Zurich airport dayrooms
 

I will be traveling from Vegas to Prague in late April. I have a layover in Zurich from 8am until 5pm. Has anyone used the dayrooms at the Zurich airport? Are they secure where I can leave my luggage there, relax, and go into Zurich for some sightseeing?

Also, any suggestions for sightseeing/eating in Zurich when you only have about 7 hours to do it?

Thanks a mil!

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Sorry, I have never been through the Zurich airport.

Don't know about the dayrooms in the airport so I can't help you there.

While in Zurich don't miss the Fraumunster with the beautiful Marc Chagall stained glass windows.

We spent about an afternoon walking around Zurich. We used the walking guide in one of the Rick Steves guides and felt it was a good introduction to the city.

We ate at an Italian place near our hotel but don't have a clue as to the name. Plenty of restaurants in this city so just look at the menus posted near the door.

Zurich is a beautiful city.

Hi DaveInVegas,

Here is a link to information about dayrooms at Zurich airport:

http://www.zurich-airport.com/ZRH/?I...104&a2=104

I don't know if you can leave your luggage there, but there is an email address and a tel. number, so you can call to ask.

There are lots of threads here about what to do with a long layover in Zurich; maybe do a text search here to see if you can find more information.

s

I live in Zurich and have not used the dayrooms, but as I read the website, anyone can use the dayrooms for a fee. Not sure about luggage storage in the dayrooms, but you can definitely store luggage at the train station in the basement of the airport, there are both lockers and an attended luggage room. It would be easy to store the bags there and then take the train to the city, it is about 10 minutes by train to the main train station, the Hautbanhof. You can also store bags at the Hautbanhof, there are lockers and an attended baggage room. (Lockers are one floor below the main level, the baggage room is on the main level.)

In addition to the dayrooms, there is also the Allegra Lounge run by Swiss Air, which is located in the baggage claim area and may be the better choice as you can get access to your baggage for a shower, etc and then store your luggage at the train station. (This would assume that your luggage is not checked all the way through to your final destination, which it may be, you can store carry ons in the train station as mentioned above.) The day rooms are located before baggage claim (as I see from the website) so you would have to have a change of clothes with your carry on luggage, etc. The prices also seem cheaper, they charge CH30 for a shower as opposed to CH48 for 6 hours at the day room, when you seem to only want a shower. Look at the airport website for info on the Allegra Lounge.

If you are going to be in Zurich on April 18 or the weekend of 16-17 April, write back on this thread as the 18th is Sechselauten, a holiday unique to Zurich, and I would suggest specific things to do related to the holiday.

I would let weather dictate what you do in Zurich. If it is raining, I would do a short walking tour of the left bank (Hautbanhof side) of the river, then head to one of the museums in town. The Landmuseum near the Hautbanhof is a history museum of Zurich and is interesting, if you like art, the Kunsthaus and Reitburg are excellent museums. Consult your guidebook or take a look at the Destination Guide put together by Fodors on this site. Some restaurants for lunch are listed below.

If it is a sunny day, I would take a more extended tour of both the right and left bank of the river, and climb the tower in the Grossmunster for a great view of Zurich and the lake (and the Alps if it is really clear). Take a walk along the lake down to the Seerose Restaurant and eat outdoors with a great view. (From the Hautbanhof walk all the way down Banhofstrasse to the lake, cross the street, turn right and follow the lake walk for about ¾ of a mile, the restaurant is on the lake, they also have indoor seating if it is cold. Website is http://www.dinning.ch/, but there is not a lot of info beyond the address. If you are there on a weekend, a reservation for lunch would be a good idea.)

Seerose
Seestrasse 493
Tel 01 481 63 83

The tourist office in the Hautbanhof has English language guided walking tours on Saturdays at 11 am & 3 pm. They cost about US$15 and last about 2 hours. You don’t need a reservation, just show up at the tourist service office in the Hautbanhof a few minutes before the tour. For information, e-mail the tourist service at [email protected], or go to http://www.zuerich.com/sightseeing

The Fraumunster church, mentioned above, is unfortunately under scaffolding for a renovation that has taken over a year; unless it is very sunny I would not bother to go as you will not be able to appreciate the windows through the scaffolding.

