Swiss Alps Road Trip After Your Viking River Cruise: The Ultimate Zürich Self-Drive Extension

If your river cruise ends in Basel or Zürich, you are already in the perfect place to start a Swiss Alps road trip after Viking cruise – without adding complicated logistics or extra flights. This guide shows exactly how to turn that final cruise night in Zürich into a private Porsche driving adventure with EPIKDRIVES.

Table of Contents

• Why Add a Swiss Alps Road Trip After Your Viking River Cruise?

• How Viking Itineraries Connect to Zürich and the Alps

• How an EPIKDRIVES Self-Drive Tour Works

• Suggested Post-Cruise Itinerary: Zürich → Alps → Zürich

• Three Post-Cruise Packages to Choose From

  
  

  • 1) Swiss Alps Express – from CHF 3’990

  • 2) Chedi Alpine Escape – from CHF 5’990

  • 3) Stelvio 10 Passes Adventure

• Best Time of Year for a Swiss Alps Road Trip

• Luggage, Practicalities and Who This Is For

• FAQ: Swiss Alps Road Trip After Viking Cruise

• Conclusion & Call-to-Action

Why Add a Swiss Alps Road Trip After Your Viking River Cruise?

After more than a week of relaxed river sailing, wine tastings and guided shore excursions, many guests feel they’re not quite ready to go home. A Swiss Alps road trip after Viking cruise is the ideal finale:

• You’re already in Switzerland (Basel or Zürich).

• You’re rested, over jet lag, and in “holiday mode”.

• You have a final night in Zürich included by Viking.

• From Zürich, the high passes of the Alps are only 60–90 minutes away.

Instead of spending that last day shuttling between hotel, airport and duty-free, you could be threading a Porsche through Furka, Grimsel or even the legendary Stelvio Pass.

Why after, not before the cruise?

• Energy levels: arriving after a long transatlantic flight and driving straight into the Alps is hard work; after the cruise, you’re refreshed.

• Jet lag: you’ve already adjusted to European time, so you can enjoy mountain roads fully alert.

• Psychology: it feels like a grand finale rather than “just another transfer”.

If you only add one extra element to your itinerary, make it this.

How Viking Itineraries Connect to Zürich and the Alps

Several popular Viking river itineraries either start or end in Zürich, which makes connecting to EPIKDRIVES very simple:

Rhine & Main Explorer – Nuremberg ↔ Basel

Runs in both directions. For a post-cruise road trip, the best option is:

• Nuremberg → Basel: Disembark in Basel, then travel to Zürich for your included hotel night. EPIKDRIVES delivers your car there next morning.

Paris to the Swiss Alps – Paris ↔ Zürich

In the Paris → Zürich direction:

• You finish with hotel nights in Zürich.

• You’re already in the city where EPIKDRIVES trips start.

• No extra transfers required – you simply add the car and Alpine hotels.

Rhine Getaway – Basel ↔ Amsterdam

Again, two directions. For an Alpine extension, look at:

• Amsterdam → Basel: Cruise finishes in Basel; many guests continue to Zürich for flights. That’s the perfect moment to begin a self-drive tour.

Whichever direction you choose, the golden rule is simple:

If your Viking itinerary ends in Basel or Zürich, you can bolt on a private Swiss Alps driving tour with minimal extra logistics.

For inspiration, you might also like to browse other EPIKDRIVES pages such as the Glacier Express Train & Drive Adventure to see how rail, road and flights can combine.

How an EPIKDRIVES Self-Drive Tour Works

A lot of people like the idea of a Swiss road trip but worry about the details. That’s exactly what EPIKDRIVES handles.

Private and self-paced – no groups, no convoy

EPIKDRIVES tours are fully private. There is:

• No convoy to follow.

• No guide car setting the speed.

• No fixed timetable beyond hotel check-in.

If you want to leave at 10:30 instead of 09:00, that’s fine. If you want to stop at every viewpoint, that’s fine. Like your cruise, everything is organised – but you control the tempo.

Pre-set sat/nav with curated routes

Every car comes with a pre-programmed sat/nav route created from roads personally driven and refined:

• Scenic lake and mountain roads rather than dull motorways.

• Fuel and comfort stops spaced sensibly.

• Marked viewpoints and photo stops.

• Hotels already programmed as end-of-day waypoints.

• Optional detours and extra loops if you feel like more driving.

  
  

It’s the freedom of an independent road trip with the ease of a guided tour.

