To Zürich HB · One way · 2 adults · All service hoursPrices are whole-party totals. Times are recorded journey durations; no walking or waiting has been added.
All prices are totals for 2 adults. Group fares included.
How do I get from Zurich airport to Zurich city center?
For one traveler the cheapest way is the SBB train to Zürich HB at CHF 7.20, 9–13 min, and it is also the fastest. Every option below is priced as a total for your party and says where it leaves you.
3 listed options
Not everything runs around the clock: the SBB train to Zürich HB runs 05:00–00:42, and the VBZ tram 10 runs 05:06–23:51, and the N10 night bus runs 01:39–03:39, Friday and Saturday nights only. That night service runs on some nights only, so check the day you land; on the others nothing runs to the center in those hours.
Lowest listed totalregional
SBB train to Zürich HB
regional · SBB, on a ZVV zone ticket
9–13 min rideEvery 5 min05:00–00:42
Zürich Flughafen railway station→Zürich HB
Luggage space
CHF 14.40total for 2 adultsCHF 7.20 each2 × CHF 7.20 adult fareBuy ticketOn SBB, on a ZVV zone ticket
Hours, tickets & luggage
The ZVV three-zone single: CHF 7.20 an adult in 2nd class (CHF 11.80 in 1st), valid one hour; CHF 3.60 for children 6 to 15 and Half-Fare holders; under-6s free. A Multikarte of six rides is CHF 41.00 and can be shared. A 24-hour ticket for the same zones is CHF 14.40 — exactly two singles. Valid on every train from this station, S-Bahn and InterCity alike.
Luggage. Mainline Swiss trains: racks and standing space by the doors.
Hours. First departure 05:00 (S-Bahn, Zürich HB 05:12), last 00:42 (IR13, Zürich HB 00:53), on 363 of 364 days. The last S-Bahn is the 00:34 S24. About 219 departures a weekday, 182 on Saturdays; 12 or 13 an hour from 06:00 to 21:00.
CHF 14.40total for 2 adultsCHF 7.20 each2 × CHF 7.20 adult fareBuy ticketOn VBZ, on the same ZVV zone ticket
Hours, tickets & luggage
The same CHF 7.20 three-zone ZVV ticket as the train; the tram runs from zone 121 into zone 110 and nothing about it is cheaper. Its value is not price but where it stops: it threads through Oerlikon and the north of the city on the way to the main station.
Luggage. A street tram with low floors and no racks; fine for a case, slow with several.
Hours. From the federal timetable: 05:06 to 23:51 every day on 362 of 364 days. Every 7 to 8 minutes by day Monday to Saturday, every 15 on Sundays and in the early and late hours. Bahnhofplatz/HB in 34 to 37 minutes, Sternen Oerlikon in 14.
27 min rideEvery 30 min01:39–03:39, Friday and Saturday nights only
The bus stop "Zürich Flughafen→Zürich
Non-stopLuggage space
CHF 14.40total for 2 adultsCHF 7.20 each2 × CHF 7.20 adult fareBuy ticketOn VBZ, ZVV night network
Hours, tickets & luggage
The ordinary CHF 7.20 three-zone ticket covers it — ZVV abolished its night supplement in 2020, so no extra fare applies. The ticket lasts one hour, so one bought for the last train won't still be valid.
Luggage. A city bus; no racks.
Hours. Runs only Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday nights, and before public holidays — 108 nights a year, none Sunday to Thursday. Departures to Bahnhofplatz/HB at 01:39, 02:09, 02:39, 03:09 and 03:39; the 04:09 and 04:39 end at Sternen Oerlikon, short of the main station.
The options are still here — your budget or journey-time filter is drawn tighter than any of them. Widen either one, or reset the filters, to bring them back.
Road journey times vary with traffic. Prices and availability should be confirmed with the operator.
Going somewhere specific?
"The center" is not one place, and the answer changes
Buy your ZVV ticket from a machine in the station, or from the staffed counter — open daily from 06:30 to 21:00 only. Outside those hours, including most late-night or early landings, the machine is the only way to buy one before boarding.
The taxi rank
Airport Taxi's official cars wait on the inner curbside lanes of Arrival 1 and 2, daily from 06:00 to 23:30, for an indicative fare of around CHF 65 to the centre. Outside those hours — and especially between midnight and 04:00 — a taxi is not guaranteed.
