Zurich Airport - how long to get through customs?

12 trips to Sw.
I've gotten through in less than 30 minutes in all cases.

It really depends on the season and the hour of the day. Usually, I go there for work and therefore don't travel during leisure travel seasons. Immigration takes mostly 20 min. However, for a few times when I traveled in summer, it took more than 1 hour.

There is just no way to predict the time for passport control. I have gotten through Zurich super fast and not so fast. Last year it was 90 minutes. Earlier this month it was over an hour.

It depends on how many flights are coming in at the same time and how well staffed the airport is.

Hope for the best and plan for the worst.

You do not need to book train tickets in advance. A regular ticket is good for any train that day. Buy your ticket on the SBB app when you are ready to get on the train.

There is no price advantage to booking Swiss trains in advance ( unlike Frecce trains in Italy). Unless you book way ahead and get a Supersaver ticket. Just follow Carrie’s advice.

Another thing to be mindful of is when I flew in from Chicago this month, our Swiss Air flight did not go to a gate. We parked on the tarmac and were bused in groups to the terminal building. That added even more time. That had never happened to me before at Zurich. So, you just never know what time delays you will have when flying now.

Customs usually takes only a few second, the time you need to walk through the green lane after you have picked up your luggage. Passport control varies. Depends a bit on how many overseas flights have arrived. I usually do plane to train in about 30 minutes.

And yes, normal train tickets are good for a whole day, not just the train you selected during purchase. Tickets are for a route, not a train.