Swiss holidaymakers regularly exceed travel budgets

44% of Swiss holidaymakers exceeded the budget they had set for themselves, according to a Bank Cler survey published on September 29, 2026. The finding captures a familiar pressure point in household spending: people prepare carefully for a trip, then loosen the limits once they arrive.

The survey of 1,000 people found that 62% spent more on holiday than they do in everyday life. Average spending came to just under CHF 2,400, while respondents took an average of 13 days off for the summer holiday period.

The figures do not suggest that travellers ignored their finances before departure. Many respondents said they saved in advance, established a spending limit and compared prices before booking or travelling. The budget often came under pressure during the trip, when meals, activities and purchases accumulated outside the original plan.

For Swiss households facing high everyday costs, the survey offers a snapshot of how travel remains a distinct spending priority. Holidays combine fixed expenses such as transport and accommodation with daily decisions that are harder to predict. A planned budget can therefore survive the booking process and still fail at the restaurant table, ticket counter or souvenir shop.

Food and drink accounted for 61% of extra holiday spending among respondents who exceeded their budgets or faced unplanned costs. Meals are often the most frequent discretionary expense on a trip, making small daily increases capable of reshaping the final bill.

Shopping and souvenirs followed at 48%, while day trips, admission fees and events reached 47%. These costs are often linked to the experience travellers set out to enjoy. A museum visit, a boat excursion or an evening meal may not appear in the initial holiday calculation, particularly when people focus first on transport and accommodation.

The Bank Cler findings show how spending shifts once travellers are away from their normal routines. Holidaymakers may eat out more often, pay for activities they had not planned and buy items associated with a destination. Currency differences and unfamiliar prices can also make comparison more difficult, although the survey did not quantify those effects.

The result is a budget that expands through a series of individual choices rather than one large purchase. The pattern matters for household planning because the average total of nearly CHF 2,400 includes both anticipated and unexpected costs.

French-speaking respondents spent nearly CHF 2,700 on average, around CHF 400 more than respondents in German-speaking Switzerland. They also reported longer summer holidays, taking about 15 days off compared with roughly 13 days in German-speaking Switzerland.

The regional gap combines duration and total expenditure. A longer stay creates more opportunities for meals, transport, admissions and shopping, so the difference cannot be read simply as a higher daily spending rate. The survey provides averages, not an explanation for why the patterns diverge.

The comparison nevertheless reflects the variety of holiday habits across Switzerland. Travel choices differ between households, language regions and generations, while destination, accommodation and family circumstances can all affect the final amount. The Bank Cler results do not identify which of these factors had the greatest influence.

What they do show is that a single national holiday budget hides meaningful variation. A Swiss household planning for two weeks away may face a different cost profile from one taking a shorter break, even before it accounts for the destination. The average of just under CHF 2,400 is therefore a useful reference point, not a universal target.