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Car-free resorts, the one pass that covers everything, and why your EU plan won't
Switzerland runs on trains, boats and cable cars that connect so tightly you can plan a day around a single ticket. It also runs on a rule most visitors learn too late: the country sits outside the EU, so the roaming deal that works across France and Italy usually stops at the border. This guide walks through the pass that gets you onto the transport network, the toll you need even to drive through, the tax already in every price, and the resorts you reach on foot.
Zermatt, reached on foot from the train
Zermatt is car-free: private vehicles go no further than Täsch, where the Matterhorn Terminal holds about 2,100 covered parking spaces. From there the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn shuttle covers the last stretch to Zermatt in roughly 12 minutes, running about every 20 minutes through the day. You arrive in the village itself, not a car park on its edge.3
The scenic network is the attraction, not just transit
The same train, bus and boat network that gets you between towns includes the panorama routes people fly in for, and Switzerland Tourism's Swiss Travel Pass rides them (a seat reservation still applies on the panoramic trains). Treating the journey as the sightseeing is the local way to do it.2
Our take: Wengen, Mürren and Saas-Fee are car-free too, so build at least one night in a village you can only reach by rail or cable car. The evening after the day-trippers leave is the reason to stay over.
One pass covers trains, buses and boats
The Swiss Travel Pass sells in 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days and gives unlimited travel by train, bus and boat, plus public transport in more than 90 towns and cities. It also includes free admission to more than 500 museums.2
Mountains: some included, most discounted
The pass fully covers the Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos mountain railways and gives up to 50% off many other mountain excursions, so the big cable-car days (Jungfraujoch, the Matterhorn lifts) are cheaper but not free. Children aged 6 to 15 travel free when accompanied by a parent holding the pass.2
Our take: price a consecutive-day pass against your actual itinerary before buying. If you are basing yourself in one valley and taking day trips, individual tickets plus a Half Fare Card can beat it; if you are moving cities every day or two, the pass usually wins.
VAT is 8.1% and already in the price
Switzerland's standard VAT rate is 8.1%, with 2.6% on most food and 3.8% on accommodation, all in force since 1 January 2024. Displayed prices include it, so the figure on the shelf or menu is what you pay at the till.4
Driving needs a CHF 40 motorway vignette
Any car using Swiss motorways or expressways must carry the annual vignette, which costs CHF 40 and is valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year. It is required even for a short transit, and an e-vignette can be bought online instead of the sticker.1
Switzerland is in Schengen, and EES now applies
Switzerland is part of the Schengen area, so since 10 April 2026 non-EU arrivals are registered biometrically under the Entry/Exit System rather than getting a passport stamp, with short-stay limits tracked automatically.5
ETIAS is not yet running
The travel authorisation is not being collected yet; the EU will announce the start date in advance, so no application is required for a Swiss trip today.6
112 reaches emergency services
The pan-European emergency number 112 works from any phone in Switzerland and connects you to police, ambulance and fire. It is free and works even without credit on the line.7
The vignette is not optional for through-traffic
Because the CHF 40 charge covers the motorway network rather than a single toll road, drivers heading through Switzerland to Italy or Austria still need it, and checks near the borders are routine.1
Our take: save 1414 in your phone before you go into the mountains. It reaches Rega, the Swiss air-rescue service, which is the number locals use for a serious problem on the trail or the piste.
Switzerland's train coverage is excellent, and you will lean on data more than you expect. The SBB Mobile app is how most people buy and show tickets, and prices, platforms and connections all live in it. The catch is that Switzerland is not in the EU's Roam Like At Home zone. An EU SIM that roams free across the continent often reverts to per-megabyte charges the moment you cross in, which is the most common bill shock here. Coverage is strong in the cities and along the main valleys but drops in long rail tunnels, on high cable-car sections, and in the side valleys of the Valais and Graubünden. Download your tickets and an offline hiking map before you head up rather than counting on signal at the top station.
Not automatically. Switzerland is outside the EU's Roam Like At Home rules, so an EU plan that gives free roaming across the bloc will often charge extra, sometimes per megabyte, once you enter Switzerland. Check your provider's non-EU rates before relying on it, or use a local eSIM to keep data at a known price.
It depends on your itinerary. The pass covers unlimited train, bus and boat travel, transport in more than 90 towns, free entry to over 500 museums, and a few mountain railways outright, with up to 50% off most others. If you are moving between cities every day or two it usually pays off; if you are staying put and taking a couple of day trips, compare it against point-to-point tickets plus a Half Fare Card first.2
Yes. The CHF 40 vignette covers the whole Swiss motorway and expressway network, not one toll road, so even a short transit to Italy or Austria requires it. It is valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year, and you can buy an e-vignette online instead of the windscreen sticker.1
Drive or take the train to Täsch and switch to the shuttle. Cars can go as far as the Matterhorn Terminal in Täsch, which has around 2,100 covered spaces, and the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn shuttle then reaches Zermatt in about 12 minutes, running roughly every 20 minutes through the day.3
Every price, date and rule above is taken from the operator, museum, city or ministry that sets it, and was checked against that source on September 5, 2026. Lines marked "Our take" are our own recommendation, not a sourced fact. Fares, fees and opening hours change — confirm anything your trip depends on before you book.