Zurich's main station: Location map
Zurich Hauptbahnhof is Zurich's main station, often abbreviated to Zurich HB. It's a major terminus used by almost all trains serving the city and you'll often find yourself changing trains here. It's the largest station in Switzerland.
Station overview
A station first opened on this spot in 1847, but the current station building dates from 1871. It's obvious when you know it, but the main hall (Haupthalle) shown in the photo below where passengers now circulate is the original 1871 trainshed where the tracks & platforms were until the 1930s. The buildings on the north of the Haupthalle are called the Nordtrakt, those on the south the Sudtrakt. In 1933 new platforms were built a couple of hundred metres short of the old buffer stops, covered by a series of glass-and-steel arched roofs, allowing station capacity to be increased. This 1933 trainshed covers the main terminus platforms 3 to 18 used by all international trains and many domestic trains, which are behind me when I took the photo below. A modern shopping mall has been built underneath the Haupthalle, and below that there are now a series of underground platforms mostly handling local trains but also some Swiss mainline trains. There's a 3D plan of the station and its underground shopping levels at www.sbb.ch - but it's easier to Google for plan Zurich HB.
The south side of Zurich HB, directly across the road from the excellent Hotel Schweizerhof. The entrance arch passes directly into the main hall (Haupthalle). The platforms are just out of shot to the left.
The Haupthalle (main hall) was the original 1871 trainshed, the tracks & platforms were here until 1933. Ranged along the far left-hand wall in this photo are the Brasserie Federal, tourist office and (in the far corner) a Migrolino mini-market. The escalators to the lower levels with shops & luggage lockers are behind the ticket machines on the left of the photo. The Querhalle and platforms 3 to 18 are behind me as I took this photo. As of mid-2024, the SBB Travel Centre is now on the right.
The Querhalle (cross-hall) is a circulating area between the Haupthalle and the platforms, with an open gateway to the street on each side of the station, hence the name. The main departures board hangs here (Fernverkehr = main line departures, S-Bahn = suburban trains). In this photo we're looking across the station towards the north side exit. Platforms to the left, Haupthalle to the right.
Which platform for your train?
Finding your train: The station departure board shows which platform each train leaves from, but you can find out in advance by running an enquiry at the Swiss Federal Railways website www.sbb.ch.
Platforms 3 to 18: These are the main terminus platforms at ground level underneath the 1933 glass-and-steel trainshed next to the 1871 main hall. They are numbered 3 to 18 from left to right as you look from the main hall towards the trains. There is easy level access from the street to the concourse to all of these platforms, with no ticket gates or barriers, so no problem for people with luggage or mobility issues. Most international trains use these platforms, including the TGV-Lyrias to & from Paris, ICEs to & from Germany, EuroCity trains to & from Milan, Railjets to & from Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna & Budapest, sleeper trains to & from Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest & Zagreb. Many domestic mainline trains also use these platforms. Incidentally, there has not been any platform 1 or 2 for some years.
Platforms 21-22 are one level down underground, used only by local trains of the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (SZU).
Platforms 31-34 are further underground below the shopping mall level, used by the Zurich to Munich EuroCity trains and by some Swiss domestic mainline trains especially on the routes to St Gallen, Bern, Lausanne & Geneva. 31 & 32 are an island platform, 33 & 34 are another island platform. They are all through platforms which saves these trains having to reverse in the ground-level dead-end platforms - but check the departure screens as some trains on these routes use platforms 3-18. Platforms 31-34 are also used by S-Bahn (suburban) trains. There are escalators and lifts from the main hall to these platforms so no problem accessing with luggage.
Platforms 41-44 are also underground and used by S-Bahn (suburban) trains. These are through platforms.
Platforms 3-18 are the main platforms, under the 1933 steel and glass trainshed originally intended as temporary, but still with us and now a listed historic structure. Photo taken standing in the Querhalle with my back to the Haupthalle.
Platforms 31-34 are two levels down from the Haupthalle. That's platform 34 on the right, the one usually used by the EuroCity trains from Zurich to Munich.
