Switzerland

Zurich

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

Lake Zurich boats / Limmat river boats (ZSG)

The boats are part of the ZVV - the same zone or 24-hour ticket that covers a tram also covers the lake. The catch - the Limmat river boats and the Rapperswil services are seasonal, with no winter timetable.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

1
Buy your ticket before you board

Buy in the ZVV app, at a blue ticket machine, or at a staffed sales point. Don't count on buying once you are aboard.
2
Count the zones you need

Along one shore, your ticket must cover every zone in between. On a straight cross-lake hop, the two end zones are enough.
3
Find the right pier

Lake services start at Bürkliplatz, the river boats at Landesmuseum, and the Rapperswil services are a separate set again.
4
Punch a paper Multikarte first

Using a paper Multikarte, punch one field before boarding - at an orange validator or a ZVV ticket machine.
5
Keep the ticket to hand until you step off

There are no gates - inspectors work the boat itself, so keep it where you can show it.

Fares

Single fares5

Limmat river cruise (1 hour)

A single ticket for zone 110, valid one hour, covers it; a Zürich Card works too.

4.7 CHF ≈ $6

Mini lake cruise (1 hour)

A single ticket for zones 110 + 140; also included in the Zürich Card.

7.2 CHF ≈ $9

Short lake cruise (1.5 hours)

A single ticket for zones 110 + 140 + 150; also included in the Zürich Card.

9.4 CHF ≈ $11

Long lake cruise (4.5 hours, round trip to Rapperswil)

Needs the all-zone 9 o'clock day pass - from 09:00 on weekdays, all day at weekends. First class costs extra.

28 CHF ≈ $34

Lake cruise from Rapperswil (2 hours)

A four-zone 24-hour ticket; the three-hour upper lake cruise costs the same but runs in summer only.

18.8 CHF ≈ $23

Passes & multi-ride2

All-zone 24-hour ticket

Covers 24 hours of boats plus trams, buses and S-Bahn trains across the whole network.

36 CHF ≈ $44

Zürich Card (24 / 72 hours)

CHF 29 for 24 hours, 56 for 72; covers the mini and short lake cruises and the Limmat river boat.

29〜56 CHF ≈ $35–68

Add-ons & fees1

Taking a bike on board (day pass)

The SBB bike day pass. Carriage is never guaranteed, and the Limmat boats take no bikes at all.

14 CHF ≈ $17

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

A scheduled ZSG boat: your ZVV zone ticket is valid on board. Taken Apr 2026 © Saxifraga mutata・CC0

Payment

Tap to ride

No tap-to-ride here; contactless only works for buying a ticket

IC card

No stored-value card; the SwissPass only carries season tickets

App tickets

Buy in the ZVV app - issue or activate it before you board

Paper tickets

Paper tickets from machines and counters; a paper Multikarte needs punching

Cash

Cash at ZSG counters and on board; ticket machines take coins and cards

Quick facts

Hours

6:30-22:00, seasonal

Frequency

Every 30-60 min in summer

Fares from

4.7 CHF+

Heads-up

The cheapest short-distance ticket, the Kurzstrecke, is not valid on ZSG scheduled boats - it works fine on land, which is what makes it easy to miss. Buy a zone ticket on a day you plan to take a boat.
The evening Erlebnisschiffe cruises sit outside the ZVV fare altogether. Zone tickets, 24-hour tickets and the Zürich Card are all invalid - buy the special ticket at the Bürkliplatz counter or on board.