Travel and transport agencies German-Speaking Switzerland

The Schilthorn summit has been accessible by cableway since the 1960s. It was here that the world's first revolving restaurant was built, set amidst peaks of 3,000 and 4,000 m. Famous thanks to the James Bond film, Her Majesty's Secret Service, it has become a veritable place of pilgrimage, with experiences such as a visit to Bond World. You can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the famous film shoot, take a seat in the 360° restaurant and contemplate two hundred peaks during a 45-minute rotation and enjoy the unforgettable panorama.

After Zurich, Berne is the country's most important railway station. It handles TGV high-speed trains from many different countries. Outside normal opening hours, you can pick up your ticket at the ticket office. You'll find bike rentals and a 70-store shopping mall on site. The advantage of the station is that it's at the foot of Berne's old town. This makes it easy to visit the historic part of the city, even in transit. In addition to the station, it's also worth checking out the BernMobile Infocenter for information on the bus network and soft mobility.

This small airport handles some 180,000 passengers a year, for vacation destinations such as Palma de Mallorca and Sicily, as well as regional destinations with SkyWork. Just 10 km from the center of Berne, it's easy to reach by train or bus. For those with a taste for the unusual, it's possible to take a guided tour of the airport and grasp the complex logistics and management of air traffic.

There's nothing more pleasant than visiting Zurich by bike: sure, the old town is made of cobblestones, so it's less conducive to cycling, but the lakeside promises some lovely, bucolic rides. The association Suisse Roule, which operates in several cities and aims to improve the integration of unemployed people and asylum seekers, lends out bicycles in return for a deposit and proof of identity. It is also possible to reserve electric or cargo bikes. Easy, economical and practical, it's ideal!

You hold your breath and don't look at the cliff the funicular is about to climb! Your apprehension will soon be rewarded by the lure of the scenery. It's a quick 10-minute ascent, with a 64% gradient that takes you straight to the summit of Harder Kulm, at 1,322 m altitude. If you're a lover of beautiful alpine scenery, you'll be delighted to walk on the platform located in the void. Above the lakes and on the mountain, your eyes will be captivated by the beauty of the landscape. A restaurant welcomes you for fondues, even in summer.

Moonliner night buses run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, connecting the main points of the city from Central Station. Very practical for partygoers, they run between 1 and 4 am. A total of 263 communes are served. They take passengers to the main Swiss cities of Thun, Solothurn, Interlaken, Bern and Biel. Hundreds of passengers use the Moonliner network every night. It's a concept that favors collective mobility and ensures a comfortable, safe and inexpensive ride home in the evening.

Over 2,900 trains (including 900 long-distance trains) pass through Zurich station every day, making it one of the busiest railway stations in the world, built in 1847. Centrally located, it is a major rail hub for neighboring cities and countries. You can get there by S-Bahn, bus (lines 31 and 46), streetcar or bus. Good to know: a locker is open Monday to Sunday from 4.15 a.m. to 1.15 a.m. More information on the website.

Zurich International Airport is an important air hub. It serves many destinations, especially in Europe, such as Brussels, Paris, Lyon and Nice, as well as the national airports of Geneva, Basel-Mulhouse and Lugano. It is very easy to reach the city centre in about ten minutes: by train, tram or bus. For taxis, there is a taxi rank outside arrivals halls 1 and 2 (CHF 70).

The Basel SBB station is the biggest border station in Europe. The train is the ideal way to come to the city from Mulhouse, it allows you to avoid the car (the vignette and parking are quite expensive) and the stress of the city traffic (many bikes, trams and buses). Close to the old town, the station is served by tram and bus lines, which makes the visit even easier. In case of problems, many trilingual agents are at your service: here the trains come and go from Switzerland, France and Germany!

As a green city, Basel has many continuously marked bicycle paths, making cycling the ideal way to get around and explore the city in a safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly way. Bike parking facilities are available throughout the city. Rent a Bike is Switzerland's leading bicycle and e-bike rental company. They are present in all regions with over 200 rental stations. The possibility of returning the bikes to a different station from the one where they were picked up is unique and gives you the opportunity to design many tours.

Four ferries - "Wilde Maa", "Leu", "Vogel Gryff" and "Ueli" - operate between the five bridges over the Rhine. It's an amazing, environmentally-friendly way to cross the river. The boats are connected by a cable and pushed by the current: an ingenious system that avoids wasting energy. It's also very useful for Basel's residents, as it eliminates the need to walk around the quays to reach a bridge. A very pleasant experience, as the crossing allows you to rest for a few minutes and offers a different view of Basel's houses.

The longest railway tunnel in the world! This project is pharaonic: imagine the longest tunnel in the world (57 km) and the most buried: it is dug under 2300 meters of rock! A real hole in the earth's crust! By burying itself and crossing the massif from which the Rhine and Rhone rivers flow, the Gotthard tunnel has changed the map of European road transport. It links the German-speaking cantons of Uri (Erstfeld) and Ticino (Bodio). The first high-speed train tests were carried out at the end of November 2016.

The Polybahn, an old funicular often referred to as the Student Express, transports visitors from Central to the panoramic terrace (Polyterrasse) between the Polytechnic and the University of Zurich at an altitude of 176 m. The two historic red cabins can accommodate 50 people for a 90-second ride. To get there, you can walk from Zurich's main train station to the Central (main square). A very quick but unmissable attraction during your visit to the city.

If you are planning a trip to Switzerland by car, the question of parking is worth asking, especially in the city of Zurich. In the city centres, finding a parking space is not always easy and can quickly become a headache. To help you, you can count on the website and the application of the Parkleitsystem Stadt Zürich. By logging in, you can get all the information you need about the city's car parks: the number of free spaces in real time, the opening hours, the rates and an extract of the city map.

The Swiss company Rhätische Bahn (or RhB, for Rhätische Bahn in German) offers this mainly tourist-oriented line: the Bernina Express. It runs throughout the Grisons region (in south-eastern Switzerland) from mid-May to mid-October. The 4-hour journey allows you to enjoy magnificent landscapes, up to altitudes of over 2,000 m. The Bernina Express route between Thusis and Tirano is so beautiful that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A simply breathtaking experience.

The ZVV is the public transport company that operates the bus, tram, river shuttle and suburban train network (the S-Bahn) in Zurich. The tram and bus network is extremely dense, well connected and punctual. This is an ideal way to get around! The transport system operates from 5.30 a.m. to after midnight and is replaced from Friday to Sunday inclusive by the night buses and S-Bahn. A night service that operates from 1am to 9am (a supplement of 5 CHF must be paid).

The Zürich Card allows you to use the entire streetcar, bus, train and boat network, as well as the funiculars in and around the city, without limit. Free admission to most of the city's museums, plus 10% discount in a selection of almost 20 stores. On presentation of this card, over 30 restaurants will offer you a surprise such as an aperitif. The card is available at the airport, the tourist office at the main station, from the Zurich Navigation Company (VBZ) or online.

From Lucerne, access is easy and open all year round, simply park in the car park at the bottom of the cable car or take the bus from the centre. The ascent takes place in two stages. First you take the gondolas, which are used as lifts in winter when the snow covers the lower altitudes. Do not get off at the first arrival, to get to Pilatus you have to continue to Fräkmüntegg. The cable car takes you up to Pilatus Kulm.

Incredible rope course linking the two peaks Jakobsbad and Kronberg, created by the ropeway company leading to the same mountains. The Kronberg-Scheidegg-Chlepfhütte-Jakobsbad route rises between 3 and 8 m above sea level and comprises several itineraries with six to eight stations and varying degrees of difficulty, depending on the level required. A cable car ride up to the Kronberg is required. In winter, the route is also prepared daily.