6 Swiss Travel Pro Tips to Maximize Your Budget

Image of Swiss gondola carrying passengers up mountainside with text overlay, "Swiss travel pro tips to maximize your budget."

6 Swiss Travel Pro Tips to Maximize Your Budget

First, before we jump into the 6 Swiss travel pro tips, let’s just do a quick recap on how far you’ve come on making your Swiss travel dream come true! If you’re just starting to plan, just jump in here with these 6 Swiss travel pro tips – no problem.

You’ve bought plane tickets!
Your ground transportation is sorted with your Swiss Travel Pass.

Are you giddy with excitement? Things are really coming together. Your to-do list probably still includes:

Working hard on a daily budget for food and activities.
Exploring lodging options.

Don’t stop now! Your bucket list on a budget trip IS achievable. Let’s figure out how to save on lodging and food. Since these two items are based on personal choice and funding, I’ll share the 6 Swiss travel pro tips I learned on our recent trip to Switzerland. Let’s go!

One more thing before we go on…Switzerland can be expensive.

Ok, I’m just going to say this now. Switzerland contains seven of the top 10 most expensive cities in which to live in the world, according to Numbeo.com. That’s a big financial and mental hurdle, so prepare. Plan financially, emotionally and psychologically for it. It’s really easy to get upset over the small stuff, like “ I just paid CHF 8.00 for a coffee!?”

Yes, you did. CHF8 = about $8.00 USD. You probably sat down for that coffee and enjoyed the comfort and safety of the warm and cozy shop, mall or beautiful establishment while you gazed upon one of Switzerland’s picturesque mountains or sparklingly clean, old cities. Your order probably also included a glass of crisp, clear alpine water and a piece of melt-in-your-mouth Swiss chocolate on the side.

THAT experience is totally worth the price.

Slow down. Enjoy the experience. Sip the coffee, savor the chocolate and take in the view. It’s what turns reality into dream vacation memories (don’t forget to snap a selfie). There are ways to economize but do enjoy this experience at least once.

Now, let’s talk Swiss travel pro tips for affordable food and lodging!

Lodging

If you have friends, family or friend of a friend’s uncle’s college roommate who offers to host you, just say “Yes”! The amount of money saved here is what really makes this ‘bucket list on a budget’ dream affordable. We had the privilege of staying with friends that we had not seen in 11 years. It was fantastic! Yes, we spent a lot more time on trains since we had a home base to come home to every night, but it was such a budget saver!

Swiss Travel Pro Tip #1 Give your host the night off.

If you are staying more than 3 or 4 nights, plan a night or two away, if possible. It helps break up those long train rides & gives your host a chance to catch up on regular life stuff as well.

You could also couch surf, use Airbnb, or find a house/pet sitting job through places like Trusted Housesitters. If these ideas don’t fit your personal preference, there are always hostels and ecotourism such as OneWorld 365 (where you work a bit in exchange for lodging) and of course inexpensive hotels.

Swiss Food: Living Local.

The way to save money on food is to live like a local. Buy from the local bakeries, cheese & meat shops. Don’t be afraid of this experience because of your shyness with the local language. My German is rubbish! When I have trouble (especially in the small Swiss villages) I pulled out my phone and used the google translate app. Never had a problem. At cheese shops, I would always ask for “children’s cheese,” this generally would get me the mildest cheese they sold. Then for the adults, I would ask for one just a little stronger. Worked every time.

Swiss Travel Pro Tip #2: Shop away from the tourist zone.

The more reasonably priced shops will be away from the main tourist areas in most cities. Exploring 1 or 2 streets away from the main area will get you the Swiss experience you’re craving. Then use your GPS or offline map to find your way back if needed.

If you’re craving some hot and hearty Swiss food, keep an eye out for butcher shops that have a takeaway window. The best sausage & roll I had in St. Gallen was at a street food takeaway window.

If all else fails just look for Migros or Coop. They have a takeaway counter that is good enough if you are starving & in a hurry. Both are great places to do your other food shopping as well!

Swiss Travel Pro Tip #3: Enjoy the cheese & bread.

Meat is REALLY expensive! I have no idea why, but it is. So prepare for that. If you need loads of protein (like my husband) consider packing or buying protein powder to supplement. Conversely, if you are vegetarian, or just love bread, cheese & pasta, you will be in heaven!

Swiss Travel Pro Tip #4: Grocery Delivery.

If I had stayed in a self-catering flat or had a house sitting arrangement, I would have ordered groceries to be delivered (check for Migros or Coop home delivery) the day we arrived. I did this when we went to Dublin and it worked out fab. I ensured the kitchen was stocked with both dinner items that were warm & hearty (but a cinch to make) as well as breakfast & lunch items that were quick to put in our packs and take with us.

Swiss Travel Pro Tip # 5 Splurge and make a memory.

We splurged! We ate out twice in a nice, sit down restaurant. Couple it with a great view, a romantic evening or at a historic location like Lucerne. It is totally worth it for the bucket list experience. Having the resources and know-how to eat like locals the rest of the time, turned those few meals out into really special memories. It was totally worth the price.

Swiss Travel Pro Tip #6 The Swiss Rail Pass.

Finally, if you haven’t gotten yours yet, you really need to. This is the one item that will probably save you the most money. Read all about 480 Ways to Save on Travel in Switzerland and find out more.

You did it! With these 6 Swiss travel pro tips, you have a few more things off your travel to do list. Now that you have a handle on how to save money on food and lodging, there’s not too much left to organize, is there? Check out these posts for more great insider tips for your Swiss adventure.