Getting to Zermatt

By Road

Zermatt is located at the far end of the valley and is car-free.  This makes getting here by car somewhat tricky.  You will have to park your car at the carpark in Tasch and take the train up to Zermatt from there.  They go every 20 minutes so it’s not too long to wait, and take a mere 15 minutes to arrive.  The car park is capacious so you should have no problems finding it or parking – it’s well signposted when you arrive in Tasch

From Geneva:

Coming from Geneva take the E62/E27 in the direction of Lausanne around the northern side of Lake Geneva.  After passing Montreux and Martigny the road continues (under the new name of the 9) until you approach Visp.  Here you turn right heading towards Stalden, St Niklaus, and onto Tasch and Zermatt.  Total journey time is c.3.5 hours

From Zurich:

Take the 3 from Zurich which after briefly heading West turns into the A1.  After c.100kms turn onto the A6 in the direction of Interlaken and Bern.  At Lattigen change to the A8 towards Interlaken.  Fork right onto the 223 at Spiez – follow this road for c.30miles.  At the 9 turn left towards Visp and Brig and after c.6miles you come off the 9 and follow signs to Stalden, St Niklaus and Zermatt.  The road up the valley snakes its way and you stay on it until arriving after c.40miles in Tasch.  Transfer to the train.

By Plane

Zermatt is almost equidistant between Zurich and Geneva so either works well for getting here.  There are also some providers now flying into Sion which is considerably closer – you save yourself c.2hrs of transfer time.  This is also a great bet for Private Jets and from Sion you can organise a helicopter to bring you up to Zermatt itself.

By Train

Catch the train from either Zurich or Geneva Airports.  From Geneva you will need to change train at Visp to catch the train straight to Zermatt.  From Zurich you may have to change at Bern, although there are also trains direct to Visp as well.  Train times and connections can be found on the website www.sbb.ch

Getting Round in Zermatt

Zermatt is car free so walking around town is both pleasant and easy.  The village is about a mile and a half long, so expect c.30mins from end to end.  The river makes an excellent navigational aid running as it does South to North through the village.  The Catholic Church is right in the centre of town and its steeple can also help to get around.

Buses:

There are buses that also run through town – the Green and the Red lines.  The Green line links the lift stations of Klein Matterhorn and Sunnegga as well as down to the train station and into the Spiss.  The Red line runs from Winkelmatten into the resort and to the Sunnegga lifts.  You can tell which one is which by looking at their bumpers!

Taxis:

The taxis or electros are one of the idiosyncrasies of Zermatt.  Small handmade electric carts that will take 7 of you (if you squeeze one in the front) around Zermatt with luggage and skis on the outside.  Lethally silent they can be lethally expensive as well so worth checking in advance.  And on busy days you may be asked to share with others, but this brings prices down nicely!

Where to stay

Zermatt has as many places to stay as it does snowflakes on the slopes.  Well…a bit of creative statistics there, but a LOT.  You can choose from catered chalets, self-catered apartments and hotels.  And we would never say a bad thing about any of them.  There is a broad price range from 80chf/night to 2500chf/night so it depends how deep your pockets are.

Wherever you do stay consider your transport to and from the slopes.  Some places are placed up the valley sides offering superb views, but you’ll need an electro to get there at the end of a day’s skiing with your ES instructor.  And if you don’t fancy the icy streets, perhaps somewhere near one of the lifts is a good idea…?

Zermatt: The Town

Zermatt itself is a town c.8000 souls, expanding to nearer 35000 in peak season.  The village sits at 1670m, but the skiing goes up as high as 3800m, and on even higher should you wish to ski tour or take a helicopter for a day’s adventure.  The village is dominated by the Matterhorn at 4478m, but with the Dufourspitze/Monte Rosa as the highest of the surrounding mountains at 4634m.  The river Vispa, fed by local glaciers, runs through the village.

Within the town there are numerous amenities.  These include two supermarkets, a local museum, two churches (Catholic and Anglican), souvenir shops, bars, restaurants, bakeries, tea-houses, ski shops and incredibly expensive watch shops – if you’ve a spare 200,000chf kicking about then pick one up.

