London to Zurich. Under two hours in the air, and Paradeplatz or Zug by mid morning.
Zurich runs beautifully and closes firmly at night, so we plan the return with real margin before the curfew. With that settled, this is the easiest business route in Europe.
The route
At a glance
- Flight timeAbout 1 hour 40 to 1 hour 55A little under two hours on most aircraft. Winds make more difference than aircraft type on a leg this short.
- DistanceRoughly 490 to 560 milesAround 480 nautical miles. Every jet category flies it easily, so the choice is about cabin and luggage.
- FromLuton, Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Northolt or StanstedFarnborough and Northolt suit the west; Biggin Hill the City and the south east.
- ToZurich (ZRH), General Aviation CentreAt Kloten, twelve to thirteen kilometres north of the city. Private movements are handled away from the passenger terminals.
Why people fly it privately
A banking day, or the road to the Engadin
Zurich is two routes wearing one name. One is a day trip: out early, Paradeplatz or Zug by mid morning, back the same evening. The other is the start of an Alpine week, with a car waiting to run up to Klosters, Davos or St Moritz. They are planned very differently, and the second one is far more sensitive to what time you land.
For the business version, the virtue of the route is the ground time at both ends. Private movements at Zurich use the General Aviation Centre, separate from the main terminals, with handling companies including Jet Aviation, Cat Air Service and BHS Aviation on the field. Their opening hours run roughly from half past five or six in the morning to ten or half past ten at night, which matters more here than at most airports.
Because Zurich has a night curfew. The airport operates between 06:00 and 23:30 and the curfew is applied strictly, with the last half hour effectively reserved for flights that are already delayed. A dinner that overruns in Zurich does not become a late departure; it becomes a hotel. We say so at the planning stage rather than at ten o'clock at night.
For the Alpine version, the drive is the other half of the journey. Klosters is a little over two hours from the airport, Davos a little more, and St Moritz and the Engadin two and a half to three hours in decent conditions. In snow, or in the week of the forum in Davos, add a great deal. Cars in Switzerland are arranged through operators we know, on winter tyres, briefed by us and holding the tail number.
On arrival
Onward from Zurich by road
| To | Typical | In winter or at its worst |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich centre, Paradeplatz and the Bahnhofstrasse | 20 to 30 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Zug | 40 to 55 minutes | 55 to 80 minutes |
| Lucerne | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 | 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 50 |
| Bad Ragaz | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 | 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 50 |
| Klosters | 2 hours to 2 hours 15 | 2 hours 30 to 3 hours 15 |
| Davos | 2 hours to 2 hours 30 | 3 hours or more in forum week |
| St Moritz and the Engadin | 2 hours 30 to 3 hours | 3 hours 30 or more |
| Basel | 1 hour to 1 hour 20 | 1 hour 30 to 2 hours |
Realistic ranges, not best cases. Swiss roads are excellent and Swiss mountain passes are still mountain passes. Cars in Switzerland are arranged through operators we know.
Planning it well
Things worth knowing
Almost everything about this route comes back to the clock.
- Plan the return to leave comfortable margin before the night curfew. The last half hour before 23:30 is not a slot you should be counting on
- Handling hours at the General Aviation Centre are shorter than the airport's own hours. An early departure needs the handler open, not just the runway
- Passengers are escorted between the General Aviation Centre and the aircraft, so allow a few minutes more than at a small field. A day trip is still worth it: see what charter involves
- For St Moritz, ask us about Samedan as well. It is an Alpine airport with its own weather and performance rules, and it is not always the right answer, but when it works it saves two hours of road
- Forum week in January is the one time of year when Zurich parking and Davos road times both go sideways at once. Plan it months ahead
- Skis and boards change the aircraft you need, and the cars we arrange in Switzerland run on winter tyres in season
- Geneva is the better airport for the western Alps, and Zurich for the east. If you are going to Verbier or Gstaad, we will usually say Geneva. See ski destinations
Around the trip
Related pages
In Switzerland
Airports and terminals
Request a quote
Tell us the dates
Dates, numbers, and where you are actually going once you land. A day in Zurich and a week in the Engadin are different proposals. If the timing runs into the curfew we will tell you before you plan the dinner. Nothing is booked or paid online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About this route
How late can we leave Zurich?
The airport operates between 06:00 and 23:30 and the night curfew is enforced strictly. We plan departures with real margin rather than aiming at the last possible movement, because there is no appeal against a curfew.
Zurich or Geneva for the Alps?
Zurich for Davos, Klosters, the Engadin and St Moritz. Geneva for Verbier, Gstaad, Courchevel and the French side. If you are unsure, tell us the resort and we will tell you the airport.
Can we fly into St Moritz directly?
Samedan sits in the Engadin and takes business aircraft, with Alpine weather and performance rules that rule it out on some days and with some types. We will price both and explain which we would actually do.
Can you arrange the cars in Switzerland?
Yes. Our own cars and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else; in Switzerland we use operators we know, on winter tyres in season, briefed by us and working to the tail number rather than a timetable.
One contact, wherever you are