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Switzerland

Zurich

Switzerland's largest city, set on a lake. Blue trams come every few minutes, right on time.

VBZ Bus / Trolleybus

Buses sell nothing on board - buy at the stop machine or in the ZVV app first. The trap is the zone count: city zone 110 counts as two zones on its own, and a ticket short of a zone costs CHF 75 even on a first offence.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Buy your ticket before you board
    Tickets are not sold on board - buy first at the machine at the stop or in the ZVV app.
  2. 2
    Count your zones - 110 counts double
    Zone 110, the city itself, counts as two zones, so a trip that stays in town needs the 1-2 zone ticket.
  3. 3
    At the machine, enter both stops
    Enter your start and destination stops and the machine works out the zones; it takes coins and cards.
  4. 4
    There are no gates - just get on
    There are no ticket gates; just hold your ticket - only paper multi-ride cards and the Zürich Card need validating.
  5. 5
    Keep the ticket ready for inspectors
    Inspections happen on board instead of at gates - keep your ticket to hand, and your phone charged.
  6. 6
    After midnight, look for N lines
    On Friday and Saturday nights and nights before holidays, N-numbered night buses run - no surcharge.

Fares

Single fares3

Short-distance ticket (Kurzstrecke)
About 2 km inside Zurich; check the exact range with the blue info button on the machine
2.8 CHF ≈ $3
Single ticket, 1-2 zones
The fare for staying inside the city (zone 110); valid one hour
4.7 CHF ≈ $6
Single ticket, all zones
Two hours across the whole ZVV area, for days when a bus takes you past the city limits
18 CHF ≈ $22

Passes & multi-ride5

24-hour ticket, 1-2 zones
The city day fare; the exact validity window is printed on the ticket or shown in the app
9.4 CHF ≈ $11
24-hour ticket, all zones
Unlimited travel across the whole ZVV area for 24 hours, airport zone 121 included
36 CHF ≈ $44
Multikarte, 6 single tickets (1-2 zones)
About 5% cheaper than six singles - stamp one field at a machine or orange validator each trip
26.8 CHF ≈ $33
9 o'clock day pass (all zones)
From 09:00 on weekdays, all day at weekends and on holidays; sold for all zones only
28 CHF ≈ $34
Zürich Card (24 or 72 hours)
Unlimited travel in zones 110, 111, 121, 140, 150, 154 and 155; validate before first use
29〜56 CHF ≈ $35–68

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Card payment at machines
VISAMastercardAmex
No tap-to-ride; contactless works for paying at machines and in the apps
IC card
Single and 24h tickets load onto a SwissPass; you must get the card first
App tickets
Buy in the ZVV app; its check-in mode works the zones out for you
Paper tickets
Paper from the machine, with the zones and expiry already printed on it
Cash
Machines take coins; the official pages say nothing about banknotes

Quick facts

Fares from
2.8 CHF+

Heads-up

  • Zone 110 in the city counts as two zones, not one

    A ticket with too few zones counts as partly valid rather than as fare evasion, but it still costs CHF 75 the first time. Buying the cheaper ticket without knowing that zone 110 counts as two zones is the mistake visitors make most often.

  • Validity is judged when you finish, not when you start

    Your ticket has to be valid when you finish the journey, not just when you start it. The last ride must be completed before the validity runs out, and if it is not, you need another ticket.

  • The record stays; a third case in two years turns criminal

    If an inspector finds you without a ticket, your name, home address, date of birth and place of origin are all recorded. Paying on the spot does not erase the record, and a third time within two years brings a criminal complaint.

Timetable

Typical duration The layer that fills in the hillsides and residential districts the trams do not reach; lines 31, 32, 33, 46, 72 and 83 are trolleybuses
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka