Zermatt (1620m - 3899m) Superlatives are not sufficient to explain the delights of a skiing holiday in this internationally-renown resort, which is car-free. The Matterhorn ski paradise is a vast area which takes in the Italian side of the mountain range as well as you get a "two for the price of one" holiday! Our current piste map shows only the Italian skiing area accessed from Zermatt.
Your journey will be 10/11 hours and approximately 581 miles from Calais with a choice of access in Switzerland via Basle and then onwards to Berne and Montreux or alternatively via the French peage motorway network via Reims, Dijon, Macon, Geneva, Sion and Brig and up to the village of Taesch where there is a huge parking area (7 SwF daily) and then a romantic mountain railway into Zermatt.
Alternatively, if you are flying, Geveva is probably the most convenient airport with a transfer time of around two/three hours.
The skiing is vast and comprises 313km and 132 pistes and is not recommended for beginners. It is a paradise for intermediate and advanced skiers with an underground funicular to Sunneggat (2290m) or a mountain railway to Gornergrat (3100m). There are numerous chair and gondola links to areas such as Blauherd (2627m) and Schwarzsee (2583m) but cable cars, which will take you to dizzy heights such as Unterrothorn (3103m) and Stockhorn (3405m).
A new eight-seat gondola is nearing completion at Zermatt in Switzerland where it will connect the Furi and Riffelberg, further expanding the lift-linked area around the Matterhorn. The new lift will pass from Furi via Schweigmatten up to the Riffelberg (connecting to the Gifthittli chair lift and the Gornergrat railway). It will now be possible to take trips into the mountains or descend into the valley from all stations. The new lift has 74 "walk-in gondolas, meaning that the lifts entrance is at ground level. There are no steps needed up to the lift (exactly as on the new combi cableway linking up Sunnegga with Blauherd). It has a capacity of 2,400 passengers per hour, has 13 support pylons and ascends 710m over its 2046 m length. The lift costs CHF 19 million to build and will open before Christmas. The connection between the Matterhorn glacier paradise and the Gornergrat and Rothorn paradise is a long-standing dream come true for the Zermatt Mountain Cableways lift company and for many skiers, too. Guests from Cervinia can now get to Zermatts skiing areas quicker and more easily without having to use the electric bus from Zen Stecken to the funicular Sunnegga or the Gornergrat railway. This represents a considerable easing of the burden on the electric bus service. Zermatt (as everyone knows!) is dominated by the Matterhorn, Europe's highest peak at 4478m and views are spectacular. But when you come off the mountains after an excellent days' skiing, you will find horse drawn sleigh rides, skating, bowling, indoor swimming and curling, and a good selection of shops and supermarkets, bars, restaurants and nightlife to keep you from your bed.