Traveling With Kids In Switzerland: What To Know

It can be incredibly intimidating to travel to another country with kids — whether you’re juggling babies, toddlers, elementary-aged kids, tweens, or teens. Taking trips in the United States with children comes with plenty of stressors on its own, but adding language barriers, cultural differences, and foreign ways of doing things can be downright harrowing if you’re in charge of kids.

But some places are easier than others when it comes to traveling with kids — and Switzerland is one of those places! This fall, I took a trip to the city of Zürich and nearby Laax, in the Swiss Alps, in order to scout out the country for kid travel. Everything I learned pointed to one overall takeaway: Switzerland is a perfect place to take kids on a vacation, from ease of travel to how its culture treats children.

Here are the most important things I learned.

The Swiss treat children like actual equal human beings

I know it’s a weird thing to say, but let me explain: in Swiss culture, kids are seen as real people with real feelings, thoughts, desires, and needs. In the United States, where a kid might be dismissed as just a child, or a baby might be seen as an annoying crying machine on a plane, I got the distinct feeling in Switzerland that kids are allowed respect and equality, not seen in America.

How does this translate to what traveling with kids is like in Switzerland? I noticed that the Swiss are quick to meet the needs of kids without feeling put out. Babies are allowed to be babies, and toddlers are allowed to be toddlers. Kids are taken seriously. Children’s wants and needs are recognized and met without fuss. It’s amazing!

The Swiss give kids a ton of autonomy and independence

Everywhere I went, I noticed that kids are simply trusted in Switzerland. Swiss kids learn self-reliance early, and it shows. I saw tons of kids alone on public transportation in Zurich, for example. And at an indoor skate park and trampoline park at the rocksresort in Laax, parents would confidently drop their kids off to play (with helmets and safety equipment) for hours while the grown-ups did their own thing.

For American parents who aren’t used to this amount of freedom and independence for kids, the difference might be jarring or even a little scary. At the rocksresort children’s club, for instance, I was wowed to see sharp tools like saws hanging on the wall and learned that kids as young as 5 or 6 are taught woodworking and tool safety. And in the resort’s dining room, I was surprised to see that all of the kids' plates, cups, and bowls were glass (and incredibly cute).

What should you take away from this big cultural difference? Personally, I was incredibly inspired by how the Swiss treated their kids with such trust and confidence, and I thought about how fun it would be for my kids to see and experience it. On the other hand, it’s important to note that Swiss people might assume that your kids have skills or abilities that they don’t yet have — like a young kid handling a knife at dinner, for example.

Dads are super involved

One thing I noticed as soon as I stepped off the plane: many Swiss dads seem to have fatherhood locked in. I saw more dads with babies strapped to their chests or pushing strollers in one week than I saw in the United States in a month. It’s also very common to see dads out with their kids with no mom in sight — how inspiring!

Switzerland is generally incredibly safe

If you’re looking for a country to travel to where you don’t have to worry about crime, violence, and injury, Switzerland is a top choice. The little country has a long history of embracing peace, order, and law, and everyone there is very proud of that history. In fact, it’s ranked number one in safety in US News & World Report.

While I was there, I even heard Swiss people joke that rule-following is such a big part of the culture that your neighbor might call the police on you for mowing the lawn too early in the morning on the weekend or not parking your car in the correct space. And to back that up, I definitely noticed that the Swiss will give you major side-eye if you’re not following the rules. While most people are very understanding and accepting, they also expect everyone to color within the lines and follow protocol.

Still, there are a few things to be careful of...

You can’t do much better than Switzerland if you’re looking for a safe country to take your kids on vacation. But that doesn’t mean that you should travel there without worry or care.

While I didn’t experience it or see any of it, I heard that there’s potential for pickpocketing and minor theft at bigger tourist attractions and train stations — I talked to one friend who had a bag stolen off a train between the airport and main train station in Geneva. Still, their crimes are rare and can be prevented with a little vigilance and education. It’s also nothing that you won’t find in any big city in the world.

Next, if you’re traveling with kids, I’d be aware of traffic dangers. Some of the small Swiss villages have narrow and winding streets with lots of blind spots, and I found that where sidewalks start and end can sometimes be unclear, with ill-defined curbs. On the other hand, walking and biking are incredibly popular in Switzerland, which means that drivers are super-aware of pedestrians and cyclists — and that if you’re on foot or riding a bike, you’ll be in good company with lots of designated paths and lanes.

The other safety hazard worth mentioning is, generally, nature! The Swiss Alps are one of the most overwhelmingly beautiful and rugged places I have ever traveled. It made for what might be the best vacation I’ve ever taken, but it also made for some dangerous situations for kids. Mountains are inherently dangerous anywhere — be aware of getting lost, steep drop-offs, quickly-changing weather, and other natural hazards. Dress appropriately, know where you’re going, and keep an eye on your kids.

One last little hazard somewhat related to nature — in the Alps, there are cows everywhere, and many of these cows are kept in their fields with electrified fences. Often, these fences are just very small wires that aren’t labeled. On one of my early hikes, I brushed up against one and got zapped. While it didn’t pose any sort of health hazard, it also didn’t feel good! Just something to be aware of while hiking with kids.

