 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Snowheads! Long time reader, first time poster here!
I am planning our annual ski family trip for half term 2025 and have so far zero'd in on Zermatt, travelling from the UK. We have two kids that will be aged 4 and 5 that we plan to get into a kids ski lesson/club (only for groups aged 4-6) for at least 3 full-days (which was hard to find but does exist in Zermatt). How is Zermatt with young kids in general if anyone has experience? Are there any pools, sledding or other activities that are well suited for young kids? I hear it's not very busy during half term but I also hear it is perhaps not the most kid-friendly spot due to expense and that's it's quite spread out. The thing is we have already found an airbnb for what seems to be a realatively crackin' deal (£189/night) right in between the main gondola and city-center with a view of the matterhorn from two patios, so we are hoping we can make it work. I have heard that a few other resorts are great for being kid-friendly (such as Saas Fe, Obergurgl, Cortina) because they are cheaper etc. but honestly accomodation seems to be just as expensive or more in those areas compared to what we found in Zermatt. Even Cervinia sounds great but similar accomodate can be twice as much compared to what we found in Zermatt (at least if we want to be stay central), so any cost savings in food, lift tickets etc. seems like it will be off-set by the cheaper accomodation we have found Zermatt.
Anyway, any advice or tips is welcomed!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@cknight91,
How are you planning to travel?
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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?
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@kenzie - Hello! We are planning to fly into Geneva and take the train into Zermatt.
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@cknight91, the beginners' area is at the top of the Sunnegga funicular:
https://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Attractions/Wolli-s-park-for-beginners-at-Sunnegga
It looks like a great area for young kids to learn, but your accommodation should be as close as possible to the Sunnegga lift entrance in town... When you mention the "the main gondola" I suspect you mean the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise lift, which won't be any good for small children.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ah! Yes I did mean the Matterhorn glacier paradise gondala. So the program we plan to put them in is: https://www.zermatters.ch/snowli-kids-4-6-jahre/
Apparently you drop them off at the main train station for this program as they take the children's train up to Riffleberg for the lessons. We don't plan to take the kids up (at least not to ski) outside of these lessons.
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Okay that's a different beginners' area to what I was thinking. Have to say it looks excellent!
Our kids have had lessons before with Zermatters, and I would highly recommend them. They were a lot older though.
Just have a think about the logistics of getting to the Gornergratbahn train station each morning. You may need to take a ski bus.
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That's a good shout! Looks to only be a 9 minute walk from our accomodation but could be combers9me with equipment. Thinking out loud I suppose we can drop them off and then my wife and I could take the Gornergrat Railway up to the slopes from there?
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The real problem with Zermatt that makes it unsuitable for, especially young, children is that most of the slopes are in the shadow of the Matterhorn. This makes for great snow, but punishing cold when standing around, which one tends to do as a beginner. For small children it can acually be dangerous.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hmmm. Would you say the same for other high level resorts such as Cervinia, Tignes, La Plagne? Or you feel this is unique to Zermatt?
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Cervinia is on the sunny side of the matterhorn! It's not the height per se, but the shadow cast by the Matterhorn down what is quite a steep sided valley. As I say, it makes for great snow, but you don't want to be standing around much.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Interesting...will def keep that in mind! There is a video on their website I linked above where it looks like there is some sunny areas in the lesson area assuming the weather is fair. Guessing getting some sun is a crapshoot in February though.
I'd hope that they take necessary precautions around this if they offer ski classes for 4-6 year olds.They even offer classes as early as 3.5 years for half days!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| cknight91 wrote: |
| @kenzie - Hello! We are planning to fly into Geneva and take the train into Zermatt. |
So you know you can't drive to Zermatt, 
You could ask otp.co.uk if they can help you - their Swiss base is in Zermatt.
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@cknight91, those other resorts you mention as being good for children aren't exactly low budget spots! So it's not surprising that they're coming out similar to Zermatt cost wise.
What you haven't mentioned as considering is the cost of eating and drinking. Zermatt is not cheap for that.
This is one of the cheapest places to eat:
https://www.hotelpost.ch/UserFiles/downloads/67e589558a8ebcbd211c621c059cb893/brown-cow-winter-22-23-endversion.pdf
Of course you could spend less in McDonalds that they also have, but you'll not be far off 15/20 CHF for a meal in there as well.
Supermarkets in the resort will probably be minimum Waitrose'ish prices.
Saas Fee is similar prices, being that it's also Switzerland. Again here's an example of one of the more reasonably priced places:
https://www.pizzeria-boccalino.ch/?action=get_file&id=1&resource_link_id=c
If you did pick Saas Fee though, I know a great instructor that's native English speaking (if you can count Scottish  ) and if you got in touch with him early, you could book in with your kids all day privately.
There's plenty of good family friendly locations that would cost you a lot less than Zermatt, albeit they won't have the charm of the Matterhorn in the skyline!
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You know it makes sense.
