If you want to know what to do in Zurich in one day on a low budget then read this article as I hardly spent any money there yet I had a lot of fun during my day trip to Zurich!
This Swiss city is a major railway hub virtually in the middle of Europe where dozens of international trains arrive and depart every day.
As such, Zurich would be the ideal location for a backpacking holiday for anyone with an Interrail pass, looking to travel around Europe. The problem is, most things in Zurich are so expensive backpackers can hardly afford a visit.
How To Get To Zurich
There are direct international trains from Zurich to Italy, France, Germany and Austria as well as Hungary. But again, the only downside is that Zurich itself is outrageously expensive, especially the accommodation options. Even a bunk bed in a youth hostel in a less frequented part of Zurich will cost you three times what it would anywhere else in Europe.
The train ride to Zurich will be comfortable whatever kind of train you use. I took a regional train from Strasbourg to Basel and there I changed to another direct train to Zurich. This way I arrived in Zurich just after 7pm. I got there just in time to check into my youth hostel (€34/night) and then tracked up to the university where there is a nice little square overlooking the city.
This was my second time in Zurich – the first time I was only here for a few hours, changing trains from Geneva to Munich. At the time I was running around like a headless chicken looking for a printer because they only accepted paper tickets on the train so I hardly saw anything then.
Things To Do In Zurich In One Day
If you have a short amount of time, I would recommend just walking around the city center. Perhaps you could do what I did and take the Polybahn up to the University as the views from the square were amazing and well worth the visit.
My opinion is that the best way to save money during a holiday in Zurich is to not spend it! That sounds very easy to say I know and you will probably ask – “OK, but how will I have fun then?”
I am not saying you shouldn’t visit any of the attractions in Zurich but you don’t have to visit all the museums and art galleries to have a good time. In fact, there are plenty of outdoor places in Zurich which you can easily walk past and admire from outside.
My personal favourites were its parks and viewpoints on the hillside, such as the University gardens where I went to check out the sunset or the lakeside parks and squares with all the hustle and bustle at zero cost.
Things To See In Zurich
The Polybahn takes about two minutes to arrive at the top of the hill and is included in your day pass if you have one. If not it is only a couple of coins I think.
The ticket machine is at the bottom of the stairs outside the door. You can pay by cash or card then board the train.
It was a pretty fast ride, I got up to the top of the hill in about two minutes! The Polybahn funicular runs until 12 at midnight.
I was surprised there were not more tourists here as the buildings around there were very pretty and the views were quite stunning.
The square in front of the university provides panoramic views over Zurich and the valley in the distance so I would recommend a visit up here to see this amazing sunset.
Instead of taking the lift down I decided to walk back into the city center. When you are walking downhill Zurich will be on your right, providing some nice views in the sunset.
Old Buildings In Zurich
Zurich is full of old buildings from previous centuries. Everything is very clean and organized and people are super friendly. I imagine the main attraction of Zurich for many people is its shopping district but I mostly just walked past the shops as they all looked very expensive.
When I saw a nice shop window I went to look inside but my backpack was already full so I talked myself out of buying one of those €2,000 pair shoes and €10,000 suits.
After 8pm the shopping streets empty out so you will be pretty much alone in the entire shopping district! Here in Zurch there are plenty of places to see as the whole city is very old and there are plenty of historic places to visit from the outside.
Zurich town council also provides plaques on most of the famous buildings explaining its history and who lived in them. On some corners there are also maps and instructions as to what you are about to see walking around Zurich.
Other Tourist Attractions In Zurich
Lake Zurich is another major tourist attraction in Zurich where I arrived just after sunset and it was getting dark. The main square in Zurich is in front of the Opera and a major shopping center.
Here there are dozens of buskers and young people from Zurich hanging out meeting up at the local cafes catching up after a long day’s work.
One other recommendation I have is to buy a day ticket for the local public transport and get on as many trams as you can. Most trams in Zurich go up the hills into the suburbs, which in itself are very beautiful and worth a visit. Once you get up to the last stop, get off, walk around quickly then get back on the same or the next tram back into downtown Zurich.
After a couple of tram rides I headed back to my hostel and had a not-so-good sleep before catching my train from Zurich to Budapest via Vienna.
I hope this short guide will help you find some things to do in Zurich for one day on a low cost – if you have found it useful please let me know in the comment section. Thanks!