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It depends, however, it is possible to limit the spend with thoughtful planning and some money-saving strategies. Let me share my experience and offer some practical tips for a ‘budget-friendly’ weekend in Switzerland.
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How to choose the right Swiss destination?
While all Swiss cities tend to be pricey, your choice should align with your travel priorities. For me, it’s all about soaking in nature and exploring quaint old towns rather than focusing on museums or cultural sites. With that in mind, we settled on 2 nights in Lucerne and a few hours in Basel for our non-ski weekend getaway at the beginning of March 2024! It was just the 2 adults – myself & my husband no kids, no animals.
Lucerne is a very popular tourist destination that brings in millions of people each year and we can understand why. It’s a lovely city with both lake Lucerne and mountains around it, so it’s perfect for any nature lover, yet it has also beautiful town buildings and bridges & some interesting museums. We really loved Lido Beachhouse, it must be splendid to be there in the warmer months and to take a bath in the lake.
Top 10 places to visit in Lucerne
- Lake Luzern -113.6km2 and max depth of 214m.
- Old town in Luzern – it’s a picturesque and historic heart of the city, boasting cobblestone streets, colorful facades, and a vibrant atmosphere along the Reuss River.
- Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) – Europe’s oldest surviving wooden bridge known for its interior paintings and role as a central part of the city’s heritage. 🌉, approx 170m long.
- Chaff Bridge -it was the only bridge in Lucerne where it was allowed to dump chaff (in German: Spreu, therefore the name Spreuerbrücke), there are paintings of ‘Dence of Death’
- Lion monument -it’s a rock relief that honors the Swiss Guards slain in 1792 during the French Revolution, famously described by Mark Twain as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”
- Glacier Garden– a natural monument featuring glacial potholes &a museum with historical artifacts, offering a journey through the Earth’s geological past.
- Mountain Pilatus – 2,128m high mountain with panoramic views, cogwheel railway & local legends, including one of a dragon with healing powers1. The journey to Mount Pilatus via cable car and gondola typically takes about 30 to 40 minutes. The gondola from Kriens to Fräkmüntegg operates continuously, and from there, the aerial cableway “Dragon Ride” takes approximately 3.5 minutes to reach Pilatus Kulm (waiting times vary, especially during peak tourist seasons). Prices depend on the season also.
- Lido Beachhouse -a popular lakeside leisure complex offering a sandy beach, heated swimming pool, and diverse amenities with stunning views of the mountains.
- Swiss Transport Museum – more than 3,000 items related to road transport, rail, navigation & aviation on over 20,000m² of exhibition space.
- Historic museum of Luzern – a dynamic cultural hub that offers theatrical tours & interactive exhibits, bringing the rich cultural history of Central Switzerland to life.
Will timing your flight save money?
The best deals often coincide with quieter months when fewer people travel due to colder weather or off-peak seasons. Opting for winter months can be ideal for skiing and securing cheaper flight tickets. My flight to Basel cost me £70. However, with more planning or flexibility on timing, you can potentially snap even cheaper flight deals. Aim for airports close to your final destination, like Basel, to save on transit costs as traveling by train will cost you an arm and a leg in Switzerland. Skyscanner comes handy or some deal sites that allow for a quick monthly overview of cheaper weeks/weekends to book.
The benefits of off-season travel
Traveling during the off-peak season not only saves you money on flights but also offers discounts on some attractions. For instance, entrance tickets to attractions like mountain Pilatus in Lucerne are often cheaper outside of the peak season. However, be aware that some experiences, like certain excursions, may be limited during these times, for example getting to the Pilatus can’t happen by a cogwheel out of season… So, consider your priorities and decide whether to compromise on experiences or wait for peak season for the full adventure. The price difference is substantial as in the winter season getting to the mountain Pilatus cost 62.40 CHF (ca.£55.12), whereas in the summer 78 CHF, so a whooping 15.60 CHF difference per person! However, if you plan to save more money Visit Get Your Guide and find the very same offer there. More about that below.
