Carli
Carli
With its close proximity, you can easily enjoy a day trip from Zurich to Liechtenstein and see some of the best things the country has to offer.
Some of the links in this post contain affiliate links. What does that mean you ask? I may earn a small commission, but you won’t pay any extra. These links also help fund and support my page.
Where is Liechtenstein?
Liechtenstein is located in the alps, nestled between Switzerland and Austria, just south of the German border.
How to get from Zurich to Liechtenstein
The Zurich to Liechtenstein distance is 110km or approximately 70 miles. It takes 1.5 – 2 hours to get from Zurich to Liechtenstein by car or by public transportation. If you are car free while visiting Switzerland, the train is a very easy and quick option.
Zurich to Liechtenstein By Train
From the Zurich central train station, you will take the train to Sargans. This is a very popular route with trains leaving regularly throughout the day. The fastest route takes just under an hour traveling directly from Zurich to Sargans.
The train ride alone is worth the journey for the views. If you can, get to the train early to snag a window seat as you’ll pass along beautiful alpine lakes and stunning mountains beyond.
When returning to Zurich from Liechtenstein, the Sargans station is very small with only four platforms. As long as you have your ticket pre-booked, you can show up 5-10 minutes before the train arrives.
Search for schedules and pricing directly on the SBB (Swiss train) website.
Zurich to Liechtenstein Bus Route
Directly outside of the Sargans station you will find the #11 bus into Liechtenstein. This bus leaves at specific intervals. For example, on Sundays, the bus may only leave every 30 minutes. However, you can board and wait on the bus (rather than in the cold) for it to leave at the designated time. Since Liechtenstein is a small country, this bus acts like a local bus, meaning it has many stops along the way. Most of the activity in Liechtenstein is in Vaduz which will take roughly 30 minutes on the bus.
Tickets for the bus can be purchased directly from the driver. Routes and timetables can be found on the Liemobil website, or you can also use Google or Apple maps.
Travel cost for a Zurich to Liechtenstein day trip
The Zurich to Liechtenstein train cost varies based on when you purchase your ticket. Tickets typically range from CHF 21-24 ($23-38 USD) one way. Unfortunately, pricing is dynamic, so the farther out you book, the lower the cost, whereas the closer you get to the travel date (or day of purchases) will cost more. Usually, you can book your ticket for just the day and route, and not the time, which allows more flexibility. Purchase tickets on the SBB website.
For your bus ticket from Sargan into Liechtenstein, you are able to get a single ticket or a day ticket. The ticket cost is determined on how many zones you travel (based on time). From Sargan to Vaduz is around 30 minutes or one zone. The cost of a day ticket is CHF 5-7 or roughly $5.50 – $8 USD. Tickets can be purchased with a credit card on the bus from the driver. You can find more pricing information on the Liemobil website.
Day trip Zurich to Liechtenstein: what to know before you travel
Liechtenstein is the 4th smallest nation in Europe, and 6th smallest in the world. The country is roughly the same size as Washington D.C., but with a population of only around 40,000 people. This means you can see quite a bit of the country in a single day.
Languages
Officially, German (and Swiss German) are the languages of Liechtenstein, however English is spoken throughout the country, especially at museums and tourist hubs.
Currency
The Swiss Franc (CHF) is the official currency in Liechtenstein. Euros are generally accepted as well in many locations. That said, you can use credit cards and mobile pay throughout the country (even the bus) so taking out cash is not necessary.
What to do during your day trip from Zurich to Vaduz Liechtenstein
For a short visit, I recommend going to Vaduz. This is the capital of Liechtenstein, and there is plenty to see and do while visiting.
Passport stamp
Do you love getting new passport stamps but hate that you only get (1) in the Schengen zone? Well, you can pay €3 (or CHF 3) to get your passport stamped in Liechtenstein. This to me is such a unique feature because 1) it’s a country most people haven’t even heard of and 2) you generally only get stamped in Europe (within the Schengen Zone) when you arrive and leave at the airport. There are a few places around the city that offer this service but most notably, the tourist office and the PostMuseum.
Tourist Office
The tourist office is a great place to start your Liechtenstein day trip. Here you can get your passport stamped as noted above, but also, there are free maps and guides of the country. The office also serves as a souvenir shop with locally made crafts, food and wine to take home with you.
Museums
PostMuseum
The PostMuseum (or Liechtenstein Postal Museum) is exactly as it sounds, a museum dedicated to the post office. This small museum walks through the history of postal service dating back to the 1400s while showcasing a collection of stamps from around the world.
This museum is free to visit. Along with getting your passport stamped, you can also purchase postcards and stamps to send to friends or family from the post office.
This museum is open Tuesday – Sunday with extended hours on Wednesday night. Check museum hours and holiday scheduling.