For more examples of how routes are built, you can look at the Stelvio 10 Passes driving tour page, where the logic behind the multi-pass structure is described in detail.

Travel light – luggage storage at the Renaissance Zurich Tower

Big cruise suitcases and sports cars don’t mix. If you’re staying at the Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel, the hotel can store your large luggage pieces securely while you are on the road. You only take:

• A weekend bag

• Essentials and valuables

• Anything you might need for 2–5 days in the mountains

When you return to Zürich, your luggage is waiting in storage. Less packing, less unpacking, and much easier loading and unloading of the car.

Suggested Post-Cruise Itinerary: Zürich → Alps → Zürich

This outline works especially well after Rhine & Main Explorer, Rhine Getaway or Paris to the Swiss Alps.

Day 1 – Disembark in Basel → Transfer to Zürich

• Morning: Disembark your Viking ship in Basel.

• Midday: Scenic transfer to Zürich (typically included in your cruise package).

• Afternoon: Check into your hotel (often the Renaissance Zurich Tower). Explore:

  
  

  • Lake Zürich promenade

  • Old Town and Bahnhofstrasse

  • Trendy bars and restaurants in Zürich West

You sleep like a cruise guest one last time – tomorrow, you’re a driver.

Day 2 – Zürich → Lake Lucerne → Andermatt

• EPIKDRIVES team delivers your Porsche 718 GTS 4.0 Roadster (or 911 / GT3 upgrade) directly to the hotel entrance.

• You follow the pre-set navigation via Lake Zürich and Lake Lucerne to the historic town of Lucerne.

• Coffee by the Chapel Bridge, then onwards into the mountains.

• Late afternoon arrival in Andermatt, gateway to the central Swiss passes.

Overnight in a carefully chosen Alpine hotel or, on certain packages, at the legendary The Chedi Andermatt.

Day 3 – Big Pass Day: Furka, Grimsel & Susten

This is usually the highlight:

• Furka Pass – James-Bond-famous, glacier views and sweeping hairpins.

• Grimsel Pass – Lakes, dams and wide curves.

• Susten Pass – Tunnels, high peaks and long flowing sections.

With pre-set sat/nav you simply follow the loop and stop wherever the scenery demands.

Day 4 – Return to Zürich or Continue Deeper into the Alps

Depending on the package you choose, you either:

• Take a scenic route back to Zürich for your final night.

• Continue towards St. Moritz or even the Italian border as part of the Stelvio 10 Passes Adventure.

From Zürich you fly home, or you connect to another EPIKDRIVES itinerary such as the Coast to Coast Pyrenees Road Trip if you’re building a longer European driving journey.

Three Post-Cruise Packages to Choose From

All packages are based around the Porsche 718 GTS 4.0 Roadster as the popular choice, with Porsche 911, 911 Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S and GT3 available on request (subject to availability).

1) Swiss Alps Express – from CHF 3’990

2 driving days · 1 night in the Alps · 1 additional night in Zürich

Best for guests who:

• Want a compact, punchy Alpine experience.

• Are adding only 2–3 nights to their cruise.

• Prefer one “big pass day” rather than a longer programme.

What’s included (example configuration):

• Porsche 718 GTS 4.0 Roadster for 2 days.

• 1 Alpine hotel night in the Andermatt region.

• 1 additional Zürich night (alongside the night provided by Viking).

• Pre-planned sat/nav route and trip briefing.

• Phone support while on the road.

This neatly turns a simple “end-of-cruise layover” into a genuine Swiss Alps driving holiday.

2) Chedi Alpine Escape – from CHF 5’990

3 driving days · 2 nights at The Chedi Andermatt

For guests who want more than a taste.

Here you settle into The Chedi Andermatt, one of Switzerland’s most striking Alpine hotels, and use it as a base:

• Day 1: Zürich → Andermatt via Lucerne.

• Day 2: Furka–Grimsel–Susten loop.

• Day 3: Optional extra pass driving (Oberalp, Klausen or Lukmanier), spa time or relaxed departure back to Zürich.

Why people love this option:

• You unpack once – The Chedi becomes your Alpine home.

• There’s time to properly enjoy the spa, pool, bars and restaurants.

• You still have three varied driving days without feeling rushed.

Upgrades to Porsche 911 or GT3 are particularly popular in this package.

3) Stelvio 10 Passes Adventure

Extended multi-day tour · 10+ Alpine passes · Switzerland + Italy

If the phrase “Swiss Alps road trip after Viking cruise” makes you think “Go big or go home”, this is your route.