How to save on activities in Switzerland?
Booking tickets in advance through platforms like GetYourGuide can yield savings, especially when combined with cashback offers from sites like TopCashback. Every little discount adds up, making your experiences more affordable. We saved £2.75 per person*, so £5.50 per couple. While its a little it adds up the more you buy using cashback sites!
*Useful Tip: At the time of writing this post the panoramic gondola & aerial cableway to Mountain Pilatus in Lucerne cost £55.16 per person on Get Your Guide. So £0.04 more than on the attraction webiste. But you can get 5% off that price = £2.75 if you buy your tickets via Topcahback site leading you to Get Your Guide. Whatever you do always check if there are any cashback offers (I’ve got £1,179 in cashback in the last few years since using the TCB site)!
How to save on the train in Switzerland?
For short stays, taking advantage of super saver tickets by booking in advance is essential for saving on train travel. For example a ticket from Geneva airport to Luzern cost 88CHF if bought without super saver and with it the cost goes doen to 57.40 CHF. Naturally it’s best to travel to Lucerne from Basel or Zurich not Geneva – this example is just for illustrative purpose here to show that saving on the long distance trip(s) are bigger.
Useful tip: Don’t leave it till super late as 23:50 a day before is already too late…be ‘reasonable ‘quick’ if you want to get that saving… E.g. a ticket from Lucerne to Basel with super saver costs as little as 25.2 CHF whereas a regular price on the day is 36 CHF…10.8 per person saved!
Download SBB app on your phone to get easily the ticket and check their offers section. The difference in price between regular and super-saver tickets can be significant (from 6-30 CHFs), so plan to secure the best deals. For longer than weekend stays when you plan to travel extensively by train, investing in a half-price saver card might be worthwhile. For us it wasn’t worth it as the half-price saver cost 120 CHFs, so our tickets total price would have to be more than 240 CHFs to justify this spent and that wasn’t the case during such a short stay.
Are there any freebies to use in Switzerland?
There arent many freebiest to be had when in Switzerland I am afraid. However, many Swiss hotels provide city cards, granting free access to public transport during your stay. This perk can offset city taxes and help you explore without worrying about transportation costs. Just be mindful that certain activities, like boat trips, may not be covered. Having used bus a couple of times when in Lucerne I think we offset the cost of city tax which was 13 CHF…it was just nice not to have to worry about tickets and to figure out which pass type works best.
Beware the city card doesn’t cover some boatrips though. But for example if staying in Lucerne the bus no1 trip to Kriens is totally free and otherwise would cost minimum around 5 CHFs.
Can you eat economically in Switzerland?
Opting for an accommodations with breakfast included can save time and money during short stays. Additionally, stocking up on groceries from budget-friendly stores like ALDI or utilizing public water fountains can help reduce the spent on food expenses. They have ALDI shop near old town in Lucerne which offer reasonably priced grocery food. That’s a good place to buy your grocery if you are staying in the airbnb. The city has many drinking water fountains, so don’t forget to bring your drinking water bottle with you and save some money on drinks that way. Although water at ALDI is cheap (500ml was 0.30 CHF and 1.5L was 0.90 CHF. Coffee price across the cities ranges between 3.2-6 CHFs.
Naturally McDonalds is one of the cheapest options than many other places. We used it only to get tea or coffee though. We went there to celebrate my husbands birthday and I booked a nice dinner in a Ampresand in Luzern. They served the best salad and dressing I have ever had alonside some other yummy foods! Two people can dine with wine for ca £120 per couple, so its rather pricey but as said we celebrated my partners birthday, so it was supposed to be special not chaep and such it was!
Hotel vs. Airbnb whats better in Switzerland?
