Ride into Swiss Bliss with these easy day trips from Zürich

Even though it’s one of Europe’s most famous financial and cultural hubs, it may be time to explore some neighbourly riches, especially those that are on scenic train routes from Zürich. Whether you’re seeking time in nature, or another urban or cultural adventure, it’s easy to escape Züri. From iconic waterfalls to cable car adventures, our top day trips from Zürich by train are as rich and varied as any of our chocolate boxes. And from around one to two hours by train, you can swap the Altstadt for an altered state, all brought on purely by Swiss bliss.

Easy train trips from Zürich for getting into nature 

Rhein (Rhine) Falls 

© 2025 Swiss Travel System AG

Get ready to gush over one of Switzerland’s greatest natural wonders as Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Rhine Falls, is over 150m wide and 23m deep. Unlike the iconic US great waterfall that it’s sometimes compared with, you don’t need to travel across a border to see it from both sides. You can just take the train, with two stops near the falls. One is in Neuhausen am Rheinfall on the northern side, and the other is Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall on the southern banks of the river. Schloss Laufen is named after the eponymous castle, it’s spray-in-your-face close to the viewing platforms, but it’s also the busiest station. The other option is Neuhausen Rheinfall station, where you then take a short walk through the village to the waterfront. There are boat tours from both sides, which also take you to the rocky islet in the middle of the river, to get some of the best elevated views.  

Getting there: The Zürich to Neuhausen am Rheinfall train takes 45 mins, or travel to Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall in 50 mins.  

Locarno  

This is one of the most bellissimo beauty spots in Italian-speaking Switzerland, in the canton of Ticino which is also a bit further than some of our day trips. The star of the show in Locarno is Lake Maggiore, taking centre stage in a town with plenty of competitors for natural beauty. The Alpine foothills that overlook Locarno on the north-eastern shore of the lake don't really take centre stage. They are the stage. And although it takes 02 hrs 10 mins by train from Zürich, just think how long you’d queue up for tickets for an actual star performer. As well as the mountains and Maggiore, there are many other reasons why we think that Locarno is one of the best day trips from Zürich by train. You can take a boat trip out to the botanical Brissago Island gardens, or a funicular up to Madonna del Sasso pilgrimage church where the views are verging on ethereal. They’re even more heavenly when you take the cable car up to Cardada-Cimetta, where many hiking trails await. If you’d like more of a passagiate-style walk than a pushing up hills one, then a waterfront stroll to neighbouring Ancona is the one for you. Where you can also get the train back.  

Getting there: You can get from Zürich to Locarno in 02 hrs and 10 mins.  

Best day trips from Zürich for history and heritage 

Stein am Rhein  

© Schweizerische Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Untersee und Rhein AG, 2021, photographer: Bruno Sternegg

Stein am Rhein is a medieval marvel that has a fascinating number of prepositions attached to it. It’s ‘am Rhein’, refers to the fact that it is on the iconic river but it’s also located at Untersee, meaning under the lake. The lake being Bodensee, or Lake Constance, which flows out into the Rhine here. And, in addition, you have Stein am Rhein vor der Brugg, which refers to the part of the town that’s south of the river, or ‘before’ the bridge. So if this is starting to feel like you’re reading the iconic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, where you can’t go over it, under it or through it, rest assured you will have a beautiful day in this handsome town. With highlights including river walks, Hohenklingen Castle, the Altstadt’s Renaissance half-timbered and richly painted buildings, this is one of the best day trips from Zürich. And at just over one hour by train, you definitely must not ‘go through it’, but stop there and have an adventure.  

Getting there: Travel from Zürich to Stein am Rhein in 01 hr 06 mins  

Schaffhausen and its eco-environs 

Just 3km from Rhein Falls, Schaffhausen is worthy not only as a day trip, but also as one of the best Zürich weekend escapes. It has plenty of sights for culture vultures to swoop in on, such as its Old Town’s medieval cloisters, guild houses and landmark Munot Fortress, where a watchman has been ringing the bell every evening at 21h for centuries. But let’s also ring out the praises for the cycling routes here. With bike rentals in the town, you can pedal off along the Rhine, through the historic Ostschweizer Wine region, dating back to Roman times, on peaceful trails through Scharenwald forest or the rolling meadows of Seerücken. You can also cycle from Schaffhausen to Rhine Falls, if you haven’t taken the train there already. 

Getting there: Travel from Zürich to Schaffhausen in as little as 36 mins.  

Thun 

©Schloss Thun, 2019

Pronounced Toon, this lakeside town is music to your ears, with a symphony of cultural and natural highlights, all proffering the most perfect gateway to the Bernese Oberland region. Thun has a medieval castle overlooking the Alps and also a glacially-gorgeous blue lake. There’s the quintessentially quaint Altstad, with elevated walkways, flower-filled balconies, kitschy cafés and a lively Saturday market in Rathausplatz. It’s like they bottled up some of the best Swiss flavours and made them into a Thun perfume. Be prepared to have a Thun swoon if you’re there on a clear day, when Switzerland's Three Peaks – the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau – are visible from the lakefront. Giving it three top reasons why this is one of the best Switzerland day trips.  

Getting there: Travel from Zürich to Thun on an Intercity direct train in 01 hr 21 mins  

Where to go from Zürich in one day for peak experiences 

Lucerne and Mount Pilatus 

© Pilatus-Bahnen AG, 2011, Fotograf: Christian Perret

Lucerne is one of the peak places to visit near Zürich if you want a quick hit of all things Alpine, taking as little as 42 mins to get there by train. There is much to see in the city itself, of course, but for the purposes of our day trip adventures, keep looking up. Because, from just outside the city centre, you can take a cogwheel journey or gondola ride (bookable locally) to the massif of Mount Pilatus (2,128m). This is the world’s steepest cog railway and so be prepared for some mouth-dropping gradients, but also eye-popping views. If you want to see Lucerne, this is as close to a birdseye view that you can get. Once you’re up there, explore walking trails, a high trees rope course, toboggan run and plenty of other perky Pilatus vibes.  

Getting there: The Zürich to Lucerne train can be a speedy 42 mins.  

Appenzell and Wasserauen  

© Appenzeller Bahnen

Appenzell is located at the foot of the Alpstein Mountains, with peaks as high as 2,500m. These aren’t the country’s highest, but you won’t fail to be uplifted by this mountainous utopia when you arrive by train. In addition, because the mountains aren’t quite as high, you can get straight out into nature from Appenzell train station on trails that are open as late as October. You can also travel one more station to Wasserauen, and take the cable car from there up to the heart of the mountains, to explore the likes of the prehistoric Wildkirchli caves, and also a former hermit’s dwelling built into the rockface, which is now Berggasthaus Aescher inn. And at just under 2h from Zürich, and trains as early as 05:30, you can be up and out to Appenzell before the birds on one of the best rail trips from Zürich.  

Getting there: Travel from Zürich to Appenzell in 01 hr 51 mins 

Where to book these day trips from Zürich 

The booking platform Rail Europe makes all Swiss train booking easy, especially when you’re trying to book from an English-speaking country. They have a simple and straightforward booking system that also allows you to pay in a variety of currencies. Just enter all your travel information into their search facility, and it will come up with an array of travel options, including point-to-point tickets for travel across Switzerland and for the Swiss Travel Pass, which gives you comprehensive access to trains, buses and boats across the country.

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