Finding a good hotel to stay in Zurich is not always easy, especially if we take into account the size of the city and the economic aspect, and we cannot forget that Switzerland is not exactly a cheap country and much less its lodging.
It is for these reasons that we wanted to make your search easier, leaving you a selection of some of the best hotels in Zurich, all of them with an excellent value for money.
Before choosing one or the other, it is important to keep in mind that finding a cheap accommodation in Zurich is not like in any other European city and in most cases, it is difficult to find a double room for less than 100 euros/night, something that is justified if we take into account that the quality of accommodation in the country is above average.
Based on the several times we have visited the city, the last of them during this route in scenic trains through Switzerland, after which we wrote the guide to Switzerland, we leave you a selection of places to stay in Zurich and the best neighborhoods. Let’s get started!
Neighborhoods where to stay in Zurich
The first and most important thing before looking for accommodation in Zurich is to know how the city is structured and divided.
Zurich has 12 districts, also known as kreise, listed in a concentric way, which are further divided into neighborhoods, each having between one and four.
- District 1: this is the most central and famous district, as it is the historical center of the city. It is also known as Altstadt.
- District 2: this district is located next to Lake Zurich and is divided into 3 neighborhoods: Enge, Wollishofen and Leimbach.
- District 3: known as Wiedikon, it is also divided into three districts: Alt-Wiedikon, Sihlfeld and Friesenberg.
- District 4: known as Aussersihl, this district is close to the Zurich Train Station and is very popular for its nightlife.
- District 5: known as Industriequartier, because it is an industrial area, this district is right next to the previous one and also very close to the Zurich Train Station.
- District 6: it is divided into two districts: Oberstrass and Unterstrass.
- District 7: located in the eastern part of Zurich, it is divided into the neighborhoods of Hottingen and Hirslanden.
- District 8: this district is located in the eastern part of Lake Zurich and is known as Riesbach.
- District 9: consists of the districts of Altstetten and Albisrieden.
- District 10: formed by the Höngg and Wipkingen districts.
- District 11: located near Lake Katzen, it consists of the Affoltern, Oerlikon and Seebach districts.
- District 12: this is the district furthest from the center and is known as Schwamendingen.
As you can see, the areas where to stay in Zurich are varied, although travelers usually choose the most central areas to sleep, something that we will also do in this post, so you can make the most of the city, without forgetting of course, that all recommendations have a good value for money.
1. Altstadt: the historic center and the best place to sleep in Zurich
Known as the historic center of the city, this is the best area to stay in Zurich as you will be close to most tourist attractions as well as having a wide range of hotels and restaurants.
Within this district, which we could say is the one that is bounded by the ancient walls of the city, there are four distinct areas: Rathaus and Lindenhof, which are the area of the medieval city and are located in each of the parts of the river Limago (Limmat in German) and Hochschulen and City that we could say, are the most modern areas.
The price of accommodation in the historic center is usually 150 euros although some offers can be found for 120 euros.
2. Seefeld, another of the best areas to find a hotel in Zurich
In the 8th district, known as Riesbach, we find Seefeld, which is another of the best areas to sleep in Zurich because besides being within walking distance of the historic center, you will be near the lake and you will have a wide range of restaurants.
Although from this neighborhood you can walk to most important points, you have several streetcar stations that will also bring you closer to all the sights of the city.
The price of accommodation in Seefeld is usually 150 euros.
3. Aussersihl, a good area to sleep in Zurich, close to the Central Station and with a lot of atmosphere
This is the 4th district of Zurich and besides being very close to the Central Station, it has a wide range of leisure activities.
These two features make it a good area to sleep in Zurich, especially if you want to make a route through the country and need to be near the train and do not want to sacrifice being close to one of the areas with more atmosphere in the city.
The price of accommodation in Seefeld is usually 100 euros.
4. Zurich Airport
Although initially it may seem a bad area to stay in Zurich, in case you do not mind taking public transport to go to the most central area, this is a perfect option to find a hotel.
Keep in mind that being only 10 kilometers away and connected to the Central Station, it is feasible to stay here and still comfortably enjoy the tourist attractions of the city.
The price of accommodation at Zurich Airport is usually 80 euros.
Tips for finding cheap accommodation in Zurich
We hope that with this selection of recommended hotels and the explanation of the best areas of the city, you have more clear what are the best options where to stay in Zurich. In addition to these, we can not finish this post without leaving you some tips and recommendations for sleeping in Zurich.
- Taking into account that most travelers spend 1 or 2 days in the city, it is highly recommended to look for a hotel in Zurich that is centrally located, in order to be as close as possible to most of the tourist attractions. In case you cannot afford the prices that these accommodations usually have, we advise you to opt for a more distant area, but always taking into account that it has a good connection with public transportation.
- The moment you do a brief search, you will see that hotels in Zurich are not cheap, so especially in high season, it is important to book in advance to have more options and more deals.
- Remember that to avoid paying commissions and to always have the current exchange rate we recommend you to use the Revolut card and the N26 card, which are the ones we use, are free of charge and will save you a lot of money.
