Zurich is one of the easier cities to arrive in. The airport is efficient, and signs are clear. Yet the small things still trip people up: where the driver will be standing, what the fare actually covers, and what happens when your flight lands an hour late.
A pre-booked chauffeur takes most of that worry away, as long as you set it up properly. So here’s a checklist, in roughly the order you’ll need it, from deciding whether you need a driver at all to getting back to the airport at the end.
Do you actually need one?
Sometimes you don’t. The train from Zurich Airport into the city is fast and cheap. If you’re travelling alone with a small bag and heading to the centre, I’d take the train every time.
A driver starts to earn their fee when the trip gets more complicated. Maybe you’re arriving with three colleagues and want to turn up together. Maybe you’re meeting an important client and the first hour matters. Maybe you land at midnight, or your meeting is out in Zug or Lucerne and you’d rather not change trains with a suitcase. And if you’re heading on to Davos or St. Moritz with ski bags, a direct transfer saves you a lot of hauling.
If none of that sounds like you, skip the car. A decent company will tell you the same.
Before you book
Start by comparing a few providers. Don’t just look at the price at the top of the page. Look at what’s actually included.
If you’re weighing up a limousine service in Zurich, IMA Limousine Services is one Swiss company worth a look. Its Zurich page covers airport transfers, hourly chauffeur hire and corporate travel, and the site lists routes from Zurich Airport to places like Davos, St. Moritz, Lucerne, Zug, Bern and Interlaken. That range is handy if your destination isn’t the city itself.
Whoever you’re considering, ask a few simple questions. Is the price fixed? Does it cover the whole vehicle or is it per person? Those are completely different deals. Are waiting time and luggage help included, or will they appear as extras later? And is the car right for your group? A Mercedes V-Class suits a small group with bags, but it’s overkill for one person with a carry-on.
It’s also worth checking whether you can easily reach them. A phone number, an email address and a proper business address are the basics. If a company makes those hard to find, that tells you something.
When you book
Book earlier than you think you need to. Trade fairs, big conferences and the ski season all squeeze availability, and prices tend to go up as the date gets closer. Once your flights are confirmed, you can sort the car.
Give them the details they need: your flight number, arrival date, how many people are travelling, how much luggage you have and where you’re going. It sounds obvious, but vague bookings cause most of the avoidable problems.
Ask how they handle delays. A decent provider tracks your flight and adjusts the pickup if you land late, but get that confirmed before you pay rather than assuming it.
And arrange the return at the same time. Most people plan the arrival carefully and forget that the last day involves checking out and getting back to the airport. Booking both legs together takes one more thing off your list. Get the confirmation by email too, with the date, time, vehicle and price, so you’ve got something to refer to if plans change.
The day before you fly
Reread your confirmation. Check the date, the flight number and the pickup details, because a typo in any of them can cause trouble. Save the company’s phone number somewhere you can reach it even if your data isn’t working abroad. And if you’re travelling in a group, check that your luggage will actually fit in the vehicle you’ve booked.
At the airport
Check your phone when you land. Many companies send the driver’s details or pickup instructions shortly before arrival. In most cases, the driver will be waiting at arrivals, but if you can’t see them, call the company rather than wandering around the terminal.
Let the driver take the bags. That’s part of what you’re paying for. And take a few seconds to confirm the destination, particularly if your hotel has a similar name to another one nearby.
During the ride
This is the bit people tend to underrate. You’ve got a quiet seat and nothing to navigate, so use it. Reply to emails, go through your notes for the meeting, or just sit back and look out of the window after a long flight. If you travel for work often, these habits for protecting your well-being during business travel are worth a look too.
If your plans change, say so early. Asking for an extra stop when the driver collects you is much easier than asking halfway through the trip, and hourly bookings handle changes like that more smoothly than a fixed point-to-point fare. In winter, mountain journeys can take longer than you’d expect, and a good driver will let you know if conditions affect the timing.
Coming back to the airport
Leave yourself a sensible buffer. Check-in, security and any delays on the road all take time, and Zurich Airport is big. Send a quick message the day before to reconfirm the pickup time, and take a last look around your room or the back seat for phones, chargers and coats. Those are the things that usually get left behind.
The mistakes I see most
Booking on price alone is the big one. The cheapest quote often leaves out waiting time or luggage, so compare what’s included rather than the headline number. The second is giving vague details, such as no flight number or the wrong passenger count, which makes it harder for the company to plan. The third is assuming every trip needs a car. It doesn’t, and public transport in Switzerland is excellent for simple journeys. And finally, skipping the contact check. If you can’t reach a company easily before you book, you’ll find it even harder once something goes wrong.
The bottom line
A chauffeur isn’t the right choice for every trip. For groups, heavy luggage, tight schedules and awkward arrival times, though, it can be the difference between a smooth start and a stressful one. Run through this list, compare a few providers, and book with enough lead time. If you do, the journey from the airport should be the least of your
