One day in Zermatt, followed by one of the most stunning train journeys in Europe, was a great way to reintroduce myself to winter. And I’m here to tell you, pals, that it is definitely possible to visit Zermatt if you’re not a skier. I was there for the views and the vibes, and this snowy paradise certainly ticks both boxes.
*This site uses affiliate links, where I may earn a small commission, at no cost to the reader.
Guys: I have to be honest with you. I am not a winter-loving kind of a gal. In fact, for the three winters leading up to my little Swiss escapade, I had escaped England’s cold and soggy clutches to work in the Persian Gulf, the Caribbean, and the Canary Islands. I dread winter so very much, that even from summer’s earliest days I have a strong sense of sadness for the fact that winter is coming closer. It’s just not the one for me.
But one thing I really do love is glamorous-sounding train journeys. Especially when there’s pretty scenery involved. Enter: the Glacier Express.
Zermatt or St Moritz?
You can catch the Glacier Express, a scenic train route which runs between the two Swiss mountain resorts of Zermatt and St Moritz, from any stop along the line, but I wanted to experience as much beautiful scenery as I possibly could. Naturally that had to include actually waking up in the Alps, and so I had to make a decision: Zermatt or St Moritz?
Zermatt is at a higher altitude, has more of a traditional atmosphere (compared to the slightly more glamorous St Moritz), and I also love the fact that Zermatt is completely car-free. Maybe my list of big draws to a place is an odd one, but being car free is a huge one for me, and this was the deal breaker. It was time to hop on over to Zermatt.
See my guide to buying tickets for the Glacier Express
How to get to Zermatt
Zermatt is impossible to reach by car, so visitors need to fly in to either Zürich or Geneva, and then catch a train into the mountains.
I began my journey to Zermatt from Geneva, the city of a giant lake and a whole lot of money. (Although technically, all I saw of Geneva was the airport and the train station, which is conveniently in the exact same spot.)
The further in advance you book your train ticket, the cheaper it is, so to stick to my budget, I’d pre-booked my train out of Geneva. Which is all well and good, but the downside to this was that I’d overestimated how long it would take to leave the airport and I therefore had quite a wait. I browsed the food at the Migros (one of the country’s bigger supermarket chains) and noted that everything I’d read was correct: Switzerland is indeed an expensive country. I bought a bottle of water, a cappuccino and a pastry for around 23CHF and settled down in a cafe for around an hour watching wealthy-looking Swiss people wearing suits and flashy watches, as shocked-looking tourists mingling among them, exclaiming at the price of bottled water.
To get from Geneva to Zermatt takes just over four hours, and involves two trains, but the trains in Switzerland are very easy to navigate and after a super early flight I was looking forward to sitting and just admiring the view. In Switzerland, there’s a lot of scenery to admire, and I quickly realised that even if I never stepped foot on the Glacier Express, it would be impossible to run out of stunning views to admire. As soon as the train peeled away from the shores of Lake Geneva, we were zipping along the feet of mountains speckled with sheep and capped with icing sugar peaks. But it would still be a while until we reached the truly snowy scenery.
With a short connection at Visp, I crossed over the tracks and on to the slightly rattlier-looking train that would pull its passengers uphill into the Swiss Alps. A bunch of Americans with skis sat opposite me, and I wondered if I’d stick out like a sore thumb as somebody who was clearly not a part of the ski set.
Why is Zermatt car-free?
Winter may not be my cup of tea, pals, but isolated car-free villages are, which makes Zermatt the ideal place for me to visit on a picturesque train journey.
To be technically accurate, Zermatt does have electric vehicles, although there are very few of them on its little streets as they’re not allowed for personal use. There is not a single Tesla to be found on these street. Back in 1961 the residents voted for a ban on fossil fuel operated vehicles, and later any vehicle with an internal combustion engine was also voted out. The sentiment has stuck, meaning that to this day the air is clean, there’s no traffic noise, and no traffic accidents. What an absolute delight.
The Hotel Alex
When the train pulled into the station the sun was dazzling, the sky was crystal blue, and each and every person on the main street had dragon’s-breath plumes puffing from their mouths in the crisp air. Knitted ski bandos, chic ski suits and jackets, and extremely reflective goggles were clearly de rigeur, and it was clear that the first throngs of snow bunnies were coming back from the mountain to spend the evening at one of the many après-ski bars in town. The backdrop to the village is the majestic white pyramid of the Matterhorn, one of Europe’s highest peaks, at 4,478m above sea level.
She’s a tall girl, that Matterhorn.
There are hostels and airbnbs to be found in Zermatt, but it’s still an expensive place to visit. The upside to being a solo traveller in Switzerland, however, is that single rooms are the norm, with no single room supplement. The Hotel Alex is only five minutes walk from Zermatt train station, so even in the sub-zero temperature it’s an easy stroll to make.
