Flights from Barcelona to Switzerland from 51GBP*

Flights to Switzerland from Barcelona

There are 3 direct ways into Switzerland from Barcelona: Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Each is just under 2 hours away by air, and from there Europe’s most precise rail network takes care of the rest of the country.

Which one you pick matters more than it seems, because each opens up a different Switzerland. Zurich faces east and towards the central Alps, Geneva looks onto Lake Geneva and French-speaking Switzerland, and Basel sits on the border with France and Germany, right on the Rhine.

What documents you need to travel to Switzerland

Switzerland is not in the European Union, but it is part of the Schengen Area. Spanish and other EU citizens therefore only need a valid national ID card or passport for tourist stays, with no visa.

Schengen flights require the physical Spanish ID card (DNI). The digital version is only valid on flights within Spain, and that detail catches people out at the check-in desk. Make sure your document covers the whole stay. If you hold another nationality, check your case on the travel documents page before booking.

What to know when you land in Switzerland

From the airport into town. All 3 are easy and take less than half an hour. Zurich and Geneva have a railway station inside the terminal, with journeys of around 10 minutes to each city centre, and the same stations are where connections to the rest of the country leave from.

Plug sockets. Switzerland uses types C and J at 230V. Type J is the Swiss 3-pin plug.

The Swiss franc. This is the national currency. Cards are accepted practically everywhere, and a local cash machine gives more predictable rates than a bureau de change.

The train. A single travel pass covers trains, buses and boats across the whole country, and it pays for itself once you make 2 or 3 long journeys. Services run with remarkable punctuality, and connections are timed to link up with almost no wait.

Switzerland has 4 official languages: German in Zurich, Basel and Bern, French in Geneva and Lausanne, Italian in Ticino and Romansh in Graubünden. English works well in tourist areas.

What to do in Switzerland

Zurich and the central Alps

Zurich, the country’s largest city, has the Kunsthaus, one of the finest art galleries in central Europe, a lakeshore that comes into its own in summer and the Langstrasse district for nights out. Trains to Lucerne and the Bernese Oberland leave from its main station.

Geneva and Lake Geneva

Geneva is an international city on the shores of the largest lake in western Europe. Just 20 minutes away by train lies the Lavaux wine region, a World Heritage Site, its terraced vineyards dropping down to the water. It is also the most direct way into Chamonix and the Mont Blanc massif, just across the border in France.

Basel and the Rhine

Basel is the least known of the 3 gateways and the one that surprises most. For its size, it packs in a density of museums that is hard to match, led by the Fondation Beyeler. It also sits where Switzerland, France and Germany meet, which puts the Black Forest and Alsace just over an hour away.

Interlaken and the Bernese Oberland

The heart of mountain tourism. From here you reach the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest railway station, and valleys such as Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. You get there by train from Zurich or Geneva, and for hikers and skiers it is the reason to make the trip.

Luggage for your flight to Switzerland

What you can take depends on the fare you choose when booking. The simplest fare includes a personal item that goes under the seat in front, and from there you can add cabin or checked luggage.

If you are travelling in winter or with mountain gear, bear in mind that skis and boots take up far more room than expected and come with their own conditions. Sorting it out while you book saves you surprises at the airport. Check the current conditions in Vueling’s luggage policy.