Exploring Switzerland by Train or Car: Pros and Cons for First-Time Visitors

Thinking about your dream trip and not sure whether to travel by train or car in Switzerland? You’re definitely not alone! In this episode, I break down the ultimate travel dilemma for Switzerland: car vs train.

If you’ve been wondering if you should hire a car in Switzerland to explore those tiny villages and winding mountain roads, or if hopping on one of Switzerland’s trains is the way to go, this episode is for you. 

You’ll learn the pros and cons of both, what it’s really like driving in Switzerland, how easy it is to travel by train in Switzerland, and how things like the Swiss Travel Pass can make your trip a breeze.

I dive into the best scenic trains Switzerland has to offer (hello Glacier Express!), tips for tackling car-free villages, and what to consider if you’re after flexibility, value, or just an easy ride where you can sit back and soak up the views.

Whether you like the idea of total freedom behind the wheel or you’d rather leave the navigating to the Swiss and just watch those mountain peaks go by, there’s something in this episode for every kind of traveler.

Tune in to get all the info you need to decide the best way to get around Switzerland - train, car, or maybe a mix of both. 

Let’s figure it out together and make sure your trip to Switzerland is everything you’ve been dreaming of!

Happy travels,
Carolyn

👉 Show notes - Episode 177

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Transcript

Carolyn Schönafinger: Welcome to the Holidays to Switzerland podcast. If you’re planning a trip to Switzerland, this is the podcast for you. I’m your host, Carolyn Schönafinger, the founder of holidaystoswitzerland.com. In each episode, my expert guests and I share practical tips to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. You’ll get helpful advice about travelling around Switzerland and hear about the most popular destinations as well as some hidden gems, and we’ll introduce you to plenty of wonderful experiences that you can enjoy as part of your Swiss vacation. Each episode is packed with expert tips, itinerary ideas, and inspiration to help make your Swiss vacation planning easy. So let’s dive in. Grüezi, and welcome to this week’s episode. If you’re currently planning your first trip to Switzerland, there’s a very good chance that you’ve found yourself stuck on one big question, should I hire a car or should I travel by train? And you’re not alone. This is a common dilemma amongst first-time visitors to Switzerland. I get it. You’re worried about spending too much money. You’re worried about missing out on seeing all the incredible scenery. You’re worried that the Swiss rail system might be confusing, or perhaps you’re worried about driving on mountain roads.

Carolyn Schönafinger: In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through the pros and cons of travelling around Switzerland by car versus train. And by the end, you’ll know exactly which option is right for you. Because there isn’t just one single right answer. There’s only the right answer for your travel style. Before we compare the options, let me tell you a little bit about Switzerland’s rail and road network. Switzerland is not like many other countries. The public transport system really is exceptional. If you’re a regular listener to the podcast, you’ve probably heard plenty of episodes where we’ve discussed travelling around by train. The National Rail Operator, Swiss Federal Railways, which is known as SBB in the German German-speaking part of Switzerland, runs an incredibly punctual, integrated network. Trains connect seamlessly with buses, boats, trams, and even mountain transport. So if your train arrives at 10:02, and your connecting train is scheduled to depart at 10:05, it will depart at 10:05, and yes, you’ll make that connection time. The entire system is designed to work like clockwork. Switzerland is also home to some of the most scenic train journeys in the world. You may have heard of the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express, and even the Golden Pass Express.

Carolyn Schönafinger: What about driving? Well, roads in Switzerland are excellent. The signage is clear and distances are relatively short. But, and this is important, many well-known Swiss destinations are car-free. Places like Zermatt and Wengen don’t allow private vehicles. If you hire a car, you’ll be parking it outside the village and continuing to the village by train anyway. So already you can see that where you plan to visit may influence the mode of transport that you choose. So let’s start with travelling by train and go through some of the pros. Travelling by train in Switzerland is stress-free, even for folks who don’t regularly use public transport at home. When you travel by train, you don’t need to navigate, you don’t need to look for parking, You don’t need to worry about filling up with fuel, and you don’t need to drive over mountain passes. You simply get on the train, sit down, and watch Switzerland unfold outside the window. And the scenery? It’s not just beautiful, it’s breathtaking. Swiss trains have large windows, so you glide past lakes, vineyards, waterfalls, and snowcap peaks, and you can see and enjoy every second of it because you’re not having to keep your eyes on the road.

