enzian

We want to spend 3 or possibly 4 nights in Zermatt on our next hiking trip in Switzerland (this will be 2007---I'm an early planner). Since there will be 6 or 7 of us, and Zermatt hotels seem rather expensive compared to what we have found elsewhere in Switzerland, I'm looking at apartments. I've sent for the tourist office brochure, and looked at at the town's website (www.zermatt.ch), and there is a dizzying array of choices, but no indication as to which ones are available for short stays (less than a week) in summer. I put in a test query, using dates this summer for 3 nights, and came up with one possibility, the "Viktoria B," CHF 500 per night for seven of us. That price is probably OK, but I would like more choices and information.

Does anyone have personal experience with Zermatt apartments for short stays? Or any suggestions? We would definitely want a balcony and a view of the Matterhorn---is there any way to tell about that if the listing doesn't say? I haven't yet been to Zermatt, so I don't know what is the prefered orientation, or the best location in town. We don't mind a bit of a walk from the train station if it will gain us a nice view.

Thank you so much!

kopp

Hi enzian - wow, we seem to follow the same paths....Switzerland!

This August we'll be staying in Zermatt at the Haus Linara. There are two separate listings for them on zermatt.ch, by different owners. We'll be staying in the 1-bedroom (just 2 of us), but there is one that I think has like a 3-bedroom. If you know Zermatt at all, it's right next to the Best Western Alpen Resort (left from the station, down that main street about 5 minutes, then turn right about a hundred yards or so). We've stayed at the Alpen Resort several times, and the views from our high floor were pretty good of the Matterhorn. This place will be on the first floor, so I guess I'll see what it has. There just wasn't that much in our price range available when I booked a couple months ago.

This will be our first time at this apartment, so I'll let you know how it actually works out.

I've also printed out info on several other places that weren't available for us, and we're going to check them out (different locations, nearer the tram, up the hill, etc.) If you have a couple you'd like me to check out this year, give me their names and I'll do some checking for you.

Just like in Grindelwald, the price of the apartments is so much cheaper than a hotel. Finding the right one sometimes takes time.

Auf weidersehen y'all!

kopp

Oh, one other thing. When I first started planning this summer's trip, I was looking in Dec 05 and Jan 06 for our August trip. Most of the places didn't even list their prices for summer yet. They were in the middle of their winter season. It wasn't until about March that I noticed the prices and availability started showing up for summer. When they didn't show their summer prices, what came up on the screen was that they had no availability, which wasn't really true. It's just that they weren't taking reservations yet. It makes it a bit hard to plan for us "early planners", but I've found that they just don't reserve a year ahead like it seems places here in the States do.

enzian

Hi kopp---

Thanks for your help. I have never been to Zermatt, so other than maps I don't know the layout of the town. So any information about desirable locations is helpful.

I won't be actually reserving this far ahead; just doing research. But perhaps your experience with looking for prices in January explains why my query only yielded one result. I think I tried that in April or so. So'll I run another search and see what comes up.

Please let me know how your apartment works out, and if the 3-bdr is in the same chalet or building. And if you happen to see anything else that looks particularly attractive, let me know the name and I'll follow up. We are more interested in a nice place (by that I mean good location and views, not fancy) than a rock-bottom price.

Tschüss!

Enzian

swandav2000

Hi enzian,

In addition to being too early, another problem with finding availability might be your short stay. Most apartment owners only want to rent for one week --

Also take a look at www.interhome.com. If you call their Florida office, they'll rent for less than a week if the apartment is available.

s

kopp

I will certainly be on the lookout this summer for other places. For reference purposes, think of Zermatt as a town shaped like a wide U. The bottom, flat part is the old town, pretty much built out, older, some undergoing restoration. The side portions are on the steeper parts, and would necessarily involve some hill climbing. Similar to Grindelwald, like up to the First lift from the main street.

So if you don't stay in the flat part, there may be some climbing to get to the apartment. There are really some nice places with terrific views, and usually a taxi or hotel bus-taxi will take you there if you want.

The place we're staying is just beyond the Gornergratbahn station, in the flat part, about a 5 minute walk from the main streets of town. Up near the Klein Matterhorn lift are also newer places, again with somewhat of a hill location (however, hills can give good views!).

Near the church (center of town) are mostly hotels, but there are apartments scattered in there, some of which don't have views as they are too low.

Like I said, we didn't have many options, even at higher prices, when we booked in April. It seems they're not available for summer until March and then look out, they're gobbled up.

A couple others we looked at but were booked: Alpenstern, Haus Ari, and La Boheme, all in different parts of town. These places do not require a week's stay. Maybe a start for you.

enzian

Thanks, Swandav and kopp---

I seems to be the "culture" in some ski resorts that most of the apartments are rented by the week. I wish we had a whole week to spend there, but then I'd have to skip some other places we want to go. Last year we did rent for a whole week (in Chamonix) and that was fine, but then there were in places in Switzerland we had to skip. I don't want to skip them this next trip too.

In other areas (Grindelwald, Mürren, and Kandersteg) I know of apartments that are connected to or affiliated with hotels, and don't require a week-long stay; 3 nights is fine. I just wish I could find something similar in Zermatt!

kopp

I really don't think it will be a problem for you. Perhaps it will be that the #1 place you choose is not going to take short stays, but on a quick look, there seem to be many that will accommodate your short week.

I assume you'd need a 3 or 4 bedroom place, plus the living room, kitchen, and a couple bathrooms?

enzian

We're probably looking for a 3-bdr., although I don't know for sure yet how many we will be. This is a big birthday for me and I'm hoping both my grown sons and their girlfriends will come, so with my husband and our teenage daughter that makes 7. I know one of my sons is planning on it, because he's also looking into climbing Mont Blanc afterwards. The other one is up in the air between grad school and work, so he is unsure. And things could always change with the girlfriends (although I hope not; I like both of them).

I posted my question bbecause I thought someone might have a favorite place they could recommend, and I could have the fun of adding it into our plans. So please do let me know if you seen anything promising. And I'll keep browsing and looking at photos in the meantime.