is it a good idea to just get to Zermatt and look in the train stations for bed and breakfast lodging? or to book a hotel in advance - any suggestions for a reasonable hotel?
Zermatt is an upscale resort, and I did not see any references to "Zimmer" type accomodations when I was looking for lodging there. There are several hostels: Matterhorn Hostel (www.matterhornhostel.com); Welcome (www.welcomezermatt.ch); and Tannenhof (ww.rhoen.ch/tannenhof. There are also 1- and 2-star bed and breakfast hotels; you can find these on www.zermatt.ch
We stayed in Hotel Tannenhof which is very clean, centrally located (next door to 5-star Zermatterhof), has friendly owners and is cheap. Highly recommended.