Uber and Bolt
Uber and Bolt both work at Zurich airport; request a ride after you land and the app directs you to that day's pickup point, which is signed but not fixed. Uber's service here matches you with a licensed taxi rather than a private car.
Luggage
The station has left-luggage lockers open around the clock, from small to extra-large, starting at CHF 5. They're worth using if you land long before your hotel check-in or have hours to fill before a flight.
Before you travel
Where each one starts, how long it runs, what it carries
regional · SBB, on a ZVV zone ticketSBB train to Zürich HB
From
Zürich Flughafen railway station, platforms 1 to 4 — follow the train signs from arrivals
To
Zürich HB, the main station, in 9 to 13 minutes; every train calls at Zürich Oerlikon on the way
Luggage
Mainline Swiss trains: racks and standing space by the doors.
Runs
05:00–00:42
Journey
9–13 min
The ZVV three-zone single: CHF 7.20 an adult in 2nd class (CHF 11.80 in 1st), valid one hour; CHF 3.60 for children 6 to 15 and Half-Fare holders; under-6s free. A Multikarte of six rides is CHF 41.00 and can be shared. A 24-hour ticket for the same zones is CHF 14.40 — exactly two singles. Valid on every train from this station, S-Bahn and InterCity alike.
Take whichever train comes first. The S2, S16, S24, InterCity and InterRegio all reach Zürich HB in 9 to 13 minutes on the same CHF 7.20 ticket; there is no premium service and no supplement.
The last train toward the city is at 00:42, the first at 05:00. Between them no train runs, on any night of the week.
Buy a three-zone ticket, not a two-zone one. The city zone counts double, so airport to anywhere in Zurich is three zones; a cheaper ticket is not valid on arrival.
Coming back the same day? Buy the CHF 14.40 24-hour ticket instead of two singles. It costs the same and covers everything in the city in between.
Six or more of you: one CHF 41.00 Multikarte covers six rides and the tariff lets a group share it — CHF 2.20 less than six singles, and the only party-size saving Zurich has.
The airport says the ride takes 15 minutes and trains run every 10; the timetable says 9 to 13 minutes and 12 or 13 trains an hour. The airport's figure is the safe one for a connection.
The single is valid for one hour and the last journey must be finished inside it; the train plus a tram across town fits, a long wait does not.
First departure 05:00 (S-Bahn, Zürich HB 05:12), last 00:42 (IR13, Zürich HB 00:53), on 363 of 364 days. The last S-Bahn is the 00:34 S24. About 219 departures a weekday, 182 on Saturdays; 12 or 13 an hour from 06:00 to 21:00.
tram · VBZ, on the same ZVV zone ticketVBZ tram 10
From
The tram stop "Zürich Flughafen, Bahnhof" outside the terminal, by the railway station
To
Zürich, Bahnhofplatz/HB — the square in front of the main station — via Sternen Oerlikon
Luggage
A street tram with low floors and no racks; fine for a case, slow with several.
Runs
05:06–23:51
Journey
34–37 min
The same CHF 7.20 three-zone ZVV ticket as the train; the tram runs from zone 121 into zone 110 and nothing about it is cheaper. Its value is not price but where it stops: it threads through Oerlikon and the north of the city on the way to the main station.
Same price as the train and three times as long: 35 minutes against 11. Take the train unless you are going somewhere along the tram's route.
Do not board tram 12 by mistake. It leaves from the same stop and goes to Bahnhof Stettbach, on the far side of the city, not to the centre.
It starts six minutes after the first train and stops 51 minutes before the last one, so it never covers an hour the train does not.
Four evening departures, 19:58 to 20:41, end at Sternen Oerlikon rather than the main station; the destination on the front tells you.
From the federal timetable: 05:06 to 23:51 every day on 362 of 364 days. Every 7 to 8 minutes by day Monday to Saturday, every 15 on Sundays and in the early and late hours. Bahnhofplatz/HB in 34 to 37 minutes, Sternen Oerlikon in 14.
The bus stop "Zürich Flughafen, Bahnhof" outside the terminal, by the railway station
To
Zürich, Bahnhofplatz/HB in 27 minutes, via Sternen Oerlikon in 12
Luggage
A city bus; no racks.
