Getting from Zurich Airport to the city centre could hardly be easier. The airport is in Kloten, around 10 kilometres north of the centre, and the railway station sits right underneath the terminal. That makes Zurich one of the easiest airports in Europe to get away from: the train reaches the main station, Zürich HB, in 10 to 13 minutes, and there’s a train roughly every 10 minutes for most of the day.
The quick answer is therefore the train, which is also the cheapest option. Tram 10 is a good alternative if you’re staying in Oerlikon or near Central, and a taxi costs around 65 francs. Here you’ll find all the options with prices, journey times and stations, plus how to travel straight on to Lucerne, Bern and Interlaken. All prices are in Swiss francs (CHF).
If you’d rather drive yourself from the airport, you can compare prices on rental cars at Booking.com.
Contents
Quick overview
- Train to Zürich HB: around 7 francs (around £6), 10 to 13 minutes, runs roughly every 10 minutes from about 5am until just after midnight.
- Tram 10: around 7 francs (around £6), about 35 minutes to Bahnhofplatz/HB via Oerlikon and Central, runs every 7 to 8 minutes during the day from about 5am until just before midnight.
- Night bus N10: around 7 francs (around £6), about 27 minutes to Bahnhofplatz/HB, runs only on weekend nights, roughly every half hour.
- Bus 768: around 7 francs (around £6), about 16 minutes to Zürich Oerlikon, runs roughly every 10 minutes during the day.
- Taxi: around 65 francs (around £60) to the centre according to the airport, 10 to 20 minutes without traffic.
- Uber and private transfer: the price is shown in the app or when you book, and the driver meets you at the airport.
- Direct onward trains: about 1 hour 10 minutes to Lucerne, about 1 hour 15 minutes to Bern and about 2 hours 15 minutes to Interlaken with a change in Bern.
How to find the transport at the airport
You’ll come out into one of the two arrivals halls, Arrival 1 or Arrival 2. From either one, follow the signs for the train and the Airport Center, the large building between the terminals with shops, a ticket office and the entrance to the station. The station itself, Zürich Flughafen, is underground beneath the Airport Center, and you take the escalators or lift down to the platforms.
Trams and city buses stop at Zürich Flughafen, Bahnhof by the bus terminal in front of the Airport Center, so you head the same way and follow the signs for tram and bus. Taxis wait in the innermost lane in front of Arrival 1 and Arrival 2. If you book an Uber, go up to the departures halls, Check-in 1 or Check-in 2, where the driver waits in the bays marked “Limousine Taxi”, and the app shows you the way. The airport has all its information on trains, trams and buses on its public transport page.
1. Train from Zurich Airport to the city centre (Zürich HB)
The train is the fastest way into town. Both S-Bahn and long-distance trains run from Zürich Flughafen to the main station, Zürich HB. The fastest get there in 9 to 10 minutes, while the S-Bahn trains take 10 to 13 minutes. The S-Bahn lines are the S2, S16 and S24, and the InterCity and InterRegio trains towards Bern, Geneva, Basel and Lucerne also stop at Zürich HB on the way. You can take the first train heading for Zürich HB, whatever type of train it is.
According to the airport, there’s a train to the main station every 10 minutes. On weekdays the first leaves at around 5am and the last just after midnight, usually around 12.45am. If you land later, your options are tram 10, the N10 night bus at weekends, or a taxi. The timetable changes every December, so check departures in the SBB timetable before you travel.
Luggage costs nothing extra, and every train has racks for suitcases. The pitfall is the direction, because some trains run the opposite way towards Winterthur and St. Gallen. Look for Zürich HB on the departures board or on the platform screen before you board.
Fares and tickets
The journey is covered by the ZVV transport network, which uses zones. The airport is in zone 121 and the city in zone 110, which counts double, so you need a three-zone ticket. It costs around 7 francs (around £6) in 2nd class and 11.80 francs (around £11) in 1st class. The ticket is valid for an hour, so you can switch to a tram or bus in the city on the same ticket.
