SWITZERLAND - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 558

Base City: ZÜRICH
www.zuerich.com
City Dialing Code: 1
Some describe it as a garden city by a lake. Others picture it as one of the most
elegant cities in Europe. Statisticians term it the largest in Switzerland, and any-
one engaged in international business knows it is a world center for industry and
commerce. Bankers seem content in knowing that it all begins and ends right there.
Zürich, known as “Downtown Switzerland,” can be all things to all people.
Zürich is packed with surprising contrasts. A charming tree-shaded avenue
named Bahnhofstrasse runs from the railway station to Lake Zürich, yet it houses
the headquarters of the great world banks and some of the most elegant shops to
be found in Europe. A few short blocks away, the scene yields to the Middle Ages
around St. Peter's Church near the Limmat River, and the bridge that crosses the
river leads into Niederdorfstrasse, the city's roistering nightclub area.
Zürich is a major hub for European rail transportation. Trains between Milan in the
south, Munich in the east, and the great trunk line crossing Switzerland glide in and
out of its Hauptbahnhof (central train station) in a never-ending procession.
Arriving by Air
Zürich's Kloten International Airport lies 10 miles northeast of the city. Flight in-
formation: Tel: [phone] (CHF 1.99/min.) Visit www.zurich-airport.com ; E-mail:
[e-mail].
Zürich Airport has undergone extensive expansion, making it one of the largest
shopping areas in Switzerland.
Airport-City Links
• Train: SBB trains depart every 10 to 15 minutes for Zürich Hauptbahnhof from
0602 to 0010; journey time: 10 minutes; one-way fare: CHF 10.00 first class,
CHF 6.20 second class. Trains return from Zürich Hauptbahnhof to the airport
every 15 minutes from 0526 to 2337. Also, direct rail connections are available