We will be traveling in Switzerland in early October 2025 and plan to stay in both Luzern and Zermatt for 2 nights each. Is this enough time or would 3 nights be better to experience the cities, especially Luzern? We plan to go to Pilatus one day in Luzern and the Gornergrat in Zermatt. Thank you in advance. Jim S.
Posted by
Chicago
662 posts
October is off-season in ski resorts and there is usually a period of time
when lifts are closed for maintenance, so before you book for Zermatt it's
worth checking when that might be. They might be closed in that time frame
anyways if crowds are low.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11798 posts
Mountains are fickle and weather is not always what you want it to be. What if on you one day in Zermatt it’s cloudy with rain or snow, and you cannot see the Matterhorn? My recommendation is to always spend 3 or more nights where views of or activities in the mountains are critical. Can you squeeze out 6 nights for both locations?
Also, what Shoe said is important. Closures are an issue, although in my experience, usually later in October, at least after the second Sunday. These are posted in advance.
Posted by
Chicago
3179 posts
Do you still plan to stay in Montreux? If time is limited, you could move your Zermatt nights to Montreux and then take a day trip from Montreux to Zermatt on the best weather day. I did that once and had a great day in Zermatt. And the scenery on that train route is gorgeous. I enjoyed the 2.5 hour train ride.
Posted by
238 posts
We had three nights in Zermatt, and as I just posted on another thread, the Matterhorn was only visible on one full day. The other was heavy cloud, which allowed us to enjoy the town and museums. If we had only stayed one or two nights we may well have missed the perfect day.
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3298 posts
I think Rick went to Zermatt to film several times before he actually saw the Matterhorn. Now it is part of his newer Swiss Alps show. Before that he didn’t really recommend Zermatt which he called a “one mountain town”.