How many hours to allow before flight from Zurich
A traveler plans to fly from Zurich to Lisbon on October 18 at 13:15 and is unsure what time to arrive at the airport. They are getting mixed advice about whether to arrive 2, 3, or 4 hours early and are looking for clear guidance on the best timing.
- Arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight for international departures.
- Check your airline for any potential entry requirements from your home country before your trip.
- October might have a higher number of travelers due to local school breaks, so plan accordingly.
AI-generated summary-
Hello again,
Our flight from Zurich airport to Lisbon on October 18 is at 13:15. What time should we target to be at the airport please? I am getting different feedback – 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours.
There are direct trains from Lucerne arriving at the airport at 08:44, 09:21, 09:44 and 10:21.
Thank you in advance for your help. Truly appreciate all that you do at this forum to help travelers.
Kind regards
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HI BibiL,
For international or regional flights, the rule of thumb is to check-in at least 2 hours before departure. Plan to arrive at the airport early if you have several baggage to check-in.
You can find information about Zurich airport here: http://www.myswissalps.com/airports/zurich
regards,
Anna
Hello Anna,
2 hours is standard, but was wondering if the Covid formalities would warrant more time. Is October 18 still within peak traveling period from out of Zurich?
I will definitely check in online for our flight.
Thank you for your reply.
Kind regards
Hi BibiL!
There are no COVID-related restrictions for travelers arriving in Switzerland at the moment: https://www.myswissalps.com/forum/topic/does-the-corona-virus-affect-trips-to-switzerland. There are no indications that the situation will be very different in October, but of course that can’t be predicted yet. And regardless of Swiss entry rules, your home country and/or the airline of your return flight may impose its own rules for returning travelers. So I think it’s best to check that shortly before you depart.
Several Swiss cantons have autumn school breaks around your date of departure. So yes, it might be busier than in normal weeks, but nothing similar to the summer peak I think.
We just flew out of Zurich 3 days ago. Our flight left at 11.45 AM and we breezed thru quite fast. We were there 2 hours before and had plenty of time! They did a great jobs of getting people thru and we didn’t have to wait in any lines more than 5 minutes! Missing Switzerland!
Thanks for your valuable input MbSchneids. Sorry to hear your holidays in Switzerland are already over. We’d love to hear about your experiences. So if you have time for a trip report, we’d very much welcome this here: https://www.myswissalps.com/forum/tripreports. No obligations of course!
Dear MbSchneids,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience at Zurich airport. Much appreciated.
Dear Arno,
Thank you, will definitely be monitoring the airline’s policies. I’m taking note of the autumn school breaks that you mentioned.
Kind regards
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