Yes, you can smoke at Zurich Airport (ZRH), one of Europe’s most smoker-friendly airports. It offers enclosed indoor smoking lounges both after security and in the landside public area, so you can light up whether you are airside between flights or still in the check-in halls.
The Swiss flag carrier’s main hub, Zurich was the first airport in Europe to open dedicated smoking lounges, and it has kept a generous network of them ever since.
Where to Smoke
Zurich Airport provides 22 smoking lounges in total: 18 airside (after security) and 4 landside (in the public area). Named airside lounges include the Airside Center, plus lounges at Gate A50, Gate B35, Gate D35, and Gate E23 (non-Schengen). All of these are enclosed, ventilated indoor rooms.
The Observation Deck is explicitly non-smoking - smoking there is not permitted.
These are standard public terminal smoking lounges and are likely free to enter, though no official entry fee is published.
Vaping
Switzerland’s Federal Tobacco Products Act, in force since 1 October 2024, treats vaping the same as smoking. E-cigarettes may be used only in the designated smoking lounges and areas, not anywhere else in the terminal.
Summary table
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor smoking lounges airside | Yes | 18 lounges, incl. Airside Center and Gates A50, B35, D35, E23 |
| Indoor lounges landside | Yes | 4 lounges in the public area |
| Observation deck | No | Explicitly non-smoking |
For Switzerland’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Switzerland airport guide.