Switzerland is the Alps made easy: car-free mountain villages, lakes you can swim in and trains that climb to the glaciers.
Switzerland packs glaciers, lakes and four languages into a country smaller than Scotland, and the rail network joins almost all of it. A week can take in Lake Lucerne, the Jungfrau peaks above Wengen and the Matterhorn from Zermatt without once getting in a car.
In summer the draw is walking: high paths above the tree line, mountain restaurants serving rösti and alpine cheese, and lakes warm enough for a swim by July. In winter it is skiing in Zermatt, Verbier, St. Moritz and the Jungfrau region, with frozen lakes and horse-drawn sleighs in the Engadin.
The honest caveats are cost and cloud. Switzerland is expensive day to day, even by European standards, and mountain views depend on the weather. We keep one flexible day in each resort so the big excursion happens on the clearest morning.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
The Glacier Express is an eight-hour panoramic journey between Zermatt and St. Moritz, crossing 291 bridges and passing through 91 tunnels. It is slow on purpose, with lunch served at your seat as the train climbs over the Oberalp Pass. Book early for summer, when seats sell out.
Zermatt is car-free, and the Matterhorn fills the end of the main street. Ride the Gornergrat railway for the glacier view, walk the Five Lakes trail in summer for reflections of the peak, and eat raclette in the hamlet restaurants above the village. In winter, the ski area links over the border into Italy at Cervinia.
The Lauterbrunnen valley is sheer-sided, with waterfalls dropping from the cliffs. Stay in car-free Wengen or Mürren, facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Ride the cog railway up to the Jungfraujoch, or walk from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, a gentle high path that suits families.
Lucerne is the gentle start to most trips: the covered Chapel Bridge, the old town and the lake. Take a paddle steamer to Vitznau and the cog railway up the Rigi, or the cable cars to Mount Pilatus. It is an easy first stop after the flight, just over an hour from Zurich airport by train.
The Upper Engadin is high, dry and often sunny in winter. St. Moritz has the grand hotels, but the villages of Pontresina, Sils and Zuoz are quieter. Cross-country skiing on the frozen lakes, the Cresta Run and horse-drawn sleighs into the Val Fex fill the days. Try Bündner Nusstorte, the walnut pastry of the region.
Above Lake Geneva between Lausanne and Montreux, the Lavaux terraces drop steeply to the water and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk between the villages of Cully, Epesses and Saint-Saphorin, stopping at family cellars for a glass of chasselas. Finish at the Château de Chillon. September is harvest time.
Choose car-free villages such as Zermatt, Wengen or Mürren for the mountain atmosphere, and lakeside towns such as Lucerne or Montreux for gentler days. In winter, St. Moritz and Gstaad have the grand hotels, while Verbier and Zermatt suit keen skiers. Rooms with the peak view are worth the extra.
We match each trip in Switzerland to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsSwitzerland has two high seasons. Winter runs from mid-December to Easter, when snow is most reliable in high resorts such as Zermatt and St. Moritz. Summer runs from late June to mid-September, when the lifts and high paths are open.
The between seasons, roughly late April to early June and late October to mid-December, are quiet in the mountains. Many resorts close entirely, but the lakes and cities are calm and good value.
A summer week by train only: Lake Lucerne, the Jungfrau from Wengen, the Matterhorn from Zermatt and the Glacier Express to St. Moritz. 7 nights.
Train from Zurich airport to Lucerne. A paddle steamer across the lake and the cog railway up the Rigi.
Train to Lauterbrunnen and up to car-free Wengen. Walk from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg and ride up to the Jungfraujoch.
Across the Lötschberg to Zermatt. The first train up the Gornergrat and a walk on the Five Lakes trail.
The eight-hour Glacier Express over the Oberalp Pass to St. Moritz, with lunch at your seat.
Train through the Albula valley to Zurich airport for the flight home, just under two hours to Heathrow.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Switzerland (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
Zurich is about 1 hour 50 minutes direct from Heathrow and Geneva about 1 hour 45 minutes. Both airports have railway stations, so you can be on a train into the mountains within minutes of landing.
Switzerland is in the Schengen area, though not the EU. UK passport holders can visit without a visa for short stays and new Schengen border checks are being introduced. Read the FCDO entry requirements for Switzerland (opens in a new tab) before travel.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Switzerland (opens in a new tab)
See the TravelHealthPro page for Switzerland (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page. Altitude is the main consideration: the Jungfraujoch is well over 3,000 metres, so take it slowly, drink water and wear strong sun cream on snow.
The currency is the Swiss franc. Prices are often shown in euros too and euros are frequently accepted, with change given in francs. Cards are accepted almost everywhere.
Switzerland is outside the EU, so UK roaming bundles for Europe may not cover it. Check with your provider, set a spending limit and use hotel Wi-Fi, which is standard.
Guests are not obliged to tip in Switzerland. In many restaurants it is customary to leave about 10 per cent or round up to a convenient figure.
Rarely. Trains, boats, buses and mountain railways connect almost everywhere, and several of the main mountain villages, including Zermatt, Wengen and Mürren, are car-free. Luggage can be sent ahead between stations, so you travel light between hotels and never worry about parking in a mountain village.
If you enjoy the journey itself, yes. It is a slow, scenic day with lunch served at your seat, and the Oberalp Pass and Rhine Gorge are highlights. If time is short, the shorter Bernina line from St. Moritz to Tirano gives you a taste of it in a few hours.
From late June to mid-September, when the high paths are clear of snow and the mountain lifts run. July and August are busiest, with afternoon storms likely. September is often the most settled month, with clear air and quieter paths.
It depends on the group. Wengen and Grindelwald have gentle slopes and a village feel, good for mixed abilities. Zermatt suits confident skiers who want high, snow-sure pistes and good food. St. Moritz has the most going on off the slopes.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: January, February and July to September.
Austria is Vienna coffee houses, Salzburg music and Alpine lakes in summer, then family-run ski villages in winter.
France is close enough for a long weekend and big enough to keep coming back: Paris, Provence, the Riviera and the wine regions.
Italy rewards choosing one region well: lemon terraces at Amalfi, Tuscan hill towns, lake villas and the lagoon light of Venice.
