eSIM for Zurich
For Zurich, a Switzerland eSIM covers the city and day trips anywhere in the country. Switzerland is outside the EU, so a plan for an EU country will not do. Visits usually run about three days. Install the eSIM at home before you fly, and switch it on at Zurich Airport.
Plans for Switzerland cover the whole country, including Zurich.
For a 3-day visit
How much data for 3 days in Zurich
- Light (maps and messages): about 1 GB
- Normal (plus social media and browsing): about 2 GB
- Heavy (video and video calls): about 4.5 GB
An estimate from typical use, not a measurement.
Arriving in Zurich
Zurich Airport is in Kloten, just north of the city. Trains from the airport station run to Zurich Hauptbahnhof, the main station, and the S-Bahn and tram lines also connect the terminal to several districts. From the Hauptbahnhof you can change to long-distance SBB services to Bern, Basel, Lucerne, Geneva and beyond. Some visitors arrive by train from Germany, Austria or Italy instead.
With data on arrival you can open the SBB Mobile app, find your platform and buy a ticket for the next leg. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi by scanning the QR code from your order, and leave it unused until you land. At the airport, switch the eSIM line on, enable data roaming for it, and turn cellular data off on your home line.
Getting around
Public transport in the city and canton is run by ZVV, and trams, buses, S-Bahn trains and lake boats all work on one ticket system. The ZVV app and the SBB Mobile app sell single tickets and day passes, and both show live departures. TWINT is a popular local payment app if you have it set up.
Uber operates in Zurich alongside local taxi firms, though most visitors rely on the trams. PubliBike runs a bike share with stations around the centre. The old town is compact and easy on foot, so a phone map is useful in the lanes either side of the Limmat river. Save the city to an offline map for the times you switch to Wi-Fi only.
Where you'll use data
Visitors usually spend their time in the Altstadt around Niederdorf and Lindenhof, on Bahnhofstrasse, along the shore of Lake Zurich, and in the Zurich West district with its converted industrial buildings. Grossmunster and Fraumunster churches, the Swiss National Museum beside the station and the Kunsthaus are the main indoor stops. The tram to the Zoo and the train up Uetliberg are common short trips.
Within Switzerland your plan keeps working: Lucerne, Bern, Winterthur, the Rhine Falls at Neuhausen, Rapperswil on the lake and Geneva are all reachable by train. Konstanz is just over the border in Germany, and the Swiss plan does not cover you there. A Europe plan can cover several countries, but check its country list on our Europe page, because regional plans can leave some out.
For a longer stay
Common questions
- Will the eSIM work as soon as I land at Zurich Airport?
- Yes, if you installed it at home before the flight. After landing, switch the eSIM line on and enable data roaming for it. If it does not connect, turn airplane mode off and on, and check that the eSIM is the line chosen for mobile data.
- How much data do I need for three days in Zurich?
- About 2 GB for normal use: maps, train apps, messages and some photos. With heavy video or streaming, count 1.5 GB a day, so around 4.5 GB for three days. The plan list on this page shows an estimate for each plan.
- Can I pay for trams and trains with my phone?
- Yes. The ZVV app and SBB Mobile both sell tickets and passes on your phone, and the tickets show as a code. Buying needs data, and you can keep the ticket on screen once it is bought.
- Does the plan give me a Swiss phone number?
- No. These plans are data only. Use WhatsApp or FaceTime for calls and keep your home line on for SMS codes from your bank, with its data switched off.
- Does my plan work on a day trip to Konstanz in Germany?
- No. Konstanz is in Germany, and a Switzerland plan does not cover it there. Look at our Europe page for a plan that lists both countries, and check its country list before you buy. Trips to Lucerne, Bern or Geneva stay inside Switzerland, so they are covered.