Air Canada Vacations

Before You Leave Canada

Entry requirements

It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you - and any child travelling with you - have all the travel documents necessary to enter or transit through each country on your itinerary. Please ensure you verify the requirements for each country as the required documents for the outbound portion of your travel may differ from those required on the return.

Please refer to Air Canada for complete information on travel requirements and regulations.

Baggage

Please refer to Air Canada for up-to-date baggage allowances.

Airport check-in

Please present yourself at the airport counter or self-service kiosks of the airline indicated on your e-ticket. Web check-in and mobile check-in are also available.
Please refer to Air Canada for recommended check-in times and more details.

Your arrival at destination

Transportation from airport to Zurich

By train /metro

Trains run between the airport and Zurich main station every 10 minutes during peak periods and travel time is only 10 minutes. Numerous inter-city and regional trains provide connections to all the main towns and cities in Switzerland.

By bus

Eleven bus lines cover the region surrounding Zurich Airport, including Glattal, Zurich-Oerlikon and Winterthur (departures every 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes).
The bus terminal is located behind multi-storey car parks 2 and 3, and can also be reached via the new Airport Shopping.

By taxi

The airport taxi stand is located in front of Arrivals 1 and 2.  A taxi to the city centre costs around CHF 50 (€ 35).

Hotel check-in

Upon arrival at your hotel, please identify yourself at the front desk with your Air Canada Vacations voucher. You will then be assigned your accommodation. Passport must be presented upon check in.

Hotel check-in times may vary depending on the hotel but is generally 3 p.m.

During your stay

If you need help or assistance with your vacation, please contact Air Canada Vacations Customer Care.

Shopping

Zurich not only offers international brand names; it also presents its own urban labels - such as Freitag bags made from recycled truck tarpaulins, street and beachwear from Alprausch or silk accessories from Fabric Frontline.

Aussersihl and Zurich-West:  In the last decade, many young artists have settled down in Aussersihl and Zurich-West, creating a vivid, multicultural art, culinary and fashion scene.

Bahnhofstrasse: The main shopping zone is concentrated in the city centre, which makes it ideal for pedestrians. The famous Bahnhofstrasse - one of the most beautiful shopping areas in Europe - is a must. Elegant fashion stores, department stores, boutiques with top quality products (shoes, furs, accessories, porcelain, jewellery and watches), banks and pastry shops.

The Langstrasse Quarter:  Zurich's most colourful and varied district. Multicultural, metropolitan, with charm and patina at every turn, it has undergone a unique development. Many young Swiss designers have opened their boutiques here, and offer creative and unconventional fashions as well as other beautiful objects.

Niederdorf: During the day this is a pedestrian zone and a shopper's paradise with lots of boutiques hidden away in a patchwork of alleys. At night the many bars, restaurants and street artists turn the Niederdorf into an exciting centre of entertainment for a colourful public.

Old Town: In the old town on the left bank of the Limmat (Rennweg, Strehlgasse, Augustinergasse, St. Peterhofstaff, Münsterhof, In Gassen, Wühre) you will find numerous boutiques and antique shops.

Storchengasse / Strehlgasse:  In the old City on the left side of the River Limmat you will find the famous shopping area Storchengasse / Strehlgasse (Glockengasse, Kambelgasse, Munsterhof, Rathausbrücke, Schipfe, Schlusselgasse, St. Peterhofstatt, Storchengasse, Strehlgasse, Weggengasse, Weinplatz, Wuhre and Zinnengasse).

Tipping

In Switzerland tips are included on all hotel and restaurant bills. It is neither necessary nor expected to give an extra tip. But it is fine to tip when the service is nice and friendly.

Water

Water is safe to drink all over Switzerland, whether from taps or from the ubiquitous public street-fountains. These fountains almost always run with pure spring water.

Electricity

Electricity supply in Switzerland is AC 220 V, 50 Hz. Sockets use the round-pin European system. Most hotels have adaptors.  

Currency

The currency in Switzerland is Schweizerfranken (Swiss Francs), also called Franken.

Banking

Banks are usually open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Currency exchange can be carried out at all bank branches and Post Offices. Bureaux de change can also be found in large department stores, railway stations, airports and near to tourist sites.
Many banks in Switzerland have equipped their ATMs with the CIRRUS or MAESTRO system, so cash is readily available.

Long distance calls

Telephone calls from your hotel to Canada can be very expensive and service charges are high.

Prepaid calling cards are readily available.

To call Canada dial 001 and then the number.

Language

The national languages of Switzerland are German (North, Central and Eastern Switzerland), French (Western Switzerland), Italian (Southern Switzerland) and Romansh - a form of Latin (South-Eastern Switzerland). English is also widely spoken.

Time zone

UTC/GMT +1 hour
Daylight savings time UTC/GMT +2 hours

Emergency

You can ask for a doctor or a dentist through your hotel. Keep all your receipts. 
Tourists requiring urgent medical care should go to the nearest hospital emergency room (airports and many train stations also have medical teams and first aid facilities).

Getting around

Sightseeing

Air Canada Vacations offers a huge selection of day tours and activities in Zurich that you can easily add to your shopping cart when you book. Enjoy The Great Tour of Zurich or the Jungfraujoch - a tour into the Alps.

Rental car

Air Canada Vacations offers convenient short-term and long-term car rentals throughout Europe.

Public transport

The ZVV network is divided into zones. The price of your ticket depends on the number of zones through which you are travelling. Within the zones you buy, you can travel as often as you like during your ticket's period of validity. And you can choose the types of public transport that best meet your needs - train, bus, tram, boat, funicular or cable car. Tickets are available at automatic machines or in person at ZVV offices.

Taxi

Taxi's are readily available 24 hours / 7 days a week. In addition, water taxis can take you from pier to pier all over Lake Zurich.

Your departure

Hotel checkout

Hotel checkout times may vary depending on the property, but generally you must vacate the room by noon.

Duty-free exemptions

Please refer to the Canada Border Services Agency for up-to-date information on personal exemptions.

Airport check-in

Please present yourself at the airport counter or self-service kiosks of the airline indicated on your e-ticket. Web check-in and mobile check-in are also available.
Please refer to Air Canada for recommended check-in times and more details.

Customer care

For any inquiries regarding your travel plans, please contact Air Canada Vacations Customer Care.