Day Trip: Zürich to Schaffhausen + Rhine Falls, Switzerland

In May, we took a nearly three-week-long train trip that started in Brussels and ended in Zürich. After leaving Tübingen, Germany, it was time to cross the border from Germany to Switzerland — a new country for both me and Matt! 

Our train route with Deutsche Bahn took us from Tübingen to Horb, where we had to change trains; then, it was supposed to be a smooth, direct ride from Horb to Zürich. But for some reason, once we were onboard, it was decided that this train’s final stop would not be Zürich, but the small Swiss town of Schaffhausen. So in Schaffhausen, we set foot in Switzerland for the first time (as we wandered around the train station, to figure out where to catch the next Zürich-bound train). 

Little did we know that we’d be intentionally traveling back to Schaffhausen the very next day — because as we rode the Swiss Rail to Zürich, we noticed a massive waterfall out the window. Matt instantly recognized this waterfall as having made a fleeting, nameless appearance on one of our favorite shows, Jet Lag: The Game. (Matt has a self-proclaimed bad memory, so I have no idea how/why he remembered this, lol.) But when we Googled this waterfall, which is called Rhine Falls, we found out that it’s the most powerful waterfall in Europe and a major tourist attraction! So we decided that we’d come back the next day to see it up close. 

If you want to do the same, here’s everything you need to know about taking a day trip from Zürich to Schaffhausen and Rhine Falls.

Taking the Train from Zürich to Schaffhausen

Getting from Zürich to Schaffhausen is so easy, thanks to the speed and efficiency of Swiss trains. Fast trains run from Zürich Hauptbahnhof (train station) to Schaffhausen about every 30 minutes on the following schedule, with the first train at 6:05 a.m. and the last one departing at 12:05 a.m.

• XX:05 — RE48 Regional Train, which takes 38 minutes
• XX:37 — IC InterCity Train, which takes 36 minutes

There are also the S9 and S12 commuter rail lines, but you’ll want to avoid those unless you prefer to spend 57 minutes on your train trip instead!

We ended up grabbing the IC train at 9:37 a.m. from Zürich HB, which got us into Schaffhausen on time at 10:13 a.m. We bought our tickets the night before and it cost €25.80 per person, one way. We weren’t sure how much time we’d want to spend in Schaffhausen, so we didn’t buy round-trip tickets. Knowing how many trains were available each day, we decided we’d buy them when we were officially ready to head back to Zürich. 

I originally thought what we did probably wasn’t the most cost-effective, buying these tickets last minute, so I was going to suggest buying in advance. However, when I go to the Deutsche Bahn app and try to buy the same ticket for today vs. a month from now, they are the same price! So I guess I would ultimately recommend not buying your train tickets from Zürich to Schaffhausen until you’re there — that way you can plan around the weather and anything else you may have going on during your trip.

Exploring Schaffhausen, Switzerland

When you arrive at Schaffhausen station, you’ll be just steps away from Schaffhausen’s medieval old town. Most of the winding cobblestone streets are for pedestrians only, and as it was a Saturday, most people were out just having breakfast/brunch out on the restaurant patios. There was also a farmers’ market on Vordergasse, the main historic street, which runs on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. (and on Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.)

One thing you’ll likely notice in Schaffhausen’s old town is the interesting architecture. A mixture of Late Renaissance, Gothic, and Baroque styles means there’s something to look at in every direction — from the ornate bay windows and building facades, to the painted guild houses, to the polychrome stone statues set atop pillars.

From the old town, we meandered toward the Munot, which is a 16th-century fortification on Emmersberg Hill. The hike up to the top was basically just a staircase through a vineyard, but it took us like twice as long to get to the top as it should have… because we kept stopping and taking photos of the view of the old town behind us.

With the Kirche St. Johann and its red clock rising above the brown buildings and green trees, with nothing but blue sky above, it was super picturesque!

When we eventually made it to the top of the hill and to the Munot, which is a perfectly circular fortress, we spent a few minutes wandering around inside and enjoying a break from the heat. You’re basically inside a massive dark, round room with round skylights (holes) and archways that kind of create hallways. There wasn’t a ton to see, but again, we were grateful to be cool during Europe’s *first* major heatwave of the summer!

And finally, it was time to head down the hill and go to the place that we came to Schaffhausen for in the first place: Rhine Falls.

Visiting Rhine Falls

After heading back into the old town, we went to the Schaffhausen, Mühlentor bus stop. (There’s one on each side of the street, so make sure you’re at the north side bus stop, with buses heading west.) Next, catch the #1 bus and ride it 7 minutes to the Neuhausen, Zentrum stop; the bus runs about every 10 minutes so you shouldn’t have to wait too long for it to arrive. This is also a great time for me to plug my favorite travel app, Citymapper, which works in the entire country of Switzerland!

The bus ride should cost about 3.30 CHF per person, one way, and you should be able to pay with your credit card at the electronic card readers on board — just be sure you also tap off when you leave the bus. Cash is not accepted. Also, if it gives you the option to buy round-trip tickets, read the rest of this blog before you decide if you want to do that.

Once you’re off the bus, it should only be about a 6-minute walk to the upper part of Rhine Falls.

From here, most of what you’ll be doing is walking around the perimeter of the falls area and marveling at how ~powerful~ the most powerful waterfall in Europe is! But before you head too far down, try to spot a train traveling on the Rheinbrücke bei Laufen, a stone viaduct bridge that goes directly over the falls. 

We walked about half a kilometer down around the falls area to where we could see the waterfall straight on. This is where you’ll find shops, restaurants… and boats that can take you to Rheinfallfelsen, or Middle Rock! Yes, you can take a boat to the massive rock in the middle of the falls — and you can even climb it. Or, you can choose to take a more “relaxing” boat ride along the Rhine before experiencing the falls up close.

How To Get from Rhine Falls Back to Zürich

When you’re done exploring the falls and are ready to head back to Zürich, you don’t have to take the bus all the way back up to Schaffhausen, and then the train to Zürich from there.

Instead, you can do what we did: grab the train from Neuhausen Rheinfall station (ok, it’s more of just a platform), which is only a 4-minute walk from the upper falls area. I recommend taking the S9 train — it’s a 52-minute direct ride to Zürich HB. Yeah, the train is slower than the one between Zürich and Schaffhausen, but you don’t have to factor in additional time for waiting for the #1 bus back to Schaffhausen, riding it, walking to Schaffhausen station, and then getting to your train platform.

Direct S9 train schedule from Neuhausen Rheinfall to Zürich:

 

Just like buying your tickets from Zürich to Schaffhausen, I also recommend buying your tickets back to Zürich fairly last-minute. That way, you don’t have to rush your day in Schaffhausen or at Rhine Falls — but you also don’t have to spend time waiting around for your train time. Once again, the cost is about €26.60 whether I buy my tickets for an hour from now, or a month from now, so there’s no real benefit to booking in advance.

You’ll be on your way back to Zürich in no time… just try not to fall asleep on the train, because it continues past Zürich HB! 😉

Plan Your Visit from Zürich to Schaffhausen

Have you ever heard of Rhine Falls or Schaffhausen, and would you plan a visit there from Zürich? What else do you want to know? Feel free to leave me a comment!

-Cathy

This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.