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Switzerland Travel Guide

Plan your trip to Switzerland

Choose a city and airport first, then compare airlines and routes.

Switzerland is in Western Europe. Bern serves as the de facto capital and is officially called the federal city. Specify airports such as Zurich or Geneva and check entry documents by purpose and length of stay, along with the operating carrier’s baggage rules.

Capital
Bern (federal city)
Currency
Swiss Franc / CHF
Common language
CLDR territory-language data records commonly used languages including German, Swiss German, English, French, Italian, Romansh. Usage varies by region; CLDR population figures are estimates.
Time
IANA time zone Europe/Zurich; standard time is UTC+1 and daylight saving time is UTC+2. Confirm local times on your itinerary

Major airports in Switzerland

Compare location, airlines and ground transport to choose the most convenient airport for your trip.

ZRH

Zürich Airport

Zurich

GVA

Geneva International Airport

Geneva

ACH

Sankt Gallen Altenrhein Airport

St. Gallen

BRN

Bern Airport

Bern

LUG

Lugano Airport

Agno

Airlines for travel in Switzerland

An airline’s hubs can determine whether your trip is nonstop or requires a connection.

Airlines, codes, key hubs and networks for travel in Switzerland
AirlineCodeKey hubsNetwork
SWISSLXZRH / GVA / AGP / ARN / ATH / CPH / DUB / FRA / GOT / GRU / JFK / LGWSWISS provides booking-class baggage guidance; confirm applicable conditions separately for partner-operated flights.

How to travel around Switzerland by air

What to expect when flying between cities or connecting after an international arrival.

Flying between cities in Switzerland

  • Check domestic baggage against booking class
    SWISS states that checked baggage varies with booking class. Check your own ticket for domestic segments rather than applying another fare’s or international segment’s conditions.
  • Domestic flights between Zurich and Geneva
    SWISS's official booking page lists flights between Zurich (ZRH) and Geneva (GVA) in both directions. Schedules and fares can change; verify the actual flight, carrier and airports for your travel date.

Arriving from another country

  • Check entry conditions by purpose and duration
    The Swiss migration authority notes that entry requirements differ by purpose and length of stay. Consult official guidance for your nationality, documents and actual plans before departure.

Popular cities to visit in Switzerland

Open an airport guide to compare airlines, nonstop destinations and practical travel information.

Zurich ZRH

Country: Switzerland

Geneva GVA

Country: Switzerland

Bern BRN

Bern is the de facto capital city; Switzerland has no official de jure capital.

International routes to Switzerland

Compare arrival airports and plan for time zones, baggage and onward connections.

Popular international flight routes to Switzerland
RouteArrival airportRegion
JFK to ZRHZRHUS
LHR to GVAGVAGB
FRA to ZRHZRHDE

Before you fly to Switzerland

Complete these checks before departure.

Check baggage conditions separately for codeshares

SWISS notes that baggage fees on partner-operated codeshare or interline flights may differ. Check each segment’s operating carrier and booking rather than assuming identical conditions from the ticket brand.

Explore Switzerland travel information

Continue to detailed pages for cities, airports, airlines and routes.

Cities

ZurichGenevaBern

Airports

Zurich ZRHGeneva GVASt. Gallen ACH

Airlines

SWISS

To

New York → ZurichLondon → GenevaFrankfurt am Main → Zurich

Switzerland flight and airport FAQs

Why is Bern described as the federal city?

Swiss official guidance says there is no formally designated de jure capital in the technical sense; Bern is the federal city and de facto capital.

Are partner-carrier baggage conditions necessarily identical on a SWISS ticket?

Do not assume so. Check the particular booking for fees and conditions on partner-operated codeshare or interline flights.