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Travelling to Zermatt from Geneva or Zurich

Short summary – read this first

A traveler is planning their next trip to Zermatt and is wondering whether to fly into Zurich or Geneva. They've previously navigated Switzerland easily and are now looking for ticket recommendations since the Swiss Transfer ticket is gone. They also plan to use local cable cars and enjoy hiking without skiing.

Key takeaways:
  • Both Zurich and Geneva airports offer similar travel times and costs to Zermatt; Zurich might be a bit pricier but has direct trains to Visp.
  • Consider getting a Swiss Half Fare Card for 50% off most trips from Zermatt, which can save you money during your stay.
  • Check for Saver Day Passes if you plan multiple journeys, as they provide good discounts for inbound and outbound trips.
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InfoAI-generated summary
  • Anonymous
    Inactive
    83504 posts
    14 September 2019 at 14:30:38 #823854

    Hi all.

    You helped me so much when I arranged my first trip to Switzerland in 2018. We loved it so much we went back again last year, but this year we want to stay in Zermatt. Before we have always flown to Zurich and have navigated our way around with absolutely no problems – last year we stayed in Arosa.

    I’m trying to work out whether to fly to Zurich or Geneva with time. Are there any pros and cons for either options? Train distance seems similar although train prices seem slightly more expensive from Zurich. It looks as if the Swiss Transfer ticket has been discontinued so any recommendations on tickets would be brilliant. Once we get to Zermatt we plan on staying put. We will however be wanting to use the cable cards, Gornergrat railway, etc within the resort.

    We don’t ski, just use hiking trails and sit and take in the breathtaking scenery and soak up the atmosphere!

    Many thanks.

  • Annika
    Moderator
    7339 posts
    Reply 1 of 2 • 14 September 2019 at 16:45:56 #922199

    Hi caro69!

    Great that you’re returning to Switzerland, and I think you’ll absolutely love Zermatt (http://www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt). As for your inbound and outbound trip: there’s not much difference in either travel time or costs from either Zurich Airport (http://www.myswissalps.com/ai rports/zurich) or Geneva Airport (http://www.myswissalps.com/ai rports/geneva). It’s correct that it’s slightly shorter but also a bit more expensive from Zurich.

    As for rail passes: my first thought is that a Swiss Half Fare Card, providing a 50% discount on most trips made from Zermatt (http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard), plus discounted Saver Day Passes for your inbound and outbound trips (http://www.myswissalps.com/sa verdaypass), could work well. If you want to calculate the options, please refer to http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass.

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    User
    Inactive
    83504 posts
    Reply 2 of 2 • 15 September 2019 at 0:41:30 #922200

    Geneva is the traditional arrival point for Zermatt, especially in winter as there are so many ski flights to Geneva. It used to be the best way as it had a direct train to Visp and Zurich didn’t, but Zurich also now has a direct train to Visp since the opening of the Lötschberg base tunnel 10 years ago.

    You can also now travel Basel – Visp direct so even Basel airport is a possibility

  • The thread ‘Travelling to Zermatt from Geneva or Zurich’ is closed to new replies.

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