Arnhem to Zürich by train

I never realised it was so easy to get from the Netherlands to Switzerland until I booked my ticket. Travelling from Arnhem to Zürich by train during the day requires only 1 change at a station in Germany. Overnight, you can simply stay on the same train while catching some sleep. Though it’s certainly not a quick journey, I experienced the daytime option as comfortable, and not excessively long. Travelling during the day gives you either a morning in Arnhem or an evening in Zürich.

Option 1 (overnight) – 10.09 hours, 0 changes

Arnhem > Zürich

By far the most convenient option is to travel while you sleep. The ÖBB Nightjet runs a daily overnight service between Arnhem and Zürich. The journey takes longer overnight than it does during the day, but this gives you time to have breakfast on board before arrival. Ticket prices vary depending on the level of comfort you choose. ÖBB Nightjet also allows you to bring your bike if you include this in your booking.

Option 2 – 7.26 hours, 1 change

Arnhem > Frankfurt > Zürich

From Arnhem, you can take German intercity train ICE123 to Frankfurt, followed by the ICE373 to Switzerland. The tranfer of 23 minutes is reasonable, as is the journey time. If you’re travelling from elsewhere in the Netherlands and need to change in Arnhem, this is probably the most convenient route. You can travel on this connection once a day with planned arrival in Zürich at 19:00.

Option 3 – 8.15 hours, 1 change

Arnhem > Oberhausen > Zürich

This option tends to be available twice a day. Because I prefer to travel early, my arrival time in Zürich was 16:00. The other connection runs 4 hours later and arrives at 20:00. After departing from Arnhem, you have a 54-minute stop in Oberhausen. This is a bit long when waiting at the station, but too short to go into the city centre. Both the regional train between Arnhem and Oberhausen, and the intercity from Oberhausen to Zürich had a delay. In fact, the ICE105 runs on time just 65% of the time. Somehow, my train caught up on the schedule in Switzerland and I arrived at 16:00 as planned. The ICE was very clean and spacious. Between Köln and Frankfurt Airport, all seats were filled, so make sure to buy a seat reservation.

Option 4 – 6.52 hours, 2 changes

Arnhem > Mannheim > Basel > Zürich

The fastest connection to Zürich requires an extra change. Because both changes are rather short and DB is prone to delays, I would advise against this option. After more than 3 hours on the train from Arnhem, you have only 7 minutes to change in Mannheim, albeit on the same platform. The second change is 12 minutes in Basel. The benefit of this option is that it breaks up the journey. You also get the longest leg over with right at the start. This connection is usually available once a day.

Travelling from elsewhere in the Netherlands or Germany

The ÖBB Nightjet and ICE123 start in Amsterdam, so you can depart from either Amsterdam, Utrecht or Arnhem. From elsewhere in the Netherlands, getting to Arnhem requires one more change. Arnhem has direct connections to many cities across the Netherlands. These include Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Den Helder, Breda, Vlissingen, Den Bosch, Zwolle and intermediate stations.

From Germany, you can start your journey to Switzerland all the way from Hamburg (ICE105) or Berlin (ICE373). Both pass through Frankfurt (either Airport or Hauptbahnhof) and Mannheim. In addition, the ICE105 has stops in Bremen, Osnabrück, Münster, Düsseldorf and Köln. Osnabrück is a convenient hub where you can change trains when travelling from Hengelo.

Travelling to elsewhere in Switzerland

The ICE105 and ICE373 both stop in Basel and continue beyond Zürich to Sargans, Landquart and finnaly Chur. You can change at either Mannheim or Basel to get to Bern. Other destinations in Switserland likely require a change onto a regional Swiss train. Beyond Switzerland, you can easily get from Zürich to Liechtenstein or the Vorarlberg region in Austria.

Other overnight travel options

Starting from December 2026, there will be second operator running night trains between the Netherlands and Switzerland. European Sleeper will then bring you from Breda or Eindhoven to Aarau, Bellinzona or Lugano in Switzerland. To get to Zürich, you need to change in Aarau. The sleeper train is scheduled to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Alternatively, Twiliner is a luxury bus company that operates to and from Zürich with chairs that fully recline into beds. Three days a week you can hop on the overnight bus departing from Amsterdam or Rotterdam.

Most important tips:

• A sleeper train is the easiest option, but travelling during the day still requires just 1 change.
• You can easily extend the journey from elsewhere in the Netherlands, Germany or Switzerland.
• Expect delays on German trains and plan at least 20 minutes for each change of trains.
• Don’t forget to book a seat reservation for ICE trains.
• If you fancy a different kind of direct overnight service, consider the Twiliner bus.