Zürich's Kloten Airport
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Reaching Zürich

Cabs leave from the roadway outside the arrival hall. The fare is 50 francs or more into downtown Zürich, with a driving time of 20 minutes (40 minutes in rush hour).

Most experienced travelers prefer reaching the city by train. You'll find a station of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) beneath the airport, and frequent trains go to Zürich's Hauptbahnhof (central station). You can buy first- and second-class tickets at the windows or from vending machines. If you have a EurailPass or Swiss Pass, you don't even need a ticket for the 10-minute train ride.

Many of the trains passing through the airport come from Eastern Switzerland and continue on to cities beyond Zürich. It's also simple to change trains at the Hauptbahnhof if you're in a hurry to reach your final destination. For train schedules, use the timetable e-form at the SBB's Web site.

TIP: If you're loaded with baggage, you can check your heavier bags and send them ahead to your vacation destination while you spend the night in Zürich or stop off and enjoy the sights along the way. This works in reverse, too. The baggagemaster at a Swiss railway station will check your bags all the way through to your overseas destination for a small fee.

Airport amenities

Zürich Airport has a great assortment of shops that range from food stores to the Swiss Heimatwerk, where you can pick up high-quality Swiss handicrafts as last-minute gifts or souvenirs. (My own favorite end-of-trip purchases at Zürich Airport are bread, books, and chocolate bars.)

You'll also find post offices, banks, a drugstore, restaurants, newsstands, car-rental agencies, and the best nurseries I've seen at any airport. (Unless the nurseries have changed since my last visit, they offer children's restrooms, large playrooms, cublicles where older kids can take naps, and a baby room with wicker bassinets.) There's also a Lego playground in Terminal A.

Departures

There's no great mystery to leaving Zürich, except for the question of why you'd ever want to. When you reach the airport, head for the departure area and check in. After you go through passport control, you can while away your time in the terminal shops, including the duty-free store, until it's time to board your plane.

Related Web site

Zürich Airport
The official ZRH site has everything you need to know about the airport.

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