Train from Florence Italy to Zermatt

The simplest option is the 12:55 from Firenze SMN to Zermatt arriving at 6:50 pm. It’s 2 train changes in Milan & Visp and takes 5 hours 55 minutes.

If you want to get there earlier in the day, it will take an extra 1 hr 45 minutes with an extra train change.
7:10-2:50 pm (7 hr 40 min) changing 3 times in Rho Fiera Milano, Domodossola & Brig

Times and pricing on SBB.ch/en

Thank you! Is SSB/ch the only option for trains in this area? And if we change our mind and decide instead to go to St Moritz would that still be SSB?

SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) is the official company for all Swiss public transportation - it's run by the Swiss government.

So yes, SBB is what you would use to get to Zermatt or St. Moritz from Florence, but obviously you would need different tickets for those 2 locations. You can get a ticket on TrenItalia as well (the operator for Italian public transportation) but I personally find the SBB site easier to navigate, so it's whatever you prefer. If you do the quickest route I mentioned, the train from Florence to Milan will be run by TrenItalia and then from Milan to Visp and Visp to Zermatt will be SBB trains. However, they cooperate with each other and let you put the whole journey on one ticket. You could also price out the option to do a TrenItalia ticket from Florence to Milan and then an SBB ticket from Milan to Zermatt. It really doesn't matter if you have 2 tickets or 1, other than simplicity and making sure that your train times align with each other and you don't get confused and book 2 separate journeys that don't coincide with one another.

Perhaps you could get more help by posting your full itinerary plan.

I don’t really have much of an itinerary yet. Until I figure out how long it will take me to get to Zermatt. Is there a bus that could be faster?

No - it takes over 6 hours to drive to Tasch and then you still have to take a train into Zermatt (car free village). There is no getting around Florence to most of Switzerland taking a good portion of a day.

I find people typically underestimate the logistical challenges of combining Italy & Switzerland in one trip. The alps are a barrier between the two countries, which inhibits quick travel.

That really makes sense and you said it very succinctly. Thank you very much! I’ll probably still have more questions but for now I need to digest this info.

What do you think about flights from Florence to Zurich? Could you tell me where to look or what you know?

If you are intending to fly to Zurich in order to go to Zermatt, it is still a a 3 1/2 hour train journey from Zurich airport to Zermatt and you still have to change trains at Visp no matter what. The rail line from Visp to Zermatt is a narrow gauge rack railway. I think that taking the train from Florence is the fastest way, and certainly the least hassle.

If you do the quickest route I mentioned, the train from Florence to Milan will be run by TrenItalia and then from Milan to Visp and Visp to Zermatt will be SBB trains.

The Milano - Brig trains are a joint Trenitalia - SBB operation. They operate under Italian rules, and with an Italian crew until Domodossola. It is Trenitalia that does the reservations, so if you buy this on SBB you will notice that for Milano - Brig you actually get an Italian ticket that you even can load in the Trenitalia app...

Trenitalia is now finally able to sell Swiss domestic tickets too, so you can actually book this on Trenitalia as well. It pays to compare prices sometimes. There are some reductions on the Italian network that SBB does not sell.