Idyllic pastures, iconic mountain peaks, scenic chalets, quaint villages blanketed with snow, hand-crafted cheeses, bespoke chocolates, and some of the prettiest drives in the world – a road trip in Switzerland is one of those things you must experience once in a lifetime.
When to go on a road trip in Switzerland
Skiers hit Switzerland during winter months but summer (June-September) is the most popular time to go on a road trip in Switzerland. And it is truly stunning during summer. However it can also get crowded and expensive during summer months, so that is something to keep in mind. If you would like to avoid this, you could also visit during the shoulder season of November-December. The summer hordes have left the country and the skiers are yet to come. Snow-laden panoramas are everywhere to be found and you will feel like you’ve walked into a picture postcard every step of the day.
Renting a car for your road trip in Switzerland
We suggest flying into Geneva and renting a car there for your road trip in Switzerland.Quite expectedly, roads are in great shape in Switzerland, so you needn’t opt for a 4X4 in summer. But if you are planning your road trip during winter months, try to choose a 4X4, equipped with snow tyres and heated seats. As always we suggest comparing prices of car rentals on Economy Bookings and opting for the most cost-effective provider through them.
Budgeting for your road trip in Switzerland
Let’s face it – Switzerland is an expensive country! In fact I’ve even ranted about just how expensive it is in our article on 5 Travel Annoyances. So it is almost impossible to plan a road trip in Switzerland on a budget. If you’re on a budget, we suggest opting for a Road Trip in Bavaria or a Road Trip in Slovenia (stunning routes both!). If not, then start charting out your itinerary for a Swiss road trip. Expect to spend at least €250 per day per couple – this cost includes car rental, mid-range accommodation, grocery shopping, occasional meals at restaurants, and entry fees to some sites.
Itinerary for your road trip in Switzerland
We suggest setting aside at least 10 days for the road trip. The itinerary you will roughly follow for this road trip is as follows: Geneva -Montreux – Vevey – Bern – Adelboden – Zermatt – Gruyeres – Lausanne – Geneva – Zurich and Mt. Titlis (optional)
Day-by-day breakdown and tips for your road trip in Switzerland
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Days 1 & 2 – Land in Geneva and explore Geneva
Geneva is a convenient starting point for your road trip but other than that, it doesn’t have too much to offer. It’s both tough and expensive to find parking in the middle of the bustling city, so we suggest renting an apartment or chalet on Air B&B at the outskirts of Geneva. This is better than booking a hotel in the centre of Geneva if you have a car on you.
Spend Day #2 exploring Geneva but don’t take your car to the centre. Just park it at a convenient parking lot and take the tram into the city. The tram is convenient and stops at most prominent sites in Geneva. Take your time in Geneva to explore the UN Building, walk along the lake, or shop at the dozens of shops lining the centre. If you enjoy speciality coffee, then definitely try out one (or all) of these coffee shops for a perfectly brewed cup of coffee – Coutume, Birdie, and Boréal.
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Day 3 – Drive to Montreaux and Yvoire
While Lake Geneva seems distinctly underwhelming from Geneva’s centre, it acquires a personality of its own when viewed from Montreaux. The town of Montreaux offers a stunning view of the lake against the famed Chillon Castle. This spot is ideal for some photographs.
While a number of tourists drive to Montreaux for a view of Lake Geneva, literally nobody knows about a romantic French village not far from Geneva or Montreaux. Yvoire is a locals’ secret and we got to it after a chance conversation with a friend who lives in Geneva but we just HAD to share it with you. The car-free village will take you back in time. It offers gorgeous views of Lake Geneva. But that’s not all. The fishing village has so much character, all its own. We’d recommend lingering in Yvoire over a meal.
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Day 4 – Drive to Adelboden via Bern
The drive from Geneva to the little village of Adelboden takes approximately 3 hours. But we would suggest leaving Geneva early and spending a chunk of Day 4 in the capital city of Bern. Take a walking tour and explore the historical Old Town. It will leave you mesmerised. Make sure you visit The Gurten, which offers an incredible view over the city of Bern or Rosengarten for a panorama of the Old City of Bern.
