How to Visit and Ski in Zermatt Switzerland on a Budget
/There’s no doubt that Zermatt Switzerland is one of the best and most iconic ski destinations in Europe, or even the world. As an American skier based in France who has skied more than 50 stations across 6 countries in Europe, I can confidently say that Zermatt is also one of the most expensive destinations. There are several factors that contribute to why it’s one of the most expensive: its small size, its limited accessibility by train, the simple fact that it’s located in Switzerland, and its mythic reputation that attracts all types of tourists and not just skiers. Despite these factors that make Zermatt expensive, there are some clever ways to save money when visiting the bucket-list destination.
Continue reading to discover my tips for skiing and visiting Zermatt Switzerland on a budget.
Carina Otero skiing in Zermatt Switzerland in April 2025
How to Save Money While Skiing in Zermatt
Zermatt had long been on my list of destinations I wanted to ski, and after my first trip ended I couldn’t wait to start planning my next visit. As someone who skis 30+ days a season, I’m always looking for ways to make my hobby more economical. While Zermatt is certainly an expensive destination, it is possible to maximize your budget and get the most value out of your visit.
1. Plan your trip for later in the season
April is my favorite time to be in Zermatt. The elevation of the skiable area is high, so the ski season in Zermatt is one of the longest in Europe– sometimes even extending into May. There are plenty of great reasons to plan your trip to Zermatt in April: great weather, longer days, and fewer crowds in town and on the slopes– but the biggest advantage is definitely the savings.
By traveling later in the season, you can save considerably on your accommodations and your train fare, as well as any gear or clothing you may need to unexpectedly replace because most of the local shops in Zermatt have set their merchandise on sale by that time.
2. Avoid taxis which can add up
Another benefit to visiting Zermatt later in the season: you may have better chances for lovely Spring weather in the village, so it will be pleasant to get around by foot. Zermatt is a car-free village, but transportation around town is possible in electric taxi carts or by an electric bus system. As you may have guessed, taxis in Zermatt are expensive and the fare for multiple rides can certainly add up. Many hotels in Zermatt have their own shuttle carts, but they can only be used for guests’ arrivals and departures to Zermatt’s main train station and cannot be used to take guests to the gondola or funicular that serve the ski area. By choosing accommodations within comfortable walking distance of the funicular or the gondola (both of which are starred on the map below), you can avoid being tempted to take a taxi back to your hotel after a day on the slopes.
The village is relatively small and walkable, but it’s more comfortable to do so if you aren’t carrying your skis or wearing your ski boots. For this reason, I think it could be a better idea to stay near the gondola or funicular, and then opting to walk to the center of town for dinner, shopping, etcetera, when you’ve changed into more comfortable shoes and clothes, as opposed to staying directly in the center of town and having to walk a potentially uncomfortable distance to and from the mountain in your ski gear.
A map of the stations along Zermatt’s e-Bus Green Line. The yellow stars mark the Funicular and gondola that serve the ski areas.
3. Choose accommodations near the Green Line e-Bus stops
Zermatt’s free e-bus system is very quick and convenient, but I only say this as someone who visits late in the season when the village is relatively quiet. In my experience, buses in Zermatt are not crowded and show up often and on-time. If you choose accommodations anywhere along the Green Line bus stations, you can be quickly shuttled with your ski gear to either the funicular or main gondola, which are starred in the map. The Green bus line mostly follows the Vispa river which runs along one side of town, and largely avoids the center of Zermatt village, so choosing your accommodations wisely can add a considerable amount of convenience to your visit and can help you avoid taking expensive taxis.
4. Search on Booking.com for serviced apartments
Booking.com is usually my go-to, and many apartments in Zermatt are listed on the platform. I’ve also noticed (and personally stayed in) serviced apartments or annexes that are managed by hotels, which offered benefits like included breakfast and use of their arrival or departure shuttle in addition to daily cleaning. These types of accommodations offer independence, privacy, convenience, and cost savings, and highly-rated properties can easily be sorted when searching on Booking.com.
5. Realize you don’t need a room with a Matterhorn view
While it is unforgettable to wake up and see the iconic Matterhorn from your bedroom window, it is a luxury that makes some accommodations more expensive than others. It’s helpful to know that the Matterhorn is easily visible from many viewpoints and streets throughout the village of Zermatt, so even if you don’t have a direct view from your window, you will certainly have many opportunities to see it during your visit. You can definitely save money by choosing accommodation that doesn’t have a Matterhorn view, and rest assured that you will still be able to take in its magnificence from other viewpoints.
6. Choose an apartment that has a kitchen
Another benefit to choosing an apartment in Zermatt is having a kitchen or kitchenette where you can prepare your own meals, so you can minimize or avoid having to eat in restaurants. As I’ll discuss in more detail in the next tip, restaurant meals in Zermatt can be a huge expense. The two main grocery stores in the center of Zermatt are the Coop and Migros supermarkets– and while I visited Zermatt during periods where the rest of the town was quiet, these two markets were always busy, because they seemed to be the only places to buy reasonably priced food.
I love to visit zermatt in April. Conditions for Skiing are great at higher elevations, and conditions for walking around and enjoying the village are lovely.
