Zurich's only beds past passport control are at the Transit Hotel by Gates D, on the non-Schengen side, from CHF 45 for a couch. It's closed for refurbishment from 9 to 22 November 2026. The Radisson Blu at Arrivals 1 is before passport control, and lounges, showers and left luggage cover the rest.
Can you sleep at Zurich airport during a layover?
Yes, if one of your flights is outside Schengen: the Transit Hotel at Gates D, past passport control, has couches from CHF 45 for up to 4 hours or CHF 70 for the night, and rooms from CHF 90. It's closed from 9 to 22 November 2026. If you can enter Switzerland, the Radisson Blu is at Arrivals 1, and anyone can use the lounges and showers.
Sleeping past passport control
At Zurich Airport (ZRH), the only beds you can reach without entering Switzerland are at the Transit Hotel & Dayrooms, in the non-Schengen area at Gates D, on the first floor. It’s closed for refurbishment from 9 to 22 November 2026 and is due to reopen on 23 November.
- Who can use it. Because it’s on the non-Schengen side, it suits a journey where at least one of your flights is outside the Schengen area: arriving from London and flying on to Singapore, or arriving from Berlin and flying on to Dubai, after passport control on the way to your gate. With both flights inside Schengen, it’s beyond a passport check you’d otherwise not pass, so plan on the lounges or the Radisson Blu instead.
- What to bring. A valid boarding pass and only hand luggage: your checked bags must be going through to your next flight.
- When you can get in. Coming from the main terminal, security and the boarding-pass check are open until 10:30pm and non-Schengen passport control until 11pm, then again from 5:30am. Landing from outside Schengen, you’re already on its side, and you can still get in after 11pm.
- What you get. A couch in a shared rest area or a private room, with free coffee, tea, water, towels and Wi-Fi. A shower is CHF 25 on its own.
- Booking and paying. Book on the airport’s online form, by phone on +41 43 816 21 08 or by email at transithotel@zurich-airport.com. It takes Swiss francs, euros and US dollars, with change in francs.
Lounges are for a seat and a meal, not for sleeping, so the Transit Hotel is the place for a real rest on the airside.
Hotels in and next to the terminals
| Hotel | Where | Airside or landside | How you get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit Hotel & Dayrooms | Gates D, first floor | Airside, non-Schengen side | After security and, from a Schengen flight, passport control |
| Radisson Blu Hotel | Arrivals 1 | Landside | In the public area, with direct access to the terminal |
The Radisson Blu is before passport control, so you need to be able to enter Switzerland (visa and transit rules). It suits a late landing and a morning flight, or a long layover when you’d rather have a proper room. It doesn’t publish day-room prices, so ask the hotel for a daytime stay.
Day rooms
These are the Transit Hotel’s prices, valid from 1 November 2025. Daytime check-in is from 8am, with check-out by 7pm; overnight, check-in is from 7pm and check-out by 8am.
| By day, up to 4 hours | By day, over 4 hours | Overnight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couch in the rest area | CHF 45 | CHF 60 | CHF 70 |
| Single room | CHF 90 | CHF 120 | CHF 150 |
| Double room | CHF 120 | CHF 150 | CHF 200 |
| Triple room | CHF 150 | CHF 180 | CHF 250 |
The couch is the cheapest way to sleep airside: CHF 45 buys up to 4 hours on a 5-hour layover, and CHF 70 a night before a morning flight.
Lounges you can pay for
| Lounge | Where | Hours | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspire (two lounges, and the Aspire Suite) | Airside | Daily, to 9pm | CHF 48 for adults, CHF 24 for children aged 7 to 9; the Suite CHF 80 |
| marhaba | Airside Center | Daily 5:15am to 8pm | Open to any passenger; ask for the price |
| Prime Class | Gates E | Daily 6am to 10:30pm | Any flight class; ask for the price |
The airport also lists lounges for SWISS and Emirates passengers. Aspire’s two lounges open at different times in the morning, so if you’re there early, check that yours is open. For a few hours’ sleep, the Transit Hotel’s couch costs about the same as a lounge and gives you somewhere to lie down.
Showers
| Where | Price | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
| Airport Fitness, Shower & Go | CHF 19 | Towel, shampoo, shower gel and hairdryer; no membership |
| Transit Hotel, Gates D (airside) | CHF 25 | Towel and shower gel |
| Radisson Blu, Arrivals 1 (landside) | CHF 35 | Towels, hairdryer and a shower set, in one of three shower rooms |
The airport doesn’t say where Airport Fitness is or when it opens, so find it on the airport map before you count on it.
Fast Track
Zurich sells no fast lane through passport control. ZRH Comfort, CHF 39 a person, gets you into the priority lane at security, with a snack and a soft drink. With 90 minutes in hand on the way back you won’t usually need it, but it helps if you’re running late.
Left luggage
The staffed office is at Arrivals 2 (Terminal 2, level 0), next to the Airport Information desk, open daily 6am to 10pm. Prices are per item, paid in advance, by card or in Swiss francs or euros.
| Item | Up to 4 hours | Up to 8 hours | Up to 24 hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand luggage, up to 8kg | CHF 10 | CHF 13 | CHF 17 |
| Suitcase, up to 25kg | CHF 15 | CHF 18 | CHF 22 |
| Bulky item | CHF 20 | CHF 24 | CHF 28 |
| Coat | CHF 8 | CHF 8 | CHF 8 |
After 10pm, use the SBB lockers at Check-in 3, in Airport Shopping, open 24 hours a day, in sizes from small to extra large. Their prices aren’t published.
Connections, money and Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi. Free for 8 hours from your first login; after that, it starts again an hour later.
- eSIM. Set one up before you fly so the ZVV or SBB app works for tickets and maps in town.
- Money. Switzerland uses the Swiss franc (CHF). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, and many shops take euros, with change in francs. The station’s ticket machines take euro notes too.
- Plugs. Switzerland uses type C and type J sockets. A two-pin Europlug fits; UK, US and Indian plugs need an adapter.
- Shops. Airport Shopping is open every day of the year, Sundays included, which matters because shops in town are shut on Sundays.
- Gates E. The Skymetro, a driverless train, runs between Gates A, B and D and Gates E in a few minutes. Transfer desks are in every gate area, and your gate is shown at least 60 minutes before departure.