Zermatt/Chamonix...can we fit Jungfrau too?

I really enjoyed both locations last summer. There is a lot to see in the Chamonix area that are covered with a 1-2 day pass.

Tasch is limited on number of places to stay compared to Zermatt. I had a good stay at the Matterhorn Inn right across from the train station.

If you’re going to Zermatt, stay in Zermatt. If that’s out of your budget, then pick a more affordable ski resort like Saas Fee or Bettmeralp.

It’s just not realistic to do Chamonix, Zermatt & the Jungfrau Region in 7 full days with 5 kids. It takes a half day to get between Chamonix & Zermatt, a half day to get from an airport to either of those destinations, another half day to get to the Jungfrau, again half day to the airport to return home. You’d be eating up a few days of your trip just with the travel.

For 8 nights, I’d pick 2 spots and enjoy from there. Personally I find Chamonix a bit of a logistical yuck to get to from Switzerland. Have you considered doing Zermatt and the Jungfrau instead of Chamonix? If Chamonix is a non negotiable, then I’d just pick 1 Swiss location to add, knowing you’ll have a rough travel day in between the 2 spots.

Zermatt doesn’t have a ton of non skiing activities to do. If you chose Wengen or Grindelwald instead, you could go explore the lakes, the castles at Oberhofen, Spiez & Thun, Shopping in Interlaken & Thun, daytrip to Bern, sledging (sledding) in Mürren, Wengen, etc.

Thank you both so much! These replies are very helpful!!!

I think we really would like to hit Chamonix because two of my daughters are taking French. My husband and son are DYING to ski Zermatt though, so those two are probably where we need to focus (based on what you’re telling me). It sounds like Zermatt is mainly skiing, is that right? Will there be much for me (and one daughter who is not a huge skier) to do if we stay there? If not, where would you recommend we stay so the non-skiers can access Zermatt fairly easily and she and I can hit a castle or two plus some solid coffee shops, etc.?

For our France Switzerland trip, I rented a car in Zurich and drove to Chamonix, Tasch (Zermatt) then returned the car in Zurich and switched to public transportation in Switzerland.

For your group, staying in Chamonix and Zermatt makes sense. Both cities have attractions for those of you not hitting the slopes. There is a lot of ski options in Chamonix area too.

There aren’t really castles near Zermatt but if you wanted to take a day trip to Montreux to see Chateau de Chillon, it’s one of the best castles to tour in the world. It’s around 2 hr 45 min each way by train.

I am a non-skier, and I spent a week in Zermatt this past New Year.

One great activity to do is take the Gornergrat cog train up to the top (to the hotel) and see the magnificent view of the Matterhorn and the surrounding Alps. In March you still should have a lot of snow. Many skiers take this train as well (included with lift pass), but if you wait until after noon or so the train price goes down in price for those that are paying for the ticket.

We also visited Chillon castle before we arrived in Zermatt, and it is a great example of an ancient/medieval castle to explore, but it could be a very busy and long one day tour, and you also need to check the opening and closing hours and coordinate with your train schedules. The castle is down a bit from the Montreux train station, so you will need to take a local bus, taxi, or prepare to walk about a half hour or so, up and/or down hill. We actually spent the night in Montreux so we were not as rushed.

Regarding hotels, Winter is often low season hotel prices in lake areas like Montreux, but high season in Zermatt. Some hotels also require minimum stays. However, there are a plethora of choices available, including lots of chalets, so it is better to stay in the town so you can walk everywhere easily. You can use this website to check availability and prices:
https://zermatt.swiss/en/plan-book/accommodations.

We were in Grindelwald the year before in March, and the views were nice, but the town is pretty small. The most popular place for non-skiers is Grindelwald First, as it has a lot of activities. However, for several days the lifts and even the trains had to shut down due to high winds, so always check the weather forecast!

Have a wonderful time on your trip, and bon voyage!