A Zurich airport transfer booked through Elly8.net is a private chauffeur and vehicle at a fixed, all-in price, agreed before you fly and charged to your card in US dollars. Zürich Airport (ZRH) to the Bahnhofstrasse costs from US$135 in a business sedan to US$355 in an Executive Sprinter, and the same desk handles roadshow days in the banking district, the mountain drive to Davos and St. Moritz, and the classic day trip to Lucerne and Mount Pilatus.
Rides in Zurich are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Swiss trains are fast and frequent, and the train from ZRH to the main station takes minutes, so this page starts with an honest comparison. It then covers the airport, the Swiss motorway vignette, the hotel and business districts, the event calendar, Davos and the Alps, and corporate travel.
How much is a car from Zurich Airport to the city?
A fixed Elly8.net transfer from Zürich Airport (ZRH) to the Bahnhofstrasse costs from US$135 in a business sedan, US$180 in a business SUV, US$220 in a First Class SUV and US$355 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. It includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
The road distance is about 15 km (9 mi) and the drive takes about 21 minutes on a clear road. Weekday rush hours around the city can add time, but the fare is fixed. A First Class Sedan costs US$240. A round trip, booked together so the departure is settled before you land, costs from US$260 in a business sedan to US$675 in a Sprinter.
| Route | Distance | Clear-road drive | Business sedan | Business SUV | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZRH to the Bahnhofstrasse | 15 km / 9 mi | about 21 min | from US$135 | US$180 | US$355 |
| ZRH round trip | 30 km / 18 mi | 2 x 21 min | from US$260 | US$345 | US$675 |
| Lucerne and Mount Pilatus (8 hours) | about 52 km / 32 mi each way | - | from US$740 | US$920 | US$1,475 |
| By the hour, as directed | 3-hour minimum | - | US$100 per hour | US$125 per hour | US$200 per hour |
Arriving at Zürich Airport
ZRH is the usual gateway for travellers from North America, whether on a direct flight or a connection through another European hub. Give us your flight number when you book: the chauffeur tracks the actual landing and waits for you in the arrivals hall with a name board, and waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary. Long-haul passengers clear passport control and baggage reclaim before reaching arrivals, and the chauffeur waits through it.
If a connection is missed, message the 24/7 desk with the new flight and the pickup moves. Tell us about skis, golf bags, strollers or child seats in advance, and the desk assigns a vehicle that fits. Read more about airport transfers and meet and greet. Private and business aviation passengers give us the operator and tail number, and the desk arranges the pickup point with the handling agent; see private jet and FBO transfers.
Train, tram, taxi or a pre-booked chauffeur
Zurich Tourism publishes a straightforward comparison on its airport-to-city page. The train or S-Bahn takes 10 to 15 minutes to the city centre and a single trip costs CHF 7; tram line 10 takes about 35 minutes for the same fare; and a taxi takes 10 to 20 minutes and costs CHF 45 to 70. The Zürich Card covers the train and tram.
| Option | Price | Time to the centre | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train or S-Bahn | CHF 7 single | 10-15 min | One or two travellers, light bags, hotels near the main station |
| Tram line 10 | CHF 7 single | about 35 min | A slow, scenic first look at the city |
| Taxi | CHF 45-70 | 10-20 min | Short notice, a single trip |
| Elly8.net business sedan | From US$135 per vehicle, fixed | about 21 min, door to door | Families, groups, meetings, fixed budgets |
The honest view: if you are one traveller with a carry-on and a hotel near Zürich HB, the train is fast, frequent and cheap, and nobody should talk you out of it. A taxi is fine for a short trip on the spur of the moment.
A pre-booked chauffeur wins when the trip is more than a hop. A family with suitcases and child seats, a group of colleagues heading straight to a meeting on the Paradeplatz, a hotel on the lake shore or up the Zürichberg, or anyone continuing to Lucerne, Davos or the Engadin will find the fixed fare and the door-to-door trip worth it. An Executive Sprinter at US$355 carries a group of six with luggage. See chauffeur vs taxi, chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft and chauffeur vs car rental.
The Swiss motorway vignette
Every vehicle using Swiss motorways needs a motorway vignette. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security sells it as a sticker or as an e-vignette registered to the number plate; either costs CHF 40 and is valid from 1 December of the previous year to 31 January of the following year. The office warns travellers to buy it only through official channels.
