Carmen
Travel editor at Reisedrop · 2026-09-18
Head out on Friday evening, back on Saturday evening – and a whole city in between: the micro-trip is the travel trend of the moment. Searches for 24-hour city breaks have recently risen by up to 500 per cent. No surprise: one day is enough for the highlights, costs less than a full weekend and fits into any calendar. From Switzerland, the choice is huge – if you know which cities really work for 24 hours.
The formula for the perfect 24-hour trip
Three things make the difference: a short journey there (under 2 hours by plane or 4 hours by train), a compact centre (highlights within walking distance) and good frequency (several return connections in the evening). By that formula, twelve cities top the list from Switzerland: Munich, Milan, Turin, Lyon and Strasbourg by train – Barcelona, Rome, Vienna, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Prague and Copenhagen by air. Milan is the secret champion: 3 hours 15 from Zurich by train, Duomo, Navigli and aperitivo – and back in the evening.
Budget reality: what do 24 hours really cost?
Without an overnight stay, the biggest cost disappears – and that is exactly what makes micro-trips so attractive. Realistic total budgets from Zurich: train cities from around CHF 80 to 120 (book saver tickets early), flight cities from CHF 150 to 250 including local public transport and food. If you do add a night, compare hotels outside the centre with good metro connections – often the price is halved for 15 extra minutes of travel.
How to get the most out of a single day
This is how the pros do it: earliest flight out, latest one back – that gives you 12 to 14 hours on the ground. Luggage? Just a small rucksack, no check-in, no baggage carousel. The first hour belongs to a walk through the centre rather than a museum, and you eat where the locals are queueing. And one more thing: plan no more than three fixed points – the rest will fall into place. In our flight search, you can combine outbound and return flights on the same day and instantly see which cities are cheapest today.
Fancy exactly this? Zazou, our travel assistant, puts flights, hotels and a route together in seconds - and tells you honestly when it gets cheaper.
Plan this trip with Zazou