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Car Hire at Zurich Train Station - For the Best of Switzerland

One of the busiest railway stations in the world, Zurich Train Station (known locally as either Zürich Hauptbahnhof or ShopVille-Zurich) is a major railway hub that operates services right across Switzerland (including Geneva and Basel) and to and from several neighbouring countries, including Germany, Italy, Austria and France. First opened in the mid-19th century, the building itself is an architectural landmark and features a large shopping centre which is open for business from early morning until late evening throughout the year.

Located in the heart of Zurich's charming city centre, the station's centrepiece is the magnificent main hall (Haupthalle) which dates back to 1871. Most international trains entering Switzerland stop at Zürich Hauptbahnhof with the most common routes being TGV-Lyrias to and from Paris, ICEs to and from Germany, EuroCity trains from Milan, Railjets from Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest, and sleeper trains from Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest and Zagreb. It's also a busy hub for travellers seeking to connect with points all over the city, including many of Zurich top tourist attractions.

Very much the cultural centre of Switzerland, Zurich is bursting with tourist appeal with an abundance of first-rate museums on a wide variety of themes. Its charming Old Town is a good place to start, an area dominated by the imposing Grossmünster, Zurich's iconic twin-towered church founded in the 12th century. The Swiss National Museum (Schweizerisches Landesmuseum) is a must-see attraction due to its vast collection of rare exhibits dating back to pre-history. For the best views, pick up your car hire from Zurich Train Station and head for the 871-metre-high Uetliberg Mountain a short drive south-west of the city.

Auto Europe is a leading international car hire company with over sixty-five years' in the heart of the vehicle rental industry. Our highly competitive car rental prices are snapped up by millions of satisfied customers each year who are attracted by the choice of more than 24,000 convenient pick-up and drop-off locations in over 180 different destinations worldwide. And b working with all the most prestigious car hire providers, including Hertz, Avis, Budget, Sixt and Europcar, we are able to offer a broad selection of car types, from small, economical cars for city sightseeing to large, spacious SUVs for that dream drive around Lake Zurich.

Booking your car rental at Zurich Train Station with us is a guarantee of reliability and quality, plus we'll be with you every step of the way. Please feel free to contact our award-winning rental specialists on +441233225114 if you require help with your reservation, and for additional peace of mind take a look at the ratings and comments posted by previous Auto Europe customers on our Zurich car hire reviews page. For more driving tips, check out our Driving in Switzerland page for information about local age restrictions, driving distances, road rules, motorway tolls, etc.

Station Information

Serving more than 15 million passengers each month, Zurich Train Station is the largest railway station in the country and one of the busiest in Europe. Owned and operated by Swiss Federal Railways, it currently comprises 13 platforms and 26 railway tracks plus an extensive range of on-site facilities and amenities, including more than two hundred shops and dining outlets. Besides many local establishments, travellers will recognise many of the world's best-known brands, such as Burger King, Dunkin'Donuts, Starbucks and Subway. The station also has a left-luggage office, bureaux de change, several ATMs, a mini-market and free Wi-fi for a limited time.

Where to pick up my car hire at Zurich Train Station

Many leading car rental companies have their offices located either inside or very near the station building, with pick-up and drop-off points situated in close proximity to the main entrance. Don't forget to have your car hire documents, credit card and personal identification with you when you arrive to collect the vehicle.

	Europcar at Zurich Train Station Josefstrasse 53, Zurich, Switzerland 8005 +41 44 271 56 56	Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 7am-5pm, Fi 7am-7pm, Sat 7am-midday and Sun 9-11am
	Hertz at Zurich Train Station Zollstrasse 42 Zurich, Switzerland 8005 +41 43 444 70 00	Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 7am-6pm, Fri 7am-8pm, Sat 8am-5pm and Sun 7am-midday
	Sixt at Zurich Train Station Pfingstweidstrasse 3 Zurich, Switzerland 8005 +41 44 445 90 90	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 7am-midday

Station facilities

Zurich Train Station has a good number of restaurants, cafés, bookshops, fashion boutiques and convenience stores open throughout the year. The most popular brands include Accessorize, Au Premier, Avec, Belmundo, Blume 3000, Bon Voyage, Burger King, Cafe Oscar, Calzedonia, Claire’s, Depot, DHL/PickPost, Dunkin’ Donuts, K Kiosk, Naturewell, Die Post, Pandora, PostFinance, Sephora, Swisscom, Tchibo, The Body Shop and Vero Moda, to name a few. There's a left-luggage office, several bureaux de change, various ATMs dotted around the station and a well-stocked mini-market at the very back of the main concourse. The station also offers passengers a high-speed Wi-Fi connection (select SBB-FREE) which is free of charge for the first 60 minutes.

How to get to and from Zurich Train Station

Zurich Station offers direct connections to and from many cities throughout Switzerland as well as frequent services to Zurich Airport. Trains run daily between Zurich Airport and Zurich Train Station every 5–10 minutes, starting at 5am and finishing around midnight, with a journey time of about 10 minutes. As well as various regional trains, the S-Bahn lines S2 and S16 serve Zurich Hauptbahnhof enabling visitors to reach the city centre quickly and it's very easy to walk from the station to most downtown locations. The station is also well served by Zurich's local buses, trams, lake boats and even a cable-car, plus taxis are also plentiful although they are not cheap. The old town is within walking distance of Zurich HB station. If you'll be heading there don’t exit from the front of the station, instead take the exit to the right of the main concourse, then cross the street to access the road Banhofstrasse and the old town is then a 10 minute walk away. The station is very centrally located in the heart of the city, so you won't have any problems reaching it with your car rental at Zurich Train Station when it's time to drop the car off.

Parking tips

Parking is quite tightly controlled in Zurich, so it's best to opt for one of the large car parks located in and around the city centre where the number of available spaces are indicated on signs at the entrance. There are a wide range of multi-storey car parks around the centre of the city where you can go after picking up your car hire from Zurich Train Station, although they tend to fill up quickly at peak times. Try Parking Opéra (Schillerstrasse 5), City Parking (Gessnerallee 14), Parkhaus Talgarten (Nüschelerstrasse 31), Parkgarage am Central (Seilergraben) or Parkhaus am Hohe Promenade (Rämistrasse 22a). Alternatively, short-stay on-street parking places with meters are available in the white zone where you can park from 30 minutes to 2–4 hours with some exceptions. When you first arrive in Zurich make sure you get a blue disc (Parkscheibe) from any post office or petrol station because they’re free and allow you to park blue zones or blue parking areas all over the city for free for a specific amount of time, usually 1 hour, depending on the time you arrive.

Useful links

Zurich Tourist Info

Additional Information about Zurich Station