The Stelvio 10 Passes tour (as outlined on the dedicated Stelvio 10 Passes page) adds:

• Multiple days of driving in Switzerland and northern Italy.

• Iconic passes including Stelvio, Bernina and other high-altitude roads.

• A carefully balanced sequence of technical roads and scenic stretches.

• A mix of Swiss and Italian mountain hotels.

Recommended if:

• You can add around a week to your cruise.

• Mountain driving is a passion rather than a curiosity.

• You like the idea of saying “We didn’t just see the Alps – we drove all of them.”

Best Time of Year for a Swiss Alps Road Trip

For high-pass itineraries, the ideal window is:

Late June to early October

During these months:

• Passes like Furka, Grimsel, Susten and Stelvio are usually open.

• Roads are clear of winter snow and ice.

• Days are longer, giving more driving and photo time.

• Temperatures in the valleys are warm but pleasantly cool at altitude.

Early in the season (late June / early July) you may see dramatic snow walls beside the road. Later (September / early October) you get golden tones and quieter traffic.

If you’re planning a trip outside this window, a lower-altitude, lake-focused route can still work – something similar in style to the Glacier Express Train & Drive Adventure, which combines scenic roads with world-class rail views.

Luggage, Practicalities and Who This Is For

Luggage & packing

• Store large suitcases with your Zürich hotel (e.g. Renaissance Zurich Tower).

• Take only a cabin-size case or weekend bag for the road.

• Keep passports, valuables and driving licences with you at all times.

  
  

Who is this trip ideal for?

• Couples where one is a keen driver and one loves scenery and comfort.

• Friends or adult families celebrating a milestone.

• Returning Viking guests who want something different from standard post-cruise coach tours.

• Anyone who has secretly always wanted to drive a Porsche through the Alps.

You do not need to be a racing driver. Confident, experienced road driving and comfort with manual or automatic (depending on car) are enough. The pre-set pace, flexible schedule and sat/nav support do the rest.

FAQ: Swiss Alps Road Trip After Viking Cruise

1. Is it better to do the road trip before or after my Viking cruise?

Almost always after. You arrive in Europe tired and jet-lagged; you finish the cruise rested and adjusted. Starting your Swiss Alps road trip after your Viking cruise means you’ll be more alert on mountain roads and can treat the drive as your finale rather than a prelude.

2. Which Viking itineraries connect best with this road trip?

Any itinerary ending in Basel or Zürich works very well, particularly:

• Rhine & Main Explorer (Nuremberg → Basel)

• Paris to the Swiss Alps (Paris → Zürich)

• Rhine Getaway (Amsterdam → Basel)

All of these typically include a hotel night in Zürich at the end, which EPIKDRIVES uses as the starting point.

3. Do I need to be an expert mountain driver?

No. You should be a confident driver, comfortable with European-style roads and, ideally, with performance cars. The pre-planned sat/nav routes avoid unnecessarily tricky roads and give you time to get used to the car before the bigger passes.

4. Can I store my big cruise luggage in Zürich?

Yes. Guests staying at large Zürich hotels such as the Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel can usually store big luggage securely while they’re on the road. You then travel with a light bag and collect your suitcases when you return.

5. When is the best month to drive the passes?

For high passes like Furka and Stelvio, the sweet spot is late June to early October. July and August are prime for warm weather, while September and early October offer quieter roads and beautiful autumn colours.

6. What if I’d like to combine the road trip with scenic trains?

A popular option is to add elements from the Glacier Express Train & Drive Adventure, combining a private road trip with a famous panoramic train such as the Glacier Express or Bernina Express. This can be integrated before or after your EPIKDRIVES driving days.

Conclusion & Call-to-Action

Finishing a Viking itinerary in Basel or Zürich puts you right on the doorstep of the Alps. Instead of treating Zürich as a layover, you can treat it as a launchpad for a Swiss Alps road trip after your Viking cruise – with a Porsche, pre-set sat/nav, curated hotels and the freedom to travel at your own pace.

Whether you choose the compact Swiss Alps Express, the indulgent Chedi Alpine Escape, or the bucket-list Stelvio 10 Passes Adventure, you’ll turn a simple transfer home into the most memorable part of your holiday.

Ready to upgrade your cruise finale? Get in touch with EPIKDRIVES to check dates, car options and to tailor the perfect Swiss Alps self-drive extension to your Viking journey.