Before we went to Switzerland for the first time, every Indian friend who’d been there warned us: “It’s beautiful but insanely expensive. Be ready to spend.”
They weren’t wrong. Switzerland is expensive. But after 10 days there — split between Zurich, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Zermatt, and Lucerne — we’ve figured out that the cost is largely manageable if you approach it with the right strategy.
Here’s the honest version, with real numbers.
The Swiss Travel Pass: Worth It or Not?
The biggest question everyone has. The Swiss Travel Pass gives you unlimited travel on trains, buses, and boats across Switzerland, plus free entry to 500+ museums.
Our verdict: Buy it if you’re moving around.
We bought a 10-day consecutive pass (CHF 744 / ~₹72,000 per person at time of writing). Sounds alarming. But consider: a single train journey from Zurich to Zermatt costs CHF 100+. We took that journey plus Interlaken → Grindelwald, Grindelwald → Zermatt, Zermatt → Lucerne, and multiple buses. The pass paid for itself by day 4.
If you’re only going to one or two places, skip the pass and buy point-to-point tickets.
Accommodation: Sleep Just Outside Town
In Zermatt, a budget hotel room in town costs CHF 180+/night. A 15-minute train ride away in Täsch, the same quality room costs CHF 80. You can’t drive into Zermatt anyway (it’s car-free), so staying in Täsch and taking the train costs CHF 8 return — and you’re saving CHF 100/night.
Apply this logic everywhere:
- Stay in Wilderswil instead of Interlaken (10 min train, half the price)
- Stay in Kriens instead of central Lucerne
- In Zurich, stay in the Altstetten neighbourhood rather than by the lake
We averaged CHF 95/night for a double room across the trip using this strategy.
The One Mountain Splurge Worth Making
You can’t do the Swiss Alps without going up a mountain. But the famous ones — Jungfraujoch (“Top of Europe”), Matterhorn Glacier Paradise — cost CHF 150–200+ per person just for the gondola.
Our recommendation: Männlichen in Grindelwald.
The gondola up is CHF 40 return. The views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau from the top are every bit as good as from Jungfraujoch. And from Männlichen, you can walk the Royal Walk — a flat, 30-minute ridge walk with panoramic mountain views that genuinely stopped us in our tracks. It might be the most beautiful walk we’ve ever done.
If you only do one paid mountain experience, do Männlichen.
Food: The Supermarket Strategy
Restaurant meals in Switzerland are expensive: expect CHF 25–35 for a main course at a mid-range restaurant. For 10 days of 3 meals a day at restaurants, you’d spend CHF 750–1,000 per person on food alone.
Our strategy:
- Breakfast: Always included in accommodation, or bought from Migros/Coop supermarket (a croissant and coffee = CHF 4)
- Lunch: Migros or Coop again — their prepared food section has hot meals, sandwiches, and salads for CHF 6–10. The quality is genuinely good.
- Dinner: One sit-down restaurant meal per day, chosen carefully
We spent an average of CHF 35/day on food — half of what we’d have spent eating out every meal.
For vegetarians: Switzerland is much better than its reputation. Migros stocks excellent vegetarian options, and most restaurants have at least 2–3 vegetarian mains.
Indian food craving: There’s a decent Indian restaurant called Ganesha in Interlaken that will feel like a warm hug after a week of Swiss food. Budget CHF 30–40 for a full meal.
Free Things That Are Actually Great
- Walking. The trail network is immaculate and free. The Grindelwald First cliff walk, the Aare Gorge near Meiringen, the path around Lake Brienz — all free, all spectacular.
- Swiss cities. Zurich’s old town (Altstadt), the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, the Bear Park in Bern — all free.
- Train journeys themselves. With a Swiss Travel Pass, scenic journeys like the Glacier Express or the train from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg are included. These are legitimately some of the most beautiful things in the world.
Our Budget Breakdown (10 days, per person)
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Swiss Travel Pass (10-day) | CHF 744 (~₹72,000) |
| Accommodation (avg CHF 95/night × 10, split) | CHF 475 (~₹46,000) |
| Food | CHF 350 (~₹34,000) |
| Mountain gondola (Männlichen) | CHF 40 (~₹3,900) |
| Activities, entry fees, miscellaneous | CHF 150 (~₹14,600) |
| Total per person |
This doesn’t include flights. Zurich flights from India (Mumbai or Delhi) typically cost ₹50,000–90,000 return depending on when you book.
So all in, 10 days in Switzerland per person: roughly ₹2.2–2.6 lakh including flights. Expensive by any standard, but completely achievable — and worth every rupee.
Practical Notes for Indian Travellers
- Visa: Switzerland is Schengen. Same visa as Greece, France, Spain etc. Apply to the Swiss embassy or consulate. Allow 6–8 weeks.
- Language: German in most of the Alps region, French in Geneva. English is widely spoken everywhere.
- SIM card: Buy a local SIM at the airport (Salt or Sunrise). Your Indian SIM roaming rates will destroy you otherwise.
- Tipping: Not mandatory. Rounding up the bill is common.
- Altitude: Jungfraujoch sits at 3,454m. If you’re prone to altitude sickness, spend a day at Grindelwald (1,000m) before going up high.
Planning a Switzerland trip? Check out our Switzerland Pre-Built Package — a complete day-by-day itinerary with hotel recommendations, based on this exact trip.