Drive onto Adelboden and check into your hotel. Adelboden is a little skiing village that wasn’t particularly on the tourist radar till quite recently. The quaint village can get quite busy during ski season but other than that, it’s usually quiet. We would recommend staying here instead of touristy places like Interlaken in the vicinity. Adelboden makes for the perfect romantic getaway during the last weeks of November when it’s covered with a blanket of snow but the skiing crowd hasn’t yet descended on the village.
There is truly no better place to stay here than The Cambrian Adelboden. The sumptuous boutique hotel is easily one of the most scenic properties we’ve ever stayed at! Scenic and spacious suites offer 180 degree views of the surrounding valleys and villages and an unobstructed view of snow-laden mountains. The lounge overlooks the village nestled amidst Swiss peaks. Breakfast is tasty and plentiful – expect an expansive variety of cheese. The wellness area of the hotel truly stand out – expect amenities such as a heated outdoor pool surrounded by mountains on all sides and a thoroughly relaxing sauna area.
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Days 5 and 6 – Enjoy Adelboden and Interlaken
It is easy to spend days walking around the village of Adelboden doing nothing but relishing the sights and sounds of Swiss village life. But you MUST take your car out for a drive of two. There is no shortage of things to do in the Adelboden area. Here are some that we would recommend – pick and choose ones that suit your preferences best
- Blausee is a little lake ringed by trees and mountains. Not many tourists make it here but it’s definitely worth the visit. The lake’s stark blue water, combined with snow-laden trees during winter months, makes for a panorama like no other.
- Engstlige Falls make for a scenic outing. It isn’t the most spectacular waterall you would’ve seen but it offers some great hiking and picnicking oppportunities
- Interlaken and Lake Thun are ideal if you want to witness green Swiss pastures . They remain green till December even when the skiing villages are snowed under. Drive to this area for a change in scenery. Combine the visit to Interlaken with a day trip to Grindelwald. It’s stunning!!
- Take the train to Jungfaujoch also known as the Top of Europe. There is no denying that the view from here is spectacular. However we are not big fans of the experience as it can get really crowded with tour groups at the top.
- In fact if you have an extra day and are keen to see a new country, you could even drive down to the tiny country of Liechtenstein and make a day trip out of it
- Go for an Alpine hike – there are so many gorgeous hikes for both amateur and experienced hikers. Choose a trail that suits you and work that fondue off!
- If hiking doesn’t interest you, go for an aimless drive instead. This area will leave you hypnotised, irrespective of the direction you choose.
Days 7 & 8 Drive to Zermatt and explore surrounding villages
This drive from Adelboden to Zermatt takes just 2.5 hours. Make sure you pack a picnic because there are dozens of picnic spots along the way. The actual village of Zermatt is both expensive and car-free. That’s why we suggest booking a traditional Swiss chalet, that offers free parking, in a scenic spot outside of Zermatt. You can find plenty of options on Air BnB.
Once you’re all settled in your chalet, take the next 2 days to explore the villages dotting the area. Zermatt should definitely be the first village you explore. It is home to the iconic Matterhorn and some of the prettiest skiing slopes in the world. Its sylvan surroundings are bound to cast a bit of a spell on you. Check out these photos to see what we were greeted with upon reaching Zermatt.
Once you have had your fill of Zermatt, we’d recommend driving further afield to villages such as Grachen, which is home to a stunning alpine lake and the supremely scenic Simplon Dorf, home to the Simplon Pass that connects Italy and Switzerland. When it’s time to eat, head to the busier town of Brig. The Old Town of Brig is ideal for a post lunch gander. If you want to do something truly unique, you could also stick around in the area for an additional night and sleep on a bed on ice in a rare igloo hotel near Zermatt.
Further reading:
6 Must See Villages on your winter road trip in Zermatt
Staying in an igloo and sleeping on beds of ice in Switzerland
Day 9 – Explore Gruyeres and surrounding villages
We highly recommend spending an entire day exploring the utterly charming village of Gruyeres and the surrounding countryside. Where else in the world would ALL conversations revolve around cheese and chocolate. Take a stroll in the village of Gruyeres, sample traditional Swiss fondue for lunch, and visit a chocolate factory in the area. Visitors have access to unlimited samples of chocolates in most factories in the area – free chocolate is always a good thing right?! ?
