7 Day Winter Road Trip of Switzerland

On a self-drive tour, Nordic Visitor supplies you with a quality rental car and a detailed personal itinerary. You act as your own tour guide and driver, and you get to pick the road trip music!

All your services will be pre-booked by your personal travel consultant at Nordic Visitor. This includes your rental car and accommodation in Switzerland, along with planned activities, as specified in the itinerary.

And rest assured that we’re with you every step of the way. Upon your arrival, you’ll receive personalised information including an itinerary, map and Switzerland Travel Guide.

You’ll also have access to our 24/7 helpline during your trip should you need to contact us.

During your self-drive tour, you’ll stay in accommodation hand-picked by our local Switzerland travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels and guesthouses based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.

In Switzerland you can choose from single, double and triple rooms. Please note that in Switzerland room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.

For example, a double bed often consists of 2 single beds pushed together. Twin rooms are 2 separate single beds. Triple rooms include a double bed along with an extra bed, rollaway or sofa bed. And single rooms are often smaller than the standard double.

If you're travelling with children and need multiple rooms, please note that we can't guarantee family rooms or interconnecting rooms at all accommodation. You may even have rooms on different floors.

If you have anything specific in mind, please contact us to discuss customising your accommodation options.

Due to the historic nature of buildings and sustainability regulations you might find that not all hotels have in-room air conditioning. You’ll notice this in Switzerland, Germany and even Italy, among other destinations. That said, most hotels do offer fans to help you stay cool during warmer periods.

You must be at least 20 years old and have held a valid licence for at least one year to hire a rental car in Switzerland. There may be a small additional fee for drivers under 25 years old.

Travelling with your kids? No problem! You'll be able to enter your children's ages during the booking process. This lets us know whether to arrange either a baby cot or roll-away bed for your trip.

If you'd like us to arrange for a car seat to be provided for your trip, please let us know ahead of time. It's also possible to book this directly with the car rental agency. This will incur a small, extra cost.

Driving through the Swiss Alps and countryside is a stunning experience, but it can also be a little challenging.

Roads here are well-maintained and regularly cleared, but conditions change fast up in the mountains. We recommend you check weather forecasts and road statuses before setting off, especially for mountain passes. Many high roads close completely in winter.

Drive slowly on steep descents and hairpin bends. Use lower gears to control your speed, not just the brakes – this will help the brakes to avoid overheating. If visibility drops or snow gets heavy, find somewhere safe to stop and wait it out in your car.

Your car needs to have winter tyres during winter (marked M+S or with the snowflake symbol). But don’t worry – your rental car will already be equipped if you will be driving at the relevant time.

Of course, if you feel you’d prefer not to drive during winter in Switzerland, you could join one of our train tours instead. That way, you just need to focus on enjoying the view.

During your tour of Switzerland, you’ll be travelling through both lowland and high-altitude regions. As you might expect, the temperatures can differ between these regions.

In the city of Zurich, the average temperature in winter hovers between 1–10°C (34–50°F), with the lowest temperatures occurring between December–February. While in the mountain region of Zermatt, the average temperatures dip below 0°C (32°F) after October each year, and can get as low as -11°C (12°F) in December, January and February.

It’s worth noting that these are average temperatures, and the lows can reach nearly -20°C (-4°F) in some regions. There can also be unexpectedly warm days, and the sun feels especially strong when you're at high altitudes. Sunlight also reflects off snow, increasing the chances you'll get sunburnt, so make sure you pack some sunscreen and an SPF lipbalm.

As you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors, it’s a good idea to come prepared for a combination of weather conditions.

Here is a recommended packing list for a summer trip:

• A warm jumper or fleece
• A waterproof jacket
• Hiking clothes and good walking shoes or boots
• Light scarf or thin jumper
• An umbrella
• Reusable water bottle
• Lip balm and moisturiser
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and a sunhat

On your Swiss road trip, you should budget for petrol costs of around ₣1.40–1.80 per litre.

As for meals, your breakfast is included at all your accommodation in Switzerland. For the rest of your food, your spending money will depend on the standard of restaurants you decide to go to.

Budget between ₣20–30 per person for each day’s lunch. Dinners at casual restaurants might cost between ₣25–35. Meanwhile at upscale restaurants, you can expect to pay ₣45-65 or more. This does not include the cost of alcoholic beverages.

