Where to stay in Zurich
Zurich is compact and easy to walk, with the old town on both banks of the Limmat and the lake at the end of the main street. Stay in Niederdorf for the old lanes and evenings out, around the Lindenhof and the Bahnhofstrasse for the station and the best transport, or in Seefeld for the lake and a calmer night. Enge suits quiet and the water, and Zürich West suits modern rooms and bars. Two things to plan around: Zurich is one of the dearest cities in Europe, so price shapes the choice more than distance does, and the Langstrasse district is the one to think twice about late at night.
The short answer
- First trip
- Stay in Niederdorf for the old town on foot, or by the Lindenhof and Bahnhofstrasse for the station.
- Couples
- Seefeld for the lake and quiet streets, or Niederdorf for the old lanes and the river.
- Families
- Enge or Seefeld, near the lake, the parks and the trams.
- Tight budget
- Wiedikon or Oerlikon, a few minutes by tram or train from the center.
- Evenings out
- Zürich West for bars in old warehouses, Niederdorf for the lanes (loud at weekends).
How we judge an area of Zurich: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Zurich's neighborhoods, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Grossmünster | Kunsthaus | Hauptbahnhof | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niederdorf | First visit, on foot | Loud at weekends | 5 min | 5 min | 10 min | Tram at the Bellevue; on foot | €€€€ |
| Lindenhof and Bahnhofstrasse | Trains, shops, early starts | Quiet after the shops close | 5 min | 10 min | 10 min | Hauptbahnhof; trams on the Bahnhofstrasse | €€€€ |
| Seefeld | Couples, lake views | Quiet | 20 min | 20 min | 35 min | Trams 2, 4 and the S-Bahn at Stadelhofen | €€€ |
| Enge | Quiet, families | Very quiet | 20 min | 25 min | 25 min | Zürich Enge station; trams 5, 6, 7, 13 | €€€ |
| Wiedikon | Lower prices, local life | Quiet | 30 min | 35 min | 35 min | Trams 2, 3, 9 and 14 | €€ |
| Kreis 4 and Langstrasse | Nightlife, if you can take it | Loud, rough at the edges | 20 min | 25 min | 15 min | Trams 2 and 3; 10 minutes on foot to the station | €€ |
| Kreis 5 and Zürich West | Design, modern rooms | Lively at weekends | 45 min | 45 min | 30 min | Hardbrücke S-Bahn; trams 4 and 13 | €€€ |
| Oerlikon | Prices, airport, trade fairs | Quiet | over an hour | over an hour | 60 min | Oerlikon station; trams 10, 11 and 14 | €€ |
Walking times run from the middle of each area: the straight line plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until prices from the booking sites replace it. Every area is dear by European standards, so the scale is relative to Zurich.
Where the neighborhoods are
Niederdorf, for the old town on foot
Narrow lanes on the east bank, with the Grossmünster, the river and a lot of restaurants within five minutes.
Niederdorf is the old town on the east bank of the Limmat: pedestrian lanes of guild houses, small hotels, restaurants and bars, running up from the river toward the Grossmünster and the Kunsthaus. The Grossmünster is a few minutes away, the lake is ten, and the main station is about fifteen on foot.
It is also the most popular area in the city, and the busiest. On Friday and Saturday nights the lanes fill with people until the small hours, and rooms facing the main street, the Niederdorfstrasse, can be loud. Ask for a room at the back or on an upper floor. Hotels here charge some of the highest rates in Zurich.
Good for
- A first visit of two or three nights
- Walking to almost everything, with the river and the lake close
- Eating and drinking within a few minutes of your door
Think twice if
- You sleep lightly and the room faces a lane at the weekend
- You are watching the budget: this is among the dearest parts of the city
Staying in Niederdorf: nearby sights, food and getting around
Lindenhof and the Bahnhofstrasse, for transport and shops
The west bank of the old town, between the station and the lake, with the best connections in the country.
The west bank has the other half of the old town: the Lindenhof, a small hilltop square with a view over the river, and the lanes below it, with the Bahnhofstrasse running from the main station down to the lake. It has the big hotels, the banks and the luxury shops, and it is quiet in the evening once they close.
The advantage is transport. The station is a few minutes away, with the airport train leaving every few minutes, and trams run along the Bahnhofstrasse. The cost is a lack of atmosphere after dark compared with Niederdorf across the river, and some of the highest prices in the city. The streets by the station itself are busy and a little scruffy at night; stay nearer the Lindenhof or the lake end.
