We love planning ski trips, and no more so than planning those to the picture perfect resort of Zermatt.
We were asked to plan a family holiday to the Swiss resort in a self-catered chalet or apartment.
Zermatt is a notoriously expensive place to visit, however self-catering gives you the option to dine in during the evening, saving money for lunches in the fabulous mountain restaurants, which are not to be missed.
Travel
You can fly into Geneva, Zurich or Milan to get to Zermatt. We would always suggest Geneva as the onward journey by train is stunning as you pass Lake Geneva.
We booked our clients flight into Geneva, and then booked their train tickets to Zermatt, the journey takes about 3 hrs 50 hours, with a change at Visp. It is possible to travel by road to Zermatt, however the train journey really is part of the beauty of this trip.
Accommodation
We booked Chalet Lea for our clients. A modern 3 bedroom apartment, with stunning views, log burner and sauna. The apartment is a minutes’ walk from a bus stop, which takes you to the ski lifts and into town. Poise booked direct with the owner, which means we made sure got the best price possible for our clients, and were able to discuss their requirements with someone in resort.
Ski boot and hire
Dorsaz sport is located at the bottom of the Klein Matterhorn lift, and is only a ten minute walk from the apartment. We pro-ordered skis for our group ensuring they benefited from online discounts prior to departure.
Mountain Restaurants
Zermatt is world renowned for the quality of its mountain restaurants, and there are more options than you could possibly need for a week, however we booked those that we thought would give our clients a sample of the very best Zermatt has to offer.
This traditional restaurant has spectacular views of the Matterhorn, and has managed to retain its charm, whilst producing some of the best food in Zermatt.
Vronys has a similarly stunning view of the Matterhorn and benefits from a large sun terrace with loungers. Perfect for relaxing with a glass of bubbles. The restaurant was designed by Heinz Julen, Zermatt’s resident artist who also designed the Vernissage bar and cinema.
Located on the run from Furi down to Zermatt, Blatten is full of rustic charm. The lamb fillet in pastry, and the mushroom soup alone are worth skiing the section of the mountain for.
Après ski
There is something to suit every après ski style in Zermatt. Below are our personal favourites:
On the end of run back to the village from Sunnega is the ultra-chic Cervo. It is a perfect spot for drinks and dancing as the sun goes down.
The snow boat is a small but fantastically fun spot for some après ski. Located just past the bottom of the Sunnegga lift, it’s a great place to party once you have dropped off your skis.
Hennu Stall is located at the foot of the run back to the village from Furi. It has a live band on most days, as well as a DJ and outdoor and indoor dancing. It is loud, completely mad and excellent fun.