Switzerland is not well served by international buses. Fares from the UK are also higher than the cheapest flights, making the agonizingly long overnight road journey – via the Dover–Calais ferry – hard to justify. Eurolines have buses from London to Geneva (journey time 17hr) daily in summer or four times weekly the rest of the year, with a change in Lyon; for a one-month return ticket, under-26s/over-26s pay £95/105 in July and August, or £88/97 at other times. From London direct to Basel (14hr 30min) and Zürich (16hr 15min) buses run four times weekly in summer or twice weekly otherwise; under-26s/over-26s pay £84/94 to either city, or a flat £69 if you book fourteen days in advance.

If you’re planning a pan-European jaunt, Eurolines offers a pass covering 48 European cities (including Basel and Zürich). In summer (mid-June to Sept), a 30-day pass for under/over-26s costs £199/229, or a 60-day one costs £249/279; at all other times, a 30-day pass is £159/199, a 60-day pass is £199/249. Another option is Busabout, which runs buses every two or three days on five circuits around Europe in summer, fewer in winter, taking in the major cities of thirteen countries (touching down in Switzerland at Luzern and Interlaken), with add-on connections to more countries, plus a link to London and through tickets from elsewhere in Britain and Ireland. Fifteen-day tickets are £139 for youth or student card-holders, £155 for others, rising to £259/289 for a month or £499/549 for three months. There are also special deals on set itineraries. Everything is bookable through their Web site.