Where are the most popular winter destinations for people in Switzerland?
By Jan de Boer
As the nights continue to draw in and the weather in Switzerland gets frigid, many across the country dream of jetting off on holiday one last time before the year comes to a close. Now, new data from Skyscanner has revealed the most popular destinations among people from Switzerland this winter.
Europe top of the bucket list for travellers from Switzerland
According to the data, which analysed flight bookings leaving Zurich, Basel and Geneva, this winter people in Switzerland have cast their eyes closer to home. Eight of the 10 most popular destinations for November and December are European cities.
Routes between Swiss airports and southern Europe were some of the most popular, along with a handful of international tourist hot spots.
London remains the top destination from Switzerland
For this winter, no city managed to unseat the UK capital London, which took the top spot among travellers. The city is by far the most popular place to fly to from Switzerland throughout the year, being served by 10s of flights a day.
London’s popularity as a flight destination has bolstered calls for a direct rail service between London and Switzerland. At its fastest (5,5 hours) the rail route could be as quick as flying, given the time spent getting to the airport, going through security, passports, flight, arrivals and travelling into central London.
Transport Minister Albert Rösti (SVP) plans to meet his UK counterpart to sign a deal regarding the line in the spring, while Swiss Federal Railways is in the midst of a feasibility study, which should be published at some point in the near future.
10 most popular winter destinations among residents of Switzerland
Known as a top tourist destination for those who want a bit of winter warmth, Bangkok was rated as the second most popular route for this winter. The vibrant metropolis of Istanbul and the charming city of Porto completed the top four.
In all, here are the most popular destinations among residents of Switzerland this winter:
- London, United Kingdom
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Porto, Portugal
- Barcelona, Spain
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Madrid, Spain
- New York City, United States of America
- Rome, Italy
Along with the top 10, Skyscanner noted that several destinations have seen a popularity boom. Searches for flights to Madrid have risen by 14 percent this winter compared to the summer of 2024. Despite having a direct three-hour train from Basel, queries for flights to Paris rose 13,9 percent.
Other locations which have seen booms in popularity this winter include Prague (9,6 percent), Alicante (9,1 percent), Valencia (7,3 percent), Athens (6,6 percent) and Larnaca (4,7 percent).
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more