Where to Stay in Switzerland? A Guide to Swiss Accommodation

Welcome to your biggest travel expense of your Switzerland trip. A place to stay is always a big part of the travel budget but in Switzerland overnight stays are especially expensive. All in all this is not a concern if the quality of you accommodation in Switzerland is right. For this reason you need to know a few things about hospitality in Switzerland so you enjoy a good nights sleep.

Hotel in Switzerland

If you book a hotel you will most likely get a room that sleeps two adults. As most hotels have been built decades ago the room size might be smaller than you are used to from home but then again you come for the landscape and not the bed. Contrary to the rest of the world, independent hotels are often the favourable choice. Hotel rates and occupancy may vary tremendously depending on season and location.

You can expect the following hotel rates (1 CHF is roughly 1 USD):

Budget hotel: CHF 80-150
Small family hotel: CHF 100-250
Mid scale hotel: CHF 150-300
Luxury hotel: from CHF 400

Here you can learn more about what budget you need when in Switzerland!

If you are looking for a hotel in the touristy areas make sure to check out the pictures online as some of the accommodations have not been updated in decades and you may be disappointed in terms of value for money. Also you can get breakfast outside the hotel in a traditional bakery and save a lot of money and time.

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Airbnb/ Holiday rental

If you stay in one region for a bit longer and you want a home base to start your day trips from then it is the best choice to rent an apartment. On top of that you can also try and cook with some Swiss ingredients or you can try to prepare a fondue on your own (don’t worry, it’s easier than you think). Holiday homes have become more popular over recent years and therefore supply has increased leading to fantastic flats or even entire authentic Swiss chalets, you can call your home for the time of your trip.

Because some of the chalets are a bit remote, it might be ideal to rent a car for comfortable access. Rates for a chalet are between CHF 150-300 per night.

Hostel

We tell you as it is straight away. Unless you are really going for the hostel feeling, try to look for cheap rooms on Airbnb or check the rates of budget hotels because some of the hostels rates make you want to need a shot of Röteli (Swiss version of Jägermeister), which you won’t be able to afford anymore. Although most hostels are around CHF 50-80 per person, you may get better value with other accommodation options.

Sleeping in your (rental) car or mobile home

Technically, if you want to sleep in your car you have to be on private property i.e. on a camping ground or with consent of a landlord or farmer. But as it is Switzerland, there are different rules for all Cantons (states). Some are very easygoing and some more strict. The best way is to ask the community or police if you want to be safe. Alternatively you can look for camping grounds, which are often in superb locations and many with direct access to beautiful Swiss lakes or other fantastic scenries.

Sleeping on a farm

There is no better way to experience Switzerland than by sleeping on a farm. You can do that either in a guest room, or you can sleep in the stable next to the cows! What an experience. This can either happen through a paid service or for free by you going to ask the farmer yourself if you can roll out your sleeping bag on some straw. Generally though, you will have to help them a bit to earn the night 🙂