Zermatt

Zermatt is the resort to choose when you want the week to feel like a proper occasion. The Matterhorn looming over every breakfast terrace, the absence of cars (only electric vehicles allowed in the village, with horse-drawn sledges available for the journey from your chalet to the lift), and the sheer drama of the setting combine to create an experience that genuinely feels special. For first family ski holidays, anniversaries, multi-generational gatherings, or any week where the setting matters as much as the skiing, Zermatt is a strong choice.

The skiing is excellent though structured differently from the French linked areas. Three connected ski areas (Sunnegga-Rothorn for the easy intermediate skiing, Gornergrat-Stockhorn for the longer dramatic descents, and Klein Matterhorn for the glacier and cross-border skiing into Cervinia) share the same lift pass, and you can ski between them via the village or via the small Matterhorn Glacier Paradise interconnection. The 360km Matterhorn Ski Paradise is the wider area shared with Cervinia: you can have lunch in Italy on a clear day and ski back into Switzerland for dinner. This is a memorable experience worth planning a day around.

What makes Zermatt work for families specifically is the combination of the car-free village (children can walk independently in a way that's harder in driven resorts), the predictability of the ski offering (the Glacier Paradise above 3000m guarantees snow), and an exceptional portfolio of private chalets and apartments. Zermatt's chalet stock leans towards beautifully restored traditional Walliser properties in the old Hinterdorf quarter, with hand-worked larch beams and proper character, alongside newer luxury builds higher up the village with Matterhorn-facing terraces and ski-room access. For families, the catered chalet format (a private chef, hosts looking after children's tea, breakfast and dinner organised) is well established here, and the privacy and space of a chalet suits multi-generational groups particularly well. Self-catered apartments throughout Zermatt are also of an unusually high standard, ideal for families who'd rather cook for themselves some evenings.

What you give up for Zermatt is value and lift-system simplicity. Zermatt is the most expensive resort in this guide alongside Courchevel 1850's top end. The fragmented three-area lift system requires more planning than the seamless French linked areas. And the village itself, while car-free, is more dispersed than Lech: the Sunnegga lift is at one end, the Klein Matterhorn at the other, and walking between them with ski gear takes proper time. These are the genuine trade-offs against a resort that delivers on the moments-of-experience side better than almost anywhere.

On the mountain

Chez Vrony at the top of Sunnegga is the destination Zermatt mountain lunch: sun terrace facing the Matterhorn, exceptional Valais cooking, and properly serious wine list. Findlerhof, halfway down to Findeln, is the slightly easier-to-book alternative with similar quality. Buffet Bar Bayard at the bottom of the Gornergrat is the casual classic for a lunch break from the dramatic descents.

In the village

Restaurant Capri at Hotel Mont Cervin Palace is the headline fine-dining option (one Michelin star, exceptional Italian cooking). Le Mazot is the long-running classic for traditional Swiss cuisine in a properly cosy room. Schäferstube does the best raclette in the village. For families with children, Pizzeria Molino is the reliable everyday option.

Coffee and pastries

Bäckerei Fuchs for morning pastries (the croissants are exceptional). Café du Pont for the proper Swiss espresso break. Cafe Bahnhof by the station for arrival-day or pre-departure coffees.

By plane

Zurich is the main airport (3h 30m transfer), with Geneva at 3h 30m and Milan-Malpensa as a less-obvious option (3h 30m via the Simplon pass). The transfer to Zermatt requires changing to the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train at Täsch (cars are not permitted in Zermatt itself); the train journey is part of the experience and takes 12 minutes from the Täsch parking station.

By train

The train option is genuinely excellent for Zermatt: SBB from Zurich, Geneva or Milan to Visp, then the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn directly into the village. Door-to-door from London via the Eurostar to Paris and onwards is around 10 hours. The train arrives at the heart of the village, with electric taxis or horse-drawn sledges available to your chalet or apartment.

By car

You cannot drive into Zermatt. The car-free village is reached by train from Täsch, where there's a large covered car park. Self-driving from Calais via the Channel Tunnel to Täsch takes around 10 hours.