If you’re travelling there and back on the same day or getting around the city, a 24-hour pass for the same three zones costs 14.40 francs (around £13), the same as two single tickets. Children aged 6 to 15 and travellers with the Swiss Half Fare Card pay 3.60 francs (around £3) for a single, and children under 6 travel free. ZVV adjusts its fares when the timetable changes in December, so check the price with ZVV.
If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, it’s also valid for the journey from the airport, as is the Zürich Card, which I cover in the practical tips at the bottom.
Where to buy your ticket
The easiest way is the SBB Mobile app or the ZVV app, where you pay by card and keep the ticket on your phone. You can also buy tickets from the machines at the station, which take bank cards, or at the counter in the SBB ticket office in the Airport Center. Choose Zürich HB as your destination and the machine will find the right three-zone ticket for you.
Buy your ticket before you board. You can’t buy one on the train, and if you’re caught without a ticket, you’ll pay a penalty fare on top of the ticket price.
Where should you get off?
Zürich HB: The main station is at the end of Bahnhofstrasse, so if you’re staying around Lindenhof and Bahnhofstrasse, you’re almost there. Niederdorf in the Old Town is about a 10-minute walk across the River Limmat, and the area around Langstrasse is 10 to 20 minutes on foot. If you’d like to stay close to the station, you can see hotels near Zürich HB here. I go through the neighbourhoods in my guide to where to stay in Zurich.
Zürich Oerlikon: Most trains towards Zürich HB stop at Oerlikon, and the journey takes just 4 to 5 minutes. The district is the cheapest place to stay with short journeys to both the airport and the centre, and you can see hotels in Oerlikon here.
Zürich Hardbrücke: The S16 runs directly from the airport to Hardbrücke in about 9 minutes before continuing to Zürich HB. The station is in Zurich West, so this is the train for you if you’re staying in that area. The S16 runs once every half hour.
Zürich Stadelhofen: The same S16 continues from Zürich HB to Stadelhofen, which you reach in about 16 minutes from the airport without changing. From here you can walk to Seefeld, the opera house, the lake and the eastern end of the Old Town.
2. Tram 10 to Oerlikon, Central and Zürich HB
Tram 10 runs from the Zürich Flughafen, Bahnhof stop through Glattbrugg and Oerlikon, then down through the university quarter to Central and Bahnhofplatz/HB in front of the main station. The whole journey takes about 35 minutes, so it’s three times slower than the train, but it goes right into the centre with no stairs or changes.
During the day on weekdays it runs every 7 to 8 minutes, with longer gaps in the evenings and at weekends. The first tram towards the centre leaves at around 5am, and the last leaves the airport just before midnight. Tram 12 also runs from the airport, but it goes to Stettbach on the eastern edge of the city and is rarely useful for tourists.
The tram suits you if you’re staying in Oerlikon, the university quarter or near Central at the northern end of Niederdorf. It’s also a good choice if you have a heavy suitcase and don’t fancy walking from the main station. The pitfall is time: if you’re just going to Zürich HB, the train is much quicker.
Fares and tickets
The tram uses the same ZVV tickets as the train, so a three-zone ticket costs around 7 francs (around £6), and the 24-hour pass costs 14.40 francs (around £13). Buy your ticket from the machine at the stop or in the app before you board, as you can’t buy one from the driver. The Swiss Travel Pass and Zürich Card are also valid on the tram.
Where should you get off the tram?
Zürich Oerlikon, Bahnhof Ost: The stop by Oerlikon station is about 13 minutes away. From here you can walk to the hotels around the station and Marktplatz.
ETH/Universitätsspital: The stop by the ETH university and the university hospital is about 30 minutes away. From here it’s a few minutes’ walk down to Niederdorf.
Central: The Central square by the river is at the northern end of Niederdorf, and you’ll get there in about 33 minutes. It’s the best stop if you’re staying in the Old Town on the east side of the Limmat, and you can see hotels in Niederdorf here.