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That’s an incredible price for half-term accommodation in Zermatt! Trust it has several positive reviews? Zermatt is very exposed in bad weather but on the other hand by February the snow base should be decent and if you get sunshine it’s really spectacular. Nothing is cheap there (as you can see from the ski school prices) but the supermarkets are good quality and the same price as any other in CH so you can save a fortune by self-catering and if you want to splash out, a lunch at Chez Vrony or Chalet Etoile is one of the finer experiences in life.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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On another thread recently there was some chat about the risk of cancellation with AirBnB accommodation. I would be wary of something well below the "going rate" for the location because if that falls through you could be left with very little choice and as the time goes nearer you are relying on the integrity of the host not to swap you for some higher paying customers. .
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Poster: A snowHead
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@cknight91,
We have been taking our kids to Zermatt since they were small ;the youngest was only three months when she first went) and they have always loved it. Yes it’s expensive, but on the other hand you only pay for two ski passes as the children get free passes.
The Zermatters kids area is in a sunny spot right beside the Fiffelberg train station and the restaurant where they have lunch. You can easily follow them up on the train and have a sneaky look at how they’re getting on between your own runs. The comments about it being in the shadows/very cold etc only really apply to the slopes below Klein Matterhorn and the ski school are unlikely to take them there as there is plenty of runs for small children to progress on Gornergrat.
Accommodation is a very personal thing, but if you found an apartment closer to Sunnegga funicular or the Gornergrat train station that would mean a much shorter walk in the morning. Air BnB is not such a thing in Switzerland, that price does look pretty good though . You might want to look at the Zermatt.ch website which is the tourist office accommodation provider, and Interhome also have a decent selection (and a physical office in Zermatt if there are any issues!)
The children will also travel free on the train which helps.
It is a magical place. I am clearly biased, but I wouldn’t hesitate to go with small children!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That should be Riffelberg, not Fiffelberg!
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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?
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| scotsgirl wrote: |
@cknight91,
Accommodation is a very personal thing, but if you found an apartment closer to Sunnegga funicular or the Gornergrat train station that would mean a much shorter walk in the morning. |
Maybe not too close to Gornergrat as it starts pretty early and is pretty noisy, unless you like getting up early and will help getting to those early kids classes
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Hmmm. Would you say the same for other high level resorts such as Cervinia, Tignes, La Plagne? Or you feel this is unique to Zermatt?
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Zermatt is high, very high, just a tad under 4000m. I recall skiing off the Klein Matterhorn with my son then aged about 7 on a gentle slope into the teeth of a strong wind. Not only was it cold but the wind was so strong I had to drag my son along. It was very character forming.
The milk floats converted to resort busses can be very hard for young children as they cram as many people in as possible and the little ones get their heads crushed by the bums and bags.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@johnE, you make it sound like a hellish place for kids
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Actually, any crowded ski bus I've been on has always been awful for kids, at the level of bums and bags. I would always have been reluctant to take small kids anywhere where peak hours bus travel would be unavoidable.
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Just in the interests of balance, and reverting to the OP, the children concerned are 4 and 5 and doing all day lessons with Zermatters at Riffelberg. They will get there and back by train, which is very comfortable, and won’t need to go on a bus at all if they don’t want to as the accommodation mentioned is a 9 minute walk from the meeting point in the morning.
The bus only really features if heading from the centre of town to the Klein Matterhorn gondola. If the OP and family want to go up that way on non ski school days, it seems the accommodation identified is close to the lift anyway so again no bus required.
There are in addition electric taxis if preferred.
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Love Zermatt. Would not choose it for a young family trip though
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@cknight91, Zermatt is great for kids. Half Term isn't the ideal time, of course, but I always used to take my two there since it was significantly less busy than almost anywhere else.
There are a number of beginner areas spread around the ski area; Sunnegga, Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise all have Green and nursery slopes and if the school is using the train then the kids will have a comfortable ride up the mountain; albeit it's one of the slower ways to reach the top. Riffelberg will be great for them I think.
There are multiple pools available in the resort as well as ice skating and other sports if you need some non-ski alternatives.
Ignore the comment about height; yes, technically it's true and you can indeed go up to the Klein Matterhorn which is, at 3883m, the highest lift in Europe (ignoring the companion drag nearby as that doesn't operate in winter). However, that is not a beginner area and there is no need to go there; there are loads of runs much lower down, many of them tree sheltered, which means that they are not brutally cold or windy.
The food is fantastic but, yes, pricy. However, you can get takeaway pizza (or even have it delivered) at reasonable cost, go self-catered a few evenings and just go out a few times. The on-slope restaurants are amazing though so we mostly eat out for lunch and then go low key in the evening.
Yes, I am biased; Zermatt is the resort I ski most often and I love it ... so, as ever, YMMV ...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If your kids have snow to play in, and tobogganing, they might not be bothered about swimming!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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This is true! I am originally from the states and grew up skiing Whistler Blackcomb...There is a great Swimming Sports Center there that was very affordable with hot tubs, suana, steam rooms, kid swimming area, indoor pool, gym etc...even many of the condos there have public pools or hottubs. Was rather disappointed when skiing Europe now that this is not really a thing...or at least is much harder to find and/or you are going to be paying a huge premium for it. There is nothing like relaxing in a hot tub after a long day of skiing IMO 
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You know it makes sense.