Read everything you need to know about visiting Gruyeres on a day trip here (opens in new tab)
Day 10: Drive to Geneva via Lausanne
At this stage, you could go directly to Geneva and catch your flight from there. But if you have an extra day at hand, we’d recommend spending it in Lausanne. The bustling city offers a unique mix of history, culture, marketplaces, and restaurants. Spend some time exploring the Old City and the lakefront district Ouchy. If you like your wine, then don’t leave without stopping at the supremely scenic Lavaux vineyards, overlooking Lake Geneva.
Day 11 – Fly out/Drive to Zurich
It’s time wrap up your roadtrip and catch the flight back home. If you 2-3 extra days, you could combine this itinerary with a drive to Zurich and Mt. Titlis. Watch this video for some ideas about things to do when you are in Zurich
That’s it – everything you need to plan an epic road trip in Switzerland. Hope you have an incredible time driving in the country and don’t forget to read all our articles about Switzerland 🙂
What was the final cost of renting the car for the whole trip? Including gas and parking.
Around 50 EUR per day but that can vary depending on the car you choose, how much you drive etc. etc.
Hi savi and Vid
I loved this trip. I want to visit Zermatt in may. Will it b ideal. Can i still visit d alps?
Please advice
Yes you can visit the alps for sure in May. It will not be as cold as in Oct-Mar but will still be gorgeous 🙂
Did you guys rent an automatic or manual? Since it was snowy in regions.
Hey Vignesh – we rented a manual – would suggest doing the same if you are comfortable with it 🙂
Hey Savi and Vid,
This article is very helpful to plan a road trip in Switzerland. My husband and I are planning a road trip in the next few months and we loved your itinerary. I have a question and it would be great if you can help me out! We’ve been reading up a lot about driving in Switzerland and a lot of forums have suggested downloading English maps before hand and loading them into the GPS since the GPS from the car rental company did not have English maps. Is this the case? And if this is indeed the case, then can you please let me know how you went about it?
Thanks,
Ramani
Hi Ramani,
the GPS device in our car had English maps so we didn’t face this problem. Perhaps confirm with the car rental agency?
Also, you could just get a local sim and use Google Maps?
Hi Savi! Wow loved your itinerary…I got to know many lesser known, small villages in Switzerland which cannot be missed. I have been to Switzerland before but this time I am planning a road trip and your article turned out to be a great guide. How are the restroom / toilet facilities in Switzerland in case of road trips?
Hi Pooja,
Thanks – happy to hear that 🙂 Yes Switzerland has such amazing villages and pretty little towns – ideal for a road trip 🙂
There are plenty of service stations with proper toilet facilities so nothing to worry about
Hey savi & vid , Tjsnk you for the Switzerland itenary , few places are unknown to us , will be of grt help as we r going to Switzerland
Happy to hear that Bindu – hope you have an amazing time driving in Switzerland 🙂
Hi want to ask what would u suggest as a base cities for overnights for pregnant women in Swiss considering there are medical facilities vastly available !! M planning to take a trip in may with my husband n parents
Hey
Swiss healthcare is amazing, even in smaller towns so you need not worry. However, just for peace of mind, it might be betetr to stay in a bigger city like Zurich or even Bern
Hi there, This article is just what I was looking for.
Quick question: will this itinerary work for our travel to Switzerland in June ?
Yes of course it will 🙂 Switzerland road trip is amazing in any month 😉
Hey Savi, will Adelboden be something you recommend doing in June, since there’ll be no skiing? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hey Nupur – no! Would recommend Interlaken and surroundings during June 🙂
Hey.. I have read so many itineraries to Switzerland but take my word, yours is the best!! Me and my husband are going on a road trip in Switzerland with a few friends and I am making sure we follow your footsteps:)
I just have a few questions to ask.. We are unable to find Yvoire on maps..maybe because its unexplored like you said. Wanted to know where did you guys stay when you went to Montreaux and Yvoire. In Geneva outskirts itself or some other place?
Also, did you guys stay in Adelboden only when you went to Interlaken, because I believe the places are quite close.
Thank you:)
Hey,
Thank you so much 🙂
Yvoire is on the French side (in fact we have linked the official website as well if you notice carefully :)). WE stayed in Geneva and did Montreaux and Yvoire as a day trip/drive.
