Visas & entry
Switzerland is in the Schengen Area. EU/EFTA citizens can generally enter visa-free with a valid travel document; many visitors from the US, Canada, UK, Australia and similar visa-exempt countries may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day Schengen period. Rules, passport-validity requirements and ETIAS timing can change, so verify before travel.
Getting in
- Geneva Airport: The most practical international gateway for Martigny, Verbier, Sion and western Valais. It is well connected by Swiss rail; Geneva–Martigny is roughly 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours, and Verbier is reached via Le Châble.
- Zurich Airport: Best for rail-based arrivals heading toward Brig, Aletsch, Goms, Zermatt or eastern Valais. Expect a longer cross-country train journey, but connections are frequent and reliable.
- Milan Malpensa Airport: Useful for some travelers combining northern Italy with Brig, Simplon or Upper Valais, though onward rail routing is less straightforward than from Swiss airports and should be checked carefully.
- Brig railway station: The key eastern-Valais rail hub for Aletsch, Goms, Simplon, Zermatt connections via Visp, and onward routes toward the Furka region.
- Martigny railway station: The key western-Valais hub for the Saint-Bernard corridor, Le Châble/Verbier, Champex-Lac and Great St Bernard country.
Getting around
Use trains on the Rhône valley axis and treat a car as optional rather than essential. Sion, Martigny, Visp and Brig make strong bases because rail is fast between them; Zermatt is car-free and reached by mountain railway, Saas-Fee requires a bus from Visp or Brig, and Aletsch villages require cable cars from valley stations. A car helps in Hérens, Anniviers and remote trailheads, but becomes a liability in car-free resorts and expensive flagship destinations; always check seasonal pass and road conditions.
Money
Switzerland uses Swiss francs (CHF). Cards are widely accepted, including contactless payments, but carry a small amount of cash for mountain huts, village purchases and contingencies. Service is included; rounding up or leaving roughly 5–10% for notably good table service is customary but not mandatory.
Daily budget · CHF
- Value
- CHF 170–270
- Mid-range
- CHF 330–550
- High-end
- CHF 700–1,300+
- Ranges exclude international flights and assume two people sharing a room; solo travelers should expect a substantial lodging premium.
- Zermatt and Verbier beds, ski passes, mountain railways/cable cars, guides and restaurant wine are the major budget breakers.
- A single flagship mountain outing can cost as much as a value-hotel night: Zermatt’s Peak2Peak sightseeing ticket starts around CHF 165.
- Swiss Travel Passes cover core rail travel and often discount mountain excursions, but do not make high mountain lifts free.
- Sleep in Le Châble, Bruson, valley towns or smaller side-valley villages rather than central Zermatt or Verbier when value matters.
Eating well
- Book dinner in Zermatt, Verbier and resort villages during ski peak weeks, July–August and festival periods; casual-looking places can be full.
- For serious wine tasting, arrange cellar visits rather than assuming walk-ins, especially with small producers.
- Use lunch for bakery food, cheese, charcuterie and picnic supplies; save restaurant spending for one deliberate local-wine dinner.
- Open-cellar events are not a driving itinerary unless one person is abstaining; use public transport or a taxi.
- Mountain restaurants may keep narrower hours than valley-town restaurants, especially between seasons.
Book before you land
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise/Peak2Peak excursions in Zermatt during peak summer and ski-holiday periods, especially if you need a specific departure time · Gornergrat railway seats or packages at peak times if you want a particular departure rather than flexible travel · Verbier Mont-Fort Zipline, which operates on a limited seasonal schedule and is not guaranteed without a booking · Popular mountain huts and high-season mountain hotels for overnight hiking routes
- Check lift, mountain-railway, trail and pass status immediately before committing to an itinerary; shoulder-season closures are routine, not exceptional.
- Build a weather-flex day into Zermatt, Aletsch, Saas-Fee or Verbier stays. Do not spend your only clear day in a valley museum if a major summit view is the priority.
- The main valley is French-speaking in the west and centre; German becomes more useful east of Brig, though English is common in major resorts.
