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.
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.
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.
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:
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).