Snowboarding in Switzerland: Zermatt vs. Verbier Ski Resorts

For Bobby’s 30th birthday I knew I wanted to do something AWESOME for him. I considered a trip to all of the places he would want to go, but realized there is one problem – a February birthday is not an ideal time of year.

Knowing how much he loves snowboarding, I set my sights on gorgeous Switzerland. A weekend snowboarding in the Swiss Alps? Um, yes please!

I ended up giving him his gift a month before we left. This is partially because I can’t keep a secret, but also because I HATE planning trips. So I let him decide which resorts he wanted to go, because he is such a good researcher! I am the organized one, I will create a detailed list with our itinerary, but I don´t want to be responsible for picking the activities of the trip.

After a lot of googling, he landed on Zermatt and Verbier, both pretty close to each other, allowing us to stay between the two. The trip was fantastic, and the snowboarding was unlike anything I had experienced! Between breathtaking views and the Swiss cuisine, we absolutely loved our visit Switzerland.

Read on for a recap of the resorts we snowboarded at.

Zermatt

Zermatt village is an adorable town at the base of the iconic Matterhorn peak. Its main street has shopping, hotels, and restaurants. There are no cars in Zermatt – it is only accessed by the train from Täsch. You get around the village by electronic taxis!

Location: Southern Switzerland
Good for: Gorgeous views and classic skiing
Resort: 1620m
Slopes: 3883m

Pros

• Traditional picture-perfect ski resort. It’s everything you imagine a Swiss ski village to be!
• More ski slopes
• Night skiing
• Year-round ski resort
• On the boarder of Italy – can ski into Italy for the day!
• Views of the stunning Matterhorn mountain
• ADORABLE village

*Don’t miss the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car, which is the highest in the Alps. Beautiful views, and from here you can ski into the Italian side.

Cons

• Heavily targeted to skiiers (not a con if you are a skiier! But we were one of the only snowboarders on the whole mountain.)
• Takes longer to get to (you have to take a train, get on a trolley trolley, and then take lift up the mountain to start snowboarding!)
  • This requries more planning if making a day trip like we did. If you plan to stay in Zermatt village this won’t be as much as a hassle.
• More expensive skiing, shopping, and eating.

Know before you go

• Getting there is the most complicated part. ince there are no cars in Zermatt, you need to take a bus or rental car to Täsch.
  • Train or taxi from Täsch to Zermatt village (can buy tickets at the train station or in advance ~$15USD per person)
• There isn’t a proper “chalet” in the village
  • You can store any belongings in lockers below the train station in Zermatt (need cash!)
• You have to get on the trolley from Zermatt village to the base of the mountain, then you will get on a gondola to bring you to the first slope. Whew!
• There are restaurants ALL over the mountain. We stopped every couple of hours for drink or a bite to eat.
  • Tried and loved restaurant recommendation: Rösti potatoes with smoked salmon at Ristorante Al Bosco (we sat outside because they were so busy for lunch, but the weather was perfect, and the view was fantastic!)

Verbier

Location: Southern Switzerland
Good for: Challenging runs and off piste riding
Resort: 1500m
Slopes: 1500m – 3330m

Pros

• Cheaper lift ticket prices ($55 vs $75)
• Absolutely perfect for snowboarders
• Famous for off piste riding – one of the best places for freeriding
• There is a bus system that runs around the village. It’s free to use and makes it easy to navigate around village
• Easy access to go right from the parking lot to the lifts.

Cons

• Closes early – we weren’t ready to leave!
• Tricky to navigate the runs. We kept coming to dead ends or the slope would run into the road so we would have to take the bus somewhere else. I felt like this wasted a lot of time.

Know before you go

• I loved the coziness of the Verbier village. It seemed a LOT less touristy than Zermatt, and I could have easily spent more time there.
• The drive up to the village is a CRAZY windy road. Could be difficult in adverse weather.