We kicked off the new year with a brilliant family skiing holiday in Zermatt, Matterhorn, Switzerland. I’m going to start out by pointing out that Zermatt isn’t a budget family skiing holiday destination by any means but if budget isn’t a barrier or it is but you really want to go, there are ways to cut down the costs a little, as the skiing is seriously incredible there. (It’s a long one so I’ve split it up to make it easier to navigate!)
Getting To Zermatt, Matterhorn.
We flew with Easyjet to Milan Malpensa. Then we picked up a car from my parents in Laveno, and drove to Täsch, using the very convenient car ferry across Lake Maggiore, from Laveno to Ispra. We also used the BLS car train through the mountain from Iselle to Brig to save time on our journey. (Essential if the pass over the top is closed!)
Doing it this way meant that we could stop and do a food shop in Italy for our self catering apartment, saving us a huge amount of money when we were there, as eating out in Switzerland can be eye wateringly expensive! (The drive from Milan Malpensa is about 2 hours 45 minutes if you go directly from the airport.)
There are no cars allowed in Zermatt, it is all electric and so Täsch is the closest you can get, we parked in the enormous underground carpark, there are over 2000 spaces there but it can get busy in peak times. Green or red lights at the end of the rows indicate if there are any spaces. Be sure to keep your ticket for when you get back, you pay at the end.
Trolleys are available for 5 Francs (or 5 Euros) for your luggage and you can take these all the way up to Zermatt. Then you take the next part of your journey on an electric train. On the train, there are trolley areas, be sure to secure your trolley to the bar on the train using the red toggle on the side of the trolley. We bought return tickets for the train at the station and these were valid until the end of the month, be sure to check if your return is into the next month. If you contact your accommodation to let them know you’re coming, they will often collect you from the station, (by horse and cart if you’re staying in some of the fancier hotels), or there are lots of electric taxis around.
*Top Tips: The toilets are on same the level as the train platforms, if you get the lift up, you don’t need to go back down, just stay on that level and head for the main concourse.
Also, there is a pay station at the bottom of the ramp on the next level down, everyone crowds around the one at the top when the train gets in but you can bypass the queue and head down a level.*
Accommodation for skiing in Zermatt
We were so impressed with the self catering apartment we had in Zermatt. Naco Apartments are part of the Arca Solebad Hotel and linked to the hotel with an underground corridor. Under the hotel there is an amazing spa and relaxation area with a beautiful salt water swimming pool with plenty of loungers for chilling on, (also note that there is a jacuzzi in the middle area of the pool, you just need to find the button to activate it), be aware that the sauna and steam room is swimwear free though! There is also a very modern ski room with lockers for each apartment/room. There are no locks on them but there are cameras in there.
Our apartment had everything we needed for a family trip. There was a huge bedroom with a king size bed, enormous tv with some English channels, ultra-modern bathroom with bath and shower and a beautiful balcony. The apartment also consisted of a large living space with a generous sized sofa bed, another large screen tv, very modern bathroom with an enormous walk in shower and a kitchenette area with a hob, sink, large microwave oven and tea and coffee making facilities. The kitchen is equipped with absolutely everything you could need for making meals, including pots, pans, utensils and all crockery and cutlery, even egg cups for your boiled eggs!
We had breakfast included as part of our package (it seems to be included with all bookings looking at the website) and it was a fantastic buffet breakfast with a vast array of breads, fruit, yoghurt, cereal, cooked items like eggs and bacon, meat and a huge selection of cheeses. There were also pastries and jam and a state of the art coffee machines to help yourself to. We were so impressed and could definitely fill up to keep us going until lunch. They offer sandwiches to take away for 5 Francs each and there is also a Denners supermarket a minutes walk away which does sandwiches and salads to take with you skiing. Or buy some bread and make your own to save some money.
