Switzerland
 

Is it possible to go from zurich to zermatt and back in one day? What is the best way to do it? Are there reputable tour groups that would lead a tour from zurich to zermatt? Is the weather ok in early November?

It's technically possible, but it would be pretty pointless and tiring to do so. Before you could do something cool in Zermatt, like take a cable car or rack railway to a peak or do a short hike, you'd need to turn back to Zürich.


The weather is not so good in November and sunset is early.

If you want to do Zermatt, spend at least 1 night(2 would be much better) there or at least somewhere close or choose a different daytrip from Zürich.

If you want to see snowcapped peaks face to face near Zürich, consider Mount Titlis which you can do as a daytrip by train(an early start is a good idea since sunset is around 4-5 pm).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titlis

Of course you can! I've done many day trips to Zermatt and never thought I was wasting my time. And if you're willing to get an early start, you can certainly explore the village, take the Gornergrat Bahn and do some other things before heading back to Zurich. Yes, it's a long day and give yourself a sleep-in the next morning, but if this is something you want to do, don't let those who haven't done it recently tell you it's not worth it. And you really don't need a tour, it's very easy to do by yourself.

Sample itinerary:
6:02 train from Zurich to Zermatt (change in Visp). It doesn't matter that it will be dark for this part as you'll be in tunnels for a chunk of the time anyway. With a fast change in Visp, you get to Zermatt by 9:15 am. Sunrise is a little before 8 am in early November ( https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/switzerland/zermatt?month=11&year=2019, ) so by the time you get out of Visp and start climbing towards Zermatt where the scenery gets interesting, the sun will be up. BTW, the sun sets shortly after 5 pm, so if you get to Zermatt by 9:30 am, you will have several hours of daylight. Once there, you can swan around the village for a while, having a coffee or hot chocolate, or head straight up on the Gornergrat Bahn, whatever takes your fancy. The GB train station is right across the street from the Zermatt train station, simple to find. After you get off at the end of the Gornergrat line, walk around, take in the views, maybe hike down to Riffelberg for the trip back. file:///E:/Downloads/Fahrplan_Frueli...st_2019_EN.pdf

Back in town, do some more wandering, have a light meal, maybe afternoon cocktails at Gees, a popular watering hole that sometimes has live music. http://www.zermattgees.com/ Catch an early evening train back, you can doze through the tunnels.

Of course, like most beautiful and interesting places, it's great if you can stay overnight. But if that doesn't fit your schedule, a day trip can still be rewarding and fun. I've done this with friends and relatives visiting us in Switzerland and they've all enjoyed it.

Also, for the past several years I have traveled around the Swiss countryside in late October and early November and more often than not, the weather has been fine. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it's gorgeously sunny, sometimes it's even snowed (Appenzell a few years ago). You can put off buying the ticket to Zermatt until a day or two before when you'll have a better idea of the weather. If it's good, go for it! If not, there are plenty of other options.

Do as Weisser Tee told you, but only if the weather at Zermatt is fine. In automn, the weather in the Alps is often much better than in the lowlands.
Don't pay the full fare, but try to get a Saver day Pass a few weeks ahead:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-an...-day-pass.html

Taking a 6am train(waking up at 5am?) it looks certainly doable.

Thank you all for the input. I appreciate it!

The first trains from Zurich to Zermatt leave at 6.02, 6.32, 7.02 and 8.02
The last trains for the way back leave Zermatt at 18.13, 18.37, 19.13, 20.13 and 21.13
The journey time is always 3 1/4 hrs

November can be marvelous in the mountains. Fewer tourists and crystal clear views. Only go on a good weather day. Good luck!