Zurich Airport private transfers: a practical guide
Journey times from Zurich Airport, what to include in your request, and when a private car is easier than the train.
Zurich Airport is Switzerland’s largest airport and lies about ten kilometres north of the city centre. Many visitors begin their trip here, often after a long flight and with more luggage than they would like to carry onto a train. A private transfer takes you from the airport to the door of your hotel, chalet or meeting, in a vehicle reserved for your group alone.
This guide explains how long the most common journeys take, which details help us plan your pickup, and when the train may be the simpler option.
How long does the journey take?
Driving times depend on traffic, the time of day and, in the mountains, the weather. As a rough guide, allow about:
- Zurich city centre: 20 to 30 minutes
- Lucerne: about 1 hour
- Basel: about 1 hour
- Bern: about 1 hour 20 minutes
- Interlaken: about 2 hours
- Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen: about 2 hours 15 minutes
- Geneva: about 3 hours
When you request a transfer and choose your addresses from the suggestions, the form shows the driving distance and time calculated for your exact route.
What to include in your request
A few details let us plan the pickup properly and choose the right vehicle:
- Your flight number, so the pickup can be planned around your arrival time.
- The number of passengers, including children.
- Your luggage, especially large items such as skis, golf bags or pushchairs.
- The number of child seats you need and the children’s ages.
- The exact address of your hotel or accommodation.
The exact meeting point and pickup arrangements are confirmed in writing with your booking.
Choosing the right vehicle
For one to three passengers, an executive saloon is quiet and comfortable. Families and small groups with luggage usually travel more comfortably in a premium van such as our Mercedes-Benz V-Class, with individual seats and generous luggage space. You can see our own vehicles on the fleet page; the booking form shows how many passengers and suitcases each vehicle class takes.
Private transfer or train?
Switzerland’s trains are excellent, and Zurich Airport has its own railway station with direct connections to many cities. If you travel light and your hotel is close to a station, the train is often the simplest choice.
A private transfer is usually easier when you arrive with children or a lot of luggage, land late in the evening, travel as a group, or are heading to a mountain village that would otherwise mean several changes. You can also add a stop on the way.
Some resorts are car-free. Zermatt can be reached by road only as far as Täsch, and Wengen and Mürren only as far as Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg; from there a shuttle train or cable car completes the journey. In that case your transfer ends at the last station you can reach by road.
Combining your arrival with sightseeing
If you land in the morning and are staying in Lucerne or the Bernese Oberland, the journey can become a short sightseeing day, for example with time in Lucerne’s old town on the way. Tell us what you have in mind through the custom tour form, or browse our private day tours for ideas.
