Hostels in Zurich Near the Lake

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As anyone who’s tried to take a cheap vacation to Zurich has no doubt discovered, Zurich is not a cheap city to visit. This is a fact that’s only highlighted by the distinct lack of hostels in this city. Still, it’s a nice city to visit – pretty, clean, and well-organized (it is Swiss, after all) – and it’s even situated right on a lake. So how can you make the most of a trip to Zurich without breaking the bank?

You can stay at one of the hostels in Zurich, of course – and if you’re lucky, you can even get a bed at one of the Zurich hostels close to the lake itself.

Now, as mentioned above, this isn’t a city that’s overflowing with hostel options. So it shouldn’t be surprising that on the list below you’ll find a few hotel options in addition to the hostels. If it’s one of the hostels that you’ve got your heart set on and you’re visiting during the peak season, book it sooner rather than later.

Zurich Hostels Near the Lake

Youth Hostel Zurich

One of the few bona fide hostels in Zurich, Youth Hostel Zurich (a member of the YHA hostelling organization) is modern and comfortable, with all the conveniences backpackers love to find in their hostels. The hostel isn’t located in downtown Zurich, but it’s definitely near the lake – and it’s only 20 minutes from downtown. There are a whopping 280+ beds in the hostel, ranging in size from doubles up to 5-bed rooms.

All of the rooms at the Zurich Youth Hostel have a wash basin in the room, and the doubles and some of the quads also have an en suite shower, but there are also shared bathrooms on each of the five floors of the hostel. There’s a breakfast buffet served every morning to help you stick to your budget even more.

City Backpacker Hotel Biber

Although it’s called a hotel, and it does have some private rooms, City Backpacker Hotel Biber is more of a hostel than anything else. It’s right in downtown Zurich in the pedestrian area, so it’s an ideal spot for a tourist’s homebase, and it also happens to be not far from the lake.

The dorm rooms at City Backpacker Hotel Biber are a maximum of 6 beds per room, and shared bathrooms are on each floor of the hostel. There are kitchen areas available for guest use, and free coffee and tea is always on offer. Because this hostel isn’t part of the YHA organization, there’s no membership fee or extra fee if you’re not a member.

ZicZac Rock Hotel

Okay, there’s nothing hostel-like about ZicZac Rock Hotel, but we had to include it on this list… Every room is designed to represent a different rock star, for crying out loud. How cool is that? This boutique hotel is located in downtown Zurich close to just about everything you’ll want to see in Zurich, including the lake, and the hotel has two on-site restaurants – so you won’t even have to go far for dinner.

In one of the restaurants at ZicZac Rock Hotel, you may not be surprised to know that it turns into a nightclub where there are parties on a fairly regular basis (it’s a rock hotel, after all). So if you’re a light sleeper, either ask for a room far from the nightclub or pick a different place to stay!

Hotel Arlette Beim Hauptbahnhof

The Hotel Arlette Beim Hauptbahnhof is, as you probably guessed from the name, located right at Zurich’s main train station. It’s a short walk from downtown and not far from the lake, either, so just about everything you could want isn’t far away (including local trams and buses for when you’re tired of walking). This is a straight-up hotel, with no dorm-style rooms whatsoever.

Amenities at the Hotel Arlette Beim Hauptbahnhof include free breakfast (served in your room at your request if you prefer), TVs in every room, and internet and WiFi access throughout the hotel. If you really want to splurge, you can take advantage of the hotel’s laundry service or ironing service (yes, they’ll simply iron your clothes for you, nevermind that you’ll have an iron in your hotel room closet).

photo by motli