A scheduled flight is the most obvious way to go: Geneva and Zürich are Switzerland’s main international gateways, but Basel, Bern and Lugano also handle international flights. Milan’s second airport at Malpensa is only 25km south of the Swiss border: it’s quite feasible to fly there and catch a bus straight from the airport to Lugano without spending any time or money in Italy. Direct winter flights from London to Sion, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, are a godsend for skiers and snowboarders wanting to maximize their time on the slopes.

Flight time to Switzerland from London is around 1hr 30min, from the north of England and Scotland 2–3hr. Principal carriers are Swissair (code SR), its subsidiary Crossair (LX), British Airways (BA) and the ticketless airline EasyJet (EZY), all of which offer nonstop flights from a handful of UK airports. Flights operated by KLM (KL) and Air France (AF) require you to make at least one stop on the ground at their hubs (Amsterdam or Paris respectively), but can – along with BA – offer enormous flexibility of UK departure points.

High seasons apply from July to September, around Christmas and New Year, and again in February, with shoulder seasons operating either side of these, and low season at all other times. The following indication of fares – which should be taken only as a guideline – applies to return tickets, booked two weeks in advance and spanning at least a Saturday night away in the high season.

Oddly enough for a world-renowned airline with such quietly efficient, gold-plated service (padded leather seats in all classes, organic food as standard, fresh-baked bread, free chocolate) Swissair generally offers the best deals on fares of the big European carriers from wherever you fly in the UK, and it’s not hard to find their prices for flights between Heathrow and Geneva or Zürich dropping below £100. Flying nonstop from other London airports rarely pushes prices above £120, while fares from other airports in the UK are only slightly higher; flying nonstop with, for example, Crossair from Birmingham or Manchester to Zürich, or with BA from Birmingham to Geneva, will set you back around £140–150. If you’re prepared to sacrifice some creature comforts (such as an inflight meal), you could quite literally halve costs by flying with EasyJet; booking three months ahead can turn up a fare to Geneva (from Luton, Gatwick, Stansted or Liverpool) of just £48 return, or to Zürich (from Luton only) of £58.

As for other destinations in Switzerland, Basel’s super-slick EuroAirport – actually on French territory, and shared between the neighbouring towns of Mulhouse (France) and Freiburg (Germany) – can be reached most cheaply on Crossair’s flights out of Heathrow or London City for around £120. Bern is served by regular shuttles from London City operated by Air Engiadina under the wing of KLM – under-26s can take advantage of a fare of £112 with Usit Campus. Lugano is too small and too far off the beaten track to be competitive, with fares as high as £195 midweek from London; instead, you should book with Go from Stansted to Milan Malpensa nearby for just £100 return. The tiny airfield at Sion sees international traffic only in winter, when Crossair has nonstop Saturday-morning flights from Heathrow for around £160, geared towards week-long ski packages.

Finding the best fare involves ringing round a few of the discount flight agents listed in the box opposite, comparing prices and routings, or consulting EasyJet by phone or Internet (they don’t deal with agents, thus cutting out the middleman’s commission). Students and those under 26 can take advantage of discounted tickets – STA Travel and Usit Campus are your best bet for these, and they’re worth calling even if you’re not a student, since they also offer highly competitive budget fares to all-comers. What charter flights exist are usually block booked by package holiday firms, but even in the height of the summer and winter seasons spare seats are often sold off at a discount. For an idea of current prices and availability, contact any high-street travel agent or call some of the larger package operators listed on p.6. The major disadvantage with charter flights is the fixed return date – often a maximum of four weeks from the outward journey.