Staying in Zermatt
Apr 13th, 2013, 03:17 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Staying in Zermatt
We are travelling to Zermatt for a hiking holiday at the end of May. We have been to Switzerland several times before and always used the train to travel to our destination from the airport. Zermatt looks a long way from Geneva. Anyone done this trip? Wondering if it would be better to hire a car. Also, would people recommend staying in Tasch or actually in Zermatt itself? Sorry, a lot of questions.
Apr 13th, 2013, 04:56 AM
#2
No, I would not hire a car if it is just to get to Zermatt where you'd have to park it in Tasch anyway.
You can get a train to Visp where you'll change for Zermatt directly from the Geneva airport.
Trains run about once an hour and you can check schedules at www.sbb.ch/en put Geneva airport in as your departure point.
The trip will take around four hours.
Now, that said, if you are planning to use the car for other touring it might make more sense.
You can get a train to Visp where you'll change for Zermatt directly from the Geneva airport.
Trains run about once an hour and you can check schedules at www.sbb.ch/en put Geneva airport in as your departure point.
The trip will take around four hours.
Now, that said, if you are planning to use the car for other touring it might make more sense.
Apr 13th, 2013, 04:57 AM
#3
And yes, I would stay in Zermatt itself www.zermatt.ch but to each their own.
Apr 13th, 2013, 05:05 AM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,345
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi tijoal123,
Yes, I agree with Dukey1 above -- a car makes no sense for Zermatt. You probably know enough about Zermatt to know that it's car free, and your car will sit in a (paid) parking lot while you are there. You can only get into Zermatt by train.
Zermatt sits at the end of a long valley, and I don't think it's well located for any day-trips or excursions. So, even using the car for day-trips out doesn't make sense either.
I guess you'll be coming from the Geneva airport, is that right? That trip will be about 3h50, with one change, as Dukey1 noted, in Visp. I would just grab some snacks from the grocery stores or bakeries at the airport and settle in with a book or some music and enjoy the trip.
If you're worried about luggage, you can send your cases using Fast Baggage separately on the trains for 22 chf per bag. If you get it checked by 09.00, you can pick it up after 18.00 the same day.
Have fun as you plan!
s
Yes, I agree with Dukey1 above -- a car makes no sense for Zermatt. You probably know enough about Zermatt to know that it's car free, and your car will sit in a (paid) parking lot while you are there. You can only get into Zermatt by train.
Zermatt sits at the end of a long valley, and I don't think it's well located for any day-trips or excursions. So, even using the car for day-trips out doesn't make sense either.
I guess you'll be coming from the Geneva airport, is that right? That trip will be about 3h50, with one change, as Dukey1 noted, in Visp. I would just grab some snacks from the grocery stores or bakeries at the airport and settle in with a book or some music and enjoy the trip.
If you're worried about luggage, you can send your cases using Fast Baggage separately on the trains for 22 chf per bag. If you get it checked by 09.00, you can pick it up after 18.00 the same day.
Have fun as you plan!
s
Apr 13th, 2013, 06:31 AM
#5
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8,354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
GVA - Zermatt, 3 3/4 hrs journey, trains every 60 min, 97 CHF/OW
ZRH - Zermatt, 3 1/2 hrs journey, trains every 30 to 60 min, 121 CHF OW
BSL - Zermatt, 3 3/4 hrs journey, trains every 30 to 60 min, 119 CHF/OW
MXP - Zermatt, 3 1/2 to 5 hrs, irregular intervals, 77 CHF/OW
BRN - Zermatt: 3 hrs journey, trains every 60 min, 87 CHF/OW
ZRH - Zermatt, 3 1/2 hrs journey, trains every 30 to 60 min, 121 CHF OW
BSL - Zermatt, 3 3/4 hrs journey, trains every 30 to 60 min, 119 CHF/OW
MXP - Zermatt, 3 1/2 to 5 hrs, irregular intervals, 77 CHF/OW
BRN - Zermatt: 3 hrs journey, trains every 60 min, 87 CHF/OW
Apr 13th, 2013, 06:33 AM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Train for sure as others say. Cars are useless in Zermatt as as Dukey says they must be parked a few miles out of town and you take a shuttle train in.
Is Zermatt the only area you are going to? If so and going back to Geneva Airport then look at the Swiss Card, which gives you a round-trip by train from any airport or border point to any place in Switzerland and you can go back to any airport or border point - need not be gthe same one you came from first. And in between those trips you get 50% off everything that moves in Switzerland - trains, boats, aerial cable ways - anything in Zermatt area that moves.
The Swiss Card is exactly the same as the Half-Fare Card but you get the two train trips as well so take the difference in price between the Half-Fare Card - 130 Swiss francs I believe and the Swiss Card and then price what your two train trips would cost and see what is cheaper. With the Swiss Card you can take any train either way.
If traveling other places by train then look at the Swiss Pass.
For lots of great stuff on Swiss trains check out www.swisstravelsystrem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com.
Note that some trains on the Visp to Zermatt line are Glacier Express trains which require reservations so you cannot just hop on them - but I believe even on those trains a few cars for local traffic are attached at Brig so you could ride in those - just not the spiffy official cars of the GE, which IME will likely be full anyway.