The choice between a hotel and Airbnb depends on your preferences and priorities. While Airbnb may offer extras, like kitchen facilities, it may not include city cards for free transport as some host may not comply with this formality. We found hotels more convenient for short stays, thanks to breakfast offerings and included city cards in case of our stay in Lucerne, Switzerland. Being close to the city centre was our main prioritty, so we didn’t have to spend too much time on moving around as everything we wanted to see was almost in the walking distance from our hotel:
Selecting Accommodations Wisely
Budget-friendly lodging options are available near old towns in most Swiss cities. We stayed in a converted prison near Luzern’s old town, which was clean and spacious, albeit with a very basic breakfast ( no veggies, little fruit, semi-decent coffee, porridge & loads of bread& pastries little protein as such other than some boiled eggs and cheese…). The convenience of proximity to the city center and public transport outweighed any minor drawbacks.
Again I offset a bit of the cost of the hotel when booking it on Agoda via Topcahsback, with 8% off the price excluding VAT I may count on £19.82 saved. The cabsack will appear in your account once you checked out (if you cant see it tracked in yoru account ensure you add a ‘missing cashback’ on the Customer Service section the way I did do:
Exploring Luzern’s Highlights
As nature enthusiasts, our itinerary revolved around Mount Pilatus, with a stroll through the old town and iconic landmarks like the Chapel Bridge and the Lion Monument. We opted for lakeside walks over museum visits, aligning with our preferences. All the top places to see in Lucerne are mentioned at the top.
On our way back to the airport we stopped over at Basel for a few hours and walked thrugh the old town:
A few hours was enough to see the main streets and a few from many fountains Basel has to offer. I really liked Pfeffergässlein & Imbergässlein streets:
Total Cost Breakdown:
While every traveler’s expenses vary, with smart planning and strategic choices, it’s entirely possible to enjoy a budget-friendly weekend in Switzerland. Here’s how our costs stacked up:
Our weekend in Switzerland cost breakdown:
- Return flights: £70 (London Gatwick – Basel)
- Train to Lucerne from Basel airport: 26.80 CHF (super saver) and 23.40 From Lucerne to Basel.
- Train to the airport: 6.60 CHF (Basel to Basel Airport)–> all trains bought in advance: 56.80 CHFs, so ca. £50.18!
- Public transport in Lucerne: £0/0 CHFs.
- Hotel – £236.02 but there will be £19.82 so the total will be £216.02 per couple so £108.01 per person per 2 nights – superior room with breakfast included! You can find cheaper rooms in the very same hotel or hostel if you want to spend less on accommodations. We valued proximity to the city center and privacy hence booked a slightly more expensive superior room.
- City tax £16.12 (13 CHFs paid at the hotel after check-in) so £8.06 pp
- Food – on the first day we had our food brought from the UK and then we splashed 120 CHFs on the birthday dinner but if you resort to cheaper places you can spend half of it if not less if you are a fan of Mc Donald…but it’s safe to reserve ca £53, so roughly 60 CHFs for food per day per person (ca 30CHFs for lunch + another 30 CHFs for the dinner especially if you don’t spend much or anything in water/drinks- tap water is perfectly fine in Swizterland).
- Attractions – mount Pilatus – 1 person ticket £52.41 pp after 5% cashback from Get Your Guide as described above.
- Hot beverages – teas ca £4 (cheapest in McDonald) and coffees ca £5-6–> £30 for the 3 days 1 hot drink each of us per day when out and about.
- Airport car park at Gatwick: £43 (APH keys with you), so 21.5pp 🙂 + petrol cost ( not adding here as for all of us it depends on the proximity to the airport so it’s not standardised spent).
- TOTAL spent: £466.78 per person. Of course, it may be even cheaper if you choose other things to do/hotel/food spend. It appears you need around £400 per person for 3 days/2 nights in Switzerland. If your choices aren’t careful (tickets are not planned in advance or through sites from the UK with the cashback you may inflate the cost easily).
With some creativity and willingness to prioritize experiences, you can savor Switzerland’s beauty without straining your wallet, however even a few days in that country will come at a significant cost.
