Hostels in Switzerland Hostels in Switzerland

You are looking for hostels in Switzerland? Good news, you have come to the right place.

On this page we list every single city with hostels and other budget accommodations. Hostelz.com helps you to find your Switzerland hostel and compare its prices on the major booking sites such as Hostelworld, Hostelsclub and Booking.com. So you can sleep on a budget and save money while backpacking Switzerland.

All Cities in Switzerland

We list every single hostel in Switzerland and the world. In total, we have 144 cities in Switzerland for you. Please note that not all cities actually have a hostel to stay in. Below you can filter for cities with hostels and with no hostels-type accommodation, but guesthouses and budget hotels. This will help your planning.

All Switzerland hostels on a map

Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.

Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Switzerland. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.

Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Switzerland

Switzerland is a beautiful country that is rich in food and culture! There are three regions of Switzerland -- a French, German, and Italian region (however, all of these languages vary a bit from the "traditional" languages, and are known as Swiss French, Swiss German, and Swiss Italian, so it will sound a bit different). In some regions, some speakers will also use Romansh; however, many Swiss also utilize English. Switzerland is a popular tourist destination because of its renowned beauty (the Alps, lakes, and Medieval buildings) and safety (it is one of the safest countries in the world). It is also notable that Switzerland is more expensive than other Western European countries, so make sure to stock up on Swiss Francs (the local currency). Strangely, while Switzerland does not belong to the European Union, it does belong to the Schengen Zone (which will count toward your visa days in the EU/Schengen Zone).

While Bern is the capital of Switzerland, most think of Zurich or Geneva when they hear Switzerland. These cities are worth a visit, as are smaller cities such as Lucerne and Lauterbrunnen and the Swiss Alps. Recently, Kandersteg has become popular due to the mountain "roller coaster" you can ride during the summer months (they had to think of another fun attraction in this Alps town when there wasn't enough snow for skiing!). Whether you are interested in nature, thrilling experiences (like base-jumping, riding the mountain roller coaster, skiing, water rafting, paragliding), big cities, food (especially chocolate!), or architecture, you are sure to find what you are looking for somewhere in Switzerland (but obviously visiting some sort of mountainous town is a must!). Some of the cities offer free entrance to cultural sites, like the city walls in Lucerne, and this helps to offset the high prices of everything else.

There are a lot of accommodation options, including resorts, hotels, camping, guesthouses, and hostels in Switzerland. There is something for every budget. Switzerland hostels tend to be of a regular to high standard. If you are traveling during the peak season (from June to September), it is worth booking in advance, as places book up quickly, and prices tend to go up as the date nears.

Getting around Switzerland is fairly easy, whether you choose a train, bus, or vehicle (or fly into certain airports located in larger cities like Zurich, Geneva, Bern, Basel, and Lugano; Swiss Air serves little chocolates on their airplanes!). Switzerland tends to be well known for its easy access to public transportation, so aside from very small towns that are out of the way, it is easy to get there by train or bus. Remember that similar to the rest of Europe, when using public transportation, especially trains, the further out you book from when you plan to leave, the cheaper it is to get around. You can also select a tour company, as many go through Switzerland, including those like BusAbout and Top Deck that are aimed at younger audiences.

An interesting aside about the country is how paranoid Switzerland is -- they are prepared for war at all times and have one of the most skilled special forces in the world (why do you think the Vatican hires Swiss guards?). Regardless of this, Switzerland is a very safe country with so much to see and do (including eating their famous Swiss chocolate)!

expert for Switzerland hostels

Handwritten by local expert for Switzerland hostels Kari

Travel Tips for Switzerland - from the Community

Hey fam! Here are a few more tips from the community, from them to you, and you to them. This space is dedicated for travellers to share their best tips on backpacking Switzerland. Have a closer look - the Hostelz community share real hidden gems, insider knowledge and overall impressions of Switzerland. Everyone is welcome to add something useful, funny, unexpected and the "absolutely necessary to know before you go" - share, share and then share a little more!

FAQ on Hostels in Switzerland

There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:

Finding Hostels and Prices

What hostel booking sites are best to use?

There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.

This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.

For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.

How much are hostels in Switzerland?

Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.

You can search for exacty hostel prices in Switzerland here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.

When to book hostels?

If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.

We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.

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Safety and Packing

Are hostels in Switzerland safe?

Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.

What to pack when staying in hostels?

There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.

  1. Padlock
  2. Earplugs
  3. Sleeping Mask
  4. Quick Dry Travel Towel
  5. Head Lamp

There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.

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