Runs
01:39–03:39
Journey
27 min
The ordinary CHF 7.20 three-zone ticket covers it — ZVV abolished its night supplement in 2020, so no extra fare applies. The ticket lasts one hour, so one bought for the last train won't still be valid.
Friday and Saturday nights only. On a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night this bus does not run and nothing else from the airport reaches the city between 00:42 and 05:00.
Even on the nights it runs there is nothing between the 00:42 last train and its 01:39 first departure, and nothing to the main station between 03:39 and the 05:00 first train.
The 04:09 and 04:39 go only as far as Sternen Oerlikon. From there tram 10 does not start until 05:06.
No night supplement: the same CHF 7.20 ticket as by day. Buy it in the ZVV app or at a machine before boarding, as the tariff directs.
Runs only Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday nights, and before public holidays — 108 nights a year, none Sunday to Thursday. Departures to Bahnhofplatz/HB at 01:39, 02:09, 02:39, 03:09 and 03:39; the 04:09 and 04:39 end at Sternen Oerlikon, short of the main station.
regional · SBB, on a ZVV zone ticketTrain to Winterthur
From
Zürich Flughafen railway station, platforms 1 to 4 — any train whose destination lies beyond Winterthur: St. Gallen, Konstanz, Romanshorn, Chur, Weinfelden, Thayngen, Rorschach, Sargans
To
Winterthur, the main station in the middle of the city: 13 to 15 minutes non-stop by InterCity or InterRegio, 19 on the S24 via Bassersdorf, Effretikon and Kemptthal
Luggage
Mainline Swiss trains: racks and standing space by the doors.
Runs
05:15–00:30
Journey
13–19 min
A ZVV four-zone single: CHF 9.40 an adult in 2nd class (CHF 15.60 in 1st), valid two hours; CHF 4.70 for children 6 to 15 and Half-Fare holders, under-6s free. It covers Winterthur's city buses within the two hours. A Multikarte of six rides is CHF 53.60, shareable; a 24-hour ticket for the same zones is CHF 18.80 — exactly two singles.
Buy four zones, not three. Airport to Winterthur is CHF 9.40 (zones 120, 121 and 122, with 120 counting twice); the CHF 7.20 three-zone ticket that reaches Zurich is not valid on arrival. Enter "Winterthur" as the destination in the ZVV app or at the machine and the zones come out right.
Take whichever comes first. The IC1, IC5, IC8, IR13, IR75 and EuroCity run non-stop in 13 to 15 minutes; the S24 stops three times and takes 19. Same ticket, same platforms.
The ticket lasts two hours and includes Winterthur's zone, so the city bus from the station is covered without buying anything else.
The last train is the 00:30 IR13 and the first the 05:15 S-Bahn on weekdays, 04:18 at weekends. No train and no night bus between them: the N10 night bus from the airport goes to Zurich.
Six or more of you: one CHF 53.60 Multikarte covers six rides and may be shared — CHF 2.80 less than six singles. Coming back the same day, the CHF 18.80 24-hour ticket costs exactly two singles.
The 9 o'clock day pass is CHF 28.00 and covers every zone; it never beats a CHF 18.80 four-zone 24-hour ticket for this ride.
First departure 05:15 (S-Bahn, Winterthur 05:32) Monday to Friday, 04:18 at weekends (Winterthur 04:32, 04:26 some weekends); last the 00:30 IR13 (Winterthur 00:43). About 131 to 140 departures a weekday, seven or eight an hour from 06:00 to 21:00. Nothing runs between 00:30 and 05:15, and no night bus links the airport with Winterthur.
regional · SBB, on a point-to-point ticketIR36 to Basel SBB
From
Zürich Flughafen railway station, platforms 1 to 4 — the InterRegio showing Basel SBB
To
Basel SBB, the main station, in 1 h 27; via Zürich HB (11 min), Baden (32), Brugg, Frick and Rheinfelden
Luggage
Mainline Swiss trains: racks and standing space by the doors.
Runs
05:56–20:56
Journey
87–94 min
SBB's point-to-point fare, not a ZVV ticket: CHF 41.00 an adult in 2nd class (CHF 70.00 in 1st; CHF 82.00 return), 122 km via Zurich. Children 6 to 15 and Half-Fare holders pay exactly half, CHF 20.50; under-6s ride free. Valid one day on any train along the route — the IR36, or any train to Zürich HB and a change. Supersaver tickets are yield-priced and not shown here; the group tariff starts at ten people.
