How to Visit Zermatt on a Budget
Zermatt is renowned for being one of the most expensive ski resorts in Europe, and while we agree with this to an extent, it is possible to cut down your costs when visiting this famous Swiss alpine village.
Visiting Zermatt on a budget isn’t easy, but we have put together some of our money-saving tips so you can see the iconic Matterhorn as cheaply as possible.
We’ve listed our suggestions of the best budget-friendly accommodation options in Zermatt and some cheap food options in the village.
We also provide practical advice for getting around Zermatt cheaply.
We finish the article by explaining how buying a Swiss Travel Pass can save you a lot of money, particularly if you’re visiting Zermatt during the Summer.
So, let’s dive into: How to Visit Zermatt on a Budget
Disclaimer - this blog post contains affiliate links where we can earn a commission, if you make a purchase through them (at no extra cost to you).
Buying a Swiss Travel Pass to Save Money in Zermatt
Before we outline how to visit Zermatt on a budget, we want to give you our number one tip for saving money when visiting Zermatt.
Zermatt is entirely car-free, so most people visit by taking the train from any of the nearby major airports (Zurich, Geneva, Sion etc.).
Buying a Swiss Travel Pass gives you unlimited train rides across Switzerland for the duration of your pass (3 days, 4 days, 15 days, etc.). It also gives you 50% off the ticket price for the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Ride, Gornergrat Cog Train and Sunnegga Funicular.
While these tickets are complimentary with a valid ski pass during the winter, in the summer, this can represent a huge saving.
We have created a table highlighting the example costs of a 3-day visit to Zermatt during the summer. It shows the cost without a Swiss Travel Pass and then compares it with a valid Swiss Travel Pass. Take a look below:
| Activity | Cost without Swiss Travel Pass | Cost with Swiss Travel Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Return Ticket from Geneva Airport | 160 CHF | N/A (Unlimited train rides with Swiss Travel Pass) |
| Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | 120 CHF | 60 CHF |
| Gornergrat Cog Train | 132 CHF | 66 CHF |
| Sunnegga Funicular | 29 CHF | 14.50 CHF |
| Matterhorn Museum | 12 CHF | Free |
| Swiss Travel Pass | N/A | 240 CHF |
| Total Price | 453.00 CHF | 380.50 CHF |
Some things to note:
As you can see, by purchasing a Swiss Travel Pass, this itinerary would have saved 72.50 CHF per person.
This is only a rough estimate based on a typical 3-day itinerary in July. Other months will vary.
This price is for a continuous 3-day Swiss Travel Pass, if you want to stay in Zermatt for longer, you will need to factor in a longer Swiss Travel Pass
If you are visiting more than one place in Switzerland, then a Swiss Travel Pass is highly recommended. If you only intend to take one return journey from the airport to Zermatt, you might get better value with a regular train ticket.
Sunset over the Matterhorn - a completely free experience in Zermatt
How to Visit Zermatt on a Budget
Zermatt is one of our favourite places in Europe, if not the world. It’s a beautiful alpine village in the heart of the Swiss Alps, home to one of the most iconic mountain peaks on the planet - the Matterhorn.
As we specialise in adventure travel for budget-conscious couples, we had often been put off by the price tag of a trip to Zermatt.
Switzerland, generally, is one of the most expensive countries to visit in Europe. Zermatt is right up there as one of the most expensive ski resorts in Europe, too.
With that in mind, we were incredibly honoured to be invited to visit Zermatt on behalf of Zermatt-Matterhorn, the official tourism board. Without their support, there is the potential that we wouldn’t have chosen to visit this wonderful mountain destination.
Having now had the privilege of visiting for ourselves, we want to make this incredible place accessible to as many travellers as possible - including budget-conscious travellers.
This is why, throughout our visit, we tried to research the best ways to visit Zermatt as cheaply as possible. From visiting budget-friendly restaurants, to asking locals for their insider tips, we did our best to learn as many strategies for visiting Zermatt cheaply as possible.
Skiing conditions in Zermatt
Bonus budget tip: download a handy Switzerland eSIM before you fly and activate it once you land. It’s much cheaper than using your home mobile data in Zermatt
Is it possible to visit Zermatt cheaply?
Let’s start by clarifying one thing - visiting Zermatt cheaply isn’t really an option. Not in the traditional sense of things, anyway.
When we think of visiting budget-friendly destinations, we think of Southeast Asia, Central America or even the Western Balkans. We don’t typically think of Switzerland.
