Switzerland may not be a massive country, but its largest city is still a popular tourist destination for those in Europe. Zurich is a picturesque city on a lake, and although it is the biggest city in the country it is not the capital. It is, however, the capital of the country’s famous banking world. Because this is such a busy city for business travelers, truly budget travelers may find it hard locating cheap hotels in Zurich. There are a few places around town which are cheap by Zurich’s standards, although you will likely find them to be not as cheap as hotels in other cities.
Even if you are not interested in staying in a hostel with its dorm-style accommodations, you may still have to put up with shared bathrooms if you are bound and determined to stay in the cheap hotels in Zurich. Most are clean and perfectly lovely and you will have your own private bedroom, but many of the more budget places have not bothered to upgrade the rooms to include en suite facilities. The good news is that even if your hotel is not right next to the things you want to do and see in Zurich, the city’s public transit system is excellent – so you will be able to get anywhere you want to go.
In addition to enjoying a walk along or boat trip on the lovely Lake Zurich, the city itself has plenty of things to occupy your attention. There are many churches to visit, including the Fraumunster with its Chagall stained glass windows, and great museums. The shopping in Zurich is excellent, but only if you have the money to spend – otherwise, you may have to satisfy yourself with window shopping. Whatever you do, be sure to save some energy for the nightlife and enjoy the many clubs throughout the city.
A few cheap hotels in Zurich which you may want to consider for your trip are Hotel Otter (near Lake Zurich, 16 rooms, one apartment available as well, each room decorated individually, shared bathrooms (except for in the apartment), on-site bar, free breakfast), Hotel Splendid (in Zurich’s old town, small family hotel, 43 beds, shared bathrooms, on-site piano bar, breakfast available for a fee, website in German only), Etap Hotel Zurich City West (160 rooms, near lots of bars & restaurants, near a tram station, breakfast buffet), and Hotel Adler (in Old Town, 52 rooms, each room with mural painting depicting local scenery, WiFi & internet access available, sound-proof windows, on-site restaurant).