Located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland airports represent the launching points for traveling throughout the continent but also to more distant relations.
The country boasts several private Swiss airports as well as international airports that offer domestic flights and to and from the country.
They don’t just function impeccably, they provide tasteful delicious pre-flight meals and many interesting options for keeping busy during your layover.
In this guide, you will find all the information you need regarding your flight to and from Switzerland and what amenities it includes.
Stay tuned and find out everything about the airport network in the center of Europe!
Below is the list of international, civil, and private airports in Switzerland that provides only the best to their passengers.
Let’s check them together:
There are several private airports, including the following:
Now, we will focus on the international airports in Switzerland that work ultra-efficiently in transporting more than 50 million passengers per year.
Zurich Airport (ZHR) is frequently referred to as the Kloten Airport, which is not surprising since it is the busiest airport in Switzerland.
Switzerland’s main airport is located 13 km north of the city’s center, and getting to the center is super-easy.
You’ll reach the city in only 11 minutes by train.
If you have come to pick someone up directly from the arrival hall, you can park for a short while in the Arrival curbside lane.
Or they will recommend you using parks P1 or P6 if you are staying a bit longer.
Zurich ICAO represents the main hub for Swiss International Airlines such as Belair, Germania, and Swiss global airlines.
By the total number of passengers per year, the busiest routes come from London (888,876), Berlin (508,589), and Vienna (492,968).
There are also more than 80 shops in the Airside Center, opened until 9 pm (groceries until 11 pm).
Geneva Airport (GVA) is the second busiest airport in Switzerland.
The city center can be reached in less than 10 minutes by train as the airport is located about 5 km northwest of the center.
Swiss airlines along with Easyjet use Geneva airport as the main hub. The airport is perfectly connected with all European major cities.
By the number of passengers per year, the busiest routes come from London (2,469,786), Paris (1,052,447), and Amsterdam (679,826).
When you arrive, don’t forget a free 80-minute public transport ticket that can be picked up at the luggage retrieving hall, on the left of the arrival zone.
Parking at the airport is for free up to 10 minutes. 500 m away from the Terminal, at the Palexpo complex, parking is free for the first 3 hours.
Within the airport, you can find 25 bars, cafés, and restaurants, 29 shops, a meditation room, and a playground for children.
In 3 hour drive from Geneva airport, you can reach more than 300 skiing resorts in Switzerland, France, and Italy. The best option is to book an airport transfer that will drop you off at your destination.
Even though it is practically a Swiss airport, EuroAirport Basel is located 3.5 km north-west of Basel and it lies on the French ground.
Together, Switzerland and France run it responsibly and there are 2 exits to both countries.
The airport serves as a hub for EasyJet, Belair, and Euroairport, and it chiefly runs flights to European cities and leisure destinations.
If you take the bus, you will be in the city center within 15 minutes.
Parking for both short and long stays is available on both sides. There is no shuttle bus from the parking, but it takes just 10 minutes of walk to reach it. When you take the bus, you will be in the city center within 15 minutes.
At the airport, you will find 13 bars, restaurants, and snack stops dotted with several sit-down spots.
Don’t expect many shopping options, so it is advisable to buy souvenirs before heading to the airport. The kids will find a lot of fun in the play areas within the terminal.
The airport located in the capital isn’t as big as the above-mentioned airports in Switzerland. It is located 6 km southeast of Bern center.
Bern Airport is a hub for SkyWork Airlines and Helvetic airlines. Those two companies run flights to destinations such as Antalya, Heraklion, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, London, and Berlin.
Do not expect domestic flights here.
Although it is small, Bern Airport offers many bars, restaurants, and sporting options to efficiently pass the time.
For example, Charly Bistro & Lounge offers various culinary options. On a pleasant day, you can sit on the terrace and relax under the fresh air.
The rustic restaurant Jägerheim offers Swiss, Italian, French, Argentinian wines with game and fish.
You can also spend your overlay at the gym or relax at the stunning outdoor pool at the Giessenbad that perfectly captures the mountains.
At the moment, the only year-round operating route is to Munich. The most economical means of transportation to and from the airport is the bus.
It runs between the airport and the main railway station. There is no train station at the airport.
Parking is super-easy at the two different parking zones right of the terminal.