The ticket is SBB's, not ZVV's. Ask for Zürich Flughafen to Basel SBB: CHF 41.00 an adult, CHF 20.50 for a child of 6 to 15 or with a Half-Fare card, under-6s free. A ZVV zone ticket stops being valid at the last ZVV station.
One an hour, at :56, from 05:56 to 20:56. After that take any train to Zürich HB and change; the ticket is valid all day on any train along the route.
The full fare is fixed; the "Supersaver" for one named train is not. It is cheaper, sold only in advance, priced by demand and refused on any other train — so it is not priced here.
The same train calls at Baden after 32 minutes: 45 tariff kilometres, CHF 18.40 on the same tariff.
No direct train on 21 and 22 November 2026 in SBB's published timetable; earlier closures this year ran 7 to 22 February and 7 to 15 March.
The IR36 leaves at :56 every hour from 05:56 to 20:56 (05:54/20:54 on a few days), 16 departures a day, reaching Basel SBB at :23 — 87 minutes on nine trips in ten, 89 or 94 on the rest. No direct train on 7–22 February, 7–15 March, 28–29 March or 21–22 November 2026. After 20:56, change at Zürich HB.
regional · SBB, on a point-to-point ticketIR75 to Lucerne
From
Zürich Flughafen railway station, platforms 1 to 4 — the InterRegio showing Luzern
To
Luzern, the main station on the lakefront, in 70 minutes; via Zürich HB and Zug
Luggage
Mainline Swiss trains: racks and standing space by the doors.
Runs
06:15–20:15
Journey
70 min
SBB's point-to-point fare: CHF 31.00 an adult in 2nd class (CHF 53.00 in 1st; CHF 62.00 return), 86 km via Zurich. Children 6 to 15 and Half-Fare holders pay exactly half, CHF 15.50; under-6s ride free. Valid one day on any train along the route, so a change at Zürich HB is covered. Supersaver tickets are yield-priced and not shown here.
The ticket is SBB's, not ZVV's: Zürich Flughafen to Luzern, CHF 31.00 an adult, CHF 15.50 for a child of 6 to 15 or with a Half-Fare card, under-6s free.
Hourly at weekends; on weekdays there is no direct train at 07:15, 12:15, 15:15 or 17:15, and none after 20:15 on any day. Take any train to Zürich HB and change — the ticket is valid all day on any train along the route.
The full fare is fixed; the "Supersaver" for one named train is cheaper, demand-priced and refused on any other train, so it is not priced here.
No direct train on 7 and 8 November 2026 in SBB's published timetable.
The IR75 leaves at :15 and reaches Luzern 70 minutes later. At weekends, 14 departures hourly from 06:15 to 20:15 except 17:15; on weekdays, 11 — 06:15, 08:15–11:15, 13:15, 14:15, 16:15 and 18:15–20:15. No direct train on 7–22 February, 7–15 March, several spring weekends or 7–8 November 2026. In the gaps, change at Zürich HB.
What is the cheapest way from Zurich airport to Zurich city center?
For one traveler, the SBB train to Zürich HB at CHF 7.20. Per-person fares multiply with the size of your party and per-vehicle fares do not, so check the total for your group rather than the single fare.
How do I get from Zurich airport to Zurich city center by train?
One train reaches Zürich HB: the SBB train to Zürich HB, CHF 7.20 for one traveler, 9–13 min. For one traveler that is the cheapest way into Zurich by any means. See every option by train →
How do I get from Zurich airport to Zurich city center by tram?
One tram reaches Zürich HB: the VBZ tram 10, CHF 7.20 for one traveler, 34–37 min, to Zürich. It is not the cheapest way in: the SBB train to Zürich HB at CHF 7.20 is. See every option by tram →
How do I get from Zurich airport to Zurich city center by bus?
One bus reaches Zürich HB: the N10 night bus, CHF 7.20 for one traveler, 27 min, to Zürich. It is not the cheapest way in: the SBB train to Zürich HB at CHF 7.20 is. See every option by bus →
How long does it take to get from Zurich airport to Zurich city center?
SBB train to Zürich HB: 9–13 min. VBZ tram 10: 34–37 min. N10 night bus: 27 min
How far is Zurich airport from the city center?
Zurich Airport does not publish a distance to the city. By time: the fastest way in, the SBB train to Zürich HB, takes 9–13 min.
