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Cheapest car hire in Switzerland

MiniCompactEconomyFull SizeIntermediateConvertibleSUV – Mini Van

Top tips when hiring a car in Switzerland

  • Drive on the LEFT-hand side of the road in Switzerland, the steering wheel is on the left side of the car
  • Speed limits are posted in KM/H, the maximum is 120km/h on the motorway network
  • You'll need a vignette to use the motorway network in Switzerland, all rental cars in Switzerland include the vignette, however if you are crossing borders you'll need to purchase one
  • The alcohol limit to drive in Switzerland is 50mg (0.05% BAC), consistent with most of mainland Europe
By J Hulme

No problems experienced whatsoever. Everything went to plan. Thanks

Rated 3.8 / 5 | 1,800 reviews

Laws and rules of the road when driving in Switzerland

  •  

    R

    Road Driving Side

  •  

    30-50km/h

    Urban speed Limit

  •  

    80-100km/h

    Rural Speed Limit

  •  

    120km/h

    Motorway Speed Limit

  •  

    CHF  1.49/Ltr

    Current Petrol Price

  •  

    50mg

    Drink Drive Limit

  •  

    CHF

    Currency

  •  

    YES

    Tolls

  •  

    21

    Min Rental Age

    18

    Min Driving Age

  •  

    Front and Rear

    Seatbelts

  •  

    Fixed and Mobile

    Speed Cameras

  •  

    Hands Free Only

    Mobile Phones

Recent customer reviews (average rating 8.0/10)

Mr. Speke

Jersey

6/10
Collected the r

Collected the rental car from the Avis desk and it was what I had booked and there were no problems with it so will try your company for my next trip thanks.

26/11/2019
David

France

4/10
Bit of a pain w

Bit of a pain with the car as the car we booked was not available. We were offered an upgrade to bigger car which we took in the end, but was not ideal for me as I prefer smaller cars, we had a saloon and not the hatchback that I wanted.

08/11/2019
Terry

UK

4/10
Car was fine, b

Car was fine, but to be honest, didn't really like Baar. Little to do and what there is, is very expensive.

07/11/2019

Compare car rental agents in Switzerland

Rental Agent
Locations
Rating (/10)
Customer Reviews
Mini (€/day)
Compact (€/day)
Intermediate (€/day)
Standard (€/day)
 City auto rent
1
9.7/10
14
€ 188.40
€ 151.18
€ 163.59
€
 Unirent
9
8.5/10
692
€
€ 43.07
€ 53.37
€
 Hertz
31
8.4/10
1,329
€
€ 39.63
€ 57.30
€ 140.96
 Avis
23
8.0/10
351
€
€ 40.53
€ 47.87
€ 55.16
 Europcar
77
7.9/10
15,524
€ 45.06
€ 44.41
€ 49.46
€ 59.21
 Sixt
16
7.9/10
1,265
€
€ 39.87
€ 76.28
€ 53.85
 Dollar
10
7.7/10
1,326
€ 33.38
€ 36.85
€ 51.49
€
 Thrifty
15
7.6/10
635
€ 37.27
€ 38.88
€ 56.17
€
 Budget
14
7.5/10
1,206
€
€ 39.24
€ 45.82
€ 50.49
 Nomadcar
4
7.5/10
44
€
€ 80.29
€ 176.56
€ 147.46
 Enterprise
4
7.2/10
128
€ 33.39
€ 37.63
€ 48.17
€ 50.71
 Alamo
4
7.0/10
360
€ 31.84
€ 36.86
€ 51.79
€ 47.20

Car rental agent statistics in Switzerland

  • 9.7/10
    Highest rated agent:
    CITY AUTO RENT
  • 5.8/10
    Lowest rated agent:
    BUDGET
  • 22,874
    Total number of reviews in
    Switzerland
  • 77
    Most Locations in Switzerland:
    EUROPCAR
  • 14
    Average wait time
    (Min.)
  • 15
    Total rental companies
     

Average prices per day for car hire in Switzerland

*average daily rates based on 7 day rental, search for today's best prices.