However, we appreciate that Zermatt is on the bucket list of many adventure travellers, so we think it’s important to highlight how to visit this wonderful place as cheaply as possible.
To be clear, using the tips in this article won’t make your trip ‘cheap’, but they will definitely help to ‘keep your costs as low as possible’.
So, is it possible to visit Zermatt cheaply? Probably not. Is it possible to visit Zermatt for less money than how most people visit? Absolutely!
Riding the famous Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Cable Car
Budget-friendly Accommodation Options in Zermatt
As discussed, the budget-friendly accommodation options in Zermatt are limited. Space in the village is typically reserved for 5 star wellness hotels and private boutique ski chalets. But we managed to find a couple of options towards the lower end of the price scale.
It is worth noting that Zermatt is entirely car-free. This means any visitor wanting to come to the village can get as far as the town of Täsch before having to jump on board the train to Zermatt.
The train from Täsch to Zermatt takes roughly 12 minutes and prices are around 8 CHF for an adult return ticket. This means that in some cases, it can sometimes prove cheaper to stay in Täsch and get the train into Zermatt on the days you wish to visit.
Remember: you tend to get better value for accommodation the longer you stay. So, staying for multiple days usually decreases the cost per night on average.
Studio AirBnb in Täsch
One example would be this Studio AirBnb in Täsch that costs around £54/$67 per night for 2 people sharing. Of course, you have to factor in the additional cost of return train tickets to Zermatt daily, but this still takes you to around £70/$87 per night.
Worth noting: In summer, the walk from Täsch to Zermatt takes just over 2 hours. This would be another way to save money while visiting Zermatt, as opposed to taking the train, but it is only really recommended for those who simply want to see the Matterhorn as cheaply as possible and then leave again.
Zermatt Youth Hostel
An example of budget-friendly hostel accommodation in Zermatt itself is the Zermatt Youth Hostel.
Depending on the season, the Zermatt Youth Hostels offers dorm room accommodation for as little as £44/$55 per person per night or a private room for 2 people for around £106/$132 per room per night. Click here to see up-to-date prices for Zermatt Youth Hostel.
While this isn’t exactly cheap for a hostel room by no means, it is significantly cheaper than many of the other options in Zermatt.
Peaky Riders Hotel
If you have your heart set on a cheaper hotel room in Zermatt, we suggest looking at Peaky Riders Self Check-In Hotel.
As the name suggests, it is a self-check-in hotel, which feels more like an apartment than a hotel room. But it comes with kitchen facilities, which is a great bonus for further cutting those costs.
During some months, such as April, finding a private double room at Peaky Riders starting from around £137/$170 per night is possible. Not too bad, considering the average price for a double room in a hotel in Zermatt is around £300/$375 per night. Click here to see up-to-date prices for Peaky Riders.
Peaky Riders - Budget-friendly Accommodation in Zermatt
Cheaper Dining Options in Zermatt
While we were in Zermatt, we found that an average sit-down meal would cost somewhere in the region of 70-90 CHF for 2 people. This would be the average price for 2 basic main meals (sometimes vegetarian) and 2 alcoholic drinks at a typical restaurant.
Of course, the price can easily double or triple if you want to go for something more elaborate. Similarly, you could likely eat even cheaper if you opted for 2 starters and 2 non-alcoholic drinks.
Unfortunately, the price for a sit-down evening meal for 2 at any restaurant in Zermatt rarely strays under 70 CHF. So, with this in mind, we thought we’d suggest ways to cut the costs of the rest of your meals in Zermatt, so perhaps you can treat yourselves to a few sit-down meals in the evenings.
Worth noting: most restaurants in Zermatt charge for tap water, or simply don’t serve it. We found that, provided we ordered a regular drink, we would often get served tap water anyway. But we have heard reports that if you only ask for tap water, then you will either get charged or just refused.
Bayard Metzgerei Wursterei - found in the centre of Bahnhofstrasse (the main street in Zermatt), this place is a great option for a cheap lunch. It is a butcher by trade, but during the day, they have a grill outside where you can Bratwurst (sausages) in bread for 7 CHF or in a crusty roll for 8.50 CHF. It’s a great budget-friendly lunch option in Zermatt!
