Switzerland - day tripping

Hi Anne, We've stayed in both, Zermatt and the Berner Oberland (Wengen). I don't see Zermatt being a day trip from Gimmelwald. It's about the same travel time from either Geneva or Gimmelwald. Probably 3 + hours each way. Could be a nice day in Gimmelwald, cloudy in Zermatt when you arrive. If you overnighted, maybe, but me, I wouldn't take time away from the BO for Zermatt. Even if it means missing the Matterhorn. We spent 2 nights in Zermatt and 4 nights in Wengen. While we liked both, we really wished we didn't have to leave Wengen. Just my opinion. Paul

Zermatt is roughly 3.5 hours from either Geneva or Gimmelwald, so not a day trip from either. But you could easily spend a night there on your way from Geneva to Gimmelwald, and it would be well worth it. No guarantees on seeing the Matterhorn, a notoriously shy mountain, but chances are good if you can extend your visit over two days by spending a night there, so long as they are not locked into a serious weather pattern. We did not get to Zermatt until our fourth trip to Switzerland, and then I was sorry we didn't make time on earlier trips. Especially if you enjoy hiking, Zermatt has a lot to offer. We spent 3 nights there in an apartment with full-on view of the mountain, and had numerous chances to see her in all her glory. Often partially obscured with moving clouds, but that just made it interesting. The Matterhorn is a singularly beautiful mountain, and I say that as a ( former) mountaineer and a connoisseur of mountain scenery. My computer wallpaper is a photo of myself with two sons by the Stellisee, with a nice Matterhorn reflection. Zermatt itself is a bit tricky, as there are lots of high-priced hotels, and the streets can be crowded with tourists who have never set foot on a hiking trail. But get out of the village and you may find you have the trail all to yourselves, as we did.

Anne, We are going to be in Switzerland about the same time you are. This will be our first time so I can't offer any advice based on first hand experiences. One thing we plan to do is take the "Chocolate Train" from Montreux up to Gruyeres (sp.) to get a feel for the French/Swiss countryside. It's like from 9:30 to 6:00 ish I think and you visit a cheese factory and a chocolate factory. The towns and surrounding area look very scenic. We also plan to hike in the vineyards between Luasanne and Vevey as I understand that to be a very scenic area as well (a UNESCO site I think).

Anne, We spent 2 days in Zermatt a few years ago in early September and the weather was fantastic. While it's not always going to be that way, we were told that Sept was a good month weatherwise, good chances of seeing the Matterhorn, so you picked a good time. We took the train up the Gornergratt in the early evening because the weather was great for views of the Matterhorn and we had a glorious sunset to boot. I don't remember the name of the hotel we stayed at but we had a balcony with a beautiful view of Monte Rosa (not the Matterhorn, but just as nice). The next day we didn't have much free time on our own, just a couple of hours, but that was enough to walk out of town a little ways and get away from the tourist crowds. More nice views of the Mountain too. I have a book I bought around that time (1999) that is very helpful. I don't know if there is an updated edition but even this old one is good if you can get ahold of a copy. "Day Trips Switzerland - 45 one day adventures by rail, bus or car plus numerous walking tours" by Norman P.T. Renouf. ISBN #0-8038-9414-7
Enjoy your trip.

Thanks for the feedback. We're going to go to Zermatt for 2 nights and 1 full day. This will give us opportunities to see the mountain on three different days and we can flex our arrival and departure times around the weather forecast. I appreciate the input.