Zermatt Transportation Tips by Tripack Top 5 Page for this destination

Cable car story (1st part)

Swiss Cable Car story...

Discover the alpine world was formerly the privilege of the warriors, the tradesmen and the wealthy people. Thanks to the technical development, for a few decades, the mountain has been accessible to everyone. The first installations of transport to cables were built at the end of the 19th century. From this beginning to the funitels, the development of the technique of the ski lifts is a part of the Swiss tourism history.

Pionner period (1866-1915)

The first cable car was built in 1866 on the Falls of the Rhine close to Schaffhausen. The drive of the installation built by Johann Jakob Rieter was done... with a crank.
The first funicular of Switzerland connected Lausanne to Ouchy in 1877.
In 1900, the Swiss territory counted already 26 installations (cable cars or funiculars). An act pioneer was the construction in 1908 of Wetterhorn cable car close to Grindelwald - the first cable car of the world to transport people.

Stagnation (1915-1945)

Alpine tourism had been launched at the 19th century by English who came in Switzerland to go skiing and to enjoy mountain’s excursions. The 1928 Winter Olympics in Saint-Moritz gave a popular rush for the winter sports and consequently to the ski lifts development. But soon the economic crisis and the Second World War delayed this rise.

Boom and euphoria (1945-1979)

The post-war economic period knew a boom for the ski lifts manufacturers supported the fast expansion of the winter sports. So in the Fifties and Sixties a considerable number of spaces favourable for the winter sports were available. The ski became a popular sport. Between 1955 and 1975 two thirds of the winter sports resorts of the Swiss mountains were open.

To be continued on part 2...

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Alpine metro

Operating since 1980, the Sunnegga Express was the first Swiss funicular built entirely in tunnel to transport the skiers up to the tracks from Zermatt to Sunnegga.

At Sunnegga, the top station, you could enjoy a superb panoramic view to the Matterhorn and the Alps. You could easily continue with gondolas and an aerial cable way to reach the Rothorn (3'100 m).

At the bottom station, you must walk through a 150 meters horizontal tunnel and go through a automatic door which avoid a airflow call (the cheminee effect). Finally you will reach the funicular composed of 10 compartments for 20 passengers each.

Technical datas:
Lower station Zermatt (1'599 m)
Top station Sunnegga (2'288 m)
Length 1'545 m
Difference of levels 698 m
Average Gradient 48,7 %
Maximum Gradient 63,3 %
Time of a ride 3 minutes
Speed 10 m/s
Capacity 2 cabins of 200 passengers
Transport 2'600 passengers by hour

Mode: AROUND

Type: Subway/Metro

Gornergrat Monte Rosa Bahn (Zermatt - Gornergrat)

Experience the fascination of the unique natural scenery at 3'089 m above sea level. The GGB Gornergrat-Monte Rosa-Bahnen transport you from Zermatt to the Gornergrat vantage platform in about 42 minutes. Around you rise 29 four-thousand-meter-high mountains laden with snow and ice. The second longest ice stream of the Alps, the Gorner Glacier, is at your feet and an extensive hiking area is waiting to be explored by you.

For bikers there is a choice of four different routes and early risers on sunrise rides are rewarded with a unique atmosphere.

Prices (Zermatt - Gornergrat return, 2nd class):
Adult CHF 67.- EUR 45.-
Half fare card CHF 34.- EUR 23.-
Child (6-16y.) CHF 34.- EUR 23.-

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Type: Train

How to access to this car free resort

Zermatt is a car-free resort. Access for private transport is only allowed as far as Täsch (5km from Zermatt). You could let your car at the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch (New Park and Rail car park completed in 2007) for CHF 13.50 per day. Shuttle trains operated from Tasch to Zermatt (trip of 12 minutes) run every 20 minutes. Return ticket CHF 15.20 (or CHF 7.60 with half fare card).

At Visp Railway station about 100 free carpark is available, but train trip costs more than from Täsch and duration trip is about 1 hour.

Insider tip: Do not forget to give a quick free call from the Tasch railway station thanks to the hotels board. Somebody will waiting for you at our arrival ;-)

It is easy to get around in Zermatt. Most distances can easily be covered on foot.
In winter the bus service is included in the ski-pass : two routes with electrically-powered buses serve all major intersections.

