Paris to Zermatt on to Zurich - very short of time

Hi Ta haresh,

Hiking is definitely limited in Zermatt at this time of year (and most places around Switzerland). But I hope you get a change to go up Gornergrat and/or Klein Matterhorn while there. Have you read our what to do in Zermatt page for some ideas?

I'm sure the local tourism office can point you in the direction of some things to do (that interest you).

Yea the girls in the tourist office said no hiking now and even the lakes are covered with ice. Went to Matterhorn yesterday. Will do the other one today.

One thing that I need to add. It's always advisable to get the half fare pass in while buying tickets. The railguy offered me that one although basel to Zermatt and then to Zurich meant I only saved 4 Franc. But I got half price for Matterhorn cable ride and Gornergrat train ride too. So in the end it was a good savings.

Yes, the Swiss Half fare Card can be a good idea for many (but not all itineraries). It really depends on travel plans - glad it worked out for you!

We had problems with our US chip card late last year in Zurich. No problems in Zermatt. All of the non-Swiss cards did not work at a restaurant--there were several tables which had multiple cards from various countries none of which worked. I don't understand the problem since our cards worked in Paris. We always carry some local currency. Although the restaurant owner was aware of the issue, she did not address the problem which occurred several times in the past. A hotel (EMA) also had the issue in Zurich.

I have a client who handles problems like this in the US and travels extensively outside of the US each year. She said that it's definitely a merchant problem which can be fixed by the merchants with their credit card systems. There's no reason why establishments in Zurich should have this issue--we shopped, went to various restaurants in Zermatt and none of them had this problem.

<<"have a client who handles problems like this in the US and travels

extensively outside of the US each year. She said that it's definitely a

merchant problem which can be fixed by the merchants with their credit

card systems. There's no reason why establishments in Zurich should have

this issue--we shopped, went to various restaurants in Zermatt and none

of them had this problem.">>

Hi Cam 223 - Valuable information.

Thanks for posting.

I'll be in Zürich in a few weeks. I've got my fingers crossed. Never had that trouble over 30 + years of visiting Switzerland. However, some of those years don't count, I guess. Only the last 3 or 4, probably.

Many of those years I kept a small "checking" account at the Post Office (PostFinanz) and use their card. No fees per transaction, only one exchange rate plus a fixed fee no matter how much I sent over when I wired the money over to refill the account.

Then, as a result of FATCA and the UBS problems in the USA, most Swiss banks stopped handling USA citizens accounts....unless you had a whole lot of money with them.

Then, for a few years, a friend set up an account in his name at a local bank and I carried a debit card from that account. I wired the money to him, and he put it into that account. Strictly speaking, it became his money, but he was trustworthy.

Historically, many Swiss merchants did not accept credit cards long after they were common elsewhere. Much more true in the countryside than in the major tourist and business destinations. I wonder if there could be a connection?

Since I now have credit cards that do not charge a transaction fee, and take "only" 2.7 to 3.0 % of the exchange rate as their price, I use those, and also take cash with them at ATMs. Cash is always welcome.

I hope those cards work. ;-)

Slowpoke