LandesMuseum
The LandesMuseum (or Liechtenstein National Museum) explores the history of Liechtenstein both within the geographical region, and culturally. The museum has different exhibits showcasing how life has changed for locals over the centuries, and also showcases the variety of plants and animals that live in the region.
The cost for entry is CHF 10 for admission, or CHF 13 for the Liechtenstein National Museum, Liechtenstein Treasury and audio guide. Children under 16 are free.
This museum is open Tuesday – Sunday with extended hours on Wednesday night. Check for holiday scheduling here.
Kunstmuseum
The Kunstmuseum is a modern and contemporary art museum. The first exhibit up the stairs from the ticket counter is typically dedicated to a short term special exhibition. The rest of the museum has 3 floors of permanent collection artwork from famous modern and contemporary artists including Picasso and Mondrian.
The first floor of the museum also features a popular sushi cafe and gift shop.
The cost is CHF 15 for admission, but children under 16 are free. However, every Wednesday you can visit the museum for free.
The Kunstmuseum is open Tuesday – Sunday with extended hours on Thursday night. Check for museum hours and holiday scheduling here.
Sculpture walk
While walking along the pedestrian street between museums, you will come across a number of sculptures. Vaduz has a wonderful collection of public art sculptures to see as you walk the city. You can find information on the various sculptures and locations of each here.
Hike to Vaduz Castle
The Vaduz Castle is the royal residence, which means it is not open to public view. However, you can hike up the hill to the castle to get amazing viewpoints of the city and valley below. To find the path walk towards the ice skating rink (in winter) or flea market (in summer) and look for the small signs marked “schloss” which means palace or castle.
This is a somewhat short but steep climb up the hill. There are a number of different viewpoints along the way, but the best view is all the way at the top near the side of the castle. This viewpoint has a free tower viewer (telescope) mounted to the lookout to view the mountain range beyond.
Skiing
Being that Liechtenstein is located in the alps, it should be no surprise that there are ski resorts available. You can find most skiing in the Malbun region near the Austrian border. Like the country, the ski and snowboard terrain is small, at only 4 chairlifts you can easily ski most (if not all) of the mountain around Malbun in a single day. However, unlike resorts in the US where lift tickets can range anywhere from $100-300, a single day pass is only CHF 52 ($57) per person. They also have cheaper options for partial days (morning only or afternoon only) at CHF 36 ($40).
If you like winter weather but are not a fan of downhill skiing or snowboarding, they offer plenty of other fun winter activities like sledding, curling, ice skating and snowshoeing. See all the options on their website.
Where to stay for an extended trip from Zurich to Liechtenstein
If a day doesn’t feel like enough time travelling the country, or you want a weekend in the mountains here are a few options for where to stay.
One thing to keep in mind, this is a small country with limited accommodations. The pricing is also more in line with Switzerland, so it will be harder to find budget friendly hotels.
Vaduz/Schaan
Budget stays
The Schaan-Vaduz Youth Hostel is likely the cheapest option you’ll find around Vaduz, while still keeping positive ratings. Don’t let the name fool you, the hostel provides private rooms as well as dorms.
Mid-budget stays
Just a bit north of Vaduz in Schaan is the Kloster hotel. The hotel doesn’t has limited amenities but does include continental breakfast in the nightly price.
Luxury stay
Park Hotel Sonnehof offers a 5 star stay on the edge of town up in the hills for maximum privacy and relaxation.
Malbun
There are only a few hotel options available in Malbun if you want to stay in town, especially during ski season. They book out fast, so be sure to plan ahead of time.
Jufa Hotel
Located just on the edge of town, this tends to be the least expensive (relatively speaking) of the local hotels. This hotel is located right next to a ski lift, ideal for a ski in/ski out stay.
Hotel Turna
This hotel is perfect for a stay right in the center town.
Zurich to Liechtenstein FAQs
Is Liechtenstein worth a day trip from Zurich?
Yes, the close proximity makes Liechtenstein worth a day trip. Whether you’re looking to cross another country off your bucket list, or find somewhere more tranquil than Zurich, there is plenty to see in a day.
Is there a train from Switzerland to Liechtenstein?
No, there is not a train directly to Liechtenstein, however, you can catch a train to a nearby city in Switzerland (such as Sargans) and take a bus a short ride into Liechtenstein.
How do most tourists get to Liechtenstein?
The largest nearby city is Zurich, from there you can drive or take a train, then a bus or taxi to get to Liechtenstein.
Is 1 day enough in Liechtenstein?
While one day isn’t enough to see everything, you can visit most of the museums or see most of Vaduz on a day trip to Liechtenstein from Zurich.
Can you fly to Liechtenstein?
No, you cannot fly to Liechtenstein as there is no international airport. The closest airport is Zurich, Switzerland.
Can you get a train from Zurich to Liechtenstein?
You will need to take the train from Zurich to Sargans (Switzerland) then take a bus, or taxi into Liechtenstein.
Related posts:
