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Saas Fee to Zermatt for a Day Trip

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I know that these two resorts are quite close and I'm taking the family to Saas Fee for a week, back end of Jan, does anyone know how easy / costly it would be to get from Saas Fee to Zermatt for a day trip. Alternatively do we have any inside knowledge as to whether Ski Esprit take trips to Zermatt during the week? Would be a shame to be so close and not get there!

Thanks for your help

Puzzled
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
stevew,

I don't know the exact answer to your questions but your problems would be this, I think.
You will have to get down the valley from Saas Fee and then upto Tasch. You might be able to do this
on the train with a change. But a bus might work as far as Tasch.
Once you get into Zermatt you have 3 lifts to choose from. The Gornegrat is just a quick 2 min walk - if that - from the Banhof and that will acces you
the slow cog railway and then you can get across to Sunnega. I would be inclined not to go to the Klien Matt lift as it is the furthest and may be the most queue congested. To get all the way to the top of KM it would take you 45-50 mins on agod day, I think.
I can imagine the trip from Saas Fee to the top of a Zermatt lift would be 2 hrs.

Hopefully a few other snowHead's can add a few more finer details
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I know I answred this question not all that long ago, found it

you need to go from Saas Fee to Stalden-Saas by bus then you can pick up a train to Zermatt it's roughly (depends on where in Saas Fee you catch the bus) a 1hr 45min journey, it's a regular service once every hour
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Alternatively, I think the Tourist Office can put you in touch with a company that does the trip every week, subject to sufficient bookings. Since writing the previous sentence I've looked up the current Saas-Fee winter brochure (you can download it from the Saas-Fee website) - it says that Travel Agency Imseng runs trips on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday leaving Saas-Fee at 8.00 am. Tel: +41 27 957 33 44.

I did the trip with a tour operator a couple of years ago. It was a good day out, although the weather was bad and skiing was very limited.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks chaps found the bit in the brochure, travel time is longer than I expected, I'm not sure that I'd end up with enough worthwhile skiing to warrant the travel time ... I'll see what happens when I get there!
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stevew, I thought it was an interesting question so I plugged the enquiry into the Swiss timetable enquiry on www.sbb.ch . It came up with a departure from Saas Fee at 07.46 and arrival in Zermatt at 09.38.

If you then cross the street to the Gornergrat railway you can catch a 10am train which gives you sensational views of the Matterhorn (on a clear day!) and gets you to Gornergrat (3000m) at 10.42. So you'd then enjoy 5-6 hours skiing before you need to go back to Saas Fee.

I think you'd find that day out well worthwhile - just be sure of the weather forecast first - but then I'm biased!

If you want to do it, confirm, and a recommended itinerary can be provided to see some of the best runs in a day. [What level of runs do you like to ski?]
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Added to that you can get from the Gornegrat to the Klein Matterhorn sectors fairly easily as well. The only place you would have difficulty skiing is the Sonnega sector.

One thing to add though, is that the Gornegrat cog railway, although picturesque, is quite slow, taking about twenty minutes to get up the mountain.
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 brian
brian
Guest
Kramer, start on Sunegga then.

I reckon you could get to the top of the Rothorn substantially quicker than Gornergrat. Ski all the way down to Gant (brilliant long red past the Fluhalp). Get the cable car up to Hohtalli, ski down the White Hare (another excellent long red) and catch the train at Riffelalp. Up for some Gornergrat skiing by lunchtime and then move round to KM in the afternoon.