- For Aletsch, confirm which cable car serves your hotel and the last lift down before arrival; Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp are not one walkable village.
- At altitude, sun exposure is intense even in cool weather: carry water, layers, sun protection and rain gear, and start high walks early to avoid afternoon storms.
- Swiss punctuality does not remove the need to check final bus and cable-car connections; side-valley services can be infrequent, particularly outside peak season.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
December–March
This is high-demand ski season, with reliable high-altitude snow in Zermatt and Saas-Fee, short daylight, cold valley towns and occasional Rhône-valley cloud inversions beneath clear mountain weather.
Downhill skiingSnow walkingSpasCar-free winter-resort stays
Christmas/New Year, Swiss school holidays and February weekends bring expensive beds, busy lifts and hard-to-book restaurants; non-skiers get poor value unless snow and resort atmosphere are the point.
April–May
Sion and Martigny become mild and green, with vineyard and apricot blossom, while many high trails, mountain hotels and lifts close between winter and summer operations.
Wine-country weekendsCastles and museumsThermal bathingLow-level cycling and walks
Do not book a classic Alpine sightseeing trip without checking every intended lift; spring access to high viewpoints is patchy and changes by resort.
June–September
Long days, open mountain infrastructure, alpine flowers and broad hiking access make this the strongest all-round season, though June can retain snow on high trails and afternoon thunderstorms are common.
HikingGlacier viewpointsBisse walksFamily mountain trips
July and August are peak family-holiday months, with crowded Matterhorn infrastructure and scarce mountain accommodation; valley-floor afternoons can be genuinely hot.
October–November
Early October brings harvest activity, larch colour at altitude and cooler walking weather, but cable cars progressively close for maintenance and snow can shut high passes.
Wine and food travelSion and Martigny city staysHarvest seasonMuseums and thermal baths
By late October and especially November, this is the weakest period for a lift-dependent mountain trip; verify operating dates rather than assuming autumn access.
Events worth planning around
Zermatt Unplugged · Usually April · Zermatt
This fills a village that would otherwise be relatively easy to book in shoulder season; reserve accommodation early if dates overlap.
Verbier Festival · Generally mid-July to early August · Verbier
It turns an already costly resort into a premium-priced music base; book lodging and desired performances well ahead.
Combat de Reines (Hérens cow battles) · Spring qualifiers, summer alpine contests and a national final in Sion; dates vary · Across Valais, especially Sion and Val d’Hérens
These are real local sporting-cultural events, not staged shows; small venues can be crowded and transport or parking needs planning.
Foire du Valais · Usually early October · Martigny
A large, loud regional food-and-trade fair that makes Martigny lively but tightens hotel availability.
Open-cellar weekends · Autumn and Advent dates vary · Wine villages around Sion, Sierre, Fully and central Valais
They are excellent for tasting but make driving a bad idea; use trains, buses or a designated driver.
What to eat
Eat according to altitude and valley: use Sion, Sierre, Martigny and Fully for wine, markets and proper town restaurants; use mountain villages for raclette, cured meat and hearty regional cooking. Local wine is not an afterthought here—small Valais producers and grape varieties are often the reason to choose a restaurant or cellar stop.
Raclette du ValaisViande séchée du Valais (air-dried beef)Valais rye breadAbricots du Valais, including apricot tarts and preservesDried pears and fruit productsLocal Valais wines, particularly Fendant/Chasselas, Petite Arvine, Cornalin and Heida/PaïenCholera, a savoury Upper Valais pie with potatoes, cheese and fruitGlacier wine in Val d’Anniviers
Sion, Savièse and central vineyards: Cellar tastings of Petite Arvine, Cornalin and Fendant · Raclette and local cheeses · Vineyard walks and wine-bar dining
Martigny and Fully: Fully wine producers · Apricots and orchard products · Valley restaurants and seasonal produce
Val d’Anniviers: Rye bread · Glacier wine tradition · Mountain cheeses and robust alpine cooking
Upper Valais and Goms: Cholera pie · Rye bread · German-speaking Alpine food traditions