Good for
- Short stays with an early train or flight
- Transport in every direction, and the lake at the end of the street
- Quiet evenings in the lanes around the Lindenhof
Think twice if
- You want lively evening streets outside your door
- The budget is tight: the hotels here are among the dearest in the city
Staying in Lindenhof and Bahnhofstrasse: nearby sights, food and getting around
Seefeld, for the lake and calm streets
Villas, small shops and the lakeside promenade, a tram ride from the old town.
Seefeld runs along the east shore of the lake south of the Bellevue square, a district of nineteenth-century apartment blocks, galleries, cafés and restaurants, with the lakeside path and the Zürichhorn park at the end. The opera house is at its northern edge. It feels residential and well kept, and evenings are calm.
The old town is about twenty-five minutes' walk, or a short tram ride from the Bellevue or Kreuzplatz stops, and the lake is on your doorstep: in summer you can swim from the public baths and the shore. It has fewer hotels than the center, and prices are high but a little lower than in the old town.
Good for
- Couples, and anyone who wants the lake in the morning
- A calm base, with good restaurants close by
- Summer swimming at the lake
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the Grossmünster in five minutes
- You want a late-night scene
Enge, for quiet by the water
A residential district on the west shore, with its own station and the lake path.
Enge is the district south-west of the center along the west shore of the lake: wide, leafy streets, apartment blocks, the Mythenquai promenade, and a train station, Zürich Enge, with trains into the main station in about five minutes. Many insurers and banks have their offices here, so it is busy on weekdays and very quiet at night.
It is a calm base for families and for anyone who values sleep over atmosphere. Restaurants are fewer than in Seefeld, and the walk to the old town is about twenty-five minutes. A few hotels sit along the main roads, which carry traffic; choose a side street.
Good for
- Quiet nights
- Walks and swims along the west shore
- Fast trains and trams into the center
Think twice if
- You want a lively evening scene
- You plan to walk to the old town every day
Wiedikon, for lower prices and local life
A residential district west of the station, with ordinary streets, local cafés and a tram to the center.
Wiedikon, in Kreis 3, is the district south-west of the main station, between the Sihl river and the Uetliberg hill. It is mostly apartment blocks, with a run of cafés and small restaurants along the Birmensdorferstrasse and a good neighborhood feel. There are no sights, but it is a reliable base.
Hotels cost noticeably less than in the old town, though they are still expensive by European standards. The center is about thirty minutes' walk, or ten by tram. It is also the best base for the Uetliberg, the hill above the city with a view over the lake, which a regional train reaches from the main station.
Good for
- A lower price within the city
- Cafés and restaurants where residents eat
- The Uetliberg and the Sihl river walks
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the sights
- You want historic streets outside your door
Kreis 4 and Langstrasse, for nightlife with caution
The city's busiest nightlife street and its roughest, with cheap hotels and noise until morning.
Kreis 4, also called Aussersihl, is the district west of the station around the Langstrasse. It has the city's best-known nightlife: clubs, bars, kebab and noodle counters, and small restaurants from many countries. In daylight it is lively and mixed, and some of the cheapest hotels in the city are here.
It is also the part of Zurich with the most street drinking, drug dealing and sex work, particularly near the Langstrasse underpass and the streets off it after dark. It is generally safe from violence, but it can feel unsettling, and the noise on a weekend night is considerable. If you want the bars, visit rather than sleep here, or choose a hotel on a side street toward the Helvetiaplatz.
Good for
- Late nights out in a place that never feels polished
- A cheaper bed within ten minutes' walk of the station
- Food from every continent
Think twice if
- You are walking back alone late at night
- You sleep lightly, or you are traveling with children
- You want to feel you are in the Switzerland of the postcards
Staying in Kreis 4 and Langstrasse: nearby sights, food and getting around
Kreis 5 and Zürich West, for modern rooms and design
A former industrial district of converted warehouses, towers and bars, on the S-Bahn from the station.
Zürich West is the area north-west of the station, around the Hardbrücke, where factories have become galleries, restaurants, theaters, a food hall and a handful of new hotels. The Prime Tower, one of Zurich's tallest buildings, stands here, and so does Frau Gerolds Garten, an outdoor bar in a cluster of shipping containers.
It feels modern, and the rooms tend to be newer than in the old town. The trade-off is atmosphere: it is a district of viaducts and trams, with the old town about thirty minutes on foot or one stop on the S-Bahn from the main station. Parts are quiet in the evening during the week and loud on weekend nights near the clubs.
Good for
- Newer hotels, with design and food halls on the doorstep
- Evenings out in converted warehouses
- A fast S-Bahn to the main station and the airport
Think twice if
- You want historic streets
- You plan to walk everywhere
Staying in Kreis 5 and Zürich West: nearby sights, food and getting around
Oerlikon, for lower prices and the airport
A business and residential district in the north, with a big station, trams to the center and the airport a few minutes away.