Tickets & reservations
The SBB Travel Centre is located on the south side of the main hall (Haupthalle), for tickets, reservations and travel information. It moved from its previous location on the north side of the hall in early 2024. You can also buy SBB merchandise and souvenirs here.
There's a numbered queuing system: Take a number from the touch-screen machine visible in the photo below (see larger photo) and it will tell you the expected waiting time. Wait for your number to come up on the screen to the left of it, it will tell you which counter (Schalter) to go to.
Above, entrance and interior of the impressive SBB travel centre at Zurich HB. Larger interior photo. Photos courtesy of David Bristow.
Left luggage, ATMs, WiFi
There are plenty of left luggage lockers if you need to leave your bags, located one level down, accessed down the escalators in the centre of the main concourse, see the luggage lockers page for details. You can pay with contactless credit/debit cards.
There are ATMs in various locations.
The station has WiFi (select SBB-FREE), but only the first 60 minutes are free - you can have another free 60 minutes after a 2 hour break. Registration requires a text to be sent to your mobile phone, but this should work fine with foreign mobiles.
There is no longer any first class lounge at Zurich HB, this was closed in 2016.
Somewhere to eat
There are a number of eateries in the station, including the usual suspects such as Burger King in the main hall (Haupthalle, Sudtrakt).
For a schnitzel & fries or bratwurst & rösti and decent beer, I recommend the Brasserie Federal on the north side of the main concourse (Haupthalle, Nordtrakt), www.brasserie-federal.ch.
If you don't mind walking 8 minutes from the station, the Restaurant Reithalle (www.riithalle.ch) also gets great reviews and occupies a former Swiss army stables. See walking map. Feedback appreciated.
A recommended vegetarian restaurant just a few minutes from the station is Hiltl, hiltl.ch.
The Brasserie Federal on the main concourse - a good place for a beer and schnitzel and chips.
Supermarkets & shops
Supermarkets: If you need to stock up for your journey, there's a Migrolino mini-market at the very back of the main concourse (Haupthalle) in the far left-hand corner, just beyond the Brasserie Federal and Tourist office, which also sells wine and beer. For something larger, there's a COOP supermarket in the Halle Löwenstrasse and a larger MIGROS supermarket in the Passage Bahnhofstrasse both two levels down from the main concourse (Haupthalle), although Migros don't sell alcohol.
Swiss chocolate: The House of Chocolate (houseofchocolate.ch) is in the Halle Landesmuseum underneath the main hall, and Spruengli (www.spruengli.ch) has several outlets in the station including one in the Halle Bahnhofsplatz and one in the Halle Landesmuseum, both underneath the main hall.
Beer & wine: Drinks of the World (the name is pretty self-explanatory, website www.beerworld.ch) has two shops at Zurich HB, both underneath the main hall, one in the Halle Bahnhofsplatz, the other in the Halle Landesmuseum.
Hotels near Zurich HB
For something really special, the superb 5-star Hotel Schweizerhof is just across the road from the station. One of my favourite hotels, if you ask they'll even send a uniformed commissionaire to meet you at the station and carry your bags across the road. And what's not to like about champagne on ice at breakfast?
For something cheaper, also next to the station with great reviews, try the Ruby Mimi Hotel or the excellent 3-star Hotel St. Josef, 7 minutes walk from the station towards the old town, see walking map.
If you're on a budget you can book budget private rooms in a one-star hotel or backpacker hostel near the station using www.hostelworld.com.
Local transport: Walking, taxis, trams
Walking: It's easy to walk from the station to most locations in the city centre.
Taxis: For a taxi fare calculator see www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Zurich-Switzerland&lang=en. Taxis are usually plentiful outside the station, although they are not cheap.
Buses, trams, lake boats, cable cars: See www.zvv.ch.
More information
There's a 3D plan of the station and its underground shopping levels at www.sbb.ch, but it's easier to Google for plan Zurich HB.
For more about the station's history see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zürich_Hauptbahnhof.