ZRH) is the main international hub — direct rail link to the main station (10 min). Geneva (GVA) is the second-largest — 6 minutes by train to Cornavin station. Basel-Mulhouse (BSL/EAP), Bern (BRN), Lugano (LUG), and St. Gallen-Altenrhein (ACH) are smaller. Every airport has integrated rail/bus access. Arrival train tickets are valid free of charge with an arrival flight boarding pass at Zurich airport.