7. Find prepared meals at Coop
There are a lot of great restaurants in Zermatt, but unfortunately a great meal can run around 60+ CHF per person, minimum. Even more unfortunate, there are a lot of mediocre meals that still cost within the 40-50 CHF range per person, and a lot of disappointing meals that will cost within the 20-30 CHF range per person. I even found that quick snacks from bakeries would somehow cost within the 15-20 CHF range, and I’d leave unimpressed to say the least.
If I wanted to eat something quick and without any fuss in Zermatt, I knew I could count on any of the prepared meals from the Coop supermarket, which are reasonably priced and were far more appetizing than some restaurants I had tried in the village. I personally preferred Coop’s selection of prepared meals over Migros’ offering.
8. Pack food to take up with you on the mountain
Similarly, the same can be said about the dining options on-mountain. There are plenty of great restaurants and meals to discover just beside the ski slopes, but they may come at costs as steep as the Matterhorn you’ll be gazing at. And similarly, you can spend considerable amounts of money on snacks or meals that may leave you feeling disappointed. One day this last spring I spent 18 CHF on a muffin, a coffee, and a cup of water at the on-mountain cafeteria, and watched the couple in front of me in line pay 58 CHF for two soups and two cups of water. While my muffin was certainly delicious, I can’t say it was worth it.
If you want to save money while eating lunch on the slopes, one way to do so is to pack and bring your grocery store bought food or snacks with you skiing. Zermatt’s ski area is enormous and you may find you’re spending a lot of time in gondolas, which could also be the perfect opportunity to munch on protein bars or other snacks. One important thing to note if you bring your own food to the mountain, is to be careful not to “picnic” on restaurant terraces or in other areas that explicitly don’t allow it. There will be clear signs posted, so just be on the lookout.
9. Consider getting an IKON Pass
The upfront cost of an IKON Pass may feel steep, but buying lift tickets at the window in Zermatt may also be a bit painful for your wallet. The biggest benefit of using the IKON Pass in Zermatt is its flexibility, as it doesn’t have a requirement to ski consecutive days. The IKON Pass gives you direct access to ski on the Swiss side, and doesn’t offer access to ski on the Italian side to Cervinia. However, I actually felt that the IKON Pass’ flexibility off-set this minor downside, because trying to save money on a multi-day ticket to ski on both the Swiss and Italian sides is somewhat of a gamble.
Access to ski to the Italian side from Zermatt is weather dependent, and the operation of the gondolas to get there is never guaranteed. Even if there isn’t a cloud in the sky on the Swiss side, high winds or a storm brewing on the Italian side can keep the access from opening. Multi-day tickets that include access to the Italian side are more expensive, and if you arrive to the mountain and the access is closed, it can feel like you wasted your money. If you have an IKON Pass you can ski up to 7 unrestricted days (with no black-out dates), and if you have an IKON Base Pass you can ski up to 5 unrestricted days (also with no black-out dates). Because of this flexibility, you can choose to spread out your IKON Pass days however you like throughout the course of your visit to Zermatt, and on the day you want and are able to ski to the Italian side when the gondolas are open, you can buy a single-day ticket at the window the morning-of.
A single day of skiing at Zermatt is currently 88 CHF, so seven non-consecutive days would equate to around $750 USD. An IKON Pass is currently $1430 USD, but also includes unlimited ski days at 18 US destinations, and up to seven days at 41 other iconic destinations worldwide.
I also wrote a full guide to the benefits of having an IKON Pass to ski in Europe, which you can read here: IKON or Epic for Skiing in Europe: Which Pass is Better?
10. Bring your own skis vs. Renting skis in Zermatt
My first visit to Zermatt, I traveled alone with my dog by train from Paris. I figured it was going to be too difficult to manage all my luggage, my dog, and my skis on the trains by myself, and opted to rent skis in Zermatt instead of bringing my own. While it was physically more convenient, it cost more than 250 CHF ($300 USD) to rent just skis in Zermatt for a week. The rental shop did provide great service, and because it was during a quiet, closing week in April, they let me switch out my skis as often as I wanted due to changing conditions (I happened to be there during a big snow storm) which was nice. But in retrospect, I could have bought and kept a great pair of second hand skis for $300 USD from anywhere in France which is generally more affordable than Switzerland.
There’s no additional charge to bring your own skis with you on any train to Zermatt, so if you already have your own then it’s definitely more economical to bring them and use them than it is to rent. And if you don’t already have your own skis, it may still be more economical to buy some before arriving in Zermatt.
Carina Otero skiing in Zermatt Switzerland in April 2024
Carina Otero skiing in Zermatt in April 2025
Are you looking for creative ways to save money on your ski trip to Zermatt, or do you have questions about my personal experience visiting or any of the tips I’ve mentioned in this article? Let me know in the comments below!
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About the author
Meet Carina Otero, avid skier and the creator of She is Not Lost, an online community for celebrating female travelers and a blog providing helpful tips, useful information, and inspiration for your future travels. Carina’s passion for skiing and love of writing and photography have inspired a new blog to share her experiences and personal favorites relating to the sport:
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