Home to big and bold European peaks like the Matterhorn and the Eiger, the Swiss Alps comprise Switzerland’s largest geographical area, covering around two-thirds of the country. If you think of Switzerland, chances are you’re picturing the Swiss Alps. The area is a major tourist destination, tempting international snow sports lovers with varied terrain and rustic-luxe resorts and wooing fair-weather explorers, too. Hiking, fondue eating, and scouting out James Bond film locations are among the many things to do.
The Swiss Alps are beautiful year-round but very different in winter and summer. For winter sports, the ski season starts in December and ends in early April, while some slopes stay open year-round in glacier resorts like Zermatt. And if you want to catch a major event, time your stay to see the Ski World Cup Lauberhorn, held each year in January in Wengen. In spring, the snow gives way to meadows peppered with wild blooms, offering scope for scenic hikes through to fall.
While cars usually mean freedom, this isn’t the case in the Swiss Alps, where many popular villages (Zermatt, Wengen, Mürren, and Saas-Fee) are car-free. So, skip the car hire and take the train instead. Once there, cable cars, chair lifts, mountain railways, and buses take over. If you plan to explore the Swiss Alps or visit cities, the Swiss Travel Pass is a great option, covering journeys on most forms of transport around the country.
The Swiss rail network is known for its well-connected and efficient routes nationwide. And since the Swiss Alps cover so much of the country, these routes are scenic, too. Check out the Glacier Express or the Bernina Express trains that both cross the Swiss Engadin Alps, the Jungfrau Railway that takes you to Europe’s highest railway station, or one of the world’s steepest cogwheel railways to Mt. Pilatus.
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Snow sports like skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating, sledding, and snowshoeing are popular winter activities in the Alps, while summertime fun covers hiking, climbing, lake swimming, and mountain biking. Photography and mountaineering are popular year-round, while extreme adventurers can also find paragliding, rappelling, canyoning, and bungee jumping on offer in the Alps.
...MoreThe Swiss Alps are famous for snow sports and scenery, boasting some of the highest and most iconic peaks in the more comprehensive Alps mountain range. Here, you can find the Matterhorn (aka the Toblerone mountain), the Eiger, and the Jungfrau, along with top-notch ski resorts that look like they’re trapped in time.
...MoreGeneva, Zurich, and Milan Malpensa are good gateway airports to the Swiss Alps for visitors arriving on international flights. Once there, the train network easily links the bigger cities to the mountain towns. And once you’re in the mountains, the gondolas, funiculars, cog-wheel trains, and chairlifts take center stage.
...MoreIt depends on where you’re based. Guided day trips take the hassle out of the logistics to give you more time in the mountains when you arrive. Many Swiss Alps day trips depart from Milan, Bergamo, and Como in Italy or Zurich, Bern, Basel, Geneva, or Lausanne in Switzerland.
...MoreYes, many things in the Swiss Alps are more expensive than other European countries—particularly food and accommodation. For example, if you pay for an espresso coffee in euros in Switzerland, it’s often around four euros; while the price of an espresso in Italy is closer to one euro.
...MoreFor skiers, the most snow-sure month is February. However, the slopes are likely to be busy, and accommodation prices are even higher than usual, especially in the British school “half-term” vacation week. For visitors who don’t want snow, the summer months between June and August offer warmer days and (mostly) sunny weather.
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