decide between Zermatt and Sils
 

I have been reading up on this forum for a while and it has been very helpful. I have tried to make an itinerary of 12 days for myself and my wife.

- Land in Zurich and take a train to Lucerne 3 days in Lucerne, with a day trip to Zurich and a day in Lucerne.

- 6 days in Wengen (3 days in the mountains and three day trips to Bern, Kandersteg and Montreux)

We now have three days left and don't know if we should go to Zermatt and spend them there or go to Sils and spend it there.

My wife is pregnant and we would want to take it easy. However we may not visit Switzerland again in the near future, so will not want to miss out on too much.

Some people say that Matterhorn is a must see, if one is visiting Switzerland. However the beautiful lakes and mountains of Sils seem to capture my wife's fancy. We have tried looking through pictures as suggested by some on the forum, both look equally captivating!

Can someone who has been to these areas compare the two? I would appreciate your expert opinions!

Hi,
While I'm not an expert and I can't give you a first hand comparison between Zermatt and Sils, I will say that the Berner Oberland (we stayed in Wengen) was the highlight of our Switzerland trip. IMO, there's nothing like this area. While I did love seeing the Matterhorn (always wanted to), seeing the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau definitley didn't take a back seat to the Matterhorn. If the Matterhorn/Zermatt are a must ...take a night off Wengen and spend two nights in Sils and two in Zermatt. Just another of my two cents here, I wouldn't take time away from Lucerne to go back and spend a day in Zurich, but that's just me. I liked Lucerne much more. Oh, I believe it makes it easier to list your stays in terms of nights instead of days.

Paul

Zermatt is gorgeous but if you're not a skier or a summer hiker) it's kind of a(n expensive) one-tick pony.

Thank you Pja and repete. We already feel that our timne in Bernese Oberland is rushed, we would not want to do away with any of our plans there. We are taking three long day trips and with trips to junfrau and schilthron I think we will need the six days.

Also as I said in my post, with the wife I don't want to shift bases too many times. 2 days in Zermatt and 2 in sils will involve way too much traveling and having 1 night stays, which we will not want to do.

What I was hoping for was a comparitive analysis of the two areas, if someone has been there.

Thanks for all the assistance!

I have been to all the places you mentioned. In some ways Wengen and Zermatt are quite similar - huge mountains with glaciers, deep valleys - dramatic scenery. Even the style of the local architecture (if you find some) is similar - wooden chalets with flower boxes. It *is* very beautiful.

Sils is different, but also beautiful. Wide valley, lakes, the mountains and totally different architecture with the white cubic houses and sgraffito decorations.

The major fact to consider is that Sils is quite out of the way - the travel time Wengen - Sils is long and includes some changes (well, Zermatt is not much more convenient).

If money is a factor, then I think Sils might win - the fares for gondola trips and bus rides there are a bit less than in Zermatt. Also, with a pregnant wife you might not want to ride cable cars/gondolas every day up to very high elevations (as in Zermatt most recommended to get the best views of the scenery). In Sils a horse-drawn carriage ride in the Fex Valley or a walk around the lake is enough for the full experience.

Thank Ingo,

Your analysis was very helpful! This was the just the kind of information we were looking for. My wife has forever been inclined towards Sils, and after reading your response and a few others on a different forum, I think we would go with Sils.

I appreciate all your replies.

Sils is absolutely worth it! We drove from Interlaken, after taking train down from Wengen, to Lenzerheide (Hotel Guarda Val) and then drove to Sils-Maria. A beautiful trip.

While in Sils, be sure to drive down to Soglio (near Italian border - 45 minutes away) for a spectacular scenic experience! The descent to the Soglio area has a series of tedious switchbacks, but it is well worth it!