There are amazing playgrounds everywhere

I’ve never traveled anywhere in the world with a better and more plentiful playground than Switzerland. I feel like every little village and neighborhood has a very well-kept, creative, and different playground for kids, in both private and public spaces. Many of these playgrounds are integrated into the surrounding area, so parents can grab a coffee or beer and sit at a table and watch their kids play.

Just a note: as stated above, the Swiss are strong proponents of “risky play” as a way to make kids more independent — and that means that their playgrounds might have more dangerous elements to them than we’re used to in the United States. I found these elements to be super fun and awesome, but parents with younger kids should be aware. Parents of older kids should consider having a chat with their kids about how Swiss playgrounds are different.

And one more note: The Swiss love rules, and this is no different at playgrounds! While their structures might have more “risks,” there are often strict rules on playground usage. Read these before letting your kid play.

Many people speak English

In some of the countries I’ve traveled to, it can be difficult to find someone who can answer a question in English — or, culturally, people don’t like to speak to you in English even if they know the language (I’m looking at you, France!). In Switzerland, about half of the population speaks a good amount of English, and most younger people and people in urban areas will be able to talk to you on some level. And even if someone doesn’t speak English, they aren’t rude if you try!

And because Switzerland is squished between France, Germany, and Italy, plenty of people either speak or understand French, German, and Italian. So, chances are that you can find someone to talk to in a language you are familiar with! During my week in the country, there were only a couple of times I had trouble communicating with someone (an older bus driver who spoke Italian, for example). Just be aware that Swiss German can be hard to understand if you know traditional German.

Traveling by train or bus is incredibly easy, even with kids

If I could wish for one thing, it would be for the United States to invest in better train and bus lines at the level that they have in many European countries. I traveled in Switzerland for a week and only stepped inside a car once (when I had to get to the airport before the train line started running). It was incredibly easy to travel by bus, train, and gondola as well as by foot or bike, no matter where I wanted to go! A bus even took me to the top of a remote mountain to go on a hike.

Another plus? All the transportation is very clean and well-organized, making travel low-stress and very manageable as you explore the country.

And train lines and bus lines aren’t just super easy and convenient and plentiful and clean — they are also very kid-friendly. I was flabbergasted to realize that the train I took from Zürich to the Alps had a dedicated family car, complete with a second-story playground! Yes — your kids can play on a freaking playground while you ride the train to your next destination, in a train car that is especially designed with the needs of families in mind. Mind. Blown.

Kid-friendly food is easy to find

Traveling to some countries might be difficult if you have a kid at a picky food stage. But Switzerland might be the perfect place to bring your kid with undeveloped taste buds. Many restaurants have “kinder menus” for kids, and those that don’t will often have options that work, like mac and cheese (that is incredible!), cheese sandwiches, pretzel bread, sausages, pasta, and apple sauce.

And make sure to try a few special Swiss treats, like cheese or chocolate fondue, Raclette (snacks like potatoes and veggies with melted cheese), and hot cocoa.

The Swiss are very into eating locally and sustainably, so many of their food options are very fresh and healthy, with a focus on whole foods — all great things for kids and adults alike.

Everything is pretty expensive, though

Perhaps the biggest roadblock to a Swiss vacation is the fact that it’s a pricey place to visit. Why is Switzerland expensive? Well, they pay everyone in the country a living wage, they love making everything local and sustainable (which can increase costs), and they have comparatively high taxes and regulations (things that make the country a great place to visit — clean and transportation, playgrounds everywhere, etc.). So, while you might balk at the price of a simple lunch or a bus ticket, just remember that you are paying for really high-quality stuff. Still, this might not be the best option for you if you’re traveling with a lot of kids or if you have big budget constraints.

Service can be slow

This is related to the fact that everyone in Switzerland is paid a living wage. Because hiring people like restaurant servers is so expensive, there are fewer of them. In most of the restaurants I visited, there were only one or two servers working across the entire restaurant. It means that service is slower than in the United States, and meals, especially dinner, can easily take over an hour. I also noticed that servers often won’t bother you unless you wave them over. For example, if you want your check, you have to ask for it! I learned this the hard way.

I found that once I settled into the idea that service was going to be slower than I was used to, it wasn’t a problem at all.

Kids are usually welcomed everywhere... with a few caveats

Since kids are seen as real human people in Switzerland, and since the vast majority of places recognize that kids have needs, I found that most places welcomed kids of all ages in a matter-of-fact way. Even the nicest restaurant I went to had babies present without any fuss.

And many, many places have kid-friendly accommodations — like baskets of books and “kinder menus” making it super-easy to travel and explore without worry.

With that being said, I did go to several places, like a thermal bath house, that had specific hours for children and separate adult-only hours later at night. So, always check out the website or call ahead if you have any doubts.

There is so, so much for kids to do!

Finally, I just want to take a moment to stress to you how much amazing stuff there is for kids to do in Switzerland, whether you’re in a big city or in a small alpine village. From hiking, biking, swimming, and skiing in the mountains to eating and playing in urban areas, Switzerland feels like a big, lovely playground that is carefully cared for by its inhabitants. From boat rides and merry-go-rounds to gondola trips and goat-petting, there was no shortage of fun activities for people of all ages. I can’t wait to go back.