Season

Many of you may have a wrong impression about March in Switzerland, thinking it’s already spring, everything is going to bloom, and it’s going to be green.

But the reality is actually different.

Especially in the first two weeks of March, it’s still more towards winter, and you can actually see that when you’re up in the Alps.

However, March indeed marks the beginning of spring, which is in the 3rd week of the month. From this week, the first flowers are going to start to bloom.

How Much Snow In March

You may wonder how much snow is in Switzerland because March is still winter. During the first two weeks of March, it’s still going to be winter, so there will be a lot of snow.

There is also a high chance of snowfall. However, I do have to be honest with you; in general, it’s not going to be as snowy as January or February.

At the end of March, there is still going to be snow, but it’s already going to get softer, especially at lower altitudes in the Alps.

You can really tell the difference between the beginning and end of March.

Towards the end of March, around noon or afternoon, the snow is getting softer, which is not perfect for skiing.

However, at the beginning of March, you can ski at higher altitudes.

Skiing

I find skiing in March is really great because of the slopes, especially in the first two weeks.

There will be many people, but on the bright side, the days are going to be longer, allowing you to ski for more hours.

You can ski from early in the morning, around 8 am to 5 pm.

This is really great thing to know because when you purchase the ski pass, you’re going to pay more or less the same price as in January or February but for more hours.

So, it’s really worth the price.

As I mentioned earlier, at the end of March, the snow is going to get softer throughout the day, especially after 1 or 2 pm.

Therefore, I really advise you to start early towards the end of March.

Weather In March

Switzerland experiences a transition from winter to spring in March. March is a month of surprises. 

You can not really predict the weather, but at least if it’s going to rain, it’s going to rain mostly for the whole day, and if the sun is going to shine, it’s going to shine for the whole day.

In lower regions, you can see early signs of spring, with some flowers beginning to bloom at the end of March.

For the rain, the lower regions are relatively wet. 

As I said, there’s a high chance of snowfall up in the Alps, especially in ski resorts. 

Last year, when I was in Zermatt in March, there was a lot of snow falling, and it was really magical, especially when I was roaming around during the day and also in the night.

Temperature

In lower regions, temperatures typically range from 0℃ to 12℃.

In mountain regions, temperatures range from -5℃ to 5℃ during the day and below freezing at night.

Cloth To Bring

As I said earlier, it’s still winter in the beginning, and then towards the end, it’s going to be spring.

Also, the weather may vary a lot; it can be rainy or sunny. So, you need to bring winter clothes and also warm-weather clothes.

For example, when it’s warm, you need to have T-shirts or pullovers.

If you go up in the Alps, you need to have winter jackets, shoes, caps, gloves, and certainly sunglasses because the snow is going to reflect a lot of sunlight.

If you want to visit the lower regions, don’t forget to bring an umbrella and a waterproof jacket.

Attractions In March

When it comes to attractions, March is quite an interesting month. You can experience both snow activities and early spring.

In the winter destinations up in the Alps, all the attractions are still going to be open. So, you’ll still have toboggan run, skiing, and snowboarding.

But sometimes they’re not going to be open for the entire month. It depends on the amount and the quality of the snow. 

For example, some toboggan runs may already close in mid-March.

Down in the lower regions in Switzerland, some of the attractions that are closed during winter are going to reopen in March.

Where To Go

For winter activities, I suggest you go to Zermatt, St. Moritz, Davos, and Verbier. There you can do skiing, snowboarding, bobsledding, ice skating, and winter hiking.

If you want to stroll around the cities then I suggest visiting Zurich, Interlaken, Geneva, and Lucerne.

To experience early spring, don’t forget to pay a visit to Lugano and Montreux.

I would say March is not yet the perfect month to go see waterfalls because they’re not very strong.

There’s not going to be a lot of water, and up in the Alps, there’s still going to be a lot of snow.

This snow is only going to melt in late April and May, and that’s when they’re going to fill the waterfalls.

So, I would say May and June are much better for seeing Waterfalls.

Hotels And Prices

It’s going to be peak season up in the Alps in March, especially during the first two weeks because everybody’s having holidays in Switzerland.

Also, other countries in Europe have skiing holidays, so there’s going to be a lot of tourists who come to Switzerland for skiing.

When you want to book a hotel in the Alps, many of them are going to be fully booked.

You really have to make sure that you’re booking in advance, and it’s better if you book at least 2 weeks in advance, sometimes even 1 or 2 months.

With that, you’re going to be sure that you can stay at the hotel you like.

For the peak season, the prices are going to be higher, so in destinations like Zermatt, you really may spend a lot of money on your accommodations.

If you have a tighter budget, you can find options under $150 per night.

If you are looking for mid-range hotels, you have to pay around $150 to $200 per night.

For luxurious accommodations, you need to pay around $300 to $500 per night.

So, expect to spend anywhere from $90 to $500 or more per night on accommodations.

Festivals

When it comes to culture, sometimes March really does have a lot to offer.

The carnivals mostly take place in February, but in some regions of Switzerland, the carnival will fall into March.

Here, it’s very important to mention the canton of Basel. On the first Sunday night, there’s going to be the Chienbäse, which is held in the city of Liestal.

There you’ll see a lot of people carrying very heavy broomsticks that are burning, and they’re marching through the old city.

This is certainly one of the most beautiful traditions you can see in Switzerland, but I highly advise you to bring a particle mask because the dust level is going to be very high.

Then just a few hours later on Monday morning at 4 am in the city of Basel, there’s going to be the Morgestraich.

To enjoy this carnival, you need to be up early at 3 in the morning and then out in the streets by at least 3:45 am.

You’ll see at 4 am the church will ring four times, and then the Morgestraich is going to start.

This is certainly one of the most beautiful cultural moments you can experience in Switzerland.

Then, on the 1st of March, the Chalandamarz in the canton of Graubunden takes place in the smaller villages.

During Chalandamarz, young people and children dress in traditional costumes and parade through the villages ringing bells to drive away the winter spirits.

Often Easter is going to fall into March. For those who are not familiar with what is Easter, it’s the second most important holiday for Christians.

They’re going to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the canton of Ticino, the city of Mendrisio is going to have Easter processions on Good Friday.

Pass Roads

Most of the pass roads in Switzerland are going to remain closed in March. This is until May or even June.

If you want to take a shortcut, then you can take some of the car-train tunnels. 

For example the Furka tunnel from Realp (Uri) to Oberwald (Valais), the Lotschberg tunnel from Kandersteg (Bern) to Goppenstein (Valais), or the Vereina tunnel from Klosters (Graubunden) to Sagliains (Engadine, Graubunden).

Keep in mind that during the weekend, many people are going to or coming from the Alps.

So, these car-trains are going to be very busy, and waiting hours can be at least more than 1 hour, sometimes even more than 3 hours.