SJO - ZRH

$416 Find Cheap Flights from San José to Zurich

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San José to Zurich departing on 3/6. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Zurich

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San José to Zurich.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San José to Zurich.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$821
Typical prices: $827-$1,052
Multiple Airlines
Wed 2/4Wed 3/4
SJO - ZRH • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$1,293
Typical prices: $1,125-$1,457
SWISS
Fri 3/20Mon 4/6
SJO - ZRH • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
SJO offers free WiFi and 75 self-check-in kiosks.
ZRH's train station connects to the city in 15 minutes.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Air Canada
Cheapest • from $868 (round-trip)
KLM
Best reviews • 7.7 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
5 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 5 weeks in advance save around 14% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
February
Cheapest • 14% price drop
September
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Nonstop flights
1 day a week
There are direct flights from San José to Zurich 1 day a week: Fri.
Direct flights
Direct flights
Direct flights
Direct flights
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Zurich!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San José to Zurich (SJO-ZRH)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San José to Zurich that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San José to Zurich

Wed, Feb 4 - Wed, Mar 4
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:30 pm - 11:00 am
SJO
-
ZRH
31h 30m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 6:25 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
18h 55m
2 stops
$821Multiple Airlines
Wed, Feb 4 - Wed, Mar 4
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:30 pm - 8:15 am
SJO
-
ZRH
28h 45m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 6:25 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
18h 55m
2 stops
$822Multiple Airlines
Mon, May 18 - Tue, May 26
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:25 pm - 1:40 pm
SJO
-
ZRH
35h 15m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:45 am - 4:20 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
16h 35m
2 stops
$828Multiple Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Wed, Apr 29
Air France Logo
7:00 am - 10:00 am
SJO
-
ZRH
19h 00m
2 stops
Air France Logo
7:45 am - 5:10 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
17h 25m
1 stop
$836Air France
Mon, May 18 - Sun, May 24
KLM Logo
6:25 pm - 10:25 pm
SJO
-
ZRH
20h 00m
1 stop
KLM Logo
7:00 am - 5:20 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
18h 20m
2 stops
$839KLM
Fri, Jun 12 - Wed, Sep 9
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:05 pm - 10:25 pm
SJO
-
ZRH
19h 20m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:55 am - 5:00 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
14h 05m
1 stop
$840Multiple Airlines
Wed, Feb 4 - Wed, Feb 18
Iberia Logo
6:15 pm - 10:20 pm
SJO
-
ZRH
21h 05m
1 stop
Iberia Logo
7:30 am - 4:35 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
16h 05m
1 stop
$843Iberia
Fri, May 29 - Fri, Jun 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:15 pm - 10:25 pm
SJO
-
ZRH
19h 10m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:55 am - 5:00 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
14h 05m
1 stop
$846Multiple Airlines
Sun, Feb 15 - Sun, Mar 15
Iberia Logo
6:15 pm - 11:10 am
SJO
-
ZRH
33h 55m
1 stop
Iberia Logo
7:30 am - 4:35 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
16h 05m
1 stop
$851Iberia
Sun, Feb 1 - Wed, Feb 18
Iberia Logo
6:15 pm - 10:20 pm
SJO
-
ZRH
21h 05m
1 stop
Iberia Logo
7:40 pm - 4:35 pm
ZRH
-
SJO
27h 55m
1 stop
$853Iberia
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San José to Zurich flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San José to Zurich to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a round-trip flight from San José to Zurich?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from San José to Zurich departing in February.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San José to Zurich?

The average price of all round-trip flights from San José to Zurich clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Zurich on a Wednesday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to San José, you should consider flying back on a Friday, and avoid Wednesdays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San José to Zurich?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to Zurich, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from San José to Zurich is February, where tickets cost $874 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,143 and $1,118 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San José to Zurich?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $1,072, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San José to Zurich?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to Zurich, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San José to Zurich, you should book around 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 14% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 13 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San José to Zurich

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airports
SJO

SJO offers free WiFi and 75 self-check-in kiosks, making it easy to navigate. Arrive early as security lines can vary.

ZRH

ZRH's train station connects to Zurich Hauptbahnhof in 15 minutes, with trains every 10 minutes, ensuring quick city access.

