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Zürich / Zurich to Zermatt by train
How to take the rail journey from Zurich to Zermatt
Zermatt is probably the farthest Swiss alpine resort from Zurich, but it has particularly access by train, with especially convenient connections from Zurich airport
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Routes
From Zürich HB / Zurich main station to Zermatt
Journey Summary
3hr 12min
Daily
Travel Information
Zermatt is one of the more distant ski resorts from Zurich, but it's comparatively easy to make the journey by train.
The connecting tine between trains at Visp will be around 6 mins so booking end-2-end tickets for the entire journey on SBB's ticketing service, or travelling with a day pass which can be used on any train, is recommended.
If you opt to buy tickets for the train on to Zermatt on arrival in Visp it's likely that you will have to take a later train on Zermatt.
The 6 min connection in Visp is virtually guaranteed so it should still be a comparatively stress-free transfer.
6 x connections per day by Changing trains in: Visp
Additional connections will be available by changing trains in Bern and Visp.
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.
If you book a Supersaver ticket and a flight delay etc, causes you to miss a train you are booked on to, you will have to book another full-price ‘Individual Ticket(s).
You can then apply for a refund of the Supersaver ticket, but the application costs CHF 10.
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 Zurich and Zermatt, even if you can book in advance.
They can be used on;
- the trains between Zurich Fughafen/Airport or Zurich HB and Visp
- the trains between Visp and Zermatt
They are not train specific, so can still be used in the event of a journey to Switzerland being delayed.
Though as they’re only valid for one day’s travel, the clue is the name, if you will be travelling back on another date, you’ll need to purchase another Saver Day Pass for your return journey.
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.
They're also cheaper the further ahead that you book.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| SBB | * | |
| Trainline | * | |
| Omio | * | |
| Happy rail | * |
Train 1
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
Final Destination: Brig
The double deck IC trains are used on this route.
These trains use the 'higher' speed line between Olten and Bern and they then reverse direction on departure from Bern station.
So if you want to see these views of the Thunersee, take a seat on the right when boarding in Zurich.
From Zurich Hb station:
These trains usually depart from gleis (platforms/tracks) 31 and 32 in the lower level part of Zurich HB station.
Note that these trains should arrive in Zurich HB station around 7 mins before they are due to depart, so keep an eye on the departure time and don't rush to board by the nearest door (if you don't have to).
From Zurich Flughafen/Airport:
These trains on route IC 8 depart from Zurich Flughafen/Airport station 11 mins before they depart from the city centre station; Zurich HB.
These trains use the 'higher' speed line between Olten and Bern and they then reverse direction on departure from Bern station
So if you want to see the views of the Thunersee, take a seat on the right when boarding in Zurich.
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 Brig.
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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