Where is Liechtenstein?

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked, German-speaking, 62 square mile, tiny country in Central Europe.  It’s wedged in between Switzerland to the west and south and Austria to the east and north.  It is smaller than every country in Europe except San Marino, Monaco, and Vatican City.

Some interesting Liechtenstein facts:

It’s the worlds leading manufacturer of false teeth.  Over 20% of the world’s dentures come from Liechtenstein.

It’s culturally German, economically Swiss, and everyone speaks German and French and at least some English.

Switzerland has unintentionally invaded Liechtenstein THREE TIMES!  Liechtenstein, which has no army of its own, admits that it didn’t notice any of the Swiss invasions and had to be informed that they had occurred.

The 8 Best Things to Do in Liechtenstein:

There aren’t any “unmissable” things to do, but there are many pleasant ways to pass a day or two here.  A day trip to Liechtenstein would cover a lot of the main sights.

#1 Hike the Eschnerberg Trail through the alps.  Liechtenstein has miles of hiking trails from town to town.

#2 Walk up to Vaduz Castle and wave to the Liechtenstein royal family.  You can’t actually get into the castle except on August 15th.  That day, all citizens are invited to celebrate National Day with a feast and fireworks.

#3 Climb on the little Tourist Train and chug around the capital city of Vaduz getting an audio-guide tour for just $10.

#4 Ride through the valley on smooth Bike paths.

#5 Ponder some history in the Liechtenstein National Museum  -$8 entry.

#6 Lick a stamp in the Postage Stamp Museum (included w Natl Museum entry)  Or if stamps aren’t your thing, try the contemporary art gallery Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein.

#7 Visit Burg Gutenburg Castle.

#8 Go Llama and Alpaca trekking.  Starting at $30 for 2 hours, you can walk through the forest with one of these furry animals.

My journey to visit the Principality of Liechtenstein

I began in nearby Switzerland. There are no flights to Liechtenstein, so I caught a scenic hour-long train from Zurich to Buchs. Then I rode a bus for ten minutes to Schaan, Liechtenstein. I checked into the only hostel in Liechtenstein, the Youth Hostel Schaan-Vaduz , where for the princely sum of $42 one can get a bunk bed.

I was able to get some beer at a pub just down the street, then walked into Vaduz, which is a sleepy, lovely little town.  Nothing amazing to see, but pleasant nonetheless.

What is the point of going to visit Liechtenstein you may ask?  Other than adding another country to your list, not much.  It’s a very pretty place, but not any different from any number of charming Swiss villages.

8 Best Things to Do in Liechtenstein – Know Before You Go:

Backpacker Daily Budget:  

$85  Consider it about as expensive as Switzerland, in other words, VERY EXPENSIVE.  It’s Gross Annual National Income per capita is $143,451!  It is a tossup with Monaco each year for the highest GNI in the world.

Cheap Beer index:

$5 for good German style draft beer.

When to visit:  

June through August are ideal times to visit.  Highs are in the 70’s.  Winter is cold, with lows in the 20’s.

What languages are spoken?  

German is the main language, but people are very multi-lingual.  People in tourist businesses may speak some French and English, possibly even Italian.

Do you need a visa?  

Visas are not required for nationals of USA, UK, AUS, and CAN.  Neither the Swiss border or the Austrian border have any passport control or customs stops.  However, you can get a Liechtenstein passport stamp.  Just stop in at the Liechtenstein Center in Vaduz, and for 3 Euro or 3 Swiss Franc, they will give you an official stamp.  Open 9am to 6pm in summer.

Getting to Liechtenstein:  

By Air and Train

Liechtenstein has no airport in the entire country.  The closest airport is 80 miles away in Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH).  The easiest way to get there is by train from Zurich.  The train goes from Zurich to Buchs, a 1 hour ride.  Then from Buchs railway station, bus route #12 runs every 15 minutes to Schaan, from where connecting buses run to Vaduz. It only takes about 10 minutes to Schaan and another 5 to Vaduz.

By Car

You can also arrive overland from either Switzerland or Austria via private car.  There are no border controls.  Driving from Zurich to Liechtenstein takes just over an hour.

Getting Around Liechtenstein

The largest city is Vaduz, and is likely where you’ll want to be based.  There are no major cities in Liechtenstein, though, as even Vaduz is only 5,400 people.

Liechtenstein has efficient public bus transport. Its bus operator is LBA. A 7-day unlimited use card costs $24.

Cycling is also a reasonable way to see the country, with plentiful bike lanes throughout.

Learn how to fly to Liechtenstein for free on my page:  Nine Steps to Free Flights Worldwide.

Liechtenstein currency and how to get it:  

What currency does Liechtenstein use?  The Swiss Franc (1 CHF=$1USD as of 2018) is the official Liechtenstein currency, available at numerous ATMs.  Euros may also be accepted, but at a poor exchange rate.  For more info on your cash-versus-credit card options when travelling, check out my post on How to Access your Money in Foreign Countries.

Stay Connected: 

Do not bother buying a SIM card in Liechtenstein.  Any EU SIM card will work normally without roaming fees.  Although Liechtenstein is not part of the EU, it is part of the larger EEA, where international roaming rules are enforced on SIM cards issued in the EEA. The mobile phone system is attached to the Switzerland telecoms market. This means also that any Swiss SIM can roam in Liechtenstein without additional fees.  HOWEVER, if you have an EU/EEA SIM, and you are connected to a SWISS antenna, you WILL be charged roaming fees, since Switzerland is NOT part of the EU/EEA.  As many providers have the same name, make sure you are connected to a Liechtenstein antenna (MCC: 295) instead of a Swiss (MCC: 228).  For more info on your telecom options, check out my post on How to Get Cheap Mobile Phone Service Worldwide.

Where to stay in Liechtenstein:

Youth Hostel Schaan-Vaduz has dorm rooms for $42.  Spartan, clean, and in a lovely setting.  There are no hotels in Vaduz below $100 a night.  Hotels are at comparable prices as Switzerland.

Where to eat:  

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