Does where you stay on a trip make the vacation better? Or is a hotel room/airbnb just a place to sleep in between the fun stuff?
For years, we have have always gone for the average hotel/airbnb. But on this trip, we get out of our comfort zone in two places. First, we stay a rustic mountain hut at 10,000ft, and then try a very expensive Swiss 5 Star hotel.
We put a video together of this question. Which do you prefer?
This was part of a larger vacation that started in Zurich, then Zermatt, the Glacier Express train ride, and finishing in St. Moritz. Here's the itinerary for that trip!
Day 1
Fly to Zurich
Check into hotel - www.motoscafivenezia.com
Once you arrive in Zurich, spend the evening relaxing, walking around town and having dinner.
Day 2
Have breakfast at the hotel
Go on a boat ride on Lake Zurich (website) and stop at the Lindt Factory. Take a tour and make sure to stop at the gift shop. Tour tickets can be purchased at the factory.
Nap after the boat ride and spend the rest of the day walking around town.
Sightsee:
Bahnhofstrasse: Street full of Luxury brands and stores.
Sforzesco Castle
Old Town
Day 3
Eat breakfast at the Hotel and check out. (You can store your luggage at the hotel.)
You can either spend the rest of the morning shopping in Zurich, or head straight to Zermatt.
It is a 3.5hr drive to Tasch and then you must ride a train 1 stop to Zermatt (there are no cars allowed in Zermatt)
Link for Private Shuttle
Trains run every 20min from Tasch and you can buy tickets at the station.
You can also book here ahead of time for train tickets, but if you purchase them ahead of time, the tickets are only good for that time slot.
Check into Cervin or Cervo (Both have shuttles to the hotel from the train station. For Cervo, they will email you for a time to pick you up)
Day 4
Have breakfast at the hotel
Go up the Gornergrat rail in the morning and spend the morning/afternoon looking at views of the Matterhorn. (You can purchase tickets at the station right in the town square.)
Spend the afternoon/evening shopping and walking around Zermatt.
If you are at Cervin, there are nightly lounge singers from 9-11pm.
If you are at Cervo (5 Star Wellness Hotel,) check their guide as they have different activities everyday and night.
**Restaurant recommendations listed below**
Day 5
Wake up early and take the Sunegga train up to Sunegga (Purchase tickets at the station.)
Hike the 5 lakes trail. It is about 7 miles with 2 Refugios to have lunch (both accept card)
Fluhalp: Great view of the Matterhorn during lunch.
Stop at Mountain Lodge Ze Seewjinu: They have really good ice cream
Once you finish the hike, head back to the hotel and spend the afternoon/evening relaxing at the pool and spa.
I recommend booking a massage (or tea bath if you are at Cervo) the day before.
Day 6
Free day
If you are staying in Cervo they have activities during the day such as the Fondue Hike and paragliding. (make sure you book in advance.)
You could also spend the day at the spa/pool or walking/shopping around Zermatt.
There is a Matterhorn Museum to check out which is open from 2-6pm everyday. Tickets can be purchased at the museum and cost 12.00 CHF per adult.
Link to buy tickets online: Tickets
Day 7
Check out of your hotel
Ride the Glacier Express. Trip is around 8 hours.
Check in at St. Moritz and have dinner in the city/walk around the city.
Chjeck into Grace La Margna. Bradutt’s Palace and Grand Hotel Des Bains Kempinski are all great luxury hotels (I personally would recommend Bradutt’s Palace.)
There are also plenty of cheaper hotels in the city to choose from.
Day 8
Free day in St. Moritz.
There is a lot of nice shopping
Walk around by Lake St. Moritz
Day 9
Take taxi back to Zurich (Link) or Trains (Link)
Spend the last day doing any shopping in Zurich/St. Moritz and getting ready for your flight tomorrow.
Day 10
Fly Home
Best Time of Year to Go
It does depend on if you want to ski/snowboard or hike
Hiking:
Late July- Early September
Bring warm clothes as the town usually has an average temperature of low 70s/high 60s Fahrenheit in the summer.