Great day out actually.

stevew, if all 4 of you are going for the day then a taxi might be not much more expensive. The taxi companies are allowed to drive up to Zermatt so it will be a bit quicker I think. Worth getting a quote anyway.
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Great extra info! Unfortunately brian, it'd probably only be me as wife doesn't ski and wouldn't be enamoured with such a long trip for a day and Hannah (4 1/2) will be in ski school. What I'll do is print out this thread and take it with me to keep for the good advice from you all, it's sounding more attractive than before. To answer David Goldsmith, about skiing level I can get down virtually anything but not always prettily, peaked out at the Grande Coulire and fell down most, skied compently down Swiss Wall in PDS, love M in Courchevel, if that gives you a clue.
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brian, actually your suggestion does make more sense in terms of distance skied. Doing the White Hare is a must, and there are loads of suitable places for lunch stops. The only thing that stevew would miss out on would be a ride on the cog railway, which I think is an experience in itself.

stevew, most of the pistes in Zermatt are intermediate standard, the tricky ones are the Triftji bumps and the itineraries.

Hmm, think that I may have to return to Zermatt this year.
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stevew, I agree with Kramer. The connection from the Gornergrat sector to the Rothorn sector is pretty straightforward, by skiing to Gant (take the Kelle piste via Grunsee). Since you only have to cross the road to catch that cog railway, it's easier than schlepping your skis 10 minutes to the Sunnegga funicular.

People complain about the time it take to get up the Gornergrat railway, but it's very civilised - especially if you get a seat (get one on the RH side of the train for views) - you're climbing about 1500m in one hit.

If you want any more guidance on key pistes to enjoy, just shout. I'd ask the tourist office to send you a Zermatt piste map before you go to Saas Fee, so you can plan your fun.
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 brian
brian
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Kramer, he gets to do the train ride between Riffelalp and Gornergrat ! No probs with timetables here either because they run extra "wintersports" trains from Riffelalp upwards.

David Goldsmith, I agree that the train ride is nice but given the amount of time Steve will already have spent travelling from Saas Fee, I'd trot over to Sunegga (it's only 3 or 4 hundred yards max and there are frequent buses if you don't fancy the 5 minute walk).
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
brian, I didn't know that the White Hare went to Riffelalp, we've always done it top to bottom then got the cable car back up to Hohtalli, and then the tiny cable car across to Gornegrat. Your way does mean that he gets to go on the railway, but misses out on the bit with the good views.

I reckon that unless you're a particularly keen trainspotter then I would go with brian's suggestion.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
BTW, I reckon it's a five minute walk down the tunnel to Sunnega.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
brian, remember that achieving the same altitude as Gornergrat on the Sunnegga-Rothorn sector involves the funicular, the gondola, and the cablecar ... which takes way longer than the railway. That's why I've always felt the Gornergrat train is underrated, especially if you get a seat.

Actually, Kramer, the 'in your face' view of the Matterhorn is on this stretch of the track ...

... which is between Riffelalp and Riffelberg.
Much Japanese video has been captured on those few hundred yards!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
David Goldsmith, I was more thinking the views of Zermatt in the valley, you tend to get a bit blase about the views of the Matterhorn.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Right then, that's it decided, definitely going to go back to Zermatt this year.
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 brian
brian
Guest
Kramer, the White Hare forks a little bit after it's joined by the Kelle coming down from Gornergrat (another great run btw), turn left for Riffelalp, right for Grunsee and Gant. It does get a little flat though, wouldn't recommend it for a boarder.
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 brian
brian
Guest
David Goldsmith, good point, not convinced about way longer though Laughing

Kramer, my undecided weekend could be wavering that way too ...
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Glad my little thread has decided you folks on where you will be going this season! Very Happy Thanks for the help.
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Steve,

I have done the trip in reverse in summer when climbing . We went from Zermatt to SF by train/bus. Its a bit of a faff, but one suggestion is take the whole family ( take daughter out of ski school one day?) She and your wife will find some gentle shopping of the expensive swiss kind to occupy them until it is time to meet you for lunch up the hill somewhere. Dining in front of the Matterhorn is something everyone should do once in thier life! Its a long day ( especially for a 4 year old , but also a great adventure). The scenery in Zermatt is the best, the chamonix valley is bigger , but IMHO zermatt is just the most beautiful place in the world to ski/climb. You can also get the best piste side meal in the world at numerous zermatt restaurants, just a convienient stroll from the nearest lift staition.
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