Zurich to Vaduz, the two ways I'd do it

Zurich to Liechtenstein is the route almost everyone travelling from further afield ends up taking. It’s about 110 km along the Rhine valley, with two sensible ways to cover it. I lean towards train plus bus, but the car has its moment too, and here’s which I’d pick when.

By train to Sargans, the one I’d choose

From Zurich’s main station, the HB, direct trains to Sargans take 54 to 60 minutes with no changes, according to the official Swiss timetable checked for a weekday in October. Sargans tops the Liechtenstein tourist board’s list of stations for changing onto the bus, and it’s 17 km from Vaduz.

Two LIEmobil routes leave from the same station. The 12E, the express, reaches Vaduz, Post in 23 minutes, but only runs Monday to Friday outside holidays, between 06:36 and 19:36. Route 11 takes about 32 minutes and runs at weekends as well. Times and stops are all in Sargans to Vaduz by bus.

Flying into Zurich Airport

From the terminal it’s the same pattern with one extra change. Train to Sargans, bus to Vaduz, 1 h 40 min to 2 h in all with two changes. This is where the tourist board gets carried away, promising an hour’s journey from an airport, which only works by car. The other airports, Altenrhein and Friedrichshafen, are weighed up in the nearest airport to Liechtenstein.

Do you need a separate bus ticket?

This is where people lose time at the station. LIEmobil’s fares reach as far as Sargans, Bahnhof, on the Swiss side, and the SBB Mobile app sells journeys within, to and from Liechtenstein. I’d search for the whole trip from Zurich to Vaduz in the app and buy it in one go.

If you already hold a Swiss travelcard, even better. The GA is valid across the LIEmobil network and the Half Fare Card entitles you to reduced singles and day tickets. And if you board without a ticket, have a card ready, because cash isn’t accepted on board. Zone fares and ticket types are set out in Liechtenstein’s buses.

Driving the A3 and A13

The tourist board routes you along the A3 to Sargans and then the A13, and allows an hour. Bergbahnen Malbun, which puts Zurich to Vaduz at about 110 km, says an hour and a half. I’d go with the longer figure, since the short one leaves out traffic and finding a parking space. The LandesMuseum points you to exit 9, Sevelen/Vaduz, and from there you cross the Rhine.

Swiss motorways need a vignette. The official one is CHF 40 and covers its calendar year plus the December before and the January after, so a day trip still means paying for the whole year. Swiss customs warns about websites reselling it with a mark-up. How to buy it properly is in driving in Liechtenstein and the vignette.

Plan the return before you set off

The outward journey is straightforward. The return is where the day goes wrong if you haven’t looked, especially at weekends. The 12E leaves Vaduz, Post for Sargans hourly in the middle of the day and every half hour at peak times, and the 2026 timetable ends it at 18:53. After that, or on any Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, you’re on route 11, which winds down through Triesen and Balzers before crossing into Switzerland.

I work backwards. First I pick the Sargans to Zurich train that suits me in the SBB app, then I find the bus that gets me to the station with time to spare. With a change at a small station, ten minutes’ slack is the minimum I’d allow.

Day trip or overnight?

Plenty of people do it in a day, and the Office of Statistics confirms most visitors are day-trippers. With roughly an hour and a half each way from the main station, there’s time for Vaduz, the Städtle and a museum or two. My hour-by-hour plan is in a one-day Liechtenstein itinerary.

I’d still rather stay a night. Vaduz late in the afternoon, without the groups, is a far nicer place, and if your hotel issues the Welcome Erlebnispass the buses are free from the moment you reach Sargans. If you’re short of time, bear in mind that the last 12E leaves Vaduz for Sargans at 18:53, after which you rely on route 11 to get back to the train. A night or two also leaves room for one of the day trips from Liechtenstein, such as Feldkirch or Sargans.