How can you fully experience Zurich, Bern, and Baden, Switzerland for less than $100 per day for 2 people? Impossible right? Nope! We had some experiences of a lifetime without breaking the bank.
This trip was definitely worth the expense for us! That said, it takes a fair number of days to see everything. Recommended, but be aware of the costs.
Cost Per Day
$63.97
Number of Days On Trip
10
Total Trip Cost
$639.65
The food in Switzerland is expensive, no getting around that. Particularly expensive in the major cities as you may expect. Not worth the cost to eat at restaurants all the time.
This region of Switzerland speaks a version of German that is a bit different. Everyone is friendly and the cities are interesting!
Where we stayed could be considered “Pleasantville”. It was perfectly safe and (because of our house sit) had all of the amenities of home.
The train system is on time, centrally located, and signage is clear. It is very “Swiss” which, by reputation, is a good thing
Zurich, Bern, and Baden Switzerland Game Plan
Following Geneva, we used our trusty Eurail pass to head over to Baden Switzerland! The plan for this trip was a little different as we wanted to live more like locals. We had a house sit all lined up, but the timing was unusual. It was a total of 10 days, but we had 5 days, a long weekend, and another 5 days after at 1 location. So, we planned out a trip to Chur, Switzerland for the free weekend!
So what did we do in addition to our house sit??
- Full day trip to Zurich, Switzerland
- Wander Baden, Switzerland and enjoy the natural hot springs
- Explore Bern, Switzerland for the day
Unique Opportunities and Experiences
Day Trip to Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich is on the top of many people’s bucket lists! It is a central hub for Switzerland’s banking system and is known for its world-renowned universities. The city is easily walkable and loaded with restaurants and parks to relax in.
We actually have a friend that lives in Zurich and he was able to show us the city! He took us on a tour of the city, up to the entrance of the University and down by the riverside near the Opera House. We were able to catch up over a few pints at a few different bars in the old town and get the local experience.
Baden, Switzerland Hot Springs
The city of baden has an awesome historic walking tour brochure here.
One of the coolest things to do is the natural hot springs! We indulged here 3 times in our stay and had fantastic chats with the locals. We even had the chance to walk the main streets.
Bern Switzerland Exploration
Okay, total honesty here. We had never heard of Bern, Switzerland before talking to our housesitting host! She recommended it and we heard it again talking to the locals at the hot springs. We knew we had to go.
The town is amazing! The big draw is the river that passes right through the town. We learned that the locals actually commute using the river by turning dry bags into floatation devices. We found a bridge that locals were jumping off of, swimming to the edge of the river, and walking back to do it again. I wish we brought our swim suits…
Zurich, Bern, and Baden Switzerland Trip Cost Breakdown
| Item | Category | Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
Coop |
Groceries |
$3.59 |
|
Kaboul Boissons |
Groceries |
$3.91 |
|
Lidl |
Groceries |
$71.88 |
|
RVBW Baden |
Auto and Transport |
$8.08 |
|
Lidl |
Groceries |
$9.46 |
|
Brezlkonig |
Restaurants |
$6.04 |
|
Kontiki $ Zuri-Bar |
Alcohol and Bars |
$24.06 |
|
Lidl |
Groceries |
$5.54 |
|
Ebrietas |
Alcohol and Bars |
$29.66 |
|
Migrolino St. Moritz |
Groceries |
$6.10 |
|
Lidl |
Groceries |
$65.01 |
|
Bus Ticket |
Cash and ATM |
$112.76 |
|
SBB Mobile Ticket |
Public Transportation |
$8.10 |
|
Eurail |
Transportation |
$285.42 |
Zurich, Bern, and Baden Switzerland Cost Saving Opportunities and Analysis
10 days in Switzerland can be pretty expensive. That said, the cost did end up being less than $100 a day for 2 people, so all and all pretty reasonable.
Our biggest expenses for this trip are Food (Groceries/Restaurants/Bars) and Transportation. Housesitting is BY FAR the biggest cost saving opportunity out there since it basically means we have FREE housing.
We stayed within waking distance of the town of Baden (which has a central train station) and also within walking distance of the local Lidl. Since we had a full kitchen, we saved a boat load on food also! We spent a ton on food/drink here already, it would have been far more if we went out more often.
We did make a mistake however… and did not understand the bus ticket system properly. Unfortunately, we thought we could purchase tickets via the app once we were on the bus. But we could not figure it out and when the Swiss officials checked tikets, our paperwork was not in order. They took us to the ATM at the train station and collected our $112 fine in cash gladly.
Finally, our transportation cost was fairly high. We did use the Eurail pass multiple times on this trip and that helped offset those daily costs too! Was the Eurail pass worth it? Find out here.
