Dog-Friendly Switzerland!

Pet-Friendly Places to Stay
In Lauterbrunnen, Luna and I stayed at Hotel Schutzen, a charming hotel just off the main road through town. They have a $15 per night dog fee and only a specific number of dog-friendly rooms (so book early if you can!). It was comfortable, clean, and had really nice views from our front-facing window. And it only costs about $100 per night, plus dog fee.

In Zermatt, we rented a nice room in an apartment via Airbnb with no additional pet charge.

In Basel and Thun, Luna and I were (again) couchsurfing.

Riding the Trains with Your Dog
Thanks to Switzerland Tourism, I was traveling on the wonderful Swiss Pass, which allowed me to hop on and off the trains to my heart’s content. And, even better, Luna hopped on and off with me. For longer train journeys, dogs in carriers are considered hand luggage and travel for free. Outside their carriers, they travel at half the regular fare. For short train journeys (Lauterbrunnen to Wengen for example), I was told that as long as I held Luna in my lap, she could still ride for free (even though I didn’t want to lug her carrier with me since we’d be hiking from Wengen). It’s always a good idea to double check with the ticket agent, but I haven’t paid for Luna to go on the train at all here in Switzerland (and the same goes for the buses).

Hiking the Alps
Hiking trails are wonderful and well-marked. Fresh water runs from fountains and tubes along the trails (and is safe to drink, I’ve been told). Luna and I loved it.

Restaurants and Bars
It was gorgeous outside, so Luna and I mostly ate on restaurant patios, which are all dog friendly (with the possible exception of the Asian restaurant in Zermatt, which we couldn’t quite figure out). And whenever we did wander into a restaurant to use the bathroom, grab a menu, or order, no one batted an eyelash, so I’m guessing dogs are allowed inside most restaurants as well. Just watch for the telltale no-dogs signs on the doors, which you’ll see occasionally.

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