A Swiss hiking signpost tells you more than the direction. Each destination has a walking time, the color of the sign tells you how demanding the path is, and a small symbol marks where the next bus, train or cable car stops. Together with a timetable, that's most of what you need to walk from one valley to the next and ride back.
That's the real reason the Swiss Alps feel so easy to get into. The scenery is no bigger than in Austria or Italy. The system around it is just built for people on foot.
Read the signpost before the map
Swiss Hiking, the national trails body, uses three categories, from easiest to hardest. Each one sets what the path demands of you and your gear:
- Yellow: hiking trail. No special demands beyond ordinary care; sturdy shoes with a good grip are recommended.
- White-red-white: mountain trail. Mostly steep, narrow and partly exposed, with ropes or chains on the hardest passages. You need to be surefooted, have a head for heights and be in good shape, in sturdy shoes with a grippy sole.
- White-blue-white: alpine route. Partly over snowfields, glaciers or scree, through rock with short climbing sections, sometimes without a path. You need to be very fit and know mountain hazards very well; a rope, ice axe and crampons may be needed.
The times on the signposts are calculated, not guessed: 15 minutes per kilometer on the flat, plus 15 minutes for every 100 m (330 ft) of ascent or 200 m (660 ft) of descent. A 12 km (7.5 mi) walk with 400 m (1,310 ft) of ascent is signposted at 4 hours. The times assume an average pace of 4 km/h (2.5 mph), and breaks aren't included. After a few walks you'll know whether you're faster or slower than the signs.
Walk one way, ride back
The best routes start at one station or lift and end at another, so you never walk the same path twice.
- Eiger Trail: from Eigergletscher station to Alpiglen station, 6 km (3.7 mi), mostly downhill (100 m up, 820 m / 2,690 ft down), along the foot of the Eiger North Face. Eigergletscher is 5 minutes above Kleine Scheidegg on the Jungfrau Railway, and from Alpiglen the train takes 25 minutes down to Grindelwald. Our Eiger Trail guide has the details.
- 5-Seenweg above Zermatt: from the Blauherd lift station to Sunnegga, 11 km (6.8 mi) past five lakes, three of which reflect the Matterhorn. Our 5 Lakes guide covers it.
- Via Alpina stage 11: Grindelwald over Kleine Scheidegg and down through Wengen to Lauterbrunnen, a full day that starts and ends at a station. See our Via Alpina guide.
On each of these, the signpost at the far end points you to the stop with the same symbol you started from.
All three are summer routes. The Eiger Trail's season is July to October, the 5-Seenweg is best from June to September, and the lifts at both ends of it run on a summer timetable. For the Via Alpina stage, check the Via Alpina guide for current detours.
What the Half Fare Card covers
If you live outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the Swiss Half Fare Card costs CHF 150 for one month (as of October 2026). It takes up to 50% off trains, buses and boats, and off most mountain railways. On short city rides the saving can be less than half, because fares have a minimum price.
If you'll move to a new base every day, compare it with the Swiss Travel Pass before you buy.
Getting there
Zürich and Geneva airports both have their own train stations, so the network starts at arrivals. The SBB Mobile app combines the timetable and tickets. You can buy the Half Fare Card online up to 11 months ahead.
What the system can't do
Signposts show where a path goes, not whether it's open today. Rockfall, construction and events close sections every year. Since 2019, for example, the south shore of the Oeschinensee above Kandersteg has been closed because of rockfall, and there's no path around the lake any more. The federal roads office publishes current closures and detours on its hiking map. Check it the evening before, along with the weather.
Last checked: October 2026