Carolyn Schönafinger: Train travel is perfect for people who are doing one of those classic first-time itineraries. Perhaps you’re visiting Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, and Zermatt. Well, train travel can get you to all of these places seamlessly. And in fact, for first-time visitors, especially if you’re travelling from the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, or a number of other countries, and you’re not used to driving in alpine conditions, the train often feels far easier. Train travel can be excellent value. Now, I’ve mentioned this before, but when you look at the initial cost of a rail pass or the train tickets, it can seem like a significant outlay, and it is, but it can offer great value, especially when you’re comparing it to the additional expenses that come with renting a car, like insurance, fuel, parking, the need to rent child seats if you’re travelling with children, and even one-way drop-off fees. When you add all those on top of the car rental fees, train travel can be excellent value. If you are considering one of those rail passes, like a Swiss Travel Pass, for instance, you’re also getting travel on boats included, local transport in the cities, museum admissions, and discounts on lots of mountain railways as well.

Carolyn Schönafinger: What are the downsides of travelling by train? Well, there are a few. If you’re heading into the rural areas that are not well connected by rail or have limited bus services, a car can offer more flexibility. Connecting from one train to another within just a few minutes can feel a bit daunting at first, although rest assured, the timetables are designed to allow sufficient time to transfer. Second-class carriages can be very full if you travel at peak commuting times, and also in the most popular tourist destinations. So here’s where buying first-class tickets or a first-class rail pass can help alleviate this concern. And yes, if you’re not used to travelling by public transport, the rail system can feel a little overwhelming at first. But once you understand how it works, it’s actually one of the simplest in Europe, and you’ll be travelling like a pro in no time. Now, let’s talk about renting a car and the pros of doing so. Well, there’s no denying that renting a car gives you added flexibility. If you love spontaneity, like stopping at random lakes, pulling over for photos, exploring tiny villages that are not on the main rail lines, well, a car gives you that freedom.

Carolyn Schönafinger: If you’re planning to visit some of the more rural villages where public transport services aren’t very frequent, renting a car can be a really good option. A couple of examples here are if you really want to explore in-depth in the cantons of Graubünden or Ticino, so a car can be really, really handy. If you’re travelling as a group, perhaps you’re four adults sharing the costs, a car can sometimes be more cost-effective. But there are a few cons as well, and here are some things that many people underestimate. Parking in cities can be difficult and expensive. Mountain roads are narrow and very, very winding. If you’re spending the majority of your time in Zermatt or in Wengen or Mürren in the Jungfrau region, they’re car-free villages, so your car is going to be parked in a parking garage and unused for days on end. Do you really want to be paying for a car that you’re not even using. When you’re driving, you’re also not fully enjoying the scenery. You’re concentrating, you’re looking out for that next road sign, and you’re watching out for cyclists and hair pin bends. And if you’re from the UK, Australia, and quite a number of other countries, you’ll also be driving on the opposite side of the road that you’re used to.

Carolyn Schönafinger: For some travellers, that’s fine. But for others, especially after a long haul flight, it’s not how they want to spend their vacation. So should you choose to rent a car or travel by train? Here are some things to consider that will help you decide. In my opinion, train is usually best if you’re a first-time visitor. You’re moving between multiple cities or destinations, you’re visiting car-free villages, you want It’s a relaxed scenic experience, and you don’t want to worry about driving on the right-hand side of the road. A car, on the other hand, may suit you better if you want to explore very rural areas. You’re comfortable driving in the mountains and on the right-hand side of the road, and you want total flexibility. Don’t forget, of course, you can combine both. It may make sense to travel for part of your trip and then rent a car for a few days to visit some of the more rural villages. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. It can be both. And on many of my trips to Switzerland, that’s exactly what I’ve done. There are regions where I’ve absolutely loved having a car.

Carolyn Schönafinger: One example was last year. My husband and I rented a car for the first week of our trip when we based ourselves in the small town of Savognin in Graubünden. There’s a limited bus service from Savognin to the nearest train station, so having a car in this region meant that we could visit all the places that we wanted to on our own timetable. And after our stay in Savignon, we then returned the car to Churl train station and travelled by train for the remaining three weeks that we were in Switzerland. So it was the perfect combination. For most first-time visitors, following a typical Swiss itinerary, I tend to recommend trains. Not because there’s anything wrong with driving, but because trains remove stress. And when you’re visiting a foreign country for the first time, removing stress is really important. If you’re still unsure which option is right for your trip, this is exactly the thing that we can work through together inside a 30-minute Ask Carolyn call. I also have detailed blog articles and podcast episodes about the Swiss Travel Pass, point-to-point tickets and scenic train routes, and an in-depth guide and podcast episode about driving in Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger: The links for all those resources and my free Switzerland Travel Planning Starter Kit and Guide are in the show notes. Now, to finish up, I just want to say that there is no best way to travel around Switzerland. Switzerland. There’s simply the option that suits your itinerary, your comfort level, and your travel style. And once you’ve chosen the right one for you, you’ll arrive in Switzerland feeling confident, not overwhelmed. I’d love to hear which mode of transport you’ve chosen for your Swiss vacation. So send me an email to podcast@holidaystoswitzerland.com and let me know. I’ll be back again next week with more Swiss travel tips and inspiration. So until then, tchüss.