As for Adelboden, yes on our way from Geneva to Interlaken we spent a few days in Adelboden 🙂
Is this trip possible using the public transport and not a car ?
Yes you can do that using trains and buses in Switzerland but a car will give you much more flexibility 🙂
Hi i am planning a trip to switzerland in september 2018. Looking forward to do really fun stuffs but what tops my list is a really really good thermal spa with snow around. Do u think september would be a good time to that? Saw your post of Cambrian, ADELBODEN but wonder will it be snowy as in the pictures during september month.. Please suggest
Hey unfortunately chances of getting that much snow in September are very low 🙁
Hi Guys, I am long time follower and big fan.. do you reckon this would be good itinerary if visiting in summer? Thanks so much guys.
Yes, we don’t see why not 🙂 a road trip in Switzerland is always a good idea 🙂
Hey Guys! Planning a road trip this winter for December month..just one concern will the roads be covered in so much snow that driving will be hard and what abt getting around to the hotel/ Air B&B if it’s fully snow clad?Thank you so much.
Hi Lekha,
All roads are well taken care of even in heavy snow – if there are any remote roads that are cut-off, you’ll know about that. Daily life goes on as usual in Switzerland and roads are cleared for driving!
Yay.. thanks so much guys.. love u loads..
Hey,
Thanks so much for great itinerary sharing;
we’ll drive a car with 9seats for 6persons, may I know at below:
1. Parking ? easy to reach … such as sight seeing ponit
2. High way fee & gas fee
3. GPS, and App or web to recomment
Hi – Parking is easy but expensive, tolls and gas fee depends on where you are and how much you drive. We used a GPS but you can also use google maps or any offline application for maps
Hi we are going swiss in may. Not doing a road trip though. Which places would u recommend for a must stay and visit? We going to be there for 8 days
There’s a lot of places to choose from but our top suggestions would be Adelboden, Zurich, Interlaken and you can do beautiful day trips. Have a look at https://www.bruisedpassports.com/category/switzerland
Thanks for this awesome post! I’m thinking of renting a car to drive from Leysin (close to Montreux) to Bern, possibly stopping in Gruyere along the way. I wondered if the drive is easy? Any steep roads, blind curves, huge bridges? (Obviously a little nervous about the drive so wanted to see if you had any insight!) Thanks! 🙂
Hey Rebecca,
Our experience driving in Switzerland has been very pleasant. Don’t remember any steep roads / blind curves but always a good idea to stay prepared for those 🙂
Have a great trip
Hi Guys,
We are planning to go to switzerland in October with a kid, do you still suggest to do a road trip or Rail pass is better and cheaper as most of the towns in Switzerland are car free zones?
Hey either will be amazing. Cars will give you more flexibility especially when travelling with kids ☺️
Hello guys,
This block is amazing. Thank you for inspiring us with your travel stories . We are planning to do road trip by this month end one question how about parking in the public area when we will go for sightseeing . Any app you can suggest? Is that expensive ?
Hey Sanjyoti – a lot of places have free parking but it is a bit more expensive in more popular areas. We usually run a search on google for exact prices when we are planning our day 🙂
Hi,
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful itinerary, before taking the decision of doing a road trip in December, I would like to ask you about the challenges of taking a car during winters. Please share if you had faced any. I am worried about roadblocks due to snow. Please help!
Hey – just make sure the car you rent comes with snow tyres. Other than that, it isn’t hard to drive in winter if you’re an experienced driver 🙂
Killer blog guys. Planning to do exact trip as yours by end of November. You guys did in which month ?
Do you guys see any challenge with the road trip in end of November ?
Hey Bharat,
We actually did this in end November too 🙂 The only challenge was that we rented the car in Paris and there were no snow tyres but when we reached Switzerland it was snowing so we had to get chains. Just be careful with that other than that all good 🙂
I have only one thing to say:I love u guys sooo much….ur the best.
Thank you ever so much 🙂
Hey,
Loved your posts, you guys make such a cute couple !