Ski/Snowboard
December-March
There are high ski runs open all year round for more advanced skiing/snowboarding.
Weather is typically in the 20s and 30s during winter.
They also have lots of Christmas markets in Zurich
Where to Shop: Zermatt
Food and Essentials:
Coop of Zermatt
Clothes:
Bayard Sports and Fashion. They have a cute cat at the store.
BOGNER Zermatt
Hiking Gear:
Mammut Store
Montbell
Yosemite Zermatt
Where to Eat: Zermatt
Ristorante Avena : We both loved the soup and beef stroganoff. Tends to be more locals than tourists as it is off the main strip. $$
Madre Nostra by CERVO: Really good Italian food at CERVO. On Thursdays in the summer they have livemusic as well. $$$
Spycher: Really good Swiss food. I would recommend anything on the menu. Also, make a reservation prior. $$$
We always ate breakfast at the hotel. Both Cervin and Cervo have a great breakfast buffet. I personally liked Cervo’ s breakfast better as there were a lot more options for having fresh cooked eggs versus on a buffet line.
Staying at The Gandegghutte
Book the hut here: https://www.gandegg.ch/sleep.html
You can add the hut into the trip by switching one of the free days to staying here, skip the Glacier Express, or add an extra day in your trip.
This hut has beautiful views of the Matterhorn, glaciers and surrounding mountains.
Only open from late May to early September
Highly recommend if you want a more mountainous and remote experience. There are also other mountain huts in the area you could pair a hut hiking trip using the All Trails app.
Logistics and Tips
For hiking, plan to go from Late July to early September.
Switzerland is expensive. We never had a dinner that was less than $100. If you want to save money, go to the Coop to get sandwiches or snacks for during the day.
Book massages at the hotel ahead of time to make sure you get the time you want. If you are staying in CERVO, just be aware there is some outdoor walking. You stay in villas and some are a bit away from the main building
Cervin has live music every night near the bar/grand piano. Make sure to check it out one night
And remember to always have fun and enjoy every moment. Here's to a better vacation!
For years, we have have always gone for the average hotel/airbnb. But on this trip, we get out of our comfort zone in two places. First, we stay a rustic mountain hut at 10,000ft, and then try a very expensive Swiss 5 Star hotel.
We put a video together of this question. Which do you prefer?
This was part of a larger vacation that started in Zurich, then Zermatt, the Glacier Express train ride, and finishing in St. Moritz. Here's the itinerary for that trip!
Day 1
Fly to Zurich
Check into hotel - www.motoscafivenezia.com
Once you arrive in Zurich, spend the evening relaxing, walking around town and having dinner.
Day 2
Have breakfast at the hotel
Go on a boat ride on Lake Zurich (website) and stop at the Lindt Factory. Take a tour and make sure to stop at the gift shop. Tour tickets can be purchased at the factory.
Nap after the boat ride and spend the rest of the day walking around town.
Sightsee:
Bahnhofstrasse: Street full of Luxury brands and stores.
Sforzesco Castle
Old Town
Day 3
Eat breakfast at the Hotel and check out. (You can store your luggage at the hotel.)
You can either spend the rest of the morning shopping in Zurich, or head straight to Zermatt.
It is a 3.5hr drive to Tasch and then you must ride a train 1 stop to Zermatt (there are no cars allowed in Zermatt)
Link for Private Shuttle
Trains run every 20min from Tasch and you can buy tickets at the station.
You can also book here ahead of time for train tickets, but if you purchase them ahead of time, the tickets are only good for that time slot.
Check into Cervin or Cervo (Both have shuttles to the hotel from the train station. For Cervo, they will email you for a time to pick you up)
Day 4
Have breakfast at the hotel
Go up the Gornergrat rail in the morning and spend the morning/afternoon looking at views of the Matterhorn. (You can purchase tickets at the station right in the town square.)
Spend the afternoon/evening shopping and walking around Zermatt.
If you are at Cervin, there are nightly lounge singers from 9-11pm.