Fuel prices in Switzerland

Month, YearDiesel €/ltrUnleaded €/ltr
Jun , 2020 1.31 1.24
May , 2020 1.32 1.24
Apr , 2020 1.33 1.23
Mar , 2020 1.36 1.28
Feb , 2020 1.53 1.43
Jan , 2020 1.54 1.43
Dec , 2019 1.51 1.40
Nov , 2019 1.50 1.38
Oct , 2019 1.49 1.38
Sep , 2019 1.52 1.43
Aug , 2019 1.52 1.45
Jul , 2019 1.54 1.45

Car rental price statistics in Switzerland

  • € 222.88
    Average price:
    (per week)
  • € 2207.19
    Highest daily price:
    Rolls Royce Ghost
  • 8,918
    Total cars available
     
  • 507
    Most popular model:
    Volkswagen Passat Estate
  • 341
    Location with most cars:
    Zurich - Downtown
  • € 31.8 per day
    Cheapest daily price:
    ALAMO - Basel - Airport

FAQs about car hire in Switzerland

How much does it cost to hire a car in Switzerland?

Car hire in Switzerland starts from just €31.80 per day for a (mini) class car from Alamo. The average price to hire a car in Switzerland is just €187.90 per day, whilst the most expensive hire car in Switzerland is a Rolls Royce Ghost car for a (luxury elite) class from Edel and stark luxury fleet costing €2207.20 per day.

How do I get a free additional driver when hiring a car in Switzerland?

We often have special offers on car hire in Switzerland including free additional drivers, for example, is offering free additional driver and express check-in at for €0.00 per day.

Why is car hire so cheap in Switzerland?

Car hire prices in Switzerland are kept low thanks to the 15 car hire companies across the country. With over 111 car hire locations and 41,734 car hire options available, competition keeps prices low in Switzerland.

Who is the best car hire company in Switzerland?

Based on over 22,874 reviews from recent car hire customers, the best car hire agency in Switzerland Is Europcar who score on average 7.9/10 across all locations in Switzerland.

What is the most popular car hire location in Switzerland?

The most popular locations to hire a car in Switzerland is Zurich - Downtown with 10 car hire companies and 341 cars to choose from.

How much does fuel cost in Switzerland?

Current fuel prices in Switzerland are €1.3/ltr for petrol and €1.37/ltr for diesel as of 6 April 2020, it’ll cost on average €52 to fill an average compact class car with petrol and €55 for diesel.

What are the speed limits in Switzerland?

Speed limits in Switzerland are in km/h and are generally 30-50 km/h on urban roads, 80-100 km/h on rural roads and 120 km/h on the motorways but you should always follow local signage.

What is the cheapest car hire company in Switzerland?

Alamo is the cheapest car hire company in Switzerland offering a (mini) class car such as the Hyundai i10 for as little as €222.60 per week.

What is the most popular hire car in Switzerland?

The most popular car hire category in Switzerland is the Opel Astra available from 3 car hire companies in over 99 locations.

Most popular car hire locations in Switzerland

Switzerland Mini Guide

Switzerland is located in the centre of Europe and is completely landlocked with no sea ports. Switzerland is most notable for the Swiss Alps, an immensely popular winter sports destination. The interior of Switzerland consist of lakes, open plains and gentle hills.

Switzerland is divided into eleven separate regions. The largest tourist region is around Lake Geneva, popular with short break visitors. More adventurous visitors to Switzerland enjoy the hiking trails around the lakes which make up the Jura Mountains and Fribourg. The centre region of Switzerland and one which makes up the heartland of Bernese traditional influence is the Bernese Lowlands. The Bernese Highlands are dominated by the enigmatic Bernese Alps. The centre of Switzerland is the Swiss homeland. Basel is an industrial zone which also contains a large area of open countryside.

