“How to get to Zermatt?” is a common question asked by those planning to visit the picturesque Swiss town. Zermatt is famously car-free and is not on the main train lines. Despite that, it’s actually not too hard to get there via train, car, or even helicopter! Read on to learn the best way to get to Zermatt no matter where you may be traveling from!
About Zermatt
Zermatt, a gorgeous and iconic mountain town located in southern Switzerland, is the perfect place to visit for mountain views year round. A skier’s haven in the winter, Zermatt is also a great place for hikes in the summer.
Zermatt is well-known for being the home of the Matterhorn (Check out my guide to Gornergrat Station – an ideal place to see the view of the iconic mountain), and also features some amazing hikes to mountain lakes.
The town is generally car-free; this is to help avoid any pollution that might block the view of the Matterhorn. There are some electric-vehicles for local businesses like hotel shuttles. There are also local taxis available.
When to Visit Zermatt
Zermatt is actually an amazing place to visit year-round, but you may have a preference depending on what you want to do while visiting. The peak winter season is December to mid-April, while the peak summer season is from the end of June until the middle of September.
If you’re looking for clear views of the Matterhorn, you’ll want to visit in the summertime when the sky is more likely to be clear (June – October). This is a great time for hikes, wildflowers, and reflections of the mountains in lakes. If you’re looking for snow and winter sports, then you’ll want to visit in the winter.
If you’re looking to avoid crowds, consider visiting at the edge of either season. For example, we’ll be visiting Zermatt in early September 2021, hoping for low crowds and clear skies!
What airport to fly into
You cannot fly directly into Zermatt via your standard commercial airline; you will have to fly into another city and take the train from there. If Zermatt is the first stop on your Swiss itinerary, consider flying into Zurich or Geneva. Both are easy options because you can board the train towards Zermatt directly from the airport without transfers. Zurich is a little closer and offers more international options, so it is a popular starting destination for many Switzerland trips.
If you’re traveling around Switzerland before visiting Zermatt, consider adding Zermatt in before or after Lucerne, Bern, Montreux, Geneva, or really anywhere in Switzerland!
| City -> Zermatt | Average Train Trip Duration |
|---|---|
| Basel | 3h 15m |
| Bern | 2h 10m |
| Geneva | 4h |
| Lucerne | 3h 15m |
| Montreux | 2h 45m |
| Zurich | 3h 15m |
Taking the Train to Zermatt
Depending on where you’re coming from you will have to take at least two trains to get to Zermatt: one train to Visp, and a second from Visp to Zermatt.
The easiest way to figure this out for your starting destination is to open Google Maps, and find directions from your origin city to Zermatt. Select Transit directions to find out which trains will be best for your route. Make sure to also select the date and time of your trip to get the most accurate transit options. Another great option is to use the SBB App to find and purchase your tickets. See my guide on the SBB App for all the details on how to use the app!
How to get from Zurich to Zermatt
There are two trains an hour going from Zurich to Visp: you can either take the “direct” train toward Bern to Visp, or take the train towards Geneva, and then transfer in Bern where the train to Visp runs twice an hour. I always recommend getting a direct train when possible but sometimes it makes more sense to take the earlier train. In this case it is usually a same-platform change in Bern, so it’s not a difficult transfer. The Zurich to Visp leg of the trip takes about 2 hours.
The first train from Zurich Airport to Visp departs at 6:08am (6:45am for the direct route) and the last train of the night departs at 6:45pm for the direct option. There are some later options with transfer you can look for if necessary.
You’ll want to confirm for your specific date and time, but most of the direct trains leave Zurich airport 45 minutes past the hour. The connection options leaves at 8 minutes past the hour.
How to get from Geneva to Zermatt
The Geneva train to Visp doesn’t require any connections: you will take the train towards Brig and get off in Visp. The first train of the day is 5:19am, with trains generally leaving 1 and 19 minutes past the hour. The last train of the night leaves at 8:01pm. As always, confirm your exact date and time with SBB. This leg of the trip takes about 2.5 hours.
Trains from Geneva to Visp technically depart as late as 11pm, but the train from Visp to Zermatt does not run that late. If you must fly into Geneva on the later flight, consider taking the train to Visp, and then arranging a car service for the final leg of your trip (see below).
Taking the Glacier Express from Visp to Zermatt
Now that you’ve arrived in Visp it’s time for the best part of the journey! In Visp you will board the Glacier Express: a heavily windowed express train that takes visitors from Visp right into downtown Zermatt.
The Glacier Express is one of the most scenic train rides in Switzerland and is often billed as “the slowest express train in Switzerland”. This is a tourist’s train through and through; the winding route it takes through the beautiful Swiss countryside doesn’t make sense for most business travelers. Therefore, the train has been optimized for views!
The Glacier Express runs twice an hour from Visp starting at 5am through midnight. This leg of the trip takes about an hour.
Train and Glacier Express Tickets
The easiest way to purchase tickets for your entire train ride is via the SBB app. Here is a breakdown of 2021 prices:
| Zurich Airport -> Zermatt | CHF 129 |
| Zurich Airport -> Zermatt with Half-Fare Card | CHF 64.50 |
| Geneva Airport -> Zermatt | CHF 102 |
| Geneva Airport -> Zermatt with Half-Fare Card | CHF 51 |
Depending on your origin point you may be able to purchase a Saver Day Pass or Supersaver Ticket for less than the price of your non-discounted ticket. These options will be presented to you inside the SBB app, so make sure to look at all the pricing options before selecting the standard point-to-point ticket.
While you should be fine in the 2nd class train cabin on your ride to Visp, you may want to consider upgrading to first class for the Visp to Zermatt leg, where you have a better chance of getting a window seat! Saturdays in particular can be very busy during ski season.
half-fare card
If you’re considering purchasing the half-fare card, this trip to Zermatt may help make the card worth it. The half-fare card will save you CHF 62.50 on a one-way trip from Zurich to Zermatt, with a round-trip train ticket saving you more than the cost of the card.
Private transfers
Unless you are traveling with a large group or lots of equipment, I generally recommend against private transfers to cities this far from the airport as they are cost-prohibitive. However, if you are concerned about time or space you may want to consider arranging a private transfer from Visp to Zermatt. You’ll want to work with one of the Zermatt-based taxi companies; only these companies are allowed to bring you all the way into the car-free zone. Here is an updated list of companies to reach out to.
Driving
Zermatt is car-free, so driving is not always the most convenient option! You can drive as far as Täsch, a town 5k north of Zermatt. The road between Täsch and Zermatt is only available to specially permitted vehicles such as licensed taxi companies and hotel shuttles.
If you’re driving you will have to park in Täsch and then take public transportation or a taxi into Zermatt. You can take the 15-minute train from Matterhorn Terminal Täsch. The train comes about every 20 minutes starting at 5:55am through 9:55pm.
The Matterhorn Terminal Täsch has 2,100 covered parking spaces available for CHF 16 / day. You can reserve your parking spot ahead of time here. There is additional parking available via private companies.
Helicopter
The last and most epic way to arrive in Zermatt is via helicopter! Air Zermatt runs helicopter service in Zermatt for exploration, rescue services, and also transportation. You can take a 60-min helicopter ride from Zurich for about CHF 6140. This is a luxury option that I would generally not recommend due to the price, but if you’re a helicopter person… you do you!
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**Featured image by Wolfgang Hasselmann
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