Oerlikon, in Kreis 11, is the northern district, around a main station that is one of the busiest in the city. It has offices, a former factory quarter, a large exhibition center, a Saturday market, and a cluster of mid-range chain hotels with lower prices than the center.
It is not a place for atmosphere. The old town is about 4.5 kilometers away, around ten minutes by train to the main station, or twenty-five by tram. It makes sense if you are here for a trade fair, an early flight, or simply want a room for less.
Good for
- Lower prices
- Trade fairs at the exhibition center
- A short ride to the airport and the main station
Think twice if
- You want to wander out of your hotel into the old town
- You want the feel of a city break
Where not to stay in Zurich, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Zurich. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room on the Langstrasse or the streets off it, if you sleep lightly or plan to walk home alone late
Cheap and central, and the roughest part of the city after dark. Stay near the Helvetiaplatz or choose another area, and go to the bars instead.
- A room facing the Niederdorfstrasse on a weekend
The lanes fill with crowds until the small hours. Ask for a room at the back or on an upper floor.
- The streets right around the main station, if you want atmosphere
Practical and noisy, with little charm. Stay a few blocks away, at the Lindenhof or toward the lake.
- A 'Zurich' hotel out by the airport, for a city break
The airport districts have chain hotels at lower rates. The train is quick, but you lose the evenings in the old town. Stay near the center unless you have an early flight.
- A cheap hotel outside the city, in another town on the lake
Prices look low until you add the train each way, and Swiss rail fares are high. Check the transport cost against what you save.
Which neighborhood suits you
First time in Zurich
In Niederdorf for the old town on foot, or at the Lindenhof for the station.
Couples
Seefeld for the lake, or Niederdorf for the old lanes.
Food
Niederdorf for traditional places, Zürich West for the food hall, Langstrasse for cheap, varied meals.
Nightlife
Zürich West and Langstrasse for the clubs, Niederdorf for bars.
Day trips by train
The Lindenhof or Langstrasse, a short walk from the main station.
Before you book a room in Zurich
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Zurich makes a good stay.
- The city taxMany Zurich hotels add a city tax of CHF 3.50 per person per night, for guests aged 12 and over, for up to 30 nights. It is a voluntary scheme run by the hotel association rather than a law, so a hotel that is not a member may not charge it. Check whether it is in the price or added at the desk.
- From Zurich airportTrains run from the airport station to the main station in about 10 minutes, several times an hour, and a single ticket is around CHF 7. The journey is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass. Taxis are slower and cost far more.
- Public transportOne ticket system covers trams, buses and S-Bahn trains in the city. Some hotels give guests a local transport pass; ask before you buy a day ticket.
- Prices and timingRooms are dear all year, and rise during trade fairs and at Christmas. Book earlier for those weeks.
- Lifts and stairsMany old-town hotels are in narrow guild houses with small lifts or none, and the lanes climb. If stairs are hard for you, check the floor and the lift before you book.
Where to stay in Zurich: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Zurich for a first visit?
Niederdorf, for the old town on foot: the Grossmünster, the river and the lake are all within ten minutes. The Lindenhof and Bahnhofstrasse area is the close second, with the best transport and a calmer evening.
Is Zurich expensive to stay in?
Yes, among the dearest cities in Europe. Every area is costly, and the cheaper choices are Wiedikon, Oerlikon and the Langstrasse district, where you save by being further from the old town.
Is the Langstrasse safe to stay in?
It is generally safe from violence, but it is the roughest district in the city at night, with street drinking, drug dealing and sex work near the underpass. Keep to the Helvetiaplatz side, or sleep elsewhere and visit for the bars.
Is it better to stay near the lake or in the old town?
The old town for sights and evenings; the lake, in Seefeld or Enge, for quiet and views. Both are a tram ride apart, so the choice is about the kind of evening you want.
Where should I stay in Zurich if I have an early flight?
Near the main station, where the airport train leaves several times an hour and takes about 10 minutes, or in Oerlikon, which has its own station on the same network.
Can you walk everywhere in Zurich?
In the center, yes. Niederdorf, the Lindenhof and the lake are all within twenty minutes of each other, and the tram covers the rest. Zürich West and Oerlikon are further out.
Which area is the best base for day trips?
Anywhere within ten minutes' walk of the main station, so the Lindenhof or the Langstrasse side. Trains leave for Lucerne, Winterthur, Basel and the Rhine Falls.
Is there a city tax in Zurich?
Many hotels charge CHF 3.50 per person per night, for guests aged 12 and over, up to 30 nights. It comes from a voluntary scheme run by the hotel association, so check if your hotel adds it.