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That is a great idea! We have actually seen these trains but didn't realise they only leave from Zurich. Prices look to be similar currently to Geneva but we are tracking prices for both!
Any advice in the type of pass we should get? There seems to be a lot of options. Looks like there is an option with a transfer as short as 3 HR 15 mins. Also how early we should plan to book a ticket? Any advice highly appreciated!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| cknight91 wrote: |
That is a great idea! We have actually seen these trains but didn't realise they only leave from Zurich. Prices look to be similar currently to Geneva but we are tracking prices for both!
Any advice in the type of pass we should get? There seems to be a lot of options. Looks like there is an option with a transfer as short as 3 HR 15 mins. Also how early we should plan to book a ticket? Any advice highly appreciated! |
From the SBB site it looks like the IC8 from Zurich and IC6 from Basel to Brig have family coaches, though I don't think they are guaranteed. I think you just need a normal ticket, which would be a Saver Day Pass. They cost 52CHF each way and go up in price according to demand so buy as early as possible (6 months+). Note: kids under 6 travel free on the trains.
One other tip: Zermatt is a long transfer so don't make the mistake of getting a 'cheap' flight with late arrival or early departure, as you may struggle to get a train connection to/from the resort.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nice one. Yeah I figured we probably don't want to get into Geneva or Zurich any later than maybe 3pm in order to get into Zermatt at a reasonable hour for the kids.
It looks as if Zurich HB is the closest station from the airport? From there it looks like you can get directly to Visp for the final transfer into Zermatt. Looks like you can only book through Decber currently, so will check again in a few months. Thanks again for the advice!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| cknight91 wrote: |
| It looks as if Zurich HB is the closest station from the airport? |
No you want Zürich Flughafen (Zurich Airport). It's the stop before Zurich HB and the trains should go all the way through to Visp.
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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?
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@cknight91,
On your question about pools etc, this might help
https://www.zermatt.ch/en/wellness
A number of hotels have pools/spas open to non residents but it’s certainly true there is no public pool as such
On the train question, the SBB app is the official Swiss train provider (or on their online site) the best ticket option for a point to point trip is the Saver day pass. This allows unlimited travel over a 24 hour period. The super saver tickets will show as cheaper but are linked to specific trains so if your arrival is delayed or whatever you’ve had it. The children travel for free.
The tickets are on sale 6 months out and the earlier you buy, the cheaper they are. You buy ticket(s) for arrival day, then separate tickets for the return journey.
Most Swiss residents have a half fare card and so the site shows a price assuming you have a half fare card. You need to click on passengers etc and there is an option for no discount card, tick that and you will get the ‘regular’fare…
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@cknight91, I had my kids in Zermatters for their first ski trip. They were excellent. We stayed at Riffelalp so the kids only got on the train each morning for a much shorter train journey than the other kids but they loved it. Zermatters have their own train which is chocka full of kids. Once they arrive at the mid station (Riffelberg IIRC) then they offload all the kids and skis and move all the kids skis to the baby slopes with a tractor. We did full day as well. They will keep the kids skis overnight as well if they are coming back the next day.
Gonnergrat is an excellent place for them to learn IMO, especially with the train. It's also a nice relaxing spot to lap whilst you are waiting for the kids too, with decent between piste powder if you are having a snowy day. Perfect for first runs as a family as the blues from the top of the Gonnergrat are very mellow with outstanding views. Also the toboggan at the top of train too.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Great to hear you had a good experience with Zermatters @afterski! One of the main reasons we also went with them is that they are the few (maybe only?) ski school for young kids that offers a start on a Wednesday for 3 days. We plan to travel Monday - Monday to save on flight costs, lessen the traffic and need a few days to acclimate so a Sunday or Monday start doesn't work for us. Honestly I am not sure why Saturday - Saturday travel is so popular....the flight prices for those days are astronomical! But unfortunately it seems the resorts all operate around these days with not much flexibility.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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In general we don't fit the normal travel days either. It is something I find irritating. Since we don't get fined here for taking the kids out of school we often extend to 10 days or so, or travel over term time anyway (their school offers a ski trip which takes them out of school for a week which we generally don't avail, so why not take them for a week ourselves?).
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@cknight91, I think the Saturday flights are expensive because of their popularity. Sounds like a great plan to go on the Monday instead and you’ve certainly got me thinking when it comes to doing a full family trip. Zermatters looks great!
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FAQ
- that spot was the same as the price we are now paying for Zermatt before the price increase. But the Zermatt spot is a Superhost and 4.97 rating after hundreds of reviews and has already accepted and messaged us welcoming us to their home....we couldn't believe it! Considering similar spots are double or triple the cost in Zermatt, we want to take advantage of it and try to make some savings elsewhere.