We as a couple will be leaving for Switzerland for three days in two weeks,
Problem is we only have three days, the itinerary we planned is:
Day 1: Geneva – montreux stop over (for Geneva lake view that you mentioned) – Interlaken overnight
Day 2: harderkulm In the morning – Mount titlis cable car – drive to hotel perhaps on the outskirts of Zermet
Day 3: spend the day in zermett and drive back to Geneva
Would you make any tweaks ? Is this all feasible ?, also a lot of the forums online mention parking problems if busy areas like montreux, I planned on not hanging around in Geneva too long and going to montreux for a nice view, where would we park ?
Really looking forward to your reply, so confused with mixed options and opinions online !
Regards,
Sana
Hey Sana,
Hope you had a great trip – sorry we couldn’t reply sooner. I believe this would have been feasible, correct. Hope you had an amazing time and didn’t face any issues. Do update us here as your experience would help others planning a road trip in Switzerland 🙂
Hey Savi!
Your road trip looked awesome! Im mapping out my trip as we speak. Im starting off at Geneva as well so this is great! Just a few questions, is the weather end of October – Mid Nov. snow season? (Just thinking of what to wear)
Planning to drive down to Milan after your itinerary. Where do you suggest I drive from? Thank you!
Enjoy your next adventure!
Hi Jose,
Well, can’t really predict the weather. We went in November end to Geneva and there was no snow. As for driving to Milan – that sounds amazing but not sure what you mean by “where do I drive from”? 🙂
In any case, have a great trip
Wow! We’re super excited for our short Switzerland trip. Husband and son are hoping to catch the airshow up in mountains on October 8th or 9th weather dependant (son is aviation photographer enthusiast). Myself and daugher in law and toddler grandson will be chilling that day they are out watching airshow in our apartment in Beatenberg, as husband and son will have to climb some way up to get good shots of aircraft flying through mountains. We arrive Monday 7th October via Geneva airport lunch time. We are due to fly back on Saturday 12th October at 4pm. I have made a note of the places you have suggested. Do you have any suggestions as to what is most picturesque route to take to and from airport?
hey Karen,
We usually avoid taking detours when driving to the airport, however in Switzerland you’ll have the most picturesque views even on/from the main highway. If you do start early, you could take a small detour to Vevey / Montreaux by Lake Geneva 🙂
Have an amazing trip and please don’t miss your flight (yes, Switzerland is that pretty and distracting ;-))
Hi Savi and Vid,
This is so helpful. I was planning a trip with my family. Could you please recommend if its better to stay in a hotel or a BnB. Or how to find good deals on BnBs?
Thank you. Love reading your blogs as always 🙂
Hi Shivika,
If you’re travelling with kids or a big group, then AirBnB or other apartments make more sense 🙂
As for good deals, you can use this link to sign-up and book on AirBnB (first time user) for a good discount.
Hi Savi & Vid
I have read your write up on Switzerland self drive trip. Is it easy to drive on your own? Did you guys go mountain pass to reach your next place?
Hi Susan,
Yes, it’s relatively easy to drive however if you’re not used to driving on the right then it can take a couple of days to adjust. Yes, we did cross a few passes 🙂
Hi Savi & Vid… I love reading your travelogues. We are planning Switzerland Nov 2020.This itinerary is really amazing. I have a 5 yr old and would request you to share Air B&B details if possible 🙂 which ones to book..
Happy to know you found it useful 🙂 Since availability and preferences vary, it’s best if you search on AirBnB and pick the ones that suit your budget and choices best 🙂
Hey Savi and Vid
Though this itinerary is a few years old, it’s still the best one i’ve come across.
Can this roadtrip be done in March? Which places(if any) should we avoid in March ?
Thanks
Praveen
Thank you Praveen 🙂
Yes you can definitely do this in March but do keep in mind that there’ll be snow on the roads (Which is cleared regularly) but you still need to be comfortable driving on those roads.
Hi Vid, Savi
Can we drive in switzerland on an Indian driving license or is an IDP mandatory?
Best,
Praveen
It’s always better to have IDP but we drove with just an Indian license and did not have any issues in Switzerland
Great itinerary to refer , we are planing to have same route in may first week , i hope snow will cleared ?
Also what about food. Did you guys cook food frequently , or all were from random restaurant ?
Is eating in restaurants costs more or 250€ /day covered all this expense.
Again thanks for your detail post.
