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Bern to Zermatt by train
How to take the wonderful journey from Bern to beautiful Zermatt
Despite the distance Zermatt is one of the ski resorts which can be most easily accessed from Bern by train
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Routes
From Bern to Zermatt
Journey Summary
2hr 7min -2hr 12min
Daily
Travel Information
The connecting tine between trains at Visp will only be around 5 to 8 mins so booking end-to-end tickets for the entire journey on SBB's ticketing service is recommended.
The connection in Visp is virtually guaranteed so it should still be a comparatively stress-free transfer, particularly if you will be travelling with a rail pass, including a Saver Day Pass.
1 or 2 x connections per hour
All of the direct trains from Bern to Visp have good connections in Visp into trains on to Zermatt, but in some hours there is only train from Bern to Visp
The final train of the day from Bern with a connection on to Zermatt typically departs before 21:40.
Tickets
Booking Tickets:
Tickets can be booked online for this end-to-end journey which involves taking a SBB train + the train on to Zermatt which is operated by MGB.
‘Individual tickets’ can be used on any train(s) on your travel date, but they tend to be comparatively expensive.
'Supersaver' tickets are cheaper, the portion of the journey by the SBB train can be discounted by up to 50%, but these tickets are train departure specific.
Hence it’s worth comparing the ticket price of a journey with the price(s) of Saver Day Passes; they might save you money and can also allow for a less stressful journey.
Using Saver Day Passes:
Now that the Swiss Transfer tickets have been discontinued a Saver Day Pass may save you money, if you can book at least a couple of weeks ahead (usually), so that you can obtain the pass at a discounted price.
They can be cheaper than tickets for the end-to-end journey, though they are more likely to be a money saver if you will be making a day return trip between Bern and Zermatt, even if you can book in advance.
They can be used on;
- the trains between Bern and Visp
- the trains between Visp and Zermatt
They need to be booked at least a day ahead of your travel date, so won't be an option if you book tickets at the station on arrival in Switzerland.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SBB | * | |
| Trainline | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Brig (the IC trains), Milano (the EC trains)
The trains which are typically scheduled to depart from Bern daily at 07:34; 11:34, 13:24 and 18:34 are the international EC trains which will be heading on to Milano.
Avoid travelling by the EC trains if possible, they tend to be busier, so optional seat reservations are recommended and because demand tends to push up the price, they will also typically be more expensive.
Now that these trains use the Lotschberg Base Tunnel this journey is not as scenic as it once was.
But from the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) there are views over the Thunersee between Thun and Speiz.
On departure from Thun station:
And then on departure from Speiz station:
Though not only was that video captured on a different, more sunny, day - it was taken when travelling in the opposite direction. It's been included here to showcase, what you will see from the right on this part of the journey, when heading south!Then after exiting the Lotschberg Base Tunnel, the train will travel through a steep valley for the final part of the journey on to Visp.
Train 2
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
In Zermatt the train from Visp will arrive at the MGB station, which is across the street from the CGB station for trains on to Gornergrat.
The best of the views switch between the left and right side of the train during the journey.
The majority of the journey follows a valley up to Zermatt and the train snakes across the valley floor,
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