Skip to content
wheretotravel.info
Chapel Bridge tower in Lucerne at sunset with reflections

Switzerland travel guide

Lakes, mountains and cities that run on time, best seen in late summer

Best: Aug, Sep

Photo: bea61 / Pixabay

Capital
Bern
Languages
French, Swiss German, Italian
Currency
Swiss franc
Time zone
UTC+01:00
Plugs
Type C, J · 230 V
Driving
On the right
Emergency
112
Entry
Schengen area

Why visit Switzerland

Switzerland suits travellers who want hiking, lake towns and tidy cities in one trip, from Geneva and Lausanne to Lugano and mountain resorts like Arosa or Crans-Montana. August and September are the best months, with clearer alpine weather for walking and sightseeing. The honest limitation: Switzerland is small, at 41,284 km2, and landlocked, so you won't find coastal beaches, and costs here tend to run high across the country.

  • Late-summer weather in August and September

    August and September are the best months to visit Switzerland. Days are warm enough for lake swims in Geneva or Lausanne, but cool enough for long hikes without summer crowds or heat.

  • Cities on four languages, four cultures

    Switzerland runs on French, Swiss German, Italian and Romansh. Moving between Geneva, Bern and Lugano feels like crossing borders, even though the whole country covers just 41,284 km2.

  • Lakeside life in Geneva and Lausanne

    Geneva (209,061 people) and Lausanne (144,873 people) sit on Lake Geneva, giving two mid-size cities a waterfront pace that's rare for land-locked Switzerland.

  • Italian flavor in Lugano

    Lugano, population 63,495, sits in the Italian-speaking south. It gives travellers a warmer, Mediterranean-leaning stop without leaving Switzerland.

  • Mountain towns for altitude and snow

    Arosa and Crans-Montana are small alpine towns, with populations of 3,185 and 10,447. They're built for mountain time: skiing, altitude air, and a much slower scale than the big cities.

Is Switzerland right for you?

Great for

  • Mountain and lake travellers, since cities like Lugano, Crans-Montana and Arosa sit in Alpine or lakeside settings
  • Summer trips in August, when Bern highs reach 24°C with over 10 hours of sun a day
  • Shoulder-season visitors in September, with warm 19°C days and fewer rain days than spring
  • Landlocked-country travel, since no Swiss city here is coastal, so plan lake rather than beach time
  • Multilingual-country explorers, with French, Swiss German, Italian and Romansh all spoken

Less ideal for

  • Beach seekers, since none of the listed cities are coastal
  • Travellers wanting a dry spring, as May brings 142 mm of rain over 17 days in Bern
  • Winter sun chasers, since Bern December to February highs stay between 4 and 7°C with only 5 to 7 hours of sun
  • Budget travellers, since the Swiss franc and general Swiss price levels are high

Switzerland right now: November

2.1/10
Avg high
8°C
Avg low
1°C
Rain days
13

Averages for Bern.

Weather by month

Based on data for Bern, August and September are the best months, with highs near 24°C and 19°C, plenty of sun (around 11 and 10 hours a day) and fewer rainy days than summer. January, February and the deep winter months of November and December are the toughest, with highs barely above freezing, lows down to -2.7°C, and weak sun of just 5 to 6.5 hours a day.

Average highs and lows in Bern by month January: high 4°C, low -3°C , 14 rain days . February: high 7°C, low -1°C , 12 rain days . March: high 10°C, low 0°C , 14 rain days . April: high 14°C, low 3°C , 13 rain days . May: high 17°C, low 8°C , 17 rain days . June: high 22°C, low 13°C , 16 rain days . July: high 24°C, low 14°C , 15 rain days . August: high 24°C, low 14°C , 13 rain days . September: high 19°C, low 10°C , 11 rain days . October: high 15°C, low 6°C , 12 rain days . November: high 8°C, low 1°C , 13 rain days . December: high 5°C, low -1°C , 14 rain days . 4°C -3°C JAN 14d 7°C -1°C FEB 12d 10°C 0°C MAR 14d 14°C 3°C APR 13d 17°C 8°C MAY 17d 22°C 13°C JUN 16d 24°C 14°C JUL 15d 24°C 14°C AUG 13d 19°C 10°C SEP 11d 15°C 6°C OCT 12d 8°C 1°C NOV 13d 5°C -1°C DEC 14d
Best months Other months (low–high) Nd = rain days

Bern · averages 2015–2024

Best time to visit Switzerland: month-by-month weather →

Where to go in Switzerland

City guides with their own best months and weather.

Sample itineraries

7 days

Cities, Lake Geneva and Alpine Villages

  1. Day 1–2

    Bern

    Start in the capital, best visited in August or September. Walk the old town's arcaded streets and see the famous bear park by the river.

  2. Day 3

    Gruyères

    Take a day trip to this small medieval town of 2199 people, known for its castle and the cheese that shares its name.

  3. Day 4–5

    Geneva

    Spend two days in Geneva, home to 209061 residents, exploring the lakefront, the old town and the United Nations quarter.

  4. Day 6–7

    Lausanne

    Finish in Lausanne, a city of 144873 people on Lake Geneva, with its Olympic Museum and steep old-town streets leading down to the water.

10 days

From the Rhine to the Alps

  1. Day 1–2

    Basel

    Begin in Basel, population 176329, best visited in August or September. Walk along the Rhine and explore the compact, well-preserved old town.

