Zermatt and Chamonix in March 2022

You are going to Zermatt in March and "We are not skiers". All I can say is, you will be missing so much! But yes, you will find plenty to do. You can ride many of the lifts and see all the sights, but then have no alternative but to ride back down, while everybody else is gliding away to other adventures and to other wonderful sights. Maybe give sledging a try. The town itself will be quite lively and that is open to everyone.

Judging by the webcams I check from time to time, March in the Alps is not much different than January in terms of snowfall and snow cover.

Go in early June. Wouldn't that be less crowded than March when many are going skiing?

Here’s Zermatt and Chamonix tourist office contact information: [email protected] and https://www.chamonix.com/contact,101,en.html.

Hi alohalover. My one trip to both Zermatt and Chamonix happened in that order, in March 2003. It was a ski trip, a week in each location. They’d both gotten huge amounts of snow in February, but none the first half of March, and it was pretty cold, so there was snow around, but no powder days. Sun came out most days in Switzerland and in France, so it was pleasant. Past weather, of course, won’t guarantee future results, but you’ll definitely want a good parka, and warm snow boots. Extra layers, including a sweater or two, and/or a synthetic fleece top, and maybe even long underwear bottoms, will help keep you comfortable.

Even when not skiing, Zermatt was marvelous. The lift to the top, where you could straddle the Swiss and Italian border, seemed to have as many non-skiers as skiers, if I recall correctly. There’s an illuminated ice cave to visit up there. One day, we skied down into Italy for a leisurely lunch outdoors in the sun, then rode a long lift to get back to the top for a final run down to Zermatt. Not sure whether pedestrians can “download,” that is, ride a lift up then back down, with a lift pass, or if you can only get down if sliding on snow. Again, it seemed there were people not skiing/snowboarding/ski biking, but I wasn't keeping track.

The Matterhorn Museum should be visited, even if you’re not a climber! The town’s fabulous for walking the streets, day or night. The wonderful contrast between modern buildings and hotels, and old, dark wooden barns that are preserved in town is a delight. It’s a very International place. We stopped in one place that was the gathering spot for the large number of Portuguese who worked there in the winter, with Portuguese music and Port wine. One frigid night, I was out walking after dinner, and encountered a couple coming from the other direction. We chatted a while, and at one point, he said, “We’re from South Africa, as you can tell from our accent.” Actually, I had no idea.

Apres-ski is a big deal throughout the valley. Even if you didn’t spend the whole day schussing the slopes, or do the one-run-then-head-to-the-bar routine that I suspect defines “skiing” for some, you’ll find a crowd at many watering holes in the mid-to-late afternoon. Some are crazy scenes, others more well-mannered, but all are fun. The North Wall Bar was run by someone who’d been in Alaska, although they were flying the Alaskan flag upside down outside. The T-shirt I got from there is still going strong, with an imposing Matterhorn image on the front.

One of the memorable highlights was dinner at the Riffelalp 2222M Hotel, indicating its elevation, at 2,222 meters high. From town, you ride the Gornergrat train, which hauls skiers during the day, to the hotel. We had a fabulous dinner, starting with incredible cheese fondue, in a great setting.

Cham also has a number of locations throughout its valley. A spa/massage is certainly an option. The day we did a guided ski from the top of the tram at the Aguille du Midi, when we reached the train ride at the bottom of the Mer de Glace, I sure thought the majority of other passengers already on it were not skiers. We also rode through the tunnel one day to ski in Courmayeur, Italy, and I’d think you could visit that corner of Italy, too, if you were so inclined. Zermatt and Chamonix I’d say are a classic combination! Cham is pretty close to Geneva, too, and from there, I rode trains for a daytrip to Gruyere.

Cyn, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to share your experiences and insights. Your personal experience during the same time frame is exactly what I was hoping to get from someone. After reading your reply, I am really psyched and ready to start packing! We had flight reservations for this past April that I had made last year which were automatically canceled by the airline, so I am hoping 2022 will be business as usual. I am glad you have such happy and vivid memories of your trip, and appreciate you sharing them.

I’m pleased to share those trip memories. Have a great trip, and I hope you get many memorable good times!