Yes, you can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades. 

If you have something specific in mind, please let your travel consultant know at the time of booking. They'll see what they can do to accommodate you. 

Yes! We offer tours in and around many enchanting cities in Central Europe. That means you might be able to begin or end your adventure in a different location than the ones listed on this tour.

If you have another destination in mind, please get in touch with one of our travel consultants who will be happy to help you plan the perfect trip.

Switzerland uses the Swiss franc (CHF, ₣) as its currency. The neighbouring country of Liechtenstein also uses the Swiss franc, while other surrounding countries use the Euro.

In Switzerland tipping is not mandatory but welcomed. It’s usually based on the quality of service. Locals often add around 10% or simply round up their bill.

In hotels it’s common to tip concierges for hiring a taxi or making dinner reservations. As for porters, about ₣2 per bag is standard.

There are limited laundry facilities in rural areas, but you’ll find launderettes in major cities such as Zürich. Some hotels offer dry cleaning for an additional cost.

While Switzerland is not part of the European Union (EU), it is part of the Schengen area. This means that if you’re visiting from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or an EU state, you won’t need a visa to enter.

If you’re visiting from another country, you can find the complete list of countries whose nationals require visas to enter Switzerland via the State Secretariat for Migration website.

Your passport needs to be valid for the entirety of your stay in Switzerland, and for at least 6 months after your departure date. It’s a good idea to check your passport expiry date early, in case you need to renew it.

By booking with Nordic Visitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s always someone there for you throughout your trip.

For support and advice during the day, you can call our office. And if anything unexpected happens outside working hours, you can reach us on our 24/7 helpline.

During your tour, there will always be a regional travel expert on call to handle any unforeseen situations, such as unusual weather or events.

It’s best to book as soon as you can to secure your preferred travel dates. Once you have picked your tour, check the availability calendar to see which months are open for booking. Then, select the date you want and complete your booking. 

Nordic Visitor offers 10–20% deposits so you can reserve your trip as early as it’s convenient for you. The remaining balance is due 30 days before you travel. 

Many tours are also open for the following year if you like to plan well ahead. And if you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact us. 

When you book this tour, we’ll ask for a 10% deposit to secure your spot. Then you’ve got plenty of time – the rest is due 30 days before you arrive.

Here’s a tip: if you pay a 20% deposit instead, we’ll include our cancellation protection at no extra cost. It's there to give you breathing room if your plans need to change.

Booking last minute? If it’s less than 30 days until your trip, we’ll need the full payment upfront.

Want to know more? Check out our payment and cancellation terms or just get in touch – we’re here to help.

After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip. 

At that time, they’ll confirm the availability of your tour. Then the booking process starts, which may take a few weeks. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip. You will also receive more information about what to expect during your trip.

After you have booked your tour, it will only take a few days to confirm its availability. But it may take a few weeks to create your itinerary and book everything. Once your trip details are finalised, we’ll email you copies of your travel documents.

Upon your arrival in Zürich, you’ll receive a welcome package with hard copies of your itinerary, accommodation and tour vouchers, the Nordic Visitor Switzerland Travel Guide, and more.

No need! Nordic Visitor is already working on offsetting the estimated carbon footprint of your package. We’ve partnered with an environmental fund in Iceland to carbon offset all our tours.

Carbon offsetting your international flights is not included, but we highly recommend you look into possibilities with your airline or directly through a local environment fund. 

So when do you check in? And what can you expect upon landing in Zürich?

After picking up your luggage, make your way to your accommodation in the city centre. The airport has excellent public transportation connections operated by SBB (Swiss Federal Railways). Or if you’d prefer, we can arrange a private transfer for an additional fee.

Check-in times vary between hotels and guesthouses, but it normally starts between 2–4 PM. You are welcome to request an early check-in for an additional fee. Although this isn’t always available, you’ll be able to store your luggage at the hotel if you have to wait.

Please contact your travel consultant well in advance of your arrival if you’d like an early check-in.

When you depart may depend on the time of your return flight. Check out early if you’re heading to the airport for a morning flight. On the other hand, if you’re flying home later in the day, you might like to enjoy a leisurely day or visit one more attraction.

You will need to check out from your room, but will be able to store your luggage at the hotel reception. Simply return later to collect your bags before catching your transfer to the airport.

All bookings are billed in Euro (EUR).

Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. This means conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.