ramoram

Hi.
I´m thinking to visit Zermatt next winter along to my wife and 13 years old daughter.We used to spend our annual vacation skiing which we all enjoy.
I´ve have heard nice comments about Zermatt and would like to learn more. We are planning to enter through Italy , specifically from Milan by train to Zermatt and spend a week (probably from January 2 to 9)
Is this location very expensive????... Lodging recommendations?...
We just came back from Baqueira in Spain and was very nice though.
Thanks for all the help.

Ramon
Caracas-Venezuela

Melnq8

Is Zermatt expensive? YES. Especially during the height of the summer and ski season.

My favorite Zermatt accommodation is Casa Vanessa - it's an apartment hotel with very attractive low season rates (which won't apply in January). We recently stayed at Hotel Antika (in the main hotel, NOT the annex) and we liked it too. Hotel Antika was the best priced accommodation we could find over Easter last year.

Switzerland in general is very expensive, even more so in the resort areas.

Melnq8

Forgot to mention...I have a detailed trip report from our latest trip to Switzerland (including Zermatt) posted here on Fodor's. It's called "April in the Alps" and it provides our costs of just about everything - trains, buses, food, activities, etc. Just click on my name and scroll down to trip reports.

colduphere

Melnq8 is to be admired for writing down the cost of everything. I would have cried doing that. We stayed in a three bedroom condo in Zermatt last summer and, apart from the condo, it was very expensive. Beautiful too.

gruezi

ramon,

colduphere alerted me to your query about how expensive Switzerland. He is still mad at me (not that I'm a citizen of this country or anything) about a $75 trip to McDonalds with his loved ones!!

Yes, Switzerland is expensive and even more so with the franc strong against the dollar. But, you can lower your standards here a bit as things are typically well run and clean even in a 2 or 3 star hotel. Also, if you are living in Italy than your Euro will be stronger against the franc giving you a bit more buying power.

Food is expensive too but again you don't need fine dining to have a decent meal and even a little tourist spot on a mountain in Switzerland will have a decent quality of food and cleanliness. Pasta and pizza - two lower priced options - are quite good in Switzerland.

You can do a lot of takeaway to cut costs and there are great breads and cheeses to be found all about.

Hope this is helpful.

I have heard Zermatt is a great spot for family skiing. The week you are looking at is popular here so book early.

gruezi