Show Me the Money! Switzerland Cost Comparison

Earlier this month, I wrote a post comparing the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland (including car-less towns high in the Swiss Alps) to a few alternative mountain destinations in Europe (see this post). The alternatives included:

Dolomites, Italy

Chamonix, France

Zillertal region, Austria

My pros of each alternative were that all three are cheaper to visit than the Swiss Alps. Switzerland is consistently ranked as the highest cost of living country in the world, so it’s no surprise.

After reading the post, a reader asked me for more specifics on the cost differences. Challenge accepted! So, as a follow-up to my original post, here are some price comparisons for lodging, attractions, public transportation and restaurants. I used my family of 5 for all cost estimates (our kids are 14, 16 and 20).

Lodging Price Comparison

Hotels in Europe generally have a capacity of 2 people per room, so they don’t work for my family of 5. Instead, I looked at vrbo.com for apartments similar to the one we actually stayed in during our trip to Wengen, Switzerland.

Criteria: Apartment that sleeps at least 5 people with kitchen, washing machine, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Timeline: 7 nights, the last week of June 2025.

Wengen (car-free village), Swiss Alps: Chalet Rossi 4. Sleeps 6, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, washing machine, view. Cost with tax: $3527

Val Gardena, Dolomites, Italy: 198A Apartments Villa Alpina. Sleeps 6, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, washing machine. Cost with tax: $1676

Chamonix, France: Chamonix, 3 bedroom apartment located 10 minutes walk from the center. Sleeps 6, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, washing machine, view. Cost with tax: $1525

Finkenberg, Zillertal, Austria: Antonio by Interhome. Sleeps 8, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Cost with tax:$1792 (Note: None of the rentals in Finkenberg have washer/dryer).

As you can see, staying in a car-less village in Switzerland is about twice as much as the alternatives for the same type of lodging.

Top Attraction Price Comparison

Ascending mountain peaks for prime views doesn’t come cheap! Although each region’s top attraction is debatable, here is a price comparison of some popular excursions:

Swiss Alps: Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe is Europe’s highest railway station with glacier views, snow sledding, ice caves and more. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cost of gondola and train for family of 5 with Swiss Travel Pass discount: $716 (does not include sledding, zip lining, etc.)

Dolomites, Italy: Alpe di Suisi is the largest high-alpine pasture in Europe and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ortisei-Alpe di Suisi Ropeway is close to the Val Gardena village center. Cost for round-trip gondola tickets for my family of 5: $162

Chamonix, France: AIGUILLE DU MIDI CABLE CAR to the top of Mont Blanc offers view of the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. Once at the top, you can take the Panoramic Mont-Blanc cable car over the Glacier du Géant to Pointe Helbronner in Italy. Mont Blanc is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cost for both gondolas for my family of 5: $615

Zillertall, Austria: Hintertux Glacier is a popular place for views and adventures. A summer day ticket to the highest cable car costs around $259 for my family of 5.

Public Transportation/Cable Car Price Comparison

If you plan to see a lot in the area, purchasing a multi-day transportation/cable car pass can save you money.

Switzerland: The Swiss Travel Pass covers transportation by bus, boat, train and some gondolas. It does not cover all of the mountain-top gondolas, but having a Swiss Travel Pass gives you a discount to some of those higher-altitude attractions. Cost for my family of 5 for 6 days: $1544. Or, a slightly cheaper pass is the Berner Oberland Pass which mainly covers transportation in the region but still doesn’t cover all mountain lifts. Cost for my family of 5 for 6 days: $1238.

Dolomites, Italy: The Dolomite Supersummer Pass is an all-inclusive public transportation pass that includes 140 lifts. This pass appears to include most or all lifts, including the lift to Alpe di Suisi mentioned above. A 5-day pass for my family of 5 costs $889.

Chamonix, France: The Mont-Blanc Summer Multipass covers several area lifts and attractions. Note that while it does cover the cable car to the top of Mont Blanc, it doesn’t cover the panoramic cable car to Italy. Cost for my family of 5 for 5 days: $786.

Zillertal, Austria: The Zillertal Activcard covers all 10 cable cars in the region plus access to swimming pools and most other public transportation. The card includes access to Hintertux glacier mentioned above, but not all the way to the highest station. Cost for my family of 5 for 6 days: $583.

Cost of Restaurant Food

It’s hard to compare restaurants in each area due to variety of food, location, service, etc. But Expatistan.com gives an estimate by country for the cost of a restaurant lunch including drink:

Switzerland: $32

Italy: $18

France: $20

Austria: $17

Based on my travels in Switzerland, Italy and France, these cost estimates seem in line. Most restaurant meals we had in Switzerland cost $30-$50 per person (but we ate in cliffside restaurants with amazing views!)

Overall Thoughts, and A Cheaper Way to See Swiss Alps

Clearly, Switzerland is more expensive to visit than other similar mountain regions in Europe. However, I don’t think you should write it off due to the high cost. Everyone in my family loved Switzerland, and it ranks as our favorite place in Europe. There are several ways to get a taste of the Swiss Alps without spending as much money:

• Skip the Swiss Travel pass, pay for trains as you go, and hike between towns. For example, you could take the train/cable car to Murren and then hike down through Gimmelwald and back to Lauterbrunnen. If you’re in great shape, you can hike almost everywhere in Switzerland! The trails are well-maintained.
• Keep your visit to 3-4 days instead of a full week. Pick a few must-see attractions, and skip the rest.
• Buy food at grocery stores instead of eating at restaurants! We found sandwiches for around $5 each, perfect for taking along on a hike.
• Stay in Interlaken instead of a car-free village like Wengen or Murren. Lodging is a bit less expensive in Interlaken:

Interlaken:  Private village $2753

Do these prices surprise you? For those of you who have been to Switzerland, is the high cost worth it?