Eating is king in Zermatt, both on and off the mountain – 233 Gault Milleau points are shared around in this little town!  Here are ‘best bits’:

Mountain Restaurants (in no particular order and roughly left to right on the piste map):

Findlerhof (Findeln) – Stunning location with marvellous views of the Matterhorn from the sundecks.  Very rustic inside, and with a brilliant ‘Winter Garden’ so eating al fresco in February is possible.  Seriously punchy food and wine list – unbelievable Veal Chop and Calves Liver (14 GM points).  Finding it is the key, so look for the little white church, unclip and then follow your nose…

Chez Vrony (Findeln) – Modern sophisticated eating in a traditional setting.  Furniture by Heinz Julen and a spot-on menu make this the restaurant for the glitterati in Zermatt.  Service is excellent, food great (13 points) and you can even buy the rug you snuggled under with your house coffee watching the sun go down behind the Matterhorn

Fluhalp (Rothern to Gantt) – Simply the best fun place to have lunch in Zermatt. Service is brilliant and ever enthusiastic.  Food is hearty and in massive portions.  The band plays, entertaining the crowd, as people sing along and dance on the tables.  The huge winter garden means views are brilliant even in the cold, and you’ll need to book well in advance for New Years Day or St Patricks Day.  But make sure you do.

Al Bosco (Riffelalp) – Matterhorn shaped pizzas and other Italian dishes make Al Bosco one of the favourites.  Exceptional pasta and a fantastically welcoming building make it a shelter from any passing storm or even from the sun’s rays.  They also do a great kids menu as well as brilliant home-made iced tea.

Alphitte (Riffelalp) – Just below Al Bosco is the very Swiss Alphitte.  Oozing rustic charm, skins, horns, and lashings of cheese is a slice of traditional Switzerland.  The wallisertelle is both generous and tasty and the puddings are massive.  But book in advance as it gets busy in the cozy confines of the inside.

Blatten (Furi) – Gourmet dining with no pretence, no ego, no fuss.  Daily specials are scribbled on the chalkboard attracting the passing skiers like bees to the honeypot.  Inside the intimate dining room is great for a cold snowy day, or when the sun shines have fun watching skiers careering down past you.  Great food is mixed with genuinely warm hospitality.  And see if you can work out where the loos are.

Zum See (Furi) – For many the finest dining on the mountain (on the Swiss side).  This place can do you oysters by the dozen, Dover Sole, fillet steak, a million puddings and all in a secluded courtyard nestled chocolate-box style in the middle of a tiny hamlet.  Hidden from the slopes you need to know your way, although the collection of skis parked out on the snow are a not-so-subtle hint.

For all of these ES will happily book them for you in advance – simply contact the Zermatt office and we will take care of it all for you.

Restaurants in Town

There are many many many good places to eat in Zermatt – so many we can’t do them all justice here.  Instead here are a few instructors favourites:  Chez Heini (£££), Corbeau d’Or (£££), Myoko (£££), Nelly’s (££), The Bubble (£), The Pipe (££), Sparky’s (£), WalliserStube (££), Le Mazot (£££), Stockhorn (££), Whymperstube (££), McDonalds (£)

Zermatt: Practical Information

Ski Lifts:

There are three ways out of the valley to the ski slopes:  Sunnegga, Gornergrat and Klein Matterhorn.  Sunnegga is at the northern end of the village at the level of the river.  There is a large area to congregate in outside, and this is where all ES Kids Academy, Teen Academy and Freeski Academy lessons start from on days 1 & 2.  Walk through the tunnel to get to the funicular railway which takes you up to Sunnegga in a mere 6minutes.  From there it is up on the gondola and then the cablecar to Rothorn.

Opposite the train station in the middle of town is the Gornergrat train.  This is the old cog-railway which was opened in 1898 and continues to transport visitors to Zermatt to the Gornergrat Observatory 365 days/year. There are intermediate stops on the way, notably at Riffelalp for the hotel built there and at Riffelberg slightly higher up.  The journey takes about 40mins, and there are direct and stopping trains.

Klein Matterhorn is at the southern end of the village, and is set up above the level of the river.  It is usually reached by cross the river and going up in a couple of elevators (As opposed to (ski) lifts) which disgorge you directly outside.  Here the gondolas take you up towards the ski areas of Gornergrat and

Ski Passes:

These can be bought at any of the lift stations. And kids under 12 ski for free, although take a passport to prove it.

Inside tip

Maps

View Zermatt Ski School ES – Resort Map in a larger ma