I am planning to go to Switzerland. what would be considered a reasonable air fare from NY to Switzerland.?

Question

I see air fares for about $1000 per person. is it too much?

Answer 1

$400 to Switzerland!!!  Those are very low fares.  Also, keep in mind that there are a limited number of seats at those fares, so they may be hard to come by.  I think it is probably closer to $800, but $1000 is not out of the question.  It does depend on time of year and the carrier.  I personally hate Swiss airlines because the planes are really small (they recently bought all new planes, but they are very small and very uncomfortable).  Try Alitalia into Milan and then into Zurich - that route often goes on sale, but Alitalia often strikes, so be careful  Check Orbitz, Expedia, etc.

Answer 2

it depends on the time of year.  right now, if you can go, is actually some of the lowest fares around.  throughout March, you fly from JFK to Zurich on Swiss for about $480.  Continental flies from Newark to Zurich during March for about the same, in the mid $400s.  these fares were very similar to what i had when i went to Switzerland last March.  This is not a bad time to visit if you can... it's still ski season (albeit low season), and there will be lots of snowmaking in the Alps, it can be cold (but not extreme), weather-wise is the big issue, because Swiss winters tend to be very foggy, cold, and humid (combining to form a bone-chilling effect), and clouds obscure the sun for most of the day until late afternoon.  (do note that if you go up in the Alps, the smaller villages tend to get a lot more sun than the flat areas.)  i don't find it unpleasant (since i prefer to cold to hot anyday), but it can depend your preference.  one other nice thing about visiting in the winter is that there aren't as many tourists.

at $1000, i'm guessing you're looking at going in the summer, June-August or so.  $1000 for that period is not bad.  last year, during the same time, the fares were more like $1100-1200 (of course, i also waited until April to book -- so chances are prices will rise if you wait longer).  last summer was hot, in the 90s, and i found most of the tourist cities (Luzern, Bern) crowded with Japanese and European visitors.  the weather was fantastic though -- brilliant sun, not a cloud in the sky, etc.

just for reference, the sort of mid-season fares like in early December and April-May, i've found to be about $500-600 from JFK/EWR to Zurich.