Skiing Lessons in Zermatt
Dave is a really good skier but the children and I are all learning still and so we had lessons with an instructor from Matterhorn Diamonds. This is the second time we have been to Zermatt and the second time we have used this company for our lessons. They only offer private lessons and we had an English instructor who tailored our lessons to our ability and confidence level. After establishing our level on the beginner area, the Wolli Park, we then moved onto some blue runs, (of which there are plenty), with Eleanor leading us down the safest and easiest routes giving tips and advice throughout. The children and I grew quickly in confidence under her gentle guidance. We were even doing some off piste bits by the end! (You may remember I am not a natural skier from this post!)
We hired our skis from FlexRent, conveniently placed opposite the main ski lift. We got a discount with them for booking through Matterhorn Diamonds. There were plenty of staff and they were so helpful, we went the evening before we skied and they quickly fitted us with boots and skis. (You will need to know shoe sizes and weights of everyone booking, scary after Christmas! 😀 They were happy with English shoe sizes and weights.) We chose to leave our boots and skis there each evening and collected them at 8 am when they opened. It was very quiet every time we went. You go downstairs and change your boots yourself and someone usually helps with the skis and puts them outside for you.
Over the road is the main ski lift up. It’s a train that goes through the mountain and takes you up to Sunnegga and the Wolli park and a whole host of runs down and lifts going on up the mountain. You can get free lift passes solely for the Wolli park for children or a beginner one just for the 3 blue runs on the Sunnegga side. We didn’t think the ski passes were too badly priced in comparison to other regions that we’ve been to, and under 9s are free but it does add up over a few days. Find more info and buy passes here.
Is Zermatt good for beginners?
I would say yes 100%! Not only is there the dedicated park area for real newbies, there are also plenty of blue runs all centred around the main lift up. And the lift staff are excellent and help anyone on and off, slowing the chair lifts right down for children.
Is Zermatt good for experienced skiers?
Again yes 100%. Zermatt is world famous for it’s fantastic skiing and there are a whole network of lifts and cable cars heading off up the mountain and even into Italy! (Make sure to get an international pass and carry your passport with you if you’re planning on doing this.
What time of year is best for skiing in Zermatt?
We have been twice, once at Easter and this time in early January. Both times we were lucky with fantastic snow and lovely weather. At Easter the children loved it because there were big baskets of Easter eggs at the bottom of the lift to help yourself to and their instructor did Easter egg hunts for them in their lessons which they loved. It was lovely seeing the whole town decorated for Christmas this time though, and it was much quieter then I’d thought it would be, especially first thing in the morning. We were at the ski rent shop when it opened at 8am and were straight up starting lessons at 9 and it was fine, it did get a little busier on the runs towards lunch time but I remember it being generally busier overall at Easter time.
Where to eat in Zermatt
We cooked most of our meals in our apartment but had two lunches and a dinner out. The first lunch we hadn’t booked and so ended up in the self service restaurant as you exit the train at Sunnegga. This was ok but nothing remotely special and was approximately £20 a plate. We learnt our lesson! Eleanor booked a table for us for the second day, we went to Adler Hitta which is just down one of the blue runs from Sunnegga, and I can honestly say that the view is really the best ever, lunch practically in the shadow of the Matterhorn and the food was lovely, the boys really enjoyed the rotisserie chicken and we had nice veggie options too.
Then we asked for recommendations for dinner in the town on my stories and had an overwhelming response of Grampis and went for a delicious and actually very reasonable (for Zermatt!) dinner to celebrate our last evening.
Would I recommend Zermatt for a family skiing holiday?
This is such a good question and I would say it absolutely depends on your budget. The skiing is without question brilliant and it’s so well run, all the chair lifts are smooth and well maintained, the runs are kept well, the staff all speak multiple languages, there are an abundance of ski schools to choose from and the scenery is utterly breathtaking, however, eating and drinking out will cost you a fortune. But then you wake up to an idyllic morning view like this and feel that it was all worth it!
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