Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (Astra), national rail operator SBB and Zurich Airport have issued a joint alert predicting unprecedented passenger and freight volumes over the Christmas-New Year break. In statements on 14 December they flagged the critical window from 1–4 January 2026, but congestion is likely as early as the coming weekend.
Highway bottlenecks are expected around major metropolitan nodes—Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Lugano—plus alpine corridors such as the Gotthard and San Bernardino. Astra urged drivers not to divert onto cantonal roads, where accident risk rises sharply.
Travellers coming from outside the Schengen zone will also need to factor in visa lead times. VisaHQ’s dedicated Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) enables both individuals and corporate mobility teams to check entry requirements, file online applications and track approvals in real time, helping everyone stay focused on beating the holiday rush instead of wrestling with paperwork.
![Swiss Authorities Warn of Holiday Traffic Crunch on Roads, Rails and at Zurich Airport]()
SBB will add extra carriages and some 30 special services to leisure destinations, yet warns that seat reservations on peak trains may be essential. Corporate mobility managers should advise travelling staff to book outside rush hours and to build generous transfer cushions between rail and flight legs.
Zurich Airport projects about 100,000 passengers on 19 December alone. Popular routes include New York, London, Paris and Pristina, with seasonal demand surging to Miami, the Maldives and Scandinavian winter-sun spots. The airport recommends early arrival and use of evening bag-drop to ease terminal pressure.
For assignee moves and business trips scheduled in late December, the guidance translates into longer door-to-door times, potential overnight stays near hubs and updated per-diem calculations. Employers may also need to remind drivers of new winter-tyre regulations in neighbouring Austria and Italy, given the likelihood of cross-border detours.
Highway bottlenecks are expected around major metropolitan nodes—Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Lugano—plus alpine corridors such as the Gotthard and San Bernardino. Astra urged drivers not to divert onto cantonal roads, where accident risk rises sharply.
Travellers coming from outside the Schengen zone will also need to factor in visa lead times. VisaHQ’s dedicated Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) enables both individuals and corporate mobility teams to check entry requirements, file online applications and track approvals in real time, helping everyone stay focused on beating the holiday rush instead of wrestling with paperwork.
SBB will add extra carriages and some 30 special services to leisure destinations, yet warns that seat reservations on peak trains may be essential. Corporate mobility managers should advise travelling staff to book outside rush hours and to build generous transfer cushions between rail and flight legs.
Zurich Airport projects about 100,000 passengers on 19 December alone. Popular routes include New York, London, Paris and Pristina, with seasonal demand surging to Miami, the Maldives and Scandinavian winter-sun spots. The airport recommends early arrival and use of evening bag-drop to ease terminal pressure.
For assignee moves and business trips scheduled in late December, the guidance translates into longer door-to-door times, potential overnight stays near hubs and updated per-diem calculations. Employers may also need to remind drivers of new winter-tyre regulations in neighbouring Austria and Italy, given the likelihood of cross-border detours.
