Geneva-Zermatt and skiing: rail pass worth it?
Paul is planning a family ski trip to Zermatt, flying into Geneva and traveling by train. They will ski until the 22nd and are considering whether to purchase a Swiss Travel Pass Flex or a Swiss Half Fare Card for their journey, especially as they might take the train up to the Glacier in Zermatt.
- If you're mainly skiing in Zermatt, consider that your ski pass will cover most local transport, including the Gornergrat railway.
- For your train rides between Geneva and Zermatt, a Saver Day Pass is often the best and most cost-effective option, especially if you book early.
- The Swiss Half Fare Card can be useful if you're planning to take just a few long-distance train trips, but all transport in Zermatt will be covered by your ski pass.
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Hello,
My family of 4 (2 adults, 1 16 y.o and 1 13 y.o.) will be flying into Geneva and taking the train to Zermatt via Visp. We will mostly ski until the 22nd then we will plan taking the train to Zermatt and back to Geneva Aeroport. Is it worth purchasing a Swiss Pass Flex for trip? How about Swiss 1/2 fare? We may take the train up to the Glacier while we are in Zermatt but do not plan on extensive train travel. Thank you in advance.
Paul
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Hi Kaysuzu70US,
Welcome to MySwissAlps.
I think you might want to consider getting a Saver Day Pass if your plan is only to get from Geneva to Zermatt by train. If you book early, you might be able to get the Saver Day Pass cheaper.
A Swiss Travel Pass Flex is cost effective if you’re planning more than a few long-distance train tips over several days. You can find more information about how to choose a railpass here: http://www.myswissalps.com/train/ticketspasses/practical/chooserailpass
Regards,
Anna
Hello Anna,
Thank you for the information on saver day pass. We will plan on using that pass to travel. Thanks you again.
I used to do this with family on a regular basis (but sadly some family members have since passed away) . If you are skiing, the railways and cable ways will all be part of your Ski pass, so you won’t need extra tickets. In particular the Gornergrat railway is an integral part of the ski lift system. A great way to start the ski day is to get an early Zermatt – Gornergrat train and beat the crowds onto the slopes in that sector.
Although the ski pass is expensive, it does have this benefit of allowing you unlimited rides on the key railways and cable cars.
Thank you for the reply. I am sorry that you no longer can enjoy the trip as a family but I am sure that everyone had great memories of the trip. The information about the Gornergrat is very helpful and would definitely help when we are tired in the afternoon. I would have to calculate the cost of the 3-4 days of Gornergrat ride in Zermatt and 2 days of travel from Geneva and back to see if getting a full pass or 1/2 fare card.
Hi Kaysuzu70US,
If you want to include the Swiss Half Fare Card into your comparison, the validity and price information at https://www.myswissalps.com/swisshalffarecard can be useful.
will be flying into Geneva and taking the train to Zermatt via Visp. We will mostly ski until the 22nd then we will plan taking the train to Zermatt and back to Geneva Aeroport. Is it worth purchasing a Swiss Pass Flex for trip? How about Swiss 1/2 fare? We may take the train up to the Glacier while we are in Zermatt but do not plan on extensive train travel.
I have re-read your wording and it is a little confusing (in bold text) . Exactly how do you plan to arrange your trip? I thought you meant it would be Geneva – Zermatt one journey, then ski-ing for a number of days in Zermatt, then another single journey Zermatt – Geneva.
If indeed you are mainly skiing and only in Zermatt then a rail travel pass would not be the right thing to buy as all transport around Zermatt in the ski season is covered by the ski lift pass. You would be better to get a Saver day pass for the two rail journeys to/from Geneva airport
You are right. How it was written is not very clear. Our itinerary involves the following:
Geneva to Zermatt
Zermatt skiing – 3 days
Zermatt to Geneva
Thank you for you information about the ski pass covering the train/cable car rides in Zermatt. That and the saver day pass information really helped me understand how to plan the logistics. Thank you again.
Thank you for confirming what I thought. In that case you just need the best available point to point fare. This will vary depending on the day/date and time of travel. Sometimes offer fares are available, at other times not. Sometimes the Saver Day Pass will be the cheapest option, at other times it may turn out that the normal point to point fare is a similar price.
I attach a couple of my pictures from 20 December 2006, one shows the train on the way up the Gornergrat railway to ski from the summit in the morning. The second shows the station at Riffelberg. I have just skied down from Gornergrat. At the point where I am standing on my skis, you can choose to go back up on the train from Riffelberg to Gornergrat, or go to the chairlift that you can see in the background which goes up to a point below Gornergrat itself where other ski slopes go off in various directions
Thank you very much for the information and the photos! Although our trip is 6 months away, we are really looking forward to it. Take care.
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