Coach Hire Across Switzerland

Zermatt Groups: the Coach Stops at Täsch

No coach reaches Zermatt. Coaches and cars are kept out of the village, and above Täsch only licensed taxis may use the road. Every Zermatt plan has two halves: the coach to the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch, then the shuttle train for the last few kilometres.

At the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch

Its covered garage turns away anything taller than 2.30 m, so coaches stay outside. Large vehicles use the outdoor area, which cannot be reserved. For a quick change, coaches may use the free Kiss & Ride transfer area outside for up to 30 minutes.

Shuttle trains leave every 20 minutes and take 12 minutes to the centre of Zermatt. Luggage trolleys go on board. For coach groups there is a free baggage service; register it no later than 16.00 the previous day.

Full-size coach interior with reclining seats and aisle
Full-size coach interior with reclining seats and aisle

Moving about once you arrive

In the village people walk, or take the free electric buses, which run on two routes, and electric taxis. Hotels near the Bahnhofstrasse are closest to the shuttle. If the group needs a hotel the coach can reach, look at Täsch, Randa or elsewhere in the Mattertal.

Airports for a group arriving in Zermatt

Coach day trips from Zermatt

  • Visp — about 30 km, about 45 min
  • Saas-Fee (car-free village; parking at the village entrance) — about 39 km, about 55 min
  • Brig — about 39 km, about 55 min
  • Betten (cable car to Bettmeralp and the Aletsch Glacier) — about 48 km, about 1.25 h
  • Leukerbad — about 64 km, about 1.5 h
  • Sion — about 74 km, about 1.5 h
  • Domodossola, Italy (over the Simplon pass) — about 101 km, about 2.25 h
  • Martigny — about 101 km, about 1.75 h
  • Montreux — about 139 km, about 2.25 h
  • Chamonix, France — about 144 km, about 2.75 h
  • Interlaken (over the Grimsel pass, summer only) — about 152 km, about 3.5 h
  • Aosta, Italy (Grand-Saint-Bernard tunnel) — about 174 km, about 3.5 h
  • Bern (via Lausanne) — about 226 km, about 3.5 h
  • Genève — about 231 km, about 3.5 h