Bahnhofplatz/HB: The terminus is on the square in front of the main station, about 35 minutes from the airport. From here you can walk to Bahnhofstrasse and Lindenhof.
3. Night bus N10 and the bus to Oerlikon
There’s no regular city bus from the airport to the centre during the day, as the train and tram take care of that. At weekends, the N10 night bus takes over at night. It runs from the Zürich Flughafen, Bahnhof stop on Friday and Saturday nights, roughly every half hour from about 1.40am to 3.40am, and the last departures before the morning services begin only go as far as Oerlikon.
The N10 runs through Glattbrugg and Seebach to Oerlikon, then follows the same route as tram 10 via Central to Bahnhofplatz/HB. It takes about 11 minutes to Oerlikon, about 25 minutes to Central and about 27 minutes to the main station. Night buses no longer require a night supplement, so the regular three-zone ticket for around 7 francs (around £6) is enough. On other nights of the week there’s no night bus from the airport.
During the day, bus 768 runs from the airport to Zürich Oerlikon, Bahnhof in about 16 minutes. It runs roughly every 10 minutes and uses the same ticket, but the train is quicker to Oerlikon, so the bus is only an alternative if the train is cancelled. The many other buses from the airport serve the suburbs and the towns around Kloten and Bülach.
4. Taxi, Uber and private transfer
The airport only recommends the official taxis, which are marked Airport Taxi. They wait in the innermost lane in front of Arrival 1 and Arrival 2, and according to the airport a ride to the centre costs around 65 francs (around £60). You can pay by card in the car, and you can also book the taxi in the company’s app. Find out more on the airport’s taxi page.
Taxis run on the meter, so the fare depends on the address and the traffic. Zürich Tourism estimates 45 to 70 francs (around £40 to £65) and 10 to 20 minutes to the centre, and there may be a surcharge for lots of luggage. It’s expensive, so a taxi makes most sense when you land after the last train, or when there are several of you with plenty of luggage. The comparison is on the Zürich Tourism website.
Uber also operates from the airport. The price is shown in the app before you book, and it rises when demand is high. The driver waits at the departures halls, Check-in 1 and Check-in 2, not at arrivals, and Uber’s Zurich Airport page explains how to get there.
Private transfer
If you’re landing late with children, or you simply want everything sorted in advance, you can book a private transfer from Zurich Airport to your hotel here. The driver helps with your luggage, and the price is agreed before you land.
Travelling on around Switzerland straight from the airport
If you’re not staying in Zurich, you don’t need to go into the city first. According to the airport, direct long-distance trains run from Zürich Flughafen to places including Bern, Basel, Lucerne and St. Gallen, and several continue to Geneva and Lausanne. If you can’t find a direct departure, take the first train to Zürich HB and change there, as trains run from there to the whole country.
Lucerne: There are one or two direct InterRegio trains an hour, and the journey takes about 1 hour 10 minutes. Otherwise, change at Zürich HB and you’ll arrive at almost the same time. Lucerne’s main station is by the lake, a few minutes’ walk from the Kapellbrücke, and you can see hotels in Lucerne here. If there are several of you with lots of luggage, you can also book a private transfer from the airport to Lucerne here.
Bern: There are usually two direct InterCity trains an hour to Bern, and the journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. From Bern station you can walk into the Old Town in a few minutes.
Interlaken: From the airport you’ll usually need to change in Bern, so take the train to Bern and change to the train towards Interlaken Ost, which also stops at Interlaken West. With the change, the journey takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can go via Lucerne and take the scenic Luzern-Interlaken Express, but then allow a good 3 hours. There’s frequent engineering work on the lines towards Bern and in Interlaken, so check your journey in the SBB app before you set off.