For a chauffeured ride there is nothing for you to buy: the vignette belongs to the vehicle, not the passenger, and the licensed partner operator holds it. It matters more if you are weighing a rental car: check that the car carries a valid vignette before you join the motorway to Lucerne or the mountains, and remember that French and Italian motorways on cross-border trips charge their own tolls. On chauffeured trips, any tolls are billed at cost.
Where to stay and where business happens
The Bahnhofstrasse and the city centre. Our reference point for fares is the Bahnhofstrasse, the shopping street that runs from the main station to the lake, lined with watch and jewellery houses, banks and grand hotels.
Paradeplatz and the Enge district. The heart of the financial district, with the headquarters of banks and insurers and hotels along the western lake shore.
The old town and the Niederdorf. Medieval lanes on both banks of the Limmat, with the Grossmünster and Fraumünster churches. Cars drop you at the edge of the pedestrian streets, and the chauffeur agrees the nearest meeting point.
The lake shore and the Zürichberg. Lakeside hotels on both shores, and hilltop hotels above the city with views across the lake to the Alps.
Zurich West and Oerlikon. The former industrial districts, now offices, design hotels and venues, and the area north of the centre towards the airport.
The hourly service costs US$100 an hour in a business sedan, US$125 in a business SUV, US$160 in a First Class Sedan, US$150 in a First Class SUV and US$200 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. See hourly chauffeur.
Davos, St. Moritz and the mountain resorts
Zurich is the arrival airport for most visitors to Davos. Zürich Airport to Davos is about 159 km (99 mi) by road, or about 149 km (93 mi) from the city centre, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes on a clear road; snow, roadworks on the mountain roads and the traffic of a big event can add a good deal more.
The busiest week of the Davos year is the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, which runs from 18 to 22 January 2027 according to Davos Klosters tourism, with about 3,000 expected participants plus delegations, media and side events. Transfers and hourly cars for the Annual Meeting are covered by our WEF Davos transportation service. Road closures and access rules around the congress area are set by the authorities, and the chauffeur follows them. The same tourism calendar lists the 98th Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament in Davos from 26 to 31 December 2026.
St. Moritz in the Engadin is a longer drive: about 217 km (135 mi) from ZRH, and the fixed transfer costs from US$745 in a business sedan to US$1,940 in an Executive Sprinter; see our St. Moritz transfers. For the French Alps, Courchevel is usually reached from Geneva. Zermatt is car-free: the Zermatt tourist office explains that travellers continue from Täsch by shuttle train or taxi, so our transfers run to Täsch and are quoted on the web booker.
Day trip: Lucerne and Mount Pilatus
The signature day trip from Zurich is Lucerne, about 52 km (32 mi) away, about 45 minutes on a clear road, with its covered wooden bridges and lakefront, followed by Mount Pilatus. Pilatus is reached by cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad or by gondola and cable car; the operator has announced that the gondolas and cable car close for maintenance from 19 October to 27 November 2026, with access only by cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad during that period. Your chauffeur drops you at the base station and collects you on the other side, so the circular route works without backtracking.
The eight-hour package costs from US$740 in a business sedan, US$920 in a business SUV, US$1,180 in a First Class Sedan and US$1,105 in a First Class SUV to US$1,475 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. Mountain transport tickets are bought separately. See private city tours and Lucerne tourism for the city itself.
Other days out use the full-day chauffeur, from US$740 in a business sedan to US$1,475 in a Sprinter. The Rhine Falls, which their operator describes as Europe's largest waterfall, about 150 metres wide, are about 46 km (29 mi) north of the city, about 50 minutes on a clear road.
Events, art and congresses
The Zurich Film Festival runs from 23 September to 3 October 2027, with premieres and galas around the city centre, and evening cars that wait are worth booking early. The evening out and event night package costs from US$500 in a business sedan to US$1,000 in an Executive Sprinter. See event transportation.
Art Basel takes place in Basel from 17 to 20 June 2027. Basel hotels fill early, and many collectors stay in Zurich, about 85 km (53 mi) away, about 1 hour 6 minutes on a clear road, and book a daily car to the fair. Quote Basel on the web booker.