Is Zermatt the only area you are going to? If so and going back to Geneva Airport then look at the Swiss Card, which gives you a round-trip by train from any airport or border point to any place in Switzerland and you can go back to any airport or border point - need not be gthe same one you came from first. And in between those trips you get 50% off everything that moves in Switzerland - trains, boats, aerial cable ways - anything in Zermatt area that moves.
The Swiss Card is exactly the same as the Half-Fare Card but you get the two train trips as well so take the difference in price between the Half-Fare Card - 130 Swiss francs I believe and the Swiss Card and then price what your two train trips would cost and see what is cheaper. With the Swiss Card you can take any train either way.
If traveling other places by train then look at the Swiss Pass.
For lots of great stuff on Swiss trains check out www.swisstravelsystrem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.seat61.com and www.ricksteves.com.
Note that some trains on the Visp to Zermatt line are Glacier Express trains which require reservations so you cannot just hop on them - but I believe even on those trains a few cars for local traffic are attached at Brig so you could ride in those - just not the spiffy official cars of the GE, which IME will likely be full anyway.
Apr 13th, 2013, 11:14 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you so much for all your replies. it's going to be train. we have decided. thanks for all the advice about cards and train times etc. i'll have to get my calculator out! Looking for somewhere to stay now. We want something central for restaurants etc and I guess not too far from the train station. Anyone know what the Untere Matten area is like? Is it near restaurants?
Apr 14th, 2013, 12:30 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,906
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Untere Matten is pretty close to the train station, so a central location, but not in direction of the cable cars/hiking trails - opposite (down the valley). However, Zermatt is not *that* big, so you can either take the e-bus or walk the short distances.
Looks to me like you're not very familiar with Zermatt. Do you really plan a *hiking* holiday there end of May? Most cable cars will be closed. Gornergrat cog-railway is open, the cable car to Kleinmatterhorn is open (but that's for skiing on the glacier, the Schwarzsee cable car e.g. is closed), Sunnegga is closed. Almost all the mountain huts and mountain restaurants will be closed, too.
Looks to me like you're not very familiar with Zermatt. Do you really plan a *hiking* holiday there end of May? Most cable cars will be closed. Gornergrat cog-railway is open, the cable car to Kleinmatterhorn is open (but that's for skiing on the glacier, the Schwarzsee cable car e.g. is closed), Sunnegga is closed. Almost all the mountain huts and mountain restaurants will be closed, too.
Apr 14th, 2013, 06:06 AM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Help! I have been doing some research since reading your reply Ingo and am now really worried. i don't think I had appreciated that the hiking trails would be closed at the end of May. We have previously hiked from Wengen and Grindelwald at the same time of year with no problem.Our son likes to ski so we are looking for somewhere with nearby glacier skiing so that he can ski while we hike.Luckily I haven't booked any accommodation yet.Looks like we might need to change our destination. Any ideas?
Apr 14th, 2013, 07:42 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,906
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Skiing and hiking at the same time is sort of a conflict, don't you think?
If you're lucky weatherwise you might be able to do some hiking at lowest elevation around Zermatt, but as said above, the mountain huts and many cable cars are closed. If you have a closer look at a map you'll note that the mountain area with the hiking trails around Zermatt is at higher elevation than around Wengen. While you can do nice walks around Wengen and Grindelwald at elevations between 800 m (Lauterbrunnen valley) and 2000 m (Kleine Scheidegg e.g.) Zermatt itself is at 1600 m and the interesting hiking trails are above 2000 m.
End of May is a good time for the pre-Alps, like around Lake Lucerne, Appenzell, around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. No skiing there, unfortunately.
If you're lucky weatherwise you might be able to do some hiking at lowest elevation around Zermatt, but as said above, the mountain huts and many cable cars are closed. If you have a closer look at a map you'll note that the mountain area with the hiking trails around Zermatt is at higher elevation than around Wengen. While you can do nice walks around Wengen and Grindelwald at elevations between 800 m (Lauterbrunnen valley) and 2000 m (Kleine Scheidegg e.g.) Zermatt itself is at 1600 m and the interesting hiking trails are above 2000 m.
End of May is a good time for the pre-Alps, like around Lake Lucerne, Appenzell, around Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. No skiing there, unfortunately.
Apr 14th, 2013, 11:36 AM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your advice Ingo. We let the son ski whilst we do the hiking at lower altitudes so that's how we manage to do the two together!I'll have to check the maps and maybe rethink the destination completely and do Zermatt some other time later in the year.we certainly found Kleine scheidegg to be fine at the end of May but I don't think he skied that year - I know he did in Austria on the Kitsteinhorn so perhaps its all blurring into one!
Apr 15th, 2013, 02:17 AM
#13
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8,354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There are tons of hiking possibilities in the Canton of Valais (where Zermatt lies) too, but at lower levels and with no winter sport possibilities. All sunny slopes between Moerel and Martigny (Northern side of the main valley) are full of sunny hiking trails, from the vineyards up to the snow limit (around 2000 metres in May). Dozens of bus lines in the area, plus some cableways (Champex d'Alesse, Montana, Ried-Riederalp, Greich-Greicheralp, Betten-Bettmeralp...)
