Zurich Airport is 13 km from the city center. Switzerland is famously expensive, but the train makes this one of the cheapest quality airport transfers in Europe. Road transport is where Swiss prices hit.
Price breakdown to Zurich city center
Train: 7 CHF ($8 USD) for a second-class ticket. First class: 12.20 CHF ($14 USD). Children under 6 ride free. Children 6-16 ride free with a Swiss Family Card.
Tram (Line 10): Same ticket price as the train (zone 110), about 7 CHF. Takes 30 minutes.
Taxi (metered): 50-70 CHF ($56-79 USD). The meter starts at about 6 CHF with a per-kilometer and per-minute charge.
Pre-booked transfer (sedan): $70-120 USD. Executive vehicles standard.
Pre-booked transfer (minivan): $100-160 USD. For groups of 5-8.
Prices to other Swiss destinations
- Winterthur (30 km): 15 CHF by train, 80-120 CHF by taxi
- Baden (25 km): 12 CHF by train, 70-100 CHF by taxi
- Zug (40 km): 20 CHF by train, 120-170 CHF by taxi
- Lucerne (65 km): 30 CHF by train, 200-280 CHF by taxi
- Basel (90 km): 35 CHF by train, 280-400 CHF by taxi
- Bern (130 km): 50 CHF by train, 380-500 CHF by taxi
- Interlaken (140 km): 70 CHF by train, 400-550 CHF by taxi
- Davos (150 km): 65 CHF by train, 450-600 CHF by taxi
Why the train is the obvious choice
The price gap between the train and a taxi is enormous: 7 CHF vs 50-70 CHF. The time difference is minimal: 12 minutes by train vs 15-25 minutes by taxi (more in traffic). The train is also more reliable since it is unaffected by road congestion.
For longer distances within Switzerland, the gap widens further. A train to Lucerne costs 30 CHF. A taxi would cost 200+ CHF. Swiss rail infrastructure is one of the best in the world, and prices remain reasonable even as everything else in Switzerland is expensive.
When road transport justifies its cost
After midnight when trains stop. Heavy or awkward luggage. Groups of 4+ splitting the fare. Destinations far from a train station. Business travelers requiring executive service. Late arrivals with young children when the simplicity of a door-to-door ride outweighs the savings.
For a group of 4, a taxi at 60 CHF splits to 15 CHF per person, which is only 8 CHF more than the train per person. In that scenario, the door-to-door convenience may be worth it.
Swiss Travel Pass note
If you have a Swiss Travel Pass (popular with tourists), the airport train is included at no additional cost. This makes the airport-to-city trip effectively free as part of a pass that covers all Swiss public transport.
Payment
Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). Card payment is accepted everywhere: trains (buy tickets at machines or on the SBB app), taxis, shops, and transfers. ATMs dispense CHF at the airport. Some places accept euros but give change in CHF at an unfavorable rate.
Tips
- Download the SBB Mobile app to buy train tickets and check real-time schedules
- The Swiss Family Card gives children under 16 free train travel with a parent
- A Swiss Travel Pass covers all airport train trips
- Taxis are metered and honest, just expensive
- Pre-booked transfers are for specific needs, not for saving money
- The biggest savings in Switzerland come from using trains whenever possible