The Kongresshaus Zürich, directly on the lake and joined to the Tonhalle concert hall, hosts congresses, conferences and concerts. Delegations book the hourly service or the corporate roadshow day. See conference transportation.
Corporate travel and roadshows
Zurich is Switzerland's financial centre, and roadshows here mean back-to-back meetings around the Paradeplatz, the lake shore and the business districts towards the airport, often followed by a drive to Basel, Geneva or Lucerne. The corporate roadshow day costs from US$900 in a business sedan, US$1,125 in a business SUV and US$1,440 in a First Class Sedan to US$1,800 in an Executive Sprinter. See roadshow chauffeur and corporate car service.
A corporate account gives fixed fares, monthly invoicing, one booking contact for many travellers and NDAs on request. Hotels and travel agents book guests on account through hotel accounts and travel agent accounts. Partner vehicles are four model years old or newer, seven for Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley, all from licensed, commercially insured operators; see the fleet. For weddings, see wedding limousine; the chauffeur follows local rules on everything inside the vehicle.
The private city highlights tour, from US$400 in a business sedan to US$800 in a Sprinter, covers the old town, the lake shore, the Bahnhofstrasse, the university viewpoint and Zurich West.
How booking works
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter ZRH with your flight number, or any Zurich address, and your hotel or destination.
- Vehicle. Choose a Business Sedan, Business SUV, First Class Sedan, First Class SUV or Executive Sprinter at the fixed fare shown, and add child seats, skis or extra luggage.
- Reserve. Press Reserve now for a published fare and pay by card in US$, or use the web booker for Davos, Basel, Täsch or any other route. Confirmation arrives by email.
Prices include the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show; refunds go to the original card. See the cancellation policy.
Elly8.net books the car only; our travel partner BookingWorldwide.net handles flights and hotels, as the travel desk explains. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Beyond Zurich
Combining Zurich with the lakes or the Alps? The same desk runs the Lake Como car service, St. Moritz transfers, the Milan chauffeur, Geneva airport transfers, Courchevel transfers and the Frankfurt chauffeur service. For long drives between them, see city to city car service, or browse every city on the Europe hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a transfer from Zurich Airport to the city centre?
A fixed Elly8.net transfer from ZRH to the Bahnhofstrasse costs from US$135 in a business sedan, US$180 in a business SUV, US$240 in a First Class Sedan and US$355 in an Executive Sprinter, per vehicle. It includes the chauffeur, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet. Tolls and parking are billed at cost.
Is the train faster than a car from ZRH?
To the main station, usually yes: Zurich Tourism gives 10 to 15 minutes by train for CHF 7, against about 21 minutes by road on a clear day. A car wins for groups, families with luggage and child seats, lakeside and hillside hotels, and anyone travelling on to the mountains.
How far is Davos from Zurich Airport?
About 159 km (99 mi) by road, roughly 2 hours 10 minutes on a clear road, and longer in snow or during the World Economic Forum week. Davos transfers are quoted on the web booker, and Annual Meeting transfers and hourly cars are booked through our World Economic Forum car service.
Do passengers need a Swiss motorway vignette?
No. The vignette belongs to the vehicle, not the passenger. Every vehicle on Swiss motorways needs one, at CHF 40 for the year, and the licensed partner operator holds it for the car that drives you. If you rent a car, check that it carries a valid vignette.
Where does the chauffeur meet me at Zurich Airport?
In the arrivals hall, after passport control and baggage reclaim, with a name board. The chauffeur tracks your flight from the number you give when booking, and waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary. If you miss a connection, message the 24/7 desk and the pickup moves.
Are child seats available?
Yes. Ask for child or booster seats when you book and give the children's ages, and the partner fits them before pickup. For a family heading to Lucerne or the mountains with suitcases and skis, an SUV or Sprinter is the simplest option.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free cancellation more than 72 hours before pickup. A 10% fee applies at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show. Refunds go to the original card used for the booking.
Do you offer corporate accounts in Zurich?
Yes. A corporate account gives fixed fares, monthly invoicing, one point of contact for many travellers and NDAs on request. Banking roadshows usually book the corporate roadshow day, from US$900 in a business sedan to US$1,800 in an Executive Sprinter.
