With its fabulous four seasons, there is every reason to go to Switzerland whenever you like – the choice is yours, as it is fabulous year-round. Finding the best season for your particular Swiss adventure merely takes a bit of pro-and-con decision-making, with a dash of expert advice from the Tully Travel Designers, of course.
In the back of everyone’s mind are the postcard views, glistening lakes, snow-covered peaks and wedding-cake hotels. Add in bucolic mountain views – summer and winter – cosmopolitan cities, great food and ample chocolate. Locals and visitors agree that the best month to visit Switzerland depends on what you want to see and do. Whether you want a luxury trip to Zurich, a trip to Geneva or perhaps a river cruise to Switzerland, the choices are myriad. What are your Swiss goals?
Experience Switzerland in summer
High season here is the summertime, from June through August, when the hiking trails, lakes and rivers, forests and cities are awash in sunshine. You will experience the absolute best hot and dry weather and long, lazy days. Visiting Switzerland in the summer guarantees snow-free Alpine trails, breathtaking forest scenery and grape vines thick with fruit.
As the summer is peak season in Switzerland, there will be many other tourists after the same adventures as you are – but sometimes the more the merrier. Keep in mind that this is also the time when the Swiss themselves are on holiday.
Visit Switzerland in the shoulder season
Spring and fall are the best times to visit this tiny nation, periods of excellent temperatures and reasonably long days – and far fewer people. We can even stretch this to a few weeks in early June, before school is out.
Specific to springtime, March to May offer bright flowers, green hillsides and lush valleys. This makes a day trip to the countryside all the more invigorating. Bear in mind that April can still see snow in some parts of the country.
If you want to experience the amazing fall colors, September and October are your options – one of the best times to visit the Swiss Alps, particularly on a train journey, so you can sit back and take in the view. In the autumn, the cows come down from the mountain pastures, the wineries prepare for crush time and the farmers are busy harvesting fruit. Visitors will enjoy sunny but shorter days and cooler nights.
Walk in a winter wonderland
Switzerland attractions in the winter are varied. And splendid! This is a place that knows how to do winter right. Luxury vacations to Switzerland during this time could see you hitting the Alpine ski slopes, travelling by train through snow-covered hillsides and enjoying cozy evenings in. The Glacier Express train connects the stations of the two major mountain resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz via Andermatt in the central Swiss Alps. The Jungfrau Region is similarly prized for its ski heritage.
And if “festive” is a word that needs to be included in your agenda, the renowned Christmas Markets – from mid-November to early January – turns cities throughout Switzerland into a fairy tale complete with wooden chalets, traditional foods, a multitude of crafts and aromatic spiced wine. The season couldn’t be more merry. To make this the most wonderful time of the year for you, skip the holidays and school breaks.
As you can see, there are no bad times to visit Switzerland – you simply can’t go wrong at any time of the year. And once you do visit, we know you will soon be back for a second helping.
