Train pass/route help – Zurich Airport to Zermatt
A traveler named HockeyGuy39 is planning a trip to Switzerland with their wife, arriving at Zurich Airport in October. They need advice on the best rail pass for traveling from Zurich to Zermatt, and then from Zermatt to Basel, and how to see the Matterhorn while in Zermatt.
- Purchase the 3-day Swiss Travel Pass to cover your trips to and from Zermatt and get discounts on mountain trips in the area.
- You will need to change trains at Brig when traveling from Zurich to Zermatt, as there are no direct trains.
- Use the Swiss Travel Pass to get a 50% discount on the Gornergrat trip for great Matterhorn views, and check the timetable for train schedules and connections.
AI-generated summary-
Hello All,
I am very grateful for this forum it has been a great resource. With that being said I am hoping I can get some pointers on what train pass or line to use and to what. I worry that I will buy the wrong pass or not cover all the options and be stuck without a connector.
My wife and I will be arriving at Zurich Airport in October and will need to take the train from the airport to Zermatt. We will be in Zermatt for a couple days then need to head from Zermatt to Basel for our cruise.
Can I get some guidance on what rail pass I should purchase and if these trains are one stop shops or if I would need to get on one train then take another to get to final destination. I see there are passes for like 3 days or you can buy individual passes.
Also, our big reason for Zermatt is to see the Matterhorn. I am not clear on how we see the Matterhorn once we are in Zermatt. Can anyone provide what train or gondola we would need to purchase there?
Sorry for all the questions, I just really need some help! Thanks in advance, really appreciate it.
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Hi HockeyGuy39 and welcome to MySwissAlps!
Other than Zurich to Zermatt and Zermatt to Basel, you’ll need to decide what other travel you’ll be doing in and around Zermatt before choosing the best rail pass: http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass
There is the 3 and 4 day Swiss Travel Pass as an option. It will cover your trips to and from Zermatt as well as give discounts on most mountain trips in Zermatt. http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass (click on the where it’s valid tab to see what it covers for routes and mountains).
In order to get nice views of the Matterhorn you can go up the Gornergrat by train: http://www.myswissalps.com/go rnergrat or Klein Matterhorn by cable car: http://www.myswissalps.com/kl einmatterhorn
To see how to get to different mountains or towns, use the Swiss railways timetable: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable – it will show if it is a direct train or if connections are needed.
@Lucas- Thank you so much for your reply, it really helps. As you can probably tell I am pretty clueless on all of this and I don’t want to mess it up. I was hoping I could get some more feedback when you get a moment.
Assuming we purchase the 3-day Swiss Travel Pass: ( i tried checking Zürich Flughafen (Airport) to Zermatt on trailine and it says no availability)
We arrive into Zurich 10/12/18 at 10:30AM. We get through customs and can take the first available train from Zurich airport to Zermatt. Am I correct in that I can’t get reservations and just need to show up with my travel pass to the train and I am set? Is this a one train deal or will I have to get off the train and get on another?
On 10/13/18 we want to see the Matterhorn. We can use Swiss Travel Pass to get a 50% discount. It appears the Gornergrat is next to the trainstation that we arrive at. It sounds like visiting the Matterhorn wouldn’t take all day. Any suggestions to go see?
On 10/14/18 we need to head from Zermat to Basel so we can catch our cruise. Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover that? If yes, does this have any train stopovers or does that just need one train. Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover this transit?
Really appreciate your help, big trip for us(honeymoon) and don’t want to mess it up. 🙂
Hi Hockeyguy,
Yes, with the Swiss Travel Pass you can just hop on the train you want to take to Zermatt and find a seat. You can find the train schedules on the SBB timetable here: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable There are no direct trains to Zermatt as you’ll see on the timetable. You’ll have at least 1 change in Brig.
I’ve never reserved seats on a Swiss train before (you must on panoramic trains though).but you can on some routes if you want to. The train timetable above will give you details on the train and symbols beside it. An “R” notes it is reservable – I wouldn’t bother though – it is very uncommon. http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/reservations
Gornergrat is a great visit to try and get good views of the Matterhorn. I would think it would be a 3-4 hour trip total but everyone is different (depends on how much time you spend at the top).
There is also the Klein Matterhorn mountain trip and a few other hikes available that you can read about on our Zermatt page: http://www.myswissalps.com/zu rich/activities
The Swiss Travel Pass covers your trip to Basel. You can find a PDF map of the route coverage area on our Swiss Travel Pass page here: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/validity and you’ll find train schedules on the timetable and it will show you which trains to take to get to Basel (nothing direct again).
If you decide to get the Swiss Travel Pass, you can find our suggested retailers here: http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass/price – they will email you the pass as a PDF and you can print it at home to bring with you (saving time at a rail station office and giving you an electronic back up in case you lose it).
So once I purchase the Swiss Travel Pass. I can then purchase Gorgen tickets? I imagine your Zermatt page will have a how to purchase Gorgen tickets. Hopefully I don’t mess this up. Really appreciate your help! I will probably be back with more ?s when it comes to purchasing Gorgen tickets
Gornergrat tickets? Yes, you can buy them on our Gornergrat page here: http://www.myswissalps.com/go rnergrat/packages and you can select you have the Swiss Travel Pass to get the appropriate discount.
Thank you @lucas. I am looking at the website, I assume Gornergrat requires a seat but from what I am reading, when I purchase online, I have to go to train station day of journey and turn it in for an actual ticket? I would hate to get out there and it be sold out
Also, to be clear. The Train from Zermatt to Basel is available on a Sunday? I must be doing something wrong but when i go to the webiste to check sunday schedule it isn’t showing any availability.
Yes the ticket isn’t a reservation – just a ticket for that day. I’ve never heard of the train to Gornergrat selling out but perhaps there is a wait in the peak season on busy days (it runs frequently). You won’t have to worry about that in October. You can check the schedule on the timetable for that train: http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
I’m not sure the problem you are having with the timetable. What Sunday are you searching for that you get no results? The trains definitely run on Sundays!
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