Note that most restaurants in Zurich have set lunch hours and do not serve outside of those hours, so plan lunch for sometime between 12 and about 2:30 pm.

On the left bank (i.e., Hautbanhof side) of the river:

Brasserie Restaurant Lipp
Uraniastrasse 9
Zürich
Tel: 01 211 11 55

Popular local restaurant with Swiss and European dishes. No outside seating. Go down Bahnhofstrasse to Uraniastrasse, which is the first intersection with a light and cars crossing. Go left onto Uraniastrasse.

Juice Market
Augustinergasse
Tel: 01 211 69 33

Located in one of Zurich’s most romantic little alleys. Delicious fresh pressed juices and sandwiches. Very casual.

Sprungli
21 Banhofstrasse

Famous chocolate shop with a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and ice cream. Nice on a sunny day to sit outside, not sure it is worth it unless you can sit outside, as there are other better choices for inside dining. The restaurant is about ¾ mile down Banhofstrasse at the intersection of Banhofstrasse and Paradaplatz on the right.

Restaurant Bierhalle Kropf
In Gassen 16
Zurich
Tel 01 221 1805

Swiss specialties in a nice setting in the old town.

Cafe Wuehre
Wuehre 11
Zurich
tel 01 211 26 53

A few houses down from the Hotel zum Storchen, closer to the Fraumunster, on a narrow pedestrian-only street right along the river. A wonderful tiny cafe. Very popular, so come early or make a reservation, esp on weekends. Great location right along the Limmat river in the midst of some interesting shops (bring plenty of money).

On the right bank of the river:

Kantorei
Spiegelgasse 33
Intersection with Neumarkt
Zürich
Tel: 01 252 27 27

Very good Italian and fusion Italian-Asian food. Interesting part of the old town, a few blocks off the river.

Rathaus-Café
Limmatquai 61
Zürich
Tel: 01 261 07 70

Casual bar and restaurant, nice spot on the river, esp the outdoor tables.

Gran Cafe
Limmatquai 66
Zürich
Tel: 01 252 31 19

Standard café food, good people watching at their outdoor tables.

Café Walthi
Schoffegasse 3
Zurich
Tel: 01 262-0906

Great crepes. Extremely casual, not expensive, lots of university students.

WINGS Airline Bar
Limmatquai 54
Zürich
Tel: 043 268 40 55

Casual bar and restaurant. Very good wrap sandwiches. Run by former employees of Swiss Air.

Molino
Limmatquai 16
Zürich
Tel: 01 252 43 72

Good basic pizzas and Italian food. Nice location on the river looking onto the Fraumunster.

Café Terrasse
Limmatquai 3
Zurich
Tel: 01 251 1074

A bit more upscale and interesting menu, a funky bar and restaurant. Very nice outdoor terrace, but only in the summer.

Odéon
Limmatquai 2
Zürich
Tel: 01 251 16 50

A Zurich institution, Lenin and James Joyce used to eat here. Pub food, including great soups. Clientele is heavily gay men, but you will not feel unwelcome or uncomfortable.

Vorderer Sternen
Restaurant Sterne Foifi
Theatrestrasse 22
(at Bellevue tram stop)
Zurich
Tel: 01-251-4949

Very good restaurant serving European and Swiss specialties. If you can get a window seat (upstairs or downstairs) you will get a good view of the tram station and lake. The serve pretty much all day. They also have a restaurant behind called Rosalys, which I have never eaten at.

Sternen Grill Bratwurst Stand
Freitgasse and Theatrstrasse
Next door to Vorderer Sternen

Next door to Vorderer Sternen is their famous bratwurst stand. Just look for the line. The kitchen and all tables are outdoors, you can also do takeaway. A glass of beer and a bratwurst and you are a Zuricher! Great people watching as well. Not expensive, bratwurst starts at about $5. FYI, most bratwurst in Switzerland is veal, not pork. It is really delicious.

Tibits
Seefeldstrasse 2
Zürich ZH
Tel 01 260 32 22

Casual, good food. Picnic tables outside. This is just past the Opera House on the right.