Where to Stay in Switzerland: Best Areas and Hotels

The Short Answer

For a first trip, most people do best with one lake town and one or two mountain bases, linked by train:

• Start in Lucerne, about an hour by train from Zurich Airport. It has a walkable Old Town on the lake, boat trips, and Pilatus and Rigi as day trips.
• Then the Jungfrau region for the classic Alps: stay in Grindelwald for Eiger views and the most hotels, in Wengen or Mürren for car-free villages above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, or in Interlaken if you want the easiest train connections and more for your money.
• Add Zermatt for the Matterhorn, about 2 to 2.5 hours from Interlaken by train. In winter it is one of the country's main ski resorts.
• For the French- or Italian-speaking side, base yourself in Montreux on Lake Geneva or in Lugano in Ticino.

Switzerland is expensive at every level. Budget here means hostels, simple guesthouses and value chains such as ibis and Motel One, and even those cost more than in neighboring countries. Breakfast is often extra, so check what your rate includes.

Choose Your Base

Tap an area for where to stay there, the best part of town and hotels at every budget.

Switzerland's Main Bases Compared

Times are typical direct or one-change train journeys from the SBB timetable, rounded. Most routes run at least hourly, and many every half hour.

One Great Hotel in Each Area

If you only want one name per stop, start with these. Each area guide has more options at every budget.

How Many Bases for Your Trip?

• 7 days: two or three bases. Lucerne (2–3 nights) and the Jungfrau region (3–4 nights), or add a night or two in Zermatt.
• 10 days: three or four bases. Lucerne, the Jungfrau region and Zermatt, then Montreux or Geneva at the end if you fly home from Geneva.
• 14 days: four or five bases. Add Lugano or St. Moritz, linked by the Bernina Express or the Glacier Express.

Our itinerary guide lays out each version night by night, with the train time between every stop.

Passes and Free Guest Cards

The Swiss Travel Pass covers unlimited travel on trains, buses and boats, plus local public transport in more than 90 towns. Panoramic trains such as the Glacier Express are included, but you pay a separate seat reservation. It also covers some mountains outright (Rigi, Stanserhorn, Stoos), gives up to 50% off many others, and gets you into more than 500 museums. With the free Swiss Family Card, children aged 6 to 15 travel free with a parent who holds a pass.

Many towns also give hotel guests a free local transport card. You get one in Geneva, Lucerne, Interlaken, Bern, Lausanne and across Ticino (Lugano). Zurich has no free card; there you buy a ticket or the paid Zürich Card.

When to Go, and How It Changes Where to Stay

Summer (June to September) is hiking season, when the high trails are open and the mountain villages are at their busiest. Winter (December to April) is ski season in Zermatt, the Jungfrau region and the Engadin. In between, many mountain hotels close for a few weeks and lifts shut for maintenance, so autumn and spring trips work better from cities and lake towns such as Lucerne, Montreux and Lugano.

For winter bases, see our winter and ski guide. Traveling with children? Our family guide covers the easiest bases and family rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to help you choose where to stay.

What is the best place to stay in Switzerland for a first trip?

Lucerne is the easiest first base: about an hour from Zurich Airport by train, with a walkable Old Town, lake boats and mountain day trips. Pair it with Grindelwald, Wengen or Interlaken in the Jungfrau region for the high Alps.

Is it better to stay in Interlaken or Grindelwald?

Stay in Grindelwald if you want to wake up under the Eiger and walk to the lifts. Stay in Interlaken if you want the most train connections, more restaurants and lower prices, and don't mind riding up to the mountains each day.

How many places should I stay in Switzerland in a week?

Two or three. Train rides between bases take about one to three hours, so a week fits a lake town and one mountain base comfortably, with a third stop if you don't mind packing more often.

Do I need a car in Switzerland?

No. Trains, buses, boats and mountain railways reach every base on this site, and Zermatt, Wengen and Mürren are car-free anyway. A car only helps for remote valleys and small villages off the rail network.

Which Swiss resorts are car-free?

Zermatt, Wengen and Mürren are the best known. You leave your car in Täsch (for Zermatt) or in Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg (for Wengen and Mürren) and continue by train or cable car.