  2. Day 3

    Bern

    Travel on to Bern for a day in the capital, strolling the sandstone arcades and visiting the bear enclosure by the river.

  3. Day 4

    Gruyères

    Stop in Gruyères, a village of 2199 people, to see the hilltop castle and sample the local cheese.

  4. Day 5–6

    Crans-Montana

    Head up to this Alpine resort town of 10447 residents for two days of mountain walking or skiing, depending on the season.

  5. Day 7–8

    Lugano

    Cross to the Italian-speaking south and spend two days in Lugano, a lakeside city of 63495 people, with its palm-lined promenade and old town squares.

  6. Day 9–10

    Arosa

    End the trip in Arosa, a small mountain town of 3185 people, for two final days of hiking or skiing with views over the surrounding peaks.

Where to stay

One good base in each main city and who it suits.

Altstadt

Bern

Good for first-timers, sightseeing

Bern's medieval Old Town sits on a bend of the Aare River, with long stone arcades, fountains and the Zytglogge clock tower. You can walk to most sights and to the main station. Streets are cobbled and busy by day, and some lanes have bars that stay noisy late.

Grossbasel Altstadt

Basel

Good for first-timers, sightseeing, couples

The medieval old town on the left bank of the Rhine, around the Marktplatz, the red sandstone Rathaus and the Münster, puts most of Basel's main sights within walking distance. Lanes and squares are pretty and calm in the evening. The drawback: the streets climb steeply up from the river, and the cobbles are tiring with luggage.

Food to try in Switzerland

Cheese fondue

A pot of melted cheese, often a mix of Gruyère and Vacherin, shared at the table with bread cubes on long forks. It's a classic winter dish, especially popular in the French-speaking regions.

Raclette

Melted cheese is scraped onto potatoes, pickles, and cured meats. It's a social meal, often eaten in mountain huts or at home during colder months.

Rösti

A pan-fried cake of grated potatoes, crisp on the outside and soft inside. It comes from German-speaking Switzerland and is served as a side or a main dish with eggs or sausage.

Swiss chocolate

Switzerland is known worldwide for its chocolate, made with high-quality milk and cocoa. You'll find it in shops and cafés across every region, from bars to pralines.

Älplermagronen

A hearty alpine dish of macaroni, potatoes, cheese, and cream, often topped with fried onions and served with apple sauce. It's common in mountain regions and traditional Swiss German kitchens.

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes

Thin strips of veal in a creamy mushroom sauce, usually served with rösti. This dish comes from Zurich and is a staple on menus in German-speaking Switzerland.

Know before you go

  • Currency: Switzerland uses the Swiss franc, not the euro. Some shops and hotels near borders accept euros, but you often get change in francs, so carry some local cash.
  • Plugs and voltage: Power sockets run on 230 V and use plug types C and J. Type J has three round pins in a triangle, so a standard European type C plug often works but a UK or US adapter does not.
  • Driving side: Traffic drives on the right. Mountain roads and alpine passes can be narrow and winding, so take extra care if you are used to driving on the left.
  • Emergency number: Call 112 for police, fire or ambulance anywhere in the country. This number works from any phone, even without a local SIM card.
  • Languages: Switzerland has four national languages: French, Swiss German, Italian and Romansh. Signs and staff vary by region, so expect German in the north and east, French in the west and Italian in the south.
  • Time zone: Switzerland is on UTC+1 all year with the rest of Western Europe, so check this if you are coordinating arrival times with flights or trains from other time zones.

Switzerland: frequently asked questions

Is Switzerland good in August?

Yes, August is one of the best months, scoring 7.5 out of 10. In Bern, the average high is 24.1°C and the low is 14.1°C. It has 12.6 rain days and 111 mm of rain, with 10.9 hours of sun a day, so days are warm with a fair chance of a shower.

What is the best month to visit Switzerland?

September scores highest at 7.8, just ahead of August at 7.5. September in Bern has a high of 19.4°C, a low of 10.2°C, only 11 rain days, 88 mm of rain, and 9.7 hours of sun daily, giving warm days, cooler nights, and drier weather than mid-summer.

Is Switzerland cold in January?

Yes, January is the coldest month and scores just 1.3. Bern's average high is 4.1°C and the low drops to -2.7°C. It also has 14.3 rain days, the most of any month, with 96 mm of precipitation and only 5.2 hours of sun a day, so expect short, grey, chilly days.

What is the rainiest month in Switzerland?

May has the most rainfall, with 142 mm in Bern, even though it isn't the month with the most rain days. May still scores 6.7 and counts as good, with a high of 16.9°C and a low of 7.7°C, and 10.2 hours of sun, so rain tends to fall in heavier bursts rather than constant drizzle.

What is the plug type and voltage in Switzerland?

Switzerland uses plug types C and J, with a voltage of 230 V. If your devices run on a different voltage, bring a converter as well as an adapter. The country's emergency number is 112, and Swiss franc is the currency used nationwide.

Is October a good time to visit Switzerland?

Yes, October scores 6.1 and counts as good. Bern's average high falls to 14.7°C and the low to 6.1°C, with 11.8 rain days, 96 mm of rain, and 7.5 hours of sun a day, so expect cooler, shorter days with autumn colors replacing summer heat.

Similar destinations

Countries with a year of weather much like Switzerland.