Switzerland
Every hostel-dense city in Switzerland. Sorted by the vibes we think you'll actually care about.
The ranked list.
Young Backpackers Homestay
A small, owner-run homestay on the Kriens hillside with a panoramic glass-walled lounge that frames Mt. Pilatus on one side and Lucerne's lake basin on the other. Closer to a Swiss Alpine B&B than a hostel — eight beds, a bar, a sun terrace, a garden — but priced like a hostel and run with the kind of personal care that pulls 9.6 from 488 reviewers.
Hostel 77 Bern
Hostel 77 Bern sits at Morillonstrasse 77 in the residential Mattenhof-Marzili pocket south-west of the Old Town — 7 minutes to the Marzili public baths and the Aare river, 20 minutes on foot or 8 minutes on tram 9 to Bundesplatz. 8.9 over 2,191 Booking reviews, the highest-rated hostel in Bern, with a sun terrace, garden, bar, indoor games room and bicycle parking that make it the slow-traveler base in the federal capital.
Backpackers Luzern
An unfussy, sociable hostel parked directly on Lake Lucerne in the Tribschen neighborhood, fifteen minutes' walk from the Old Town along the lakeshore. Big shared kitchen, common lounge with a foosball table, balcony rooms that look straight at Mt. Pilatus across the water. The default backpacker pick in Lucerne and the highest-rated proper hostel.
Bern Backpackers Hotel Glocke
Bern Backpackers Hotel Glocke sits in a historic building on Rathausgasse 75, exactly 100 metres from the Zytglogge clock tower inside the UNESCO Old Town arcades. 8.5 over 3,071 Booking reviews, location score 9.6 — the highest in Bern — with a fully equipped self-catering kitchen, a shared living room, and a 10-minute walk to the train station. The Old Town hostel for travelers who want every sight on their doorstep.
Bern Youth Hostel
Bern Youth Hostel sits at Weihergasse 4 in the quiet Mattenhof-Weissenbühl garden quarter directly behind the Swiss Federal Parliament — 5 minutes from the Aare river and the Marzili public baths, 7 minutes from Bundesplatz. 8.5 over 2,646 reviews, fully refurbished and reopened in April 2018, with a quiet garden, a varied breakfast buffet and the included Bern Ticket — the best mix of central location and residential calm in the federal capital.
Oldtown Hostel Otter
Oldtown Hostel Otter is the dead-centre Niederdorf hostel with a built-in pub — the Wüste Bar at street level — and an actual shared kitchen upstairs (a rarity at this address). 8.3 from 1,838 reviews, EUR 55 bunks, and the convenience of being inside walking distance of literally everything in central Zurich.
Viktoria Budget Hostel
Viktoria Budget Hostel is the cheapest serious bunk in Zurich (EUR 45 nights, 8.2 from 1,335 reviews) and it earns the savings the hard way — adults-only, residential Höngg address 18 minutes from Hauptbahnhof by tram 13, no breakfast, no bar, but a real shared kitchen with stovetop, dishwasher, microwave, fridge and a garden terrace where you can cook your Migros pasta and offset two restaurant meals a day.
Sigma Self Check-in Hostel
Sigma Self Check-in Hostel is the autonomy hostel — adults-only, no front desk (key by code), basic but spotless setup on Bergstrasse uphill from Hottingen, EUR 42 nights with garden access and ping-pong. 8.2 from 34 reviews (small sample but high rating), the cheapest Old Town-adjacent bunk in Zurich and the answer for travelers who don't want to deal with a receptionist.
Friendly Hostel Zurich
Friendly Hostel Zurich is the most centrally-located budget bunk in the city — Strehlgasse 3, three minutes from Bahnhofstrasse, four from Paradeplatz, six from the lake. 8.0 from 2,506 reviews, EUR 48 nights, and a small terrace with city view that makes the rooftop-style sunset a built-in feature of the stay.
Geneva Hostel
Geneva Hostel sits in a 19th-century building on Rue Rothschild in Pâquis, 4 minutes from the lake and 5 from the train station. The on-site restaurant serves Swiss food in the evenings, breakfast is served daily, and the free Geneva Transport Card is included with every stay.