If you are at Cervo (5 Star Wellness Hotel,) check their guide as they have different activities everyday and night.
**Restaurant recommendations listed below**
Day 5
Wake up early and take the Sunegga train up to Sunegga (Purchase tickets at the station.)
Hike the 5 lakes trail. It is about 7 miles with 2 Refugios to have lunch (both accept card)
Fluhalp: Great view of the Matterhorn during lunch.
Stop at Mountain Lodge Ze Seewjinu: They have really good ice cream
Once you finish the hike, head back to the hotel and spend the afternoon/evening relaxing at the pool and spa.
I recommend booking a massage (or tea bath if you are at Cervo) the day before.
Day 6
Free day
If you are staying in Cervo they have activities during the day such as the Fondue Hike and paragliding. (make sure you book in advance.)
You could also spend the day at the spa/pool or walking/shopping around Zermatt.
There is a Matterhorn Museum to check out which is open from 2-6pm everyday. Tickets can be purchased at the museum and cost 12.00 CHF per adult.
Link to buy tickets online: Tickets
Day 7
Check out of your hotel
Ride the Glacier Express. Trip is around 8 hours.
Check in at St. Moritz and have dinner in the city/walk around the city.
Chjeck into Grace La Margna. Bradutt’s Palace and Grand Hotel Des Bains Kempinski are all great luxury hotels (I personally would recommend Bradutt’s Palace.)
There are also plenty of cheaper hotels in the city to choose from.
Day 8
Free day in St. Moritz.
There is a lot of nice shopping
Walk around by Lake St. Moritz
Day 9
Take taxi back to Zurich (Link) or Trains (Link)
Spend the last day doing any shopping in Zurich/St. Moritz and getting ready for your flight tomorrow.
Day 10
Fly Home
Best Time of Year to Go
It does depend on if you want to ski/snowboard or hike
Hiking:
Late July- Early September
Bring warm clothes as the town usually has an average temperature of low 70s/high 60s Fahrenheit in the summer.
Ski/Snowboard
December-March
There are high ski runs open all year round for more advanced skiing/snowboarding.
Weather is typically in the 20s and 30s during winter.
They also have lots of Christmas markets in Zurich
Where to Shop: Zermatt
Food and Essentials:
Coop of Zermatt
Clothes:
Bayard Sports and Fashion. They have a cute cat at the store.
BOGNER Zermatt
Hiking Gear:
Mammut Store
Montbell
Yosemite Zermatt
Where to Eat: Zermatt
Ristorante Avena : We both loved the soup and beef stroganoff. Tends to be more locals than tourists as it is off the main strip. $$
Madre Nostra by CERVO: Really good Italian food at CERVO. On Thursdays in the summer they have livemusic as well. $$$
Spycher: Really good Swiss food. I would recommend anything on the menu. Also, make a reservation prior. $$$
We always ate breakfast at the hotel. Both Cervin and Cervo have a great breakfast buffet. I personally liked Cervo’ s breakfast better as there were a lot more options for having fresh cooked eggs versus on a buffet line.
Staying at The Gandegghutte
Book the hut here: https://www.gandegg.ch/sleep.html
You can add the hut into the trip by switching one of the free days to staying here, skip the Glacier Express, or add an extra day in your trip.
This hut has beautiful views of the Matterhorn, glaciers and surrounding mountains.
Only open from late May to early September
Highly recommend if you want a more mountainous and remote experience. There are also other mountain huts in the area you could pair a hut hiking trip using the All Trails app.
Logistics and Tips
For hiking, plan to go from Late July to early September.
Switzerland is expensive. We never had a dinner that was less than $100. If you want to save money, go to the Coop to get sandwiches or snacks for during the day.
Book massages at the hotel ahead of time to make sure you get the time you want. If you are staying in CERVO, just be aware there is some outdoor walking. You stay in villas and some are a bit away from the main building
Cervin has live music every night near the bar/grand piano. Make sure to check it out one night
And remember to always have fun and enjoy every moment. Here's to a better vacation!