The region of Zurich and the town of the same name form a major sector of the tourist market. The Northeastern region of Switzerland is generally flat and rural. Valais is one of the largest skiing and winter sports regions in Europe. The mountainous region of Graubunden is popular with adventure tourists, and is populated by charming tourist friendly cities. Ticino is a region inhabited by Italian speaking folks, a recently popular are with foreign visitors.

Swiss cities are widely different, many of them suit short or weekend break visitors. Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, a major financial centre and also noted for its booming nightlife industry. For people interested in the arts and culture then Geneva is a wonderful destination.

The Swiss culture capital, Geneva is a town with a long and rich heritage. Berne is the actual capital of Switzerland, a truly cosmopolitan city, with a quaint old town. A plethora of excellent restaurants, bars and clubs make a night in Berne a night to remember.

Switzerland Factfile

  • Switzerland is a landlocked country and has borders with Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein
  • The Swiss eat more chocolate than any other nation in the world
  • The unofficial motto of Switzerland is "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" (Latin) which means 'One for all, all for one'
  • Popular dishes in Switzerland include raclette, fondue and rosti which usually tend to revolve around cheese.
  • The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF)
  • It's illegal to wash you car on a Sunday in Switzerland - See Strange Driving Laws

 

Popular car hire destinations in Switzerland

 

Useful links if renting a car in Switzerland

Fuel Prices in Switzerland

  • Price of petrol in Switzerland in April

    € 1.30/Ltr

     ($ 1.59/Ltr | 1.49/Ltr)
  • Price of diesel in Switzerland in April

    € 1.37/Ltr

     ($ 1.68/Ltr | 1.57/Ltr)

Cost to fill a rental car in Switzerland in April

  Petrol Diesel
Economy € 52.00  ($ 63.68) | € 54.80  ($ 67.11)
Compact € 52.00  ($ 63.68) | € 54.80  ($ 67.11)
Full Size € 65.00  ($ 79.60) | € 68.50  ($ 83.88)
SUV € 78.00  ($ 95.52) | € 82.20  ($ 100.66)
Carrier € 91.00  ($ 111.44) | € 95.90  ($ 117.44)

Next Upcoming Holiday

  •  

    Saturday 1 Aug 2020

    Swiss National Day - National holiday

 

Police Car in Switzerland

(Click to enlarge)

Police Cars Switzerland

Other Car Hire Locations in Switzerland

We specialise in car rentals throughout Switzerland to find you the best price and that's a promise...

Car Hire Basel
Car Hire Basel
€23.9
 
 
Mini 5 4 1 from €26.0 per day
Compact 5 5 3 from €26.2 per day
Economy 3 5 2 from €23.9 per day
Car Hire Bern
Car Hire Bern
€23.9
 
 
Mini 5 4 1 from €26.0 per day
Compact 5 5 3 from €26.2 per day
Economy 3 5 2 from €23.9 per day
Car Hire Geneva Airport
Car Hire Geneva Airport
€25.9
 
 
Mini 3 4 1 from €25.9 per day
Compact 5 5 3 from €33.9 per day
Economy 5 5 2 from €29.7 per day
Car Hire Zurich
Car Hire Zurich
€23.2
 
 
Economy 3 5 2 from €23.2 per day
Compact 5 5 3 from €25.5 per day
Mini 3 4 1 from €25.3 per day

When is the best time to book car hire in Switzerland

As a winter and summer holiday destination, car hire in Switzerland is popular all year round, however the peak times are between December and March for the winter sports season and from June to August for the summer season. Prices for car hire in Switzerland generally remain constant without not set high and low season. For this reason, you should ideally aim to book your hire car anywhere between 4 and 12 weeks before travel.

Booking car hire more than 3 months in advance might limit the availability of car from all rental agents, whereas with less than 4 weeks notice you might run into low availability and price hikes.