Our travel experts
Emily Zemler

Emily Zemler

Expert on ZRH

Emily Zemler

Emily Zemler

Emily is a freelance writer and book author based in London covering entertainment and travel. Her work has appeared in Los Angeles Times, Observer, and Conde Nast Traveler She has ventured to more than 40 countries and all seven continents, always in search of a great art museum. She has written extensively about hotels, luxury travel, and aviation.

Read more
Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Expert on SJO

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer and public speaker with more than 30 years of experience. The 2019 winner of the NLGJA Excellence in Travel Writing Award, Mark is the author of the book “Prepare for Departure” and has covered air travel for multiple top consumer and trade media outlets.

Read more

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$416
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 14% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 8% lower on average.
Flight from San José to Zurich

When to book flights from San José to Zurich

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San José to Zurich based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from San José to Zurich

  • What is the cheapest flight from San José to Zurich?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San José to Zurich was $416 for a one-way ticket and $821 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between San José and Zurich?

    A passport is required to fly from San José to Zurich.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San José to Zurich?

    On your way to Zurich, you’ll fly out from San José Juan Santamaria Intl. You’ll be landing at Zurich.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from San José to Zurich?

    Lufthansa, Air France, Iberia, and KLM offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the San José to Zurich flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San José to Zurich?

    The Airbus A350-900 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San José to Zurich flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San José to Zurich?

    oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between San José and Zurich, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from San José to Zurich?

    You can catch a nonstop flight from San José to Zurich on on Friday.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San José to Zurich, KLM or SWISS?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San José to Zurich are KLM and SWISS. With an average price for the route of $907 and an overall rating of 7.7, KLM is the most popular choice. SWISS is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,024 and an overall rating of 7.5.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San José to Zurich?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San José to Zurich.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San José to Zurich?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Zurich from San José is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San José to Zurich?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Zurich with an airline and back to San José with another airline. Booking your flights between San José and ZRH can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San José to Zurich?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Zurich from San José up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San José to Zurich

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $691 or less one-way and $1,186 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from San José to Zurich?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Zurich.
Find which airlines fly direct from San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport to Zurich Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Zurich

Friday

Edelweiss Air

Edelweiss Air

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Zurich to San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Monday

Edelweiss Air

Edelweiss Air

Wednesday

Edelweiss Air

Edelweiss Air

Friday

Edelweiss Air

Edelweiss Air

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San José to Zurich

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San José to Zurich. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San José to Zurich? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.7
KLMOverall score based on 1440 reviews
8.4Crew
7.8Boarding
7.6Comfort
7.2Food
7.1Entertainment
Airline reviews

I’m grateful for the KLM Air France shuttle bus service to Ottawa. However due to construction and other issues related to the chaotic Uber pickup system at YUL, it’s a challenge to find the Kelios bus service to Ottawa. The signs are not clear or even available. No staff to guide passengers. It’s a stressful experience.

4.0 OkayShereen, Dec 2025
Read more KLM reviews

I’m grateful for the KLM Air France shuttle bus service to Ottawa. However due to construction and other issues related to the chaotic Uber pickup system at YUL, it’s a challenge to find the Kelios bus service to Ottawa. The signs are not clear or even available. No staff to guide passengers. It’s a stressful experience.

Terrible last row seats many seats available but no offer to move to better seat

At the airport, terrible, I do not want to even remember it. It was too humiliating for a business class passenger.

Flight was ok but lack of communication cost me to literally beg to be put on another flight as connecting flight had departed

They forgot to serve food and the crew was very unfriendly. Never experienced such a bad KLM flight. Usually fly from Toronto. New York was different.

Couldn’t get boarding pass in SLC even with help from a redcoat, so had to find a desk in AMS to get boarding pass. Technical problems so not sure why. Very inconvenient. The KLM app is not as user friendly as most apps. Also had to wait almost an hour on the tarmac for a fuel truck, which caused us to miss a connecting bus in LUX.

First of all we couldn’t check in online, then we learn at the airport we were on stand by for KLM’s mistake of overbooking. The seats were not comfy at all. Our luggage got lost.

Short flight so it was okay. Nice crew, all very pleasant and professional. We were near the back in row 27 so just as we got our drinks, we started our descent so had to drink very quickly!

