https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Only one domestic flight is currently in operation in Switzerland – the one connecting international hubs of Zurich and Geneva, which is operated by SWISS only. But some legislators want to open more routes to foreign carriers as well. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260918/geneva-to-lugano-switzerland-could-allow-foreign-airlines-to-run-domestic-routes Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:30:27 +0200 geneva-to-lugano-switzerland-could-allow-foreign-airlines-to-run-domestic-routes Airlines in Switzerland are publishing their autumn schedules with Edelweiss, Swiss and easyJet announcing details of new routes. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260824/what-new-destinations-can-you-fly-to-from-switzerland-this-autumn Mon, 24 Aug 2026 15:55:30 +0200 what-new-destinations-can-you-fly-to-from-switzerland-this-autumn Following a drop last year, the downward trend in travel from Switzerland to the United States has accelerated during the first half of 2026. But what's the reason behind the fall in traveller numbers? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260910/number-of-people-travelling-from-switzerland-to-us-plunges-further Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:49:03 +0200 number-of-people-travelling-from-switzerland-to-us-plunges-further Monday September 7th could be a key date for the full enforcement of the EU's biometric border checks across the Schengen area with concerns raised that queues at border checks could get longer and slower this month. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260904/could-europes-border-queues-get-longer-this-month-as-key-ees-date-passes Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:13:46 +0200 could-europes-border-queues-get-longer-this-month-as-key-ees-date-passes Ryanair said Wednesday that it would reduce its winter schedule in Europe as the Irish no-frills airline and other carriers come up against higher fuel costs caused by the US-Iran war. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260902/ryanair-to-cut-winter-flights-in-europe-to-save-on-fuel-costs Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:48:42 +0200 ryanair-to-cut-winter-flights-in-europe-to-save-on-fuel-costs On the morning of Tuesday, August 25th, SWISS flight from Chicago to Zurich issued a distress signal over the Atlantic and landed safely on an Azore island off the coast of Portugal. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260825/a-zurich-bound-swiss-flight-from-the-us-makes-an-emergency-landing Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:55:09 +0200 a-zurich-bound-swiss-flight-from-the-us-makes-an-emergency-landing Germany plans to keep controls at its nine land borders until March 2027. How will this affect travel to and from Switzerland? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260825/what-to-expect-as-germany-extends-border-checks-with-switzerland Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:48:09 +0200 what-to-expect-as-germany-extends-border-checks-with-switzerland Switzerland's Federal Council has dismissed one MP's call to limit public announcements in English on Swiss trains. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260824/swiss-government-backs-english-language-announcements-on-trains Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:36:51 +0200 swiss-government-backs-english-language-announcements-on-trains Travel giant TUI said Wednesday that bookings were returning to normal levels despite the ongoing Mideast war, as it presented its latest financial results. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260812/war-impact-on-european-travel-bookings-fading Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:47:05 +0200 war-impact-on-european-travel-bookings-fading Twice in the past two weeks, SWISS flights between Zurich and the United States have had to make emergency landings. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260810/why-another-us-bound-swiss-flight-was-diverted Mon, 10 Aug 2026 14:16:55 +0200 why-another-us-bound-swiss-flight-was-diverted Switzerland has three official languages, but when it comes to public announcements on its trains, English has taken precedence over some of them. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260810/english-prioritised-over-local-languages-in-swiss-train-announcements Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:23:07 +0200 english-prioritised-over-local-languages-in-swiss-train-announcements Peak travel season in the Swiss Alps usually falls between December and March, when tourists visit for the winter sports. But record-breaking heatwaves mean this year is different. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260803/this-summer-switzerlands-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-tourists Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:11:19 +0200 this-summer-switzerlands-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-tourists The EU/Schengen area's '90-day' rule is a complicated one that causes much confusion for travellers - here we answer some of the most common questions from readers of The Local. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230518/your-key-questions-answered-about-the-schengen-areas-90-day-rule Thu, 18 May 2023 11:19:22 +0200 your-key-questions-answered-about-the-schengen-areas-90-day-rule Edelweiss airline, which connects Zurich with dozens of holiday destinations around the world, is being criticised for urging travellers to escape Switzerland’s heatwave on one of its planes. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260730/swiss-airline-under-fire-for-its-insensitive-heatwave-ad-campaign Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:55:53 +0200 swiss-airline-under-fire-for-its-insensitive-heatwave-ad-campaign Peak travel season is in full swing, but are there certain Swiss regions you should not visit this summer because of alerts in place? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260729/drought-and-fire-warnings-are-there-parts-of-switzerland-to-avoid-this-summer Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:35:12 +0200 drought-and-fire-warnings-are-there-parts-of-switzerland-to-avoid-this-summer European airport bosses have warned that new EU border checks are significantly increasing waiting times for British nationals arriving in the bloc, in some cases tripling the average. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260720/airport-bosses-warn-eus-new-border-checks-triple-waiting-times-for-brits Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:22:17 +0200 airport-bosses-warn-eus-new-border-checks-triple-waiting-times-for-brits Visiting Switzerland can be confusing — especially if you are aiming to visit a place that has a very different name in the local language, like Lake Geneva for example. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230623/learn-switzerlands-real-place-names-so-you-dont-get-lost Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:18:23 +0200 learn-switzerlands-real-place-names-so-you-dont-get-lost The European Parliament voted for a major tightening of air passenger rights – including in Switzerland. Here’s what you can look forward to. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260713/how-will-your-passenger-rights-be-protected-by-swiss-airlines Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:24:50 +0200 how-will-your-passenger-rights-be-protected-by-swiss-airlines The EU's border agency Frontex developed an app allowing travellers to pre-register for its Entry/Exit System rollout. With the summer travel season upon us and queues expected at tourist hotspots, what happened to the app and which countries are using it? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260713/which-european-countries-are-already-using-the-ees-pre-registration-app Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:23:13 +0200 which-european-countries-are-already-using-the-ees-pre-registration-app With longer passport control queues during summer holidays, the Swiss government would like to temporarily pause strict border checks at its airports. But for that, it needs the green light from the European Commission. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260710/switzerland-asks-eu-for-green-light-to-ease-border-controls-at-airports Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:59:12 +0200 switzerland-asks-eu-for-green-light-to-ease-border-controls-at-airports