When: September, 2005

Where: The airport is located 12km (8 miles) north of Zurich, in the suburb of Kloten.

What: Zurich International Airport (ZRH)
Smack in the center of Europe and the heart of Switzerland, Zurich Airport (also called Kloten Airport) is one of the most modern airports in Europe with easy road transportation links to Zurich, Bern, Basel and St. Gallen.

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In 2003, Zurich International completed a major expansion project with a new parking garage, a midfield terminal, and an automated underground train to move passengers between the existing terminal complex and the new terminal. The two terminals are connected internally on three levels. Zurich International lost traffic when Swissair shut down its operations. When Crossair took over Swissair and emerged as Swiss International Air Lines, traffic grew again.

Cabs are available outside the arrival hall. The fare is approximately 50 francs or more into downtown Zurich, with a driving time of 20 minutes (40 minutes in rush hour). Most experienced travelers prefer reaching the city by train. You'll find a station of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) under Terminal B, and frequent trains go to Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof (central station) and many city and tourist destinations across Switzerland. You can buy first- and second-class tickets at the windows or from vending machines. If you have a EurailPass or Swiss Pass, you don't even need a ticket for the 10-minute train ride. The bus terminal is located next to car park 2; several regular bus lines serve regional towns and villages. An excellent night bus network connects the airport to destinations all over Switzerland.

TIP: If you're loaded with baggage, you can check your heavier bags and send them ahead to your vacation destination while you spend the night in Zurich or stop off and enjoy the sights along the way. This works in reverse, too. The baggagemaster at a Swiss railway station will check your bags all the way through to your overseas destination for a small fee.

Zurich Airport has a great assortment of shops that range from food stores to the Swiss Heimatwerk, where you can pick up high-quality Swiss handicrafts as last-minute gifts or souvenirs. You'll also find post offices, banks, a drugstore, restaurants, newsstands, car-rental agencies, and nurseries. There's also a Lego playground in Terminal A.

With text from Durant and Cheryl Imboden’s Switzerland/Austria for Visitors .
Email Marus Berchtold: mb@marktold.com