Where a coach can stop in Zermatt, and other rules

  • Zermatt is car-free. Private vehicles, coaches included, may drive only as far as Täsch, about 5 km below Zermatt; the road from Täsch to Zermatt is closed to public traffic and only licensed taxis may use it. Distances on this page are measured from the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch.
  • Matterhorn Terminal Täsch: the station and car park under one roof, with 2,100 covered spaces (height limit 2.30 m) and an outdoor parking area for larger vehicles (no reservation). Coaches may use the free Kiss & Ride transfer area outdoors for up to 30 minutes. Shuttle trains leave for Zermatt every 20 minutes and take 12 minutes, to the centre of the village; luggage trolleys can be taken on board. Coach passengers can use a free luggage service if it is registered by 16:00 on the day before.
  • Railway stations: Zermatt station (Bahnhofplatz) is the terminus of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn from Visp and Brig, with trains every half hour, and the start of the Glacier Express; the Gornergrat railway leaves from across the square. Zermatt Tourism gives about 3.5 hours by train from Zurich Airport and 4 hours from the Geneva and Basel airports.
  • Geneva Airport (GVA) is about 229 km by road from Täsch, about 3.5 h in light traffic, and Sion (SIR) about 77 km (about 1.5 h). Bern Airport (BRN) is about 232 km (about 3.75 h) by the motorway via Lausanne. Zurich Airport (ZRH) is about 240 km (about 4.75 h) over the Grimsel pass in summer, or about 356 km (about 5.5 h by coach) all year by the motorways via Bern and Martigny; EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL) is about 382 km (about 6 h) by the same motorway route. Milano Malpensa (MXP, Italy) is about 190 km (about 3.75 h) over the Simplon pass.
  • Lötschberg car train (BLS, Kandersteg–Goppenstein): the trains for large vehicles run once an hour and take buses with at most 22 seats (vehicles up to 12 m long, 2.5 m wide and 28 t); a full-size coach is not carried. A full coach between the Bernese Oberland and the Valais goes round by road: over the Grimsel pass in summer, or by the motorways via Bern and Lausanne all year.
  • Mountain passes from the upper Valais (Touring Club Schweiz pass list): the Grimsel (2,164 m) and the Furka (2,429 m) are usually closed from November to June, and the Furka road has an 18 t weight limit; the Simplon (2,005 m) to Italy is open all year.
  • Furka car train (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, Oberwald–Realp): runs all year in about 20 minutes and is the winter link between the Valais and Andermatt while the Furka pass is closed. It takes vehicles up to 2.50 m wide and 3.50 m high, and large vehicles up to 20 t; check a coach against these limits with the railway. Reservations for a given train are not possible.
  • Glacier Express: Zermatt to St. Moritz in one train, about 8 hours; a seat reservation is compulsory, and there is no service from 11 October to 4 December 2026. A coach can meet the group at the other end.
  • Zermatt Unplugged music festival: 6 to 10 April 2027; the village and the shuttle trains are busy.
  • Cross-border day trips: a coach based in Switzerland may take a group into a neighbouring country and back. The road rules, charges and any low-emission rules of that country apply on its roads, so the operator checks them before the trip.
  • Cabotage: under Article 20 of the EU-Switzerland Land Transport Agreement, a coach operator established in an EU state may not carry passengers between two places in Switzerland. A group journey that starts and ends in Switzerland therefore needs a vehicle from an operator established in Switzerland. Coaches may carry groups across the border in both directions; these occasional services need no authorisation, but the coach carries a journey form (Fahrtenblatt).
  • Road charges: coaches and other buses over 3.5 tonnes pay the flat-rate heavy vehicle fee (pauschale Schwerverkehrsabgabe, PSVA) for every day they are in Switzerland, on all public roads, and need no motorway vignette; foreign-registered coaches pay the PSVA online through the BAZG "Via" portal or app before entering Switzerland. Minibuses and cars up to 3.5 tonnes need the motorway vignette (the e-vignette linked to the number plate, or the sticker) to use motorways and expressways (Autobahnen / autoroutes / autostrade).
  • Speed and driving bans: on motorways and expressways coaches may drive at up to 100 km/h (articulated buses and scheduled buses with standing places excepted); heavy vehicles are otherwise limited to 80 km/h. The Swiss night driving ban (22:00 to 05:00) and the Sunday and public-holiday ban for heavy vehicles do not apply to vehicles carrying passengers.
  • Drivers' hours: coach drivers follow the Swiss ordinance ARV 1, aligned with the EU rules: at most 9 hours of driving a day (10 hours twice a week), a break of at least 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving and at least 11 hours of daily rest, recorded by tachograph. Drivers of foreign-registered coaches must keep the same driving, break and rest rules in Switzerland. In domestic traffic, professional drivers of cars and of minibuses with up to 16 seats besides the driver follow ARV 2 instead.
  • Winter: Switzerland has no general winter-tyre obligation, but a vehicle must be fit for the road conditions and the driver must keep control of it at all times; the Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) recommends winter tyres from October to Easter. Where the sign "Schneeketten obligatorisch" / "chaînes à neige obligatoires" / "Catene per la neve obbligatorie" (sign 2.48) is shown, at least two drive wheels on the same axle must be fitted with snow chains.

Long transfers and drivers' hours

Geneva Airport is about 3.5 hours from Täsch by road and Sion about 1.5 hours. From Zurich, the short route crosses the Grimsel, open in summer only. The all-year route runs on the motorways via Bern and Lausanne and makes a long day.

A coach driver may normally drive 9 hours a day and must stop for 45 minutes after 4.5 hours. On the longest transfers, ask whether the quote includes a second driver. The Lötschberg car train takes buses with up to 22 seats, so a full coach cannot use it.

Glacier Express and day trips

The Glacier Express runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz in about 8 hours, with compulsory seat reservations. Each autumn it takes a break between mid-October and early December. Outside that pause, a coach can be sent ahead to meet the group at the far end.

From Täsch, Saas-Fee is about 55 minutes, but it is car-free too, so the coach waits where the road ends. Allow about 1.25 hours to Betten, where a cable car climbs towards the Aletsch Glacier. Chamonix in France is about 2.75 hours.

What organisers ask us

Can the coach take our luggage into Zermatt?

No. Bags go on the shuttle train on trolleys, or through the free luggage service for coach passengers. Register it by 16.00 the day before arrival.

Where does the coach wait while we are in Zermatt?

In the outdoor area at the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch for large vehicles. It takes no reservations, so the driver arrives early on busy days.

Are there busy dates to avoid?

During Zermatt Unplugged, 6 to 10 April 2027, expect a full village and packed shuttles. Book that week early.

More group trips by coach

Vehicles, each with a driver