How To Plan A Perfect Trip To Switzerland: Ultimate Guide [2025]

Planning a trip to Switzerland might be intimidating. There is so much information about the best places to visit and passes you should get, but it might be overwhelming to put it all together.

I lived in Switzerland for 3 years and traveled through the country many times. So, I’ve done research about the best places to visit and how to get around the country for you. In this article, I’ll also teach you how to organize your own trip to Switzerland.

Let’s plan the perfect Swiss itinerary for you!

How To Plan A Trip To Switzerland: Step-By-Step Guide & Suggested Itineraries

In this section, I’ll walk you through the entire process of planning a trip to Switzerland. Follow this step-by-step guide, and you won’t miss any important trip highlights.

In each section, I’ll also recommend places, excursions, and packages to add to your itinerary.

Here is a quick overview of the steps you’ll follow to create your own Swiss itinerary:

1. Book Flights To Switzerland

Switzerland has 7 main airports, but the 2 major airports you can focus on are Zurich and Geneva. Zurich generally has the best flight deals, and it’s also the perfect start to your itinerary.

So I recommend booking your flight to Zurich and starting your trip there.

You could also fly to a nearby airport in other countries, such as Milan in Italy, which has great connections to Switzerland. If you fly to Milan, you can start your Swiss itinerary in Lugano.

➡ Book your flights to Switzerland via Expedia here.

2. Check Entry Requirements

Check which documents you need to enter Switzerland. You might need a Visa and additional travel documents. iVisa will tell you what you need or if you can travel to Switzerland without extra documents.

Make sure your passport doesn’t expire in the next 6 months from your trip starting date. Most airlines won’t take you on board if your passport is about to expire within this timeframe.

➡ Check travel documents you need for Switzerland via iVisa here.

3. Get A Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is as important as any other travel documents and your itinerary. Especially in Switzerland, you might make many hiking trips and outdoor and adventure activities, so travel insurance is an important part of your planning.

Safety Wing is a great travel insurance company that offers flexible and affordable rates with low deductibles. If you’re a European resident, True Traveler is also a good company with great deals that I love using.

➡ Get your travel insurance for Switzerland here.

4. Think About The Places You Want To Visit

Once you have your flights booked and all the necessary documents, let’s get into the actual planning process.

First, think about the places you want to visit in Switzerland. Are you a city person or a mountain person? Do you want to explore the history, or do you want to see a bit of everything?

If you’re not sure where to start, here are the best places and regions I recommend visiting in Switzerland:

📍 LUCERNE & LAKE AREA – Lucerne, Vitznau
📍 INTERLAKEN & JUNGFRAU REGION – Interlaken, Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren
📍 LAKE GENEVA REGION – Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Lavaux Vineyards
📍 ZERMATT
📍 TICINO – Lugano, Locarno, Ascona, Bellinzona

PRO TIP: I recommend combining all the above places into your itinerary to visit the highlights of Switzerland. But you can also base yourself in one city and only explore 1 region.

Once you have the places you’ll visit, let’s move on to the next step.

5. Book Hotels In Each Place

Once you have selected the places for your itinerary, think about how long you want to stay in each place.

Make each place your base, from which you’ll explore the region. For example, base yourself in Lucerne to explore the city and its surroundings. Or base yourself in Grindelwald to explore the Jungfrau region.

After, book hotels in each place. I recommend making a base in the following places for your itinerary and booking these hotels:

🏠 WHERE TO STAY IN LUCERNE:
If you want to explore Lake Lucerne, base yourself in Lucerne. The best time to explore is 2 – 3 days. These are the hotels I recommend for your stay:

🔅 Capsule Hotel Chapter Lucerne – budget-friendly hostel
🔅 Hotel Des Balances – mid-range hotel
🔅 Lake Villa Lotus – beautiful apartments, 3 km/1.8 miles from the center, at the lake – highly recommend
🔅 Mandarin Oriental Palace – luxury hotel

🏠 WHERE TO STAY IN THE JUNGFRAU REGION – GRINDELWALD:
Jungfrau region is, in my mind, the most beautiful place you can visit in Switzerland. I suggest staying in Grindelwald for at least 3 – 5 days. These are the best hotels in Grindelwald:

🔅 Jungfrau Lodge – budget-friendly hotel
🔅 Hotel Belvedere Swiss Quality – best mid-range hotel with spa
🔅 Boutique Hotel Glacier – luxury hotel with jacuzzi

🏠 WHERE TO STAY IN LAKE GENEVA – MONTREUX:
If you want to explore Lake Geneva, I recommend staying in Montreux as it’s a smaller and charming town. It’s best to stay 1 – 2 days in Montreux to explore the area. I recommend booking one of these hotels in Montreux:

🔅 La Rouvenaz – budget-friendly hotel
🔅 Swiss Historic Hotel Masson – mid-range hotel
🔅 Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic – luxury hotel
🔅 Le Coucou Hotel – Swiss hotel on a mountain hill with stunning views

🏠 WHERE TO STAY IN ZERMATT:
Zermatt is another amazing mountain destination, and I recommend staying there for 3 days. These are the best hotels:

🔅 Hotel Garni Testa Grigia – budget-friendly hotel
🔅 Hotel Tannenhof – mid-range hotel
🔅 Hotel Matthiol – luxury hotel
🔅 Kulmhotel Gornergrat – highest hotel in the Swiss Alps – amazing with breathtaking views

🏠 WHERE TO STAY IN TICINO – LUGANO:
Lastly, if you want to explore the Ticino region, base yourself in Lugano for 2 – 3 days. I suggest booking the following hotels:

🔅 Lugano Savosa Youth Hostel – budget-friendly option
🔅 Luganodante – mid-range hotel
🔅 Hotel Splendide Royal – luxury hotel

6. Choose Transportation Mode

Once you know the places you’ll visit and have your hotels selected, think about how to get around Switzerland.

