Zermatt to Zurich by train

Zermatt to Zürich HB takes about 3 hours 25 minutes on a typical one-change connection. The MGB train takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to Visp, and the SBB InterCity takes about 2 hours from there. Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn runs from Zermatt to Visp, where you change to an SBB InterCity service for Zürich HB. The change at Visp usually takes about 7 minutes.

Start at Zermatt station

Zermatt is car-free, and Zermatt station is the starting point for this journey. If your accommodation is farther away or you have heavy luggage, electric taxis and buses can help you reach the station. Allow time to get to the MGB platform and check that your booking shows Zürich HB as the destination.

The MGB train runs from Zermatt through the Matter Valley to Visp, passing through Täsch on the way. Visp is the change station for the onward SBB leg. From 12 October to 8 November 2026, buses replace the MGB trains between Täsch and Visp, which adds about 10 minutes to the journey.

Change at Visp

At Visp, leave the MGB train and change to an SBB InterCity service for Zürich HB. The complete journey normally has one change, although the transfer time varies by itinerary. At least one connection leaves Zermatt every hour, often two, and the MGB train is timed to meet an SBB InterCity at Visp.

Zürich HB is the main arrival station in central Zurich, with local trams, buses and trains for the rest of the city.

Tickets, passes and reservations

Buy a ticket for the complete journey, or check that your pass covers both legs before boarding. Interrail and Eurail Global Passes are valid on both legs: the MGB train from Zermatt to Visp and the SBB InterCity to Zürich HB. Neither leg needs a seat reservation.

Ordinary MGB and SBB services are different from the Glacier Express. Glacier Express is a separate branded panoramic journey between Zermatt and St. Moritz that takes eight hours. Its price consists of a ticket plus a mandatory seat reservation. Interrail and Eurail travel cards can cover the ticket where accepted, but the reservation remains an extra requirement. Do not add a Glacier Express supplement or reservation to an ordinary Zermatt to Visp connection unless you have deliberately chosen the scenic service.

For the ordinary MGB and SBB itinerary, carry the valid ticket or pass product for your exact journey. The mandatory reservation described above applies to Glacier Express, not to this ordinary connection.

Planning a return or a missed connection

If you are making a same-day visit, choose the return to Zermatt before leaving Zürich and leave enough margin for the change at Visp. The last through journey from Zürich HB to Zermatt leaves at about 20:30, so check the return for your date. If a delay makes you miss the connection at Visp, take the next suitable service shown for your ticket or pass and ask SBB or MGB staff before boarding if you are unsure whether it is valid.

Arriving at Zürich HB

Zürich HB is in the city centre. Follow the station signs for local trains, trams and buses, or walk into the surrounding central districts. If you are continuing to Zürich Airport, check that onward connection separately after the long-distance train arrives.