Is there Uber or Bolt at Zurich airport?
Uber and Bolt both work at Zurich airport; request a ride after you land and the app directs you to that day's pickup point, which is signed but not fixed. Uber's service here matches you with a licensed taxi rather than a private car.
Where do I catch the SBB train to Zürich HB at Zurich airport?
Zürich Flughafen railway station, platforms 1 to 4 — follow the train signs from arrivals. Follow the signs from arrivals. It leaves you at Zürich HB, the main station, in 9 to 13 minutes; every train calls at Zürich Oerlikon on the way.
Is there a train from Zurich airport to Zurich at night?
The SBB train to Zürich HB runs 05:00–00:42. The VBZ tram 10 runs 05:06–23:51. The N10 night bus runs 01:39–03:39. Outside those hours nothing else runs to the center. First departure 05:00 (S-Bahn, Zürich HB 05:12), last 00:42 (IR13, Zürich HB 00:53), on 363 of 364 days. The last S-Bahn is the 00:34 S24. About 219 departures a weekday, 182 on Saturdays; 12 or 13 an hour from 06:00 to 21:00.
Does the Train to Winterthur go to Zürich HB, the main station?
Runs north-east to Winterthur, not into Zurich. The line leaves the airport away from the city and never touches it.
Does the IR36 to Basel SBB go to Zürich HB, the main station?
Runs on through Zürich HB to Basel, on an SBB point-to-point fare rather than the ZVV ticket.
Does the IR75 to Lucerne go to Zürich HB, the main station?
Runs on through Zürich HB to Lucerne, on an SBB point-to-point fare rather than the ZVV ticket.
Worth knowing
Every train from the airport reaches Zürich HB in 9 to 13 minutes, on the same three-zone ZVV ticket at CHF 7.20, from 05:00 to 00:42. S-Bahn, InterCity and InterRegio all count, twelve or thirteen an hour, with no airport ticket or supplement. The airport's own page says 15 minutes; expect 9 to 13.
The last train leaves at 00:42, the first at 05:00 — a four-hour gap every night, with no night S-Bahn. Friday and Saturday nights only, the N10 bus runs to Bahnhofplatz/HB at 01:39, 02:09, 02:39, 03:09 and 03:39 (27 minutes) on the same CHF 7.20 ticket; its 04:09 and 04:39 runs stop short at Sternen Oerlikon. Sunday to Thursday nights there is no bus at all.
Zurich taxis have had no regulated fare since 1 January 2026; a driver can charge by passengers, time of day, day of week and distance. The airport's own concession "Airport Taxi" cars, from the kerb at Arrival 1 and 2, cost around CHF 65 to the centre and run daily from 06:00 to 23:30 — but the operator's booking calendar blocks 00:00 to 03:59 every night, so no taxi is guaranteed then.
There is no per-vehicle fare to beat the per-person one, and ZVV's group ticket needs ten people and 48 hours' notice. A Multikarte of six three-zone rides costs CHF 41.00, shared by a group — CHF 2.20 less than six singles. The Zürich Card (CHF 29.00, at the airport information desk) covers this ride too, but a plain 24-hour ticket for the same zones is CHF 14.40; the extra buys museums, not transport.
Two small traps: tram 12 leaves from the same stop as tram 10 but goes to Bahnhof Stettbach, not the centre. A 24-hour ticket costs exactly two singles (CHF 14.40), so buying two singles for a same-day return is a loss. The single is valid one hour, so a long wait mid-journey can void it — an 11-minute train plus a tram across town fits; an 11-minute train plus a 50-minute wait does not.
The same platforms also reach three other cities. Winterthur is 13 to 19 minutes north-east, about seven trains an hour, on a ZVV four-zone ticket at CHF 9.40. Basel and Lucerne are outside the ZVV, on SBB's point-to-point fare instead: the IR36 reaches Basel SBB in 1 h 27 for CHF 41.00, the IR75 reaches Lucerne in 70 minutes for CHF 31.00, both valid all day on any train along the route. Children 6 to 15 and Half-Fare cards pay exactly half; under-6s ride free. Supersaver fares are cheaper but change by the day and are not priced here.
Can we count your visit?We use Google Analytics to see which airports people look up. It sets cookies. Nothing runs until you say yes, and refusing changes nothing about the site.What is stored
