Travel planning tips

How to use these tips

If you visit Switzerland while corona restrictions apply, please follow the rules provided by the authorities and by transportation, catering and accommodation companies.

We’re not doctors: check official medical organizations for reliable health information.

Check your cancellation options


It’s good to know what happens in case you have to cancel your bookings.

  • Check hotel booking policies: many hotels can be cancelled free of charge on short notice. Please find suggested hotels here.
  • Check train and plane ticket cancellation options. Swiss Travel Passes are normally 85% refundable if canceled before the start date. The rest might be covered by your travel insurance. Some vendors even offer a 100% refund. If you’re not sure you will travel, do not buy your Swiss Travel Pass until 3 business days before your trip. Most retailers deliver the pass via e-mail within 30 minutes, or 2 working days in some cases. Please find other train ticket and pass details here.
  • If you have to cancel: don’t do so too early. If you cancel closer to your trip, you’ll have a better chance of special pandemic cancellation policies being in place. To cancel, please contact the company you purchased from.

Check your health and travel insurances

  • Make sure you’re covered for unexpected medical expenses, and check if your coverage is sufficient for Switzerland.
  • Consider a cancellation insurance, which can help if refunds are not possible through the companies you booked with. Read the fine print. Cancellation can be done for many reasons, and not all reasons are necessarily covered. Epidemic outbreaks often are not.
  • Some companies offer ‘cancel for any reason’ or CFAR insurances. These insurances allow you to cancel no matter what reason you have, and your reason doesn’t have to be explicitly mentioned in the conditions. CFAR options are usually more expensive, and not all travelers qualify. For example: you mostly have to request for a CFAR insurance within a limited amount of days (typically ranging from 10 to 21) after your booking.

Plan your journey to Switzerland

  • Plan how to reach your destination after your flight to Switzerland. You can consult timetables and airport maps before leaving.
  • When making train trips into Switzerland, arrange for tickets and passes before you leave.
  • If you travel to Switzerland by car, arrange for your motorway vignette before leaving, preventing unnecessary purchases and waiting times at the border. You can rent cars in bordering countries or in Switzerland.


Check retailers and tour operator policies

Check the recommendations provided by tour operators and retailers of travel products. They’ll also explain their cancellation policies. Our main partners are listed here.

Watch for the ‘Clean & Safe’ label for Swiss tourism companies

Tourism-related companies with the ‘Clean & Safe’ commit to stick to all Swiss safety measures that apply in their industry. The label can help you choose hotels, restaurants and day trips you feel comfortable with. Find out more at www.myswitzerland.com.

Choose accommodation

  • Hotels may ask for a mask or for other hygiene procedures. Please follow those guidelines. Hotel tips can be found here.
  • Holiday homes on quieter spots and with a private entrance can be rented, often for longer stays of at least one week. Find options here.
  • Camping tips are available here.
  • B&b’s and Airbnb’s can be considered too. Please read our Airbnb tips here.


Choose quiet activities

  • Do you want to avoid potentially crowded places? Choose quiet times (early morning or late afternoon) for popular places like mountain tops.
  • Consider enjoying the scenery while hiking.
  • If you want to book tours, it’s good to know that tour operators offer may offer favorable cancellation conditions. For example, they allow you to pay later or cancel on short notice.

How to travel by Swiss public transport in corona times

  • If you like to wear face masks, you can easily buy them in Switzerland. They’re mostly available online or in Swiss pharmacies. You may find them in supermarkets, kiosks, and many other shops too.
  • If you want to avoid crowds while traveling, avoid rush hours in trains and cable cars. Quieter times of the day are the early morning, the late morning to early afternoon, and the late evening.

Where to get a Covid-19 test in Switzerland

You may need a negative Covid-19 test result in Switzerland, for example for your return journey. There are several testing locations available for tourists: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-id/planning/about-switzerland/covid-pcr-test/.

Please check with your travel and medical insurance if the costs are covered.

Rapid antigen detection tests, to be used as self-tests, are usually available in Swiss pharmacies and drugstores.

Dine and shop in quiet locations

If you want to avoid crowds, choose quieter times of the day. Have a late breakfast for example. Or pick a late warm lunch instead of dinner. Many Swiss restaurants serve excellent, extensive warm lunches.

You may also shop for your own food. Swiss supermarkets have a wide selection of products, suitable for nearly any taste or diet.

Stay informed while traveling

  • Consult local/national news while there, for example through the SwissInfo website or app.
  • You can install the Alertswiss app to get notified in case of emergencies.
  • Consult the official sources below.

Official COVID information sources

Please find the latest information on the coronavirus (2019-nCoV/COVID-19) through the below links:

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Annika
Page author: AnnikaSince early childhood I've been visiting Switzerland during my holidays and I just fell in love with the country. I spent many summers in the Bernese Oberland, which still feels like my second home, and then started to explore other areas. Traveling, hiking and photographing in the Swiss Alps are my absolute favorite activities.