The country has some of the best railway systems in the world, so traveling by train is a great option. Besides, there are many train passes that will make your Swiss itinerary more effective and affordable. If you decide to travel by train, add a few Swiss panoramic trains to your itinerary.

These are the best travel passes in Switzerland that will significantly lower your costs and make your journey flexible:

✅ Swiss Travel Pass
✅ Swiss Travel Pass Flex
✅ Berner Oberland Pass
✅ Half-Fare Card
✅ Saver Day Pass

Road-tripping is also a great idea if you want to explore at your own pace and drive through some scenic mountain passes. If you decide to rent a car, do so in Zurich and add the following scenic drives to your itinerary:

🚔 Furka Pass
🚔 Grimsel Pass
🚔 San Bernardino Pass
🚔 Julier Pass
🚔 Brünig Pass

7. Add Excursions & Activities

Last but not least, add outdoor and adventure activities as well as some mountain excursions in each place. Switzerland offers so many activities that match your interests.

Here are my favorite activities I recommend experiencing:

Suggested Itineraries & Packages For Your Trip

If you still need help with planning and booking your trip, don’t worry. I have more ideas and detailed itineraries for you.

In this section, I can offer you help with Swiss packages, customized travel itineraries, and further trip ideas.

Swiss Rail Packages

Booking one of the rail packages that the Switzerland Travel Center has created can help organize your trip. These popular routes contain Switzerland’s highlights. You can customize them as you wish and add more activities.

The great thing about these packages is that they contain everything you need for your trip, from trains to hotels, tickets, panoramic trains, and mountain excursions.

You don’t have to book anything separately. Just create your own package and get all the tickets and reservations in one email.

👉 Use the code AFFVOICESOFTRAVEL in the ‘booking summary’ page when you’re booking your package. With this code, you’ll get 5% discount for the entire Swiss package.

Contact me at info(at)voicesoftravel.com if you need assistance booking one of these Swiss packages. Or message me if you need help deciding which package is the best for you.

Here are the Swiss rail packages you can book and skip the planning process:

Practical Tips For Planning A Trip To Switzerland

To help you plan your Swiss trip even more, I’ve got some practical tips for you. Check them out below:

How To Get To Switzerland

The fastest and most convenient way to get to Switzerland is to fly to Zurich, Geneva, or Milan, depending on where your itinerary starts.

Alternatively, you can take a train from any major city to Switzerland. The best train connections are between Basel, Zurich, Geneva, Lugano, and other European cities.

If you’re on a budget, it might be best for you to take a bus. Flixbus offers the best deals for bus tickets within Europe, including Switzerland.

How To Get Around Switzerland – Transportation & Travel Passes

The best way to get around Switzerland is by train or by car.

The Swiss railway system is super efficient, and trains will take you everywhere. If you decide to travel by train, I highly recommend getting a travel pass.

It’ll make your trip more flexible and save you a lot of money. Individual train tickets in Switzerland for longer distances (e.g., from Zurich to Zermatt) cost at least $70, so a train pass comes in handy.

Another great way to explore Switzerland is by car. You can rent a car in Zurich or Geneva, where you start your itinerary. If you have a car, don’t forget to add the spectacular mountain passes to your itinerary to enjoy the stunning scenery.

Currency In Switzerland

Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc as the official currency. The exchange fees at the airport are super high, so I recommend waiting and exchanging at the local exchange places in cities.

Most places in Switzerland accept debit and credit cards, so you won’t even need cash.

If you want to avoid international bank fees and exchange fees, create a WISE account and get a debit card. You can set up an account in Swiss Francs or any other foreign currency and avoid paying high fees. Withdrawals are also free of charge up to a certain amount per month.

I’ve been using Wise for over 5 years while traveling, and it’s my best travel bank account.

An alternative to Wise would be Revolut.

Official Languages In Switzerland

Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Each language is spoken in a different part of the country. Most speak German, so you can learn a few words before your trip.

However, it’s not official German – in Switzerland, locals speak Swiss German, which is slightly different from official German. Swiss German uses a few different words and has a different accent. It’s mostly spoken in Central and Eastern Switzerland. 

French is spoken in the French part of Switzerland, around Lake Geneva.

Italian is used in the Ticino canton, the southeastern part of Switzerland.

Romansh is an ancient language that a few Swiss people still use in the Grisons Canton (the eastern part of Switzerland around Chur). You’ll hear it on the trains or see some signs written in Romansch.

Best Time To Visit Switzerland

The best time to visit Switzerland is the end of May, June, September, and December. If you want to go hiking and enjoy nature activities, visit in June, July, or August. However, July and August are the most popular months, so expect tourist crowds and higher prices.

June and September are the best months to visit overall, as they are less busy while the weather is still great.

December is another perfect month to visit Switzerland as you can enjoy the Christmas Markets and skiing. 

How Many Days In Switzerland Is Enough?

8 – 10 days is the perfect time to spend in Switzerland. You’ll have enough time to explore the highlights, visit the most beautiful cities, enjoy lakes and mountain excursions, stunning nature, and additional activities.

If you don’t have much time, you can also come to Switzerland for 3 days. If you want to have a lot of time to explore each destination, I recommend staying for 15 days to explore the entire country.

WRAP-UP: How To Plan A Trip To Switzerland

This is how you could plan a trip to Switzerland on your own. It’s a lot of fun, but I understand it might get overwhelming, especially with many options. That’s why I’m here to help you.

Whether you’d like to book a package with Switzerland Travel Center or you’d like to get a customized travel itinerary just for yourself, contact me at info(at)voicesoftravel.com. I’ll gladly help you.

Happy Travels!