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

My flight was delayed by 6 hours then I missed BOTH of my connecting flights, I then had to stay in the AIRPORT at JFK because soooooo many people also suffered from missing flights and there was no hotels available. I would like to be compensated for this experience! I had to stay in the airport for over 16 hours!

Water bottles could be in more sustainable packaging than plastic bottles

It was much better than most airlines we have flown with. It remo des me Swiss Air 25 years ago.

Horrible!! The WiFi was not working, the food was awful

We’ve never been more uncomfortable on a flight than we have on this particular one. The seats in front of us reclined so far back that when the person reclined their seat of broccoli, it almost hit me in the face and left me with literally no room to move that said I had to recline my seed in which made the person behind me upset. It seemed like the seats also would recline without even pressing the button in the armrest and would unrecline as well for that same reason, and it also seemed that some seats reclined more than others. The bottom cushions of the seat were so thin that even after one hour of an 11 hour flight, our tailbones were so sore. It seemed like an overall old airplane. It also didn’t have individual air vents and it was extremely hot the entire flight. Several passengers were commenting on how hot it was. The breakfast was some kind of flavorless triangle, puffy egg, laying in a watery bed of steamed peppers and onions and spinach. It was not appetizing at all. The flight crew was extremely nice so that was a nice thing this flight attendant. They let us try different types of Swiss sodas, which was really nice and the dinner was actually delicious but still overall given the other considerations. It was pretty much a miserable flight without basic seat comfort.

Zürich-NY part of the trip was really good! Enjoyed professionalism and courtesy of the crew, comfort and cleanliness of the aircraft.

Smooth boarding, on time flight, decent food and entertainment options.

Best international flight I have had in a while! Far superior accommodation, services, food and general experience compared to U.S. airline companies.

Terrible - we needed tp change the flight and it was impossible. They ask for a price that was higher than buying a new tickets from another airline. Will never flight Swiss air and Luftgansa again.

They lived up to the Swiss reputation of excellent operation in all aspects. Zurich is a great place to make connections to other parts of Europe.

As an ex airline employee in my home country of Jamaica, it was wonderful to see that Swiss Air has maintained it's exemplary service. The crew was both pleasant and professional. The meals were wholesome and tasty. My brother and I traveled and we both agree that our amazing vacation started with the excellent experience with Swiss Air. Continue to keep your standards high 🙂

Communication on the delay, rebooking and how to get a hotel was poor. Mails, airport check-in and transfer desk said different things.

Not consistent with the food quality (I mean taste not freshness)

Food was really mediocre for premium economy in comparison to other airlines… the crew was nowhere to be found… 14 hour flight…

I don’t like that an equipment change caused my seat to change from 23A to 44A. The boarding was also delayed. The crew were excellent, however and very attentive. The food was not bad.

Worst airlines either. First leg was delayed because of crew not available. My connection was missed so they booked me automatically the next day! But, impossible to get anyone on site, web site does not let me access my reservation anymore, confirmed by useless agents over the phone. My 2-leg trip with part in business class arriving at 4:10pm ends up in an awful 3-leg arriving at 9pm the next day with no way to even choose the seats and of course at the very end of the plane. I can understand problems arrive but the way Air France handle it is just unacceptable. You are on your own. Apparently getting you to your destination is the only thing they consider their duty. The customer experience and fatigue is none of their concern. And I have a status with them. I will reconsider my priorities when flying with Air France and encourage everyone to do the same.

Our flight crew were terrific. And they handle a difficult passenger with finesse.

Excellent, Lima to Paris. But Paris to Amsterdam, delayed, missed my flight and KLM treated its missed flights passengers very badly, terribly bad. No hotel accommodation given. Passengers were told to find their own hotel accommodation and claim at reasonable rate and left the booth and literally with armed Police Officers listening to passengers complains. For three hours, after moving by Uber from hotel to hotel and calling and booking online, no hotel was available. I had to return to the airport and seat/sleep on the benches, suffering the cold, and rats running around until my new allocated flight the next day. It was the most terrible KLM treatment even seen and being a Business Class passenger. Still mentally suffering to date as a result.

3 hour delay but out of their control. App said I get vouchers but when I applied for them, they were nowhere to be found in my account

I bought business class tickets but the seats are exactly like economy with no comfort seats nor an empty seat next to me provided. Very poor, low quality airline.

