Is Zurich worth a day trip?

Yes, as a short day: 6.5 hours in Zurich, £405 for the whole day, 15 min into town each way. Enough for the centre and one paid sight; pick one, not three.

How long do you actually get in Zurich?

About 6.5 hours in Zurich. Landing to take-off is 9.5 hours; the trip into town and back, passport checks and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Zurich airport into town?

Train 15 min, CHF 7.20. A day ticket on local transport is ZVV 24h airport + city CHF 14.40 (city-only CHF 9.40 does not cover the airport).

What does a day in Zurich cost, not counting the flight?

About £61 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown is the cheapest recently seen on this route, not a live quote for these exact flights. Check the airline or the booking link for the price you will actually pay.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 19:15. That allows 15 min to get back to the airport and 120 min there, including 30 min for passport checks on the way out, before the 21:30 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

We allow 30 min on landing for the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo on your first trip) and 30 min extra on the way out. That is already taken off the 6.5 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Zurich.
From Manchester, back by 22:35.

Switzerland·Fri 9 Oct · 6.5 hours in the city

£405

the whole day

6.5 hours

in the city

22:35

back in Manchester

£225 on Fri 2 Apr, 44% less

Day Trip Flight Details

Time in the city

6.5 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

10km

to the centreFrom Zurich centre (ZRH)

Daylight

11.3 hours

07:34 to 18:53Sunrise 07:34, sunset 18:53

First EU trip since 2025? Allow 15 min more.

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

09:00
Leave Manchester
SWISS, direct
12:45
In the city
Lands 12:00, 30min immigration, 15min from the airport
19:15
Leave the city
15min back, 120min at the airport incl. immigration
22:35
Back in Manchester
Flies 21:30 with easyJet

Leave ManchesterSWISS, direct09:00
Land in Zurich2h12:00
In the city30min immigration, 15min from the airport12:45
Leave the city15min back, 120min at the airport incl. immigration19:15
Fly homeeasyJet, 2h21:30
Back in Manchester22:35

Weather while you are there

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19:0011°

Things to do in ZurichShow

FIFA MuseumTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Lindt Home of ChocolateTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Old Town Tour, Lindt and Lake CruiseTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link

All things to do in Zurich · Tiqets, affiliate link

With kids in ZurichShow

Zurich Street Parade, 14 Aug: see dates

What a day in Zurich costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£405/ all in, per person

Transport for the day£13

Lunch£22

Dinner£26

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Kunsthaus Zürich£22 (CHF 24)

Lindt Home of Chocolate£16 (CHF 17)

Swiss National Museum£12 (CHF 13)

Kunsthaus Zürich collection is free for everyone on Wednesdays, Lindenhof hill, Lake Zurich promenade from Bürkliplatz along Utoquai, Bahnhofstrasse and the Niederdorf old-town lanes for a walkFree

On the ground£61

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Return flight from£344

Google Flights price. Checked 2 hours ago.

Getting to Manchesterfrom free

All in, per person£405

Out with SWISS, back with easyJet. Two separate tickets. Book both before you go.

Book on Google Flights

Compare fares on Aviasales · Affiliate link

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 8 Oct, 21:40. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

The main button opens the airline or Google Flights; Compare fares goes to Aviasales, who pay us a small commission.

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Half the price, kept for good, for the first 1,000 members.

£19a year, locked for life

Day Trips is live.

Try it for 14 days. Full refund if it's not for you.

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Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Manchester

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-off areaFree
24/7 shuttle bus to the terminals. Source

Train

From Manchester Piccadilly£2.90 each way13-20 min
Advance single. last train 01:34 Source
From Leeds£6.90 each way83-96 min
Advance single Source
From Liverpool (Lime Street)£3.60 each way46-73 min
Advance single. First train 05:00, last train 00:18 Source

Coach

National Express from Manchester / Leeds / Liverpool£5.90 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Runs round the clock. Source

Taxi

From Manchester city centre£25-£35 one way~10 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £15-£25.
From Leeds£90-£120 one way~45 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £60-£90.
From Liverpool£75-£100 one way~35 miles
Estimate, not a quote. Uber or Bolt usually £50-£75.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-off, Terminal 2from £5.50
5 min £5.50, 10 min £6.50, up to 30 min £25. Source

More parking

Short StayNo same-day price
From £65 (4-day stay). Source
JetParksNo same-day price
From £54.99 (8-day stay). Source
Mid StayNo same-day price
From £79 (8-day stay). Source
Drop & GoNo same-day price
From £69.99 (8-day stay). Source
Meet & GreetNo same-day price
From £85.99 (8-day stay). Source
Multi StoreyNo same-day price
From £65 (4-day stay). Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Maple Parking Park & Ride (5.8 mi from airport)£49.99
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 15-20 min. Source
APH Park & Ride (2.7 mi from airport)£69.95
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 7-15 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.

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Comments on ZurichShow

Comments

No one has been yet, as far as we know. If you have, tell the next person what made the day.

Day trip to Zurich.From Manchester, back by 22:35.

Day Trip Flight Details

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Day trip to Zurich.
From Manchester, back by 22:35.