It’s a beautiful hotel with traditional vibes; the interior is cozy but opulent, with thick brocade curtains, dark wooden furniture and panelling, and jewel-toned upholstery. There are several restaurants and bars on site, plus a spa to relax and de-ice in after a day outside. But the best thing about the hotel is that, like almost every business in Zermatt, it’s family-run. The family have lived in the village for generations, in fact the founder’s great grandfather was the first mountain guide to reach the top of the Matterhorn. In the early 1950s, Alex Perren- that’s the great-grandson and hotel founder, FYI- became the ‘youngest ski instructor and mountain guide in all of Zermatt,’ but an accident forced him to have a rethink on his career. He set up the Alex Hotel, and the rest is history.
I’m telling you now, folks, the single room that I booked was perfect, and drinking a hot tea on the peaceful little balcony was a highlight. It felt as if I was in my own secret hideaway. (With a jacuzzi bath.) It’s the little things in life, isn’t it?
(I’ve also never been so tempted to steal a hotel towel in all my life, because of course they were all emblazoned with ‘Alex.’ But don’t worry pals, that’s just not my style. I stuck to a few sheets of ‘Alex’ notepaper instead.)
Check room rates and availability at the Hotel Alex.
The Mighty Matterhorn
With all my mentioning of the Matterhorn, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. The Matterhorn sits almost at the border of Switzerland and Italy, a unique pyramid shape with three sides which appear almost perfectly vertical. It’s an iconic mountain for several reasons, not least of all that it’s officially one of the most deadly peaks in the entire world. Since the pinnacle of Alpine tourism in the late 19th century, over 500 climbers have died on the way up or down.
The Mountaineers Cemetery in the centre of Zermatt contains around 50 gravestones of those who have died on the mountain, and the most striking part of that for me was the one stone that reads “I chose to climb.”
Discover the OG female Alpine travellers: The Parminter cousins
You might also recognise the Matterhorn from a certain Swiss chocolate product. Because the Matterhorn was once the face of Toblerone! Ok, not the face of, but it was printed across all Toblerone packaging for decades, with a bear hidden in the shading. (Google it, and you shall see.) These days, however, the mountain has been replaced with a different image on the packaging.
The Swiss government take the declaration that a product is truly Swiss, very seriously, and in 2017 a new legislation was introduced: for a product to be deemed officially ‘made in Switzerland’ at least 80% of its ingredients have to be sourced within Switzerland, as well as it being literally, made within the country’s borders. If it doesn’t meet these requirements, not only can it be advertised as ‘made in Switzerland,’ it’s also definitely not allowed to use Swiss iconography like national landmarks or the red and white cross flag as part of its imagery.
One Day in Zermatt
To be completely honest with you, I am very much a slow travelly, soaking up the atmosphere style gal, and high on my list of activities in any destination is to wander the streets and photograph it in as many different lights as possible. During my one day in Zermatt, that is exactly what I did, wandering in and out of gift shops (and purchasing a little cow bell, because- why not?), stopping in at bakeries, and strolling into just as many nooks and crannies as I possibly could. At sunset, as the various bars began to get rowdy, I followed the river away from the mountain’s shadow, past all the chalets, and climbed a staircase to the Riedweg Viewpoint which overlooks the village.
Of course, there are other things to do in the village of Zermatt besides wander and eat. The Matterhorn Museum is mostly housed underground, although its glass igloo-shaped entrance is easy to spot. It tells the story of the village, the mountain and the people who have climbed it, and it’s open daily from 3pm-6pm (from 4pm in the summer.)
With only one day in Zermatt, time is obviously limited, but for some the ideal thing to do with this limited time is just head upwards. Take a trip on the cable car to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise for a 360º view of the Alps at the extreme altitude of 3,883 metres. The journey takes 40 minutes each way. Alternatively, take the Gornergrat Railway to the Gornergrat viewing platform at 3,089m.
Whatever you decide to do in Zermatt, even if you don’t ski there is plenty to see, and a great atmosphere to soak in. Just make sure you bring your thermals is all I’m saying.
Logistical Statisticals
- Currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc (CHF), and although it’s always handy to have some cash on you, cards are widely accepted.
- It’s very easy to get around with only English as your language in Switzerland, although this little country’s landlocked location means that German, Italian, French are its official languages. (Along with Romansh, which originates from Roman Latin and is now spoken in the Swiss canton of the Grisons.)
- In winter, bring your thermals. Or forever hold your peace.
A Stay at Josephine’s Guesthouse, Zürich
We Stayed at this German Ski Resort in Summer, and here is what we found