Mode: TO

Type: Train

Website: http://www.matterhornterminal.ch/welcome/

Travel quicker to/from Zermatt

The new Lötschberg base tunnel is one of the major Swiss project of the century.

The Lötschberg base tunnel is 34.6 kilometres long and extends from Frutigen in the Kander valley (canton Bern) to Raron in the Rhone valley (canton Valais).

After it opens in 2007, the new high-speed rail tunnel, together with the Simplon tunnel, will be the first fast north-south transalpine link. Speeding through the Lötschberg base tunnel will be possible up to 280 kph!

From December 2007, good news the journey time to the Valais will be reduce.
For instance:
*Interlaken - Zermatt 2h09 instead of 3h11, so less 72 minutes!
*Bern - Zermatt 2h06 instead of 3h13, so less 72 minutes!
*Basel – Zermatt 3h13 instead of 4h24, so less 71 minutes!
*Zürich - Zermatt 3h14 instead of 4h24, so less 70 minutes!

The Valais region now has much faster connections to the rest of Switzerland, so more time to enjoy your stay.

Mode: TO

Type: Train

Website: http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisezeit/fahrplan_ausblick/reisen-fahrplanwechsel-loetschberg.htm

Public transports in Zermatt

It is easy to get around in Zermatt. Most distances can easily be covered on foot.

In winter the bus service is included in the ski-pass : two routes with electrically-powered buses serve all major intersections.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Bus

Taxi

Taxi companies (electrically-powered taxis)

Taxi Zermatt (24h):
*** Taxi Dorsaz, Imboden & Bolero Tel 0848 11 12 12

*** Taxi Schaller Tel 027 967 12 12

A taxi trip will cost you around CHF 5.- per person from the railwaystation to your hotel.

Tip: ask your hotel for a lift with the free courtesy bus (usually each hotel own one)

Horse drawn carriages (round-trips)
*** Imboden Werner Tel 079 436 76 12

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

Website: http://www.taxischaller.ch/

75 years of Glacier Express (1930-2005)

A panoramic trip through the Alps in the heart of Switzerland on the famous Swiss mountain railways from Zermatt to St.Moritz.

Called the Slowest Fast Train in the World due to the 7 1/2 hour railway journey across 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels and across the Oberalp Pass at 2’033 metres in altitude.

Prices (Zermatt - St-Moritz return, 2nd class):
Adult CHF 244.- EUR 163.-
Half fare card CHF 122.- EUR 81.-
Child (6-16y.) CHF 122.- EUR 81.-

Prices (Brig - Zermatt return, 2nd class):
Adult CHF 67.- EUR 45.-
Half fare card CHF 34.- EUR 23.-
Child (6-16y.) CHF 34.- EUR 23.-
Railway journey 1h30 (one way).

Exclusive offers for the 75th are already all fully booked.

Mode: TO

Type: Train

Website: http://www.glacierexpress.ch/

Cable car story (2nd part)

Qualitative growth (since 1979)

The year 1979 marked a turning. By adopting a strict tourist concept, the Confederation put order in the exploitation of the Alps. The high mountain had, as an invaluable landscape, being spared and protected better. The last winter sports resorts of Switzerland were created in Samnaun (1979), Saas Grund (1979) and Évolène (1981). At the same time was born the highest cable car (station at 3820 meters above the sea level): the Klein Matterhorn (Zermatt 1979). Since any other ski lifts was not built in still virgin alpine areas. The phase of fast expansion was over. But the ski lifts industry was not going to fall asleep for as much, since a phase began for an internal development of the existing ski areas to a more qualitative growth. The installations gain there in comfort, effectiveness and safety.

Tendencies (present and to come)

Nowadays many innovations thanks to technical progress are possible.

Examples:
- 1980 Zermatt obtains the first underground funicular to Sunegga.
- 1992 Rotair, first revolving cable car in the world, enters in service in Titlis.
- 1995 in Samnaun it is the first cable car on two floors which is inaugurated. :
- 2000 in Verbier, the Funitel , a fusion between a funicular and a cable car with cabins, with cable without end, able to convey 3000 people per hour.

And more will come to enjoy our future alpine rides…

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