Verbier or Zermatt? The battle of the Swiss heavyweights
It’s fair to say Verbier and Zermatt are the two best-known ski resorts in Switzerland. With that in mind, we wanted to take a closer look at the differences between these two luxury ski resorts and put to bed any myths of rivalry. You know us; we are honesty personified, so we won’t be afraid to admit defeat if we need to!
There is no denying it, Zermatt is home to the most iconic mountain of all; the Matterhorn. It has to be one of the world's most photographed mountains, and standing proudly with its watchful gaze over the village, it’s not hard to see why. Whilst the majestic Matterhorn gives Zermatt that unique feel, big mountains create big shadows… most of the time, Zermatt village itself is in the shade, and that’s a bit of a shame on a bluebird day! Did you know you can also see the Matterhorn from the Verbier ski area?!
The transfer time is one of the most important factors and much talked about aspects when deciding where to book a ski holiday. Of course, the shorter, the better. Verbier is such an easy win here, with a simple and quick journey by road, under 2 hours from Geneva airport. That makes it accessible and versatile for shorter breaks and longer stays alike. Zermatt has a much more significant journey time (around 3.5 hours), requiring careful thought and planning (plus expense!). That’s not to say it isn’t worth it when you get there, but it does affect the beginning and end of your stay, with the travelling days significantly impacting your holiday time and completely ruling it out for a weekend trip. Taking the train from Geneva is an option for either resort, a little over 2 hours to Verbier and 3.5-4hr to Zermatt, both with 1 change. The scenery, however, is to die for.
Zermatt is always regarded as a much ‘higher’ ski resort than Verbier, but if you look at the towns themselves, there’s no huge difference: Zermatt’s 1600m to Verbier’s 1500m. Yes, Zermatt does reach higher skiing altitudes – a dizzying 3,883m, making it the highest ski area in Switzerland, no less, but you also spend much more time on the lifts simply to get to the highest spots. We can’t help but feel that what you gain in height, you do lose in ski time. Verbier’s highest altitude is an impressive 3,330m and boasts the most lift-accessible off-piste terrain. The final numbers need little explanation. Verbier’s 4 Vallees ski area provides skiers with 410km of piste compared with the Zermatt Matterhorn Paradise with just 360km.
