Short tips for travelling to Zurich
Below you will find the most important tips for travelling to Zurich; only the most important thing. For more details and special tips, I refer to the other pages of my blog.
Opening hours
Most banks, shops and other public facilities are open from Monday to Friday. Department stores are of course also open on Saturdays. They are usually closed on Sundays. This is due to our Zurich laws, which provide for a day of rest during the week. However, shops are open on station grounds. Petrol station shops are also open all week.
On the road in the city of Zurich
In Zurich, the public transport system (operated by the Zurich Transport Association) is extremely well developed. This applies both to the city of Zurich, which also has trams, and to the entire canton. Tourists can easily reach everything by tram, bus or S-Bahn. To save travel expenses, you can buy a special ticket, the so-called Zurich Card for 24 or 72 hours. The ticket machines with the screens are basically a bit complicated for the unfamiliar. For the urban area, zone 110 (considered two zones due to its size, as well as Winterthur) must be solved. This means that ALL public transport in the city can be used, almost all major sights are easily accessible by public transport. For example, the Zurich Zoo is within zone 110 with the tram No. 6 within 20 minutes from Central Station.
Public transport in Zurich (and in Switzerland in general) is also extremely clean and safe.
Half-fare – Yes or No?
If you are travelling long and much throughout Switzerland, you should buy a half-fare card. It entitles you to discounts on all public transport, the discount on the normal prices (1. and 2. class) is approx. 50%. This card is ideal for tourists who stay longer in Zurich or Zurich. the whole of Switzerland. The card costs CHF 185 and is valid for one year (shorter times not possible). As soon as you spend more than CHF 370 on public transport at the normal price during your stay in Switzerland, it is worth buying the half-fare card.
Taxis in Zurich
The taxi costs are very high (the basic fee alone is CHF 8 and each kilometre chf 5). In addition, there are often congestion situations within the city during rush hour. I recommend taxis only for further routes (e.g. to the airport, cost approx. CHF 60 – 80, depending on the starting point) or with a lot of luggage.
Power plug – mains voltage
Before travelling, you should definitely check the compatibility of all the devices you want to take with you. The mains voltage is 220 V.
Tips in Zurich
It is common to tip in restaurants. In most cases, the amount is generously rounded up within 5-10% of the amount. Example: If your lunch costs CHF 23.50, you round up to CHF 25. Of course, you don't have to exaggerate, more than 10% tipping is exaggerated or. appropriate for exceptional situations.
Hotels in Zurich
Although the hotels in Zurich are among the most expensive in Europe, the quality of service and cleanliness deserves all the praise. Even tourists accustomed to luxury can book a room in a three-star hotel – the service will be at a high level. Of course, you will only get the real luxury in Zurich in 5-star hotels. 4 stars are a good compromise depending on the situation. Regardless of this, I recommend to consult a review portal such as tripadvisor, holidaycheck or similar with each booking.
Food shopping – on the go at a reasonable price
If you plan to cook yourself and save yourself a visit to the restaurant, a visit to the shops of Migros, Coop, Denner, Aldi or Lidl is recommended. These are the major Swiss retailers in the food sector. Prices are the cheapest here, and in the evening discounts for certain products can be up to 50%. In fact, items whose expiry date reached the last day are often sold at half prices. Also worth mentioning are the restaurants (self service) of Migros and Coop, which offer cheap food. In the Migros restaurants, for example, there is a decent menu every day at CHF 9.90. In addition, you don't have to spend more than about CHF 20 on other menus.
Preparations for the trip to Zurich: Tips for tourists from ZurichInsider.com – Zurich from the inside.