Line for cheap Bratwurst at Bayard Metzgerei Wursterei in Zermatt
Buy sandwiches from the bakeries in town and bring them with you up the slopes - whether you’re visiting Zermatt during the Summer or Winter, it is always cheaper to buy food in town and bring it up to the mountains with you rather than buying it on the mountain itself. From a bakery in town, it is usually around 7 CHF for a sandwich compared to 15+ CHF on the hill. Cheap picnics for the win! *The same goes for drinks, too.
McDonalds - this could be the first and last time we recommend McDonalds on our blog, but Zermatt does play host to the popular fast food chain, and it can be a great cost-cutting measure when you’re desperate.
Stefanie’s Crêperie - a more substantial cheap food option in Zermatt is Stefanie’s Crêperie, again found on Bahnhofstrasse. They serve hearty, savoury crepes for around 12 CHF. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try one when we visited Zermatt because the line was always so long - but we took this as a sign that they must be worth it!
Cook in your apartment/Hostel - as with any destination around the globe, it is always cheaper to cook in your apartment/hostel than it is to venture out to restaurants. If you want to save money in Zermatt, we highly recommend booking accommodation that comes equipped with kitchen facilities.
How to Get Around Zermatt Cheaply
Walk everywhere - our first tip for getting around Zermatt cheaply is to simply walk everywhere. Getting from one end of the village to the other is around a 20-minute walk, which isn’t bad, really. So unless you have a really heavy suitcase that doesn’t have wheels, we suggest walking everywhere and skipping the taxi fares.
Jump on the free buses - if you’re planning to go skiing in Zermatt, we appreciate it can be tricky to walk for 2 minutes in ski boots while carrying poles and skis, let alone 20 minutes. Thankfully, there are a number of free shuttle buses between the 3 major stations for getting you to the slopes (Sunnegga Funicular, Gornergrat Cog Train and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise), provided you have a valid ski pass. The e-buses are fairly regular, too, so you can jump on them during the day even if you’re not skiing.
Extra Tips for Saving Money in Zermatt
Now that we’ve covered the main areas, we thought we’d also give you some generic tips for saving money in Zermatt. Each one of these might not save a huge amount of money individually, but over time they will help to cut the costs of visiting Zermatt.
Buy a Swiss Travel Pass
*We know we already mentioned this initially, but it is our number one tip, so we thought we’d reiterate it here.
As Zermatt is a car-free village, you have to enter the village via train. For most, this means getting the train directly from one of the major airports in Switzerland. Trains here, as with anything else unfortunately, are expensive.
To cut down on train costs, we recommend buying a Swiss Travel Pass. Not only does it reduce the price of train tickets, you can also get 50% off Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Tickets, 50% off Gornergrat Cog Railway Tickets and free access to the Matterhorn Museum.
Remember, this is only cost-effective for anybody visiting Zermatt in Summer or for non-skiers during the Winter.
Bring a Refillable Water Bottle
From a sustainable traveller's point of view, everybody should be doing this anyway, but it’s particularly advantageous in Zermatt to help you save money.
Instead of buying bottled water when you get up to the mountains around Zermatt, fill up your water bottle in the bathrooms. Tap water is safe to drink in Switzerland, saving you around 6-7 CHF each time you refill your bottle. Just be mindful that, particularly during winter, some of the taps are hot-water-only.
Remember that hiking is a free activity in Zermatt, all year round
Can I see the Matterhorn for free?
Thankfully, on a clear day, the Matterhorn is visible from pretty much anywhere in Zermatt. You first get a glimpse of this magnificent mountain peak on the train from Täsch, and you can’t stop seeing it until you leave Zermatt again.
So yes, it is possible to see the Matterhorn for free. Some of the best free places to see the Matterhorn are the Matterhorn Viewpoint at the North end of town or from the Kirchbrücke Bridge in town.
Is Zermatt worth it for the price?
Ultimately, we believe that Zermatt is visiting in any season, regardless of cost.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime, year-round destination home to the Matterhorn and some of the most dramatic scenery we have ever encountered on our travels.
Added to the fact that it has a really cute alpine vibe, and the fact it's one of the best ski resorts in Europe for couples, you soon begin to understand why it’s worth the money.
We loved our time in Zermatt - regardless of the cost!
There we have it, folks, our conclusive round-up of how to visit Zermatt on a budget. As we noted at the beginning, it's impossible to visit Zermatt cheaply, but we hope this article has given you some handy tips for cutting down the costs and visiting Zermatt as cheaply as is realistically possible.