Lugano Airport (LUG) is the most southern of airports in Switzerland.
It is located several km south of Lugano’s center and its runway almost extends into Lake Lugano so landing and taking off the airport are followed by a fascinating sight.
Mostly, the airport runs seasonal and charter flights, but also domestic flights from Geneva and Zurich that are in progress all year round.
There are not many bars, restaurants, and shops at the airport. For a decent meal, you can go to the Aviator. Expect only one duty-free shop and a newsstand.
The internet in the terminal is free. For a business meeting, there are several conference rooms where you can have some privacy while working.
The train station is 10 minutes of walk from the airport. From the stop at Agno, you can arrive at the airport on foot in 10 minutes. Just in 3 hours, you can reach more than 200 ski resorts in both Switzerland and Italy.
The airport Milan Malpensa is about 65 km away from Lugano Airport and it can serve as an alternative.
Sion airport is mostly used for charter flights. Being positioned in the core of the Swiss alpine region of Valais, it provides quick access to numerous ski destinations.
It is located just 2.5 km from the city center, and 75 km from one of the most famous ski resorts – Zermatt. Other examples of near and famous ski resorts are Verbier, Saas-Fee, Nendaz, Crans Montana, and Veysonnaz.
You can take the bus from the Sion bus station to reach the airport. Parking allows short and long stays.
There is just one bar, restaurant, and shop at the airport, so don’t expect much when you arrive, but you will surely be supplied with basic stuff.
St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport, also known as the People’s Business Airport, is a small airport that lies almost on the shores of the Bodensee.
The center of St. Gallen is about 20 km away.
You can arrive only 30 minutes before taking off and still make it on time which is pretty awesome.
The airport is a hub for People’s Viennaline which runs flights to Cologne, Friedrichshafen, Vienna, Ibiza, Mallorca, Naples, Menorca, Calabria, Cephalonia, and Lefkada. The airport is a perfect point for hitting the Greek islands.
It also offers charter lines to destinations such as Pula, Mallorca, and Cagliari.
In the airport is one restaurant, named Wings. At the terminal, you can find a business lounge with a snack, traditional specialties, and appetizers.
The airport offers two conference rooms – Embraer and Challenger which are equipped with the latest technology.
There you can create a highly professional atmosphere, and they can be rented for longer use.
From the airport, you can reach few ski resorts, for instance, Saint Anton am Arlberg is about 100 km away.
Also, the airport in St. Gallen is the nearest airport to Liechtenstein.
Even though Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, it became a part of the Schengen Area in 2008.
Passengers from other Schengen member countries can just pass to the baggage reclaim area at any of the international airports in Switzerland.
Travelers coming from non-Schengen member countries will have their passports checked.
Before you arrive at any Swiss airport, make sure you bring the appropriate Swiss visa or residence permit to prevent any misfortunate outcomes such as being deported to your home country.
Moreover, Swiss law requires that all tourists that use airports in Switzerland must always have their government-issued ID or a copy of their passport.
Presently, there are 7 international airports in Switzerland, transporting more than 50 million passengers per year.
They are positioned in almost every corner of the country, so you can choose the closest one to you and save some time.
The busiest airports are in Zurich, Geneva, and Basel. They are regarded as the major airports in Switzerland.
For example, in 2019, Zurich had a magnificent share of passengers that numbered more than 31.5 million people flying from the airport.
Geneva was in second place, with 17.9 million passengers in the same year.
In 2018, Zurich Airport transported 31.1 million passengers and ran 278.458 flights.
Of the record, Geneva Airport is known as the Cointrin Airport.
Compared to other airports in Switzerland, only Zurich, Geneva, and Basel have more than one million passengers on an annual level.
To be precise, we will put their efficiency in the number of passengers per year. It looks like this:
| Airport | IATA | Passengers |
| Zurich Airport | ZHR | 31,507,692 |
| Geneva Airport | GVA | 17,926,629 |
| Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport | BSL | 9,094,821 |
The biggest airport in Switzerland is Zurich Airport (ZRH). The list of other large airports in Switzerland looks like this:
| IATA | Name | City | Airlines | Destinations |
| ZRH | Zurich Airport | Zurich | 71 | 137 |
| GVA | Geneva Airport | Geneva | 54 | 101 |
| LUG | Lugano Airport | Lugano | 2 | 2 |
| ACH | St. Gallen – Altenrhein Airport | Altenrhein | 2 | 2 |
| BRN | Bern Belp Airport | Bern | 1 | 12 |
With its vast beauty, Switzerland has a lot to offer to its visitors. Here are the quickest ways of reaching some of the Swiss attractive destinations from the closest airports.