At full price, a 2nd-class single from the airport to Lucerne costs around 32 francs (around £30), and it’s quite a bit more to Bern and Interlaken. If you buy early in the SBB app, you can often get a Supersaver ticket, which is tied to a specific train, or a Saver Day Pass, valid for a whole day across the country. If you have a Half Fare Card or a Swiss Travel Pass, it’s valid from the airport too. If you’re visiting several cities, you can read my guide to where to stay in Switzerland.
Getting back to the airport
Trains run from Zürich HB to the airport several times every quarter of an hour, and the journey takes 9 to 13 minutes. On weekdays the first leaves at about 4.30am and the last at around 12.15am. Trains to the airport leave from many different platforms at the main station, both above ground and below the station, so find your departure on the board and choose a train that stops at Zürich Flughafen. The ticket is the same as on the way in: three zones for around 7 francs (around £6).
On weekend nights SBB runs an extra early train from Bern via Olten, Zürich HB and Oerlikon, which reaches the airport shortly after 4am, so you can catch the first flights in the morning. Tram 10 runs from Bahnhofplatz/HB from about 5am to around 11pm and takes about 33 minutes. On weekend nights the N10 night bus runs from Bahnhofplatz/HB to the airport roughly every half hour.
If you’d like your car booked before you leave home, you can book a private transfer from your hotel to the airport here. If someone’s dropping you off, the first 5 minutes in the lane by the departures halls, Check-in 1 and Check-in 2, are free, and after that it costs 1 franc (around 90p) a minute. Prices are on the airport’s drop-off page.
Which should you choose?
Here’s my recommendation based on where you’re staying:
Lindenhof and Bahnhofstrasse: Take the train to Zürich HB. It’s the quickest and cheapest way, and you’ll be there in a quarter of an hour including the walk.
Niederdorf and the Old Town: Take the train to Zürich HB and walk across the river. If you have heavy luggage, tram 10 goes directly to Central at the northern end of Niederdorf.
Seefeld: Take the S16 directly to Stadelhofen, or take the first train to Zürich HB and change to an S-Bahn train towards Stadelhofen.
Zurich West: Take the S16 directly to Hardbrücke. If there isn’t one within a quarter of an hour, take the train to Zürich HB and a tram onwards.
Oerlikon: Take the first train that stops at Oerlikon. The journey takes just 4 to 5 minutes.
If you land at night: On weekend nights the N10 night bus runs to Oerlikon, Central and Bahnhofplatz/HB roughly every half hour. On weekdays a taxi for around 65 francs (around £60) is the only option once the last trains and trams have gone.
If there are three or four of you: Four train tickets cost 28.80 francs (around £25), so the train is still cheaper than a taxi. The taxi takes you to the door, but it’s rarely faster.
If you’re travelling on: Take the direct trains to Lucerne and Bern, and change in Bern if you’re heading to Interlaken.
Practical tips for getting from Zurich Airport
Buy your ticket before you board. No tickets are sold on trains or trams, and inspections are common. With the SBB app you can skip the machines.
Make use of the hour on your ticket. The three-zone ticket is valid for an hour, so feel free to change to a tram or bus at Zürich HB without buying a new ticket.
Consider the Zürich Card. The card costs 29 francs (around £25) for 24 hours and 56 francs (around £50) for 72 hours for an adult. It gives you free 2nd-class travel by train, tram, bus and boat in the city and surrounding area, including to and from the airport, plus free entry to many museums. Prices are on the Zürich Tourism website. If you mostly get around on foot, a 24-hour pass from ZVV for 14.40 francs (around £13) is often enough.
Leave your luggage at the station. SBB has luggage lockers at the airport that are open around the clock, so you can explore the city before an evening flight home.
Book long-distance trains early. If you’re heading on to Lucerne, Bern or Interlaken, Supersaver tickets are often much cheaper than full price, but they disappear as the trains fill up.
If you’re not sure which neighbourhood suits you, read my guide to where to stay in Zurich. It also shows which areas have the shortest journey to the airport.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
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• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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