Best way to get to Zermatt from Paris via train?
Rebecca is planning a trip from Paris to Zermatt and wants the fastest route using the TGV Lyria high-speed train. She's looking for advice on whether to travel to Geneva, Zurich, or Bern before reaching Zermatt, considering her limited time in Switzerland.
- Take the TGV Lyria to Basel for efficient transfer, then continue to Zermatt from there.
- Consider getting the Swiss Travel Pass for discounts on the Basel to Zermatt leg and local travel in Zermatt.
- Look into the Swiss Transfer Ticket for round trips and possible discounts on skiing lifts in Zermatt.
- Plan around the train timetable for the quickest connections on your travel dates.
AI-generated summary-
Hi
We are looking at taking the TGV Lyria high-speed train from Paris, and we want to get to Zermatt. We don’t have heaps of time so want to take the most efficient route. Would we be best to take the high-speed train from Paris to Geneva? Zurich? or Bern? And then how would we get to Zermatt from there?
Thanks heaps!
Rebecca
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Hi Rebecca, welcome to MySwissAlps!
Usually you’d take a train to Basel, on the French-Swiss border. But you can check what the timetable suggests for your date and time.
Before you buy tickets, be sure to check whether you’re going to need a rail pass for Switzerland. If so, the leg from Basel to Zermatt will either be free or discounted, and you only need a ticket from Paris to Basel.
Please see:
Hi
Thanks for your reply. I’m so sorry to ask what may be a stupid question, but why would you only go as far as Basel on the high speed train, when Bern, Geneva, Zurich or Lausanne are closer to Zermatt, and the high speed train goes to all of them?
Is it to do with the fact that Basel is where we enter Switzerland?
Because time is a factor, I had wanted to take the high-speed train as far as I could before changing trains…
Sorry again if this is a stupid question… 🙂
No worries, there are no stupid questions! The insiders information is that high speed trains go as fast as the regular trains once they’ve crossed the Swiss border. The timetable automatically suggests the fastest way to get from A to B. So, where to change from the TGV Lyria to a Swiss train mainly depends on where you can have the most efficient change of trains when you travel. That’s usually Basel, but there are exceptions.
What other plans do you have in Switzerland?
Ah, that is great insider information! Thank you so much. Great to know!
We only have 5 days in Switzerland, arriving on a Monday and leaving on Friday so we think we will spend that time in Zermatt, doing a mix of skiing and relaxing, rather than rushing around everywhere trying to see everything. But if you have any recommendations we will gladly hear them!
Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it!
You’re welcome!
There are two passes that are worth looking into:
- Swiss Transfer Ticket: this includes a round trip from the border (Basel or another) to Zermatt, and back from Zermatt to any border point or any Swiss airport. Additionally you could buy a local pass for transportation/ski lifts in Zermatt.
- Swiss Transfer Ticket Combi: the same thing, but also a 50% discount on trips by cable car/mountain trains while in Zermatt.
All of this is explained on myswissalps.com/ swisstransferticket. Apart from this you need a ticket from Paris to the border: myswissalps.com/ traintickets/france.
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