The closest airport to Davos is Altenrhein (ACH). Check the other options:
| Airport | City | IATA | Distance |
| St Gallen Altenrhein Airport | Altenrhein | ACH | 78.52 km |
| Lugano Airport | Lugano | LUG | 113.84 km |
| Zurich Airport | Zurich | ZRH | 122 km |
| Bern Belp Airport | Bern | BRN | 178.33 km |
| Geneva Airport | Geneva | GVA | 292.08 km |
Zurich (ZHR) is the nearest airport to Zug.
Check the distance from other airports:
| Airport | City | IATA | Distance |
| Zurich Airport | Zurich | ZRH | 33.23 km |
| Bern Belp Airport | Bern | BRN | 82.2 km |
| St Gallen Altenrhein Airport | Altenrhein | ACH | 86.28 km |
| Lugano Airport | Lugano | LUG | 132.7 km |
| Geneva Airport | Geneva | GVA | 210.62 km |
The closest airport to Luzern is Zurich Airport (ZRH). Check the distance from other airports in Switzerland:
| Airport | City | IATA | Distance |
| Zurich Airport | Zurich | ZRH | 49.57 km |
| Bern Belp Airport | Bern | BRN | 63.23 km |
| St Gallen Altenrhein Airport | Altenrhein | ACH | 106.26 km |
| Lugano Airport | Lugano | LUG | 125.17 km |
| Geneva Airport | Geneva | GVA | 190.5 km |
The nearest airport to Interlaken is Berne (BRN). Check other more distant options:
| Airport | City | IATA | Distance |
| Bern Belp Airport | Bern | BRN | 37.3 km |
| Zurich Airport | Zurich | ZRH | 100.4 km |
| Basel Airport | Basel | BSL | 104.6 km |
| Milan Malpensa | Milan | MXP | 134.8 km |
| Geneva Airport | Geneva | GVA | 143.4 km |
The closest airport to Montreux is Geneva Airport (GVA). Check the other more distant possibilities:
| Airport | City | IATA | Distance |
| Geneva Airport | Geneva | GVA | 65.31 km |
| Bern Belp Airport | Bern | BRN | 69.7 km |
| Lugano Airport | Lugano | LUG | 161.01 km |
| Zurich Airport | Zurich | ZRH | 169.14 km |
| St Gallen Altenrhein Airport | Altenrhein | ACH | 232.59 km |
Geneva Airport (GVA) is the most common choice for travelers as the ride from the airport to Montreux is about 1 hour by either car or train.
However, Zurich Airport (ZRH) is also a great choice for reaching Montreux, particularly for intercontinental arrivals.
The drive from Zurich takes about 2 hours by car and 3 hours by train. It maybe takes more time, but it is cheaper and often more effective.
Most of the airports in Switzerland we mentioned before have train or bus stations right in front of the airport.
If that is not the case, you won’t need more than 10 minutes of walk to reach the first bus or train stop.
If you have big luggage that stops you from walking, you can always hire a private airport transfer.
It is certainly the most efficient and reliable means of transportation for this occasion.
If you are having an important business meeting, we gladly recommend our Edelswiss limo service and your appearance will leave a lasting impression.
Whatever the occasion, you can count on punctuation, efficiency, and impeccable style. Plus, you will have the highest level of comfort on the leather seats.
Taxi services are rather expensive and they usually do not provide the quality of a ride that you expect.
To ensure everything goes according to plan, a premium limo service is the best and the most responsible option you can choose.
Don’t make mistakes, hire a limo service for your airport transfer, and turn your occasion into an utter success!
Now that you are familiar with the list of airports in Switzerland, both international and domestic, it will be much easier for you to navigate while traveling through and in and out of the country.
When picking the closest airport, you save a lot of time on ground travel.
To make the entire travel experience flawless, hire a limousine service for your airport transfer, and ride in comfort and class.