I don't understand the concept of paying to get your personal luggage onboard and then asked to check it in.... either sell the space or don't, its a hassle to carry those all through the airport just to make a check in at the last minute.

Very Bad experience with Swiss, they robbed me for additional baggage and misguided. The flight was delayed for 2hr 55 minutes, screens were not functional and food was also bad.

Premium Economy is best if you can't get upgraded to Business.. Not as good to sleep for red-eye flights, but does the job. More space for your legs and arms.. The food is also better and the service is almost like business.

They could care less about you. Just under a 4 hour delay in Seattle, leading into a missed connection in Vancouver, which led to 2 more delays that added up to 3 more hours leaving us to have to sleep on the floor of the Toronto airport cause they don't help you find accomodations and they just book you on the next flight out. Took an additional 14 hours to get home. Always given the brush off to get rid of us. Worst airline ever

Seats could be slightly more comfortable otherwise flight was good but

They screwed up so bad, I asked for a short check for my luggage since we had a 21 hour overnight layover in London at a hotel. They said I have to receive my luggage in London because it’s an overnight layover. Get to London, nope, my bags aren’t coming off they are staying in terminal 5 over night and going straight to Ibiza. So we had no luggage for a whole day and basically stuck with no clothes or washroom stuff. Finally get to Ibiza and my luggage is completely smashed and damaged and missing a wheel. Now I have to drag this 50 lbs luggage around Ibiza islands for 10 days. Wtf. So pissed off Air Canada is LITERALLY THE WORST AIRLINE IN THE WORLD

Bad experience boarding and flight got delayed didn’t make it to my next flight

Great entertainment choices. The crew was extremely kind and accommodating. My remote control did not work. Too little space between seats. Arm rests only go up a few inches making less comfortable.

It was a good flight- but it is not clear to me why AC suggests to come to the airport 4 hours (!) before the flight. Even the locals said that’s a bit of an exaggeration. We were there 2 hours before as usual and that was more than enough.

The flight was delayed to 1:50 am from 12:05am which caused confusion for us on the connecting flight.

Flight delay, cancellation rescheduling and misdirected luggage which created some stress. It all worked out in the end.

My flight being automatically moved messed up my travel plans, and I had to quickly find an alternative mode of transportation. I couldn’t get a refund from any of the companies involved. Kayak, Ibiza, or Vueling. I am still unsure of how to settle my concern.

The crew was super friendly and helpful. The food was quite good. An overall positive experience.

Flight cancelled, lost a day of travel where we were trying to meet friends we couldn't meet. Iberia website is very difficult to navigate and has lots of dead links. If you do not speak Spanish it is even harder. Tried communicating on their WhatsApp and that was also close to impossible. We were told we'd be compensated 150EU's for this cancelled flight but there is no avenue towards rectifying this issue. I've had to take it up with my credit card to contest the charges and not pay for a flight that didn't happen but doubt I will ever be reimbursed for my two Ubers to the airport where we never even departed or the 150EU's we were told we would receive. I would never fly Iberia again. Clown show.

We flew into Barcelona and the plane was so cramped and very uncomfortable and dirty. But we flew out of Madrid and that plane was much better. Would fly Iberia again.

Delayed. Mismanagement of gate lines. Passengers arguing with eachother as a result of lack of organization by airline. Avoid this airline.

Disaster. Downgraded. Zero apology. No effort or coordination between gate and crew. Awful seat blocked by door emergency slide box. Iberia is a mess. App never works. Avoid this airline.

Transportation from gate to airplane was poor we stayed in hot bus for 20 minute no vantilation

Arrived on time. Great crew. Good food. Luggage delivered promptly

Left on time, arrived on time, despite weather, excellent service and food

It was fortunate that the flight arrived in London in accordance with schedule, and the luggage was promptly transferred to the luggage carousel. However, I find it concerning that even minor issues in economy cabins are prevalent within the industry. American Airlines, in particular, appears to have the least legroom and feels more crowded due to the proximity of neighboring passengers. Additionally, the crew’s adherence to protocol is inconsistent. While they may enforce certain rules set by the FAA on a select few individuals, they often overlook numerous violations, such as failing to reset seat recline during landing.

Everything you need to know for your flight from San José to Zurich

Information on your arrival and departure airports