Hi Nilesh,
The snow should be clear by May but even if it isn’t, roads are cleared of snow very frequently so it should not be a problem. We usually do a mix of eating in restaurants and buying stuff from supermarkets. 250 EUR a day might be sufficient but it all depends on the type of accommodation you choose.
Hi Guys, We are planning 5 nights driving in Switzerland in September starting in Geneva and then flying ( or driving) out of Zurich to the French Riviera. Coming from our sunny paradise in Jamaica we hope to absorb nature at this very different level ….stopping and viewing ….but not too much distant walking. Your articles are the best …and we thank you . “Cheers mon”
Ivor & Claudja
Hey Ivor,
What a beautiful part of the world you live in. We loved Jamaica 🙂 Happy to hear the article was helpful – have a great time driving in Switzerland 🙂
Hi Vid and Savi,
Thanks for putting this together. Very helpful! I will be in Munich with my family from 14th through 23rd Mar this year, and was wondering if we can visit Lucerne-Interlaken-Bern-Zurich for 3-4d around that time. We are from a cold part in the US, are accustomed to snow and we have 2 kids (8y and 3y old). Would any of the unique experiences be closed in Mar? Also, would it be better to take public transport or rent a car? Thanks in advance for your help.
Hey Namrata,
Yes that will be a great idea – 4 days in Switzerland. Would highly recommend driving from Munich to Switzerland. Pretty much everything is open in March 🙂
I’m sorta jealous of how well you planned also lovely pictures!
hi
i was jus scrolling through road trips across swiss on google and came across your blog post.
it is very comprehensive and stunning. Well planned and beautiful pictures.
would like to ask you few questions,
howit will be like a road trip in 2021, corona days?
which camera you used /using for your trips ( Bit passionate,ttsy)
Hi we use a Samsung Note 20 phone and Nikon D610 mostly 🙂
These pictures are so awesome. I love Switzerland and the mountains, the winter sport and, I admit, nice hotels. There are a lot of them in the Swiss alps for example. There is nothing better to relax in a Wellness Spa Hotel, which offers outdoor pools with Mountain View after a long day of being active in the mountains. Time to return to Switzerland!
These pictures are so awesome. I love Switzerland and the mountains, the winter sport and, I admit, nice hotels. There are a lot of them in the Swiss alps for example. There is nothing better to relax in a Wellness Spa Hotel, which offers outdoor pools with Mountain View after a long day of being active in the mountains. Time to return to Switzerland!
Hi. Your blog is great help for us to plan road trip to Switzerland this October. Have you been to Lugano? We plan to start from Lyon and back to Lyon for 7 day trip, is that too much? Thanks.
This road trip itinerary is indeed epic. The images are always motivational and I like all of the images.
Hello to both. very helpful information. Thanks for the same. I have just 1 question – is there right hand drive cars in switzerland ?
Yes, right hand drive (opposite of India)
Hey Savy and Vid,
Completely loved this guide to Switzerland. I was planning my honeymoon to Europe and came across this. This is very helpful and driving is a good alternate to road transport. The balcony view photo is mesmerizing.
I have these questions.
1. What is the cost of the car per day?
2. How to get hotels on a budget in Europe and UK?
Hi Shubham,
Car cost can vary depending on the car you choose, but expect to pay between EUR 30 and 50 per day (exclusing fuel). For hotel deals, perhaps have a look at aggregator sites like hotelscombined dot com or makemytrip dot com (they usually have good deals)
Hi Guys is it ok to stop the vehicle on the side of the road to take photos? I mean anywhere
Not everywhere – parking spots are clearly demarcated!
It was interesting reading about these small villages. Had never heard of them before. Will definitely visit them on my next visit
Hi Savi and Vid,
I’ve lately started following you and really impressed.
I’m travelling to Switzerland with my husband and 21 year old son in july 23 for 5 days.
We love driving but after reading your blog on swiss rails I’m not sure which is better ?
Any pro/cons for both? Needless to say would love to consider the costs too along with experience.
thanks
Mona
Hey Swissrail is amazing – if you don’t have too many bags, then go for that. If you enjoy exploring on your own, then car
Renting a car and driving yourself is also the cheaper option of the two in Switzerland often 🙂