Coach Hire Across Switzerland

Ski Transfers by Coach: Resorts, Passes and Car Trains

For a ski group the road ends sooner than people expect. Several resorts are car-free, several passes shut for the winter, and one car train will not take a full-size coach. Plan the route around those three facts before anything else.

Where the coach has to stop

Zermatt is car-free. Täsch is the end of the road. At the Matterhorn Terminal the group swaps the coach for a shuttle train, which runs every 20 minutes and needs 12 minutes for the climb. A coach is too tall for the 2.30 m garage; it unloads in the outdoor Kiss & Ride area, 30 minutes at most, or parks outside. Register the free luggage service by 16:00 the day before and the cases travel separately.

Saas-Fee is car-free too, and so are Wengen and Mürren. For Wengen and Mürren the coach sets down in Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg. For Verbier, the tourist board advises parking in Le Châble and taking the gondola up.

Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 49-seat coach, exterior
Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 49-seat coach, exterior

Winter routes and car trains

The Grimsel, Furka and Susten close for the winter. On the Lötschberg car train, no bus with more than 22 seats is accepted. A full-size coach bound for the Valais from the Oberland therefore drives the long way round. The Vereina car train between Klosters and Sagliains does take coaches, all year, with less room for tall vehicles on winter weekends.

Distances grow as a result. Geneva Airport to Täsch is about 230 km. From Zurich Airport the winter route to Täsch runs via Bern, Lausanne and Martigny, about 356 km and well over four hours. Lauterbrunnen is about two hours from Zurich Airport.

Rules worth knowing before you book

  • Switzerland has no fixed winter-tyre date: vehicles must be roadworthy (Art. 29 SVG), and metal snow chains (or similar devices approved by FEDRO) are compulsory where the signal "Schneeketten obligatorisch" is shown (Art. 29 SSV)
  • Zermatt is car-free: private vehicles may go only as far as Täsch, where the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch has 2,100 covered parking spaces and shuttle trains to Zermatt every 20 minutes (journey 12 minutes); licensed taxis also run Täsch-Zermatt
  • Wengen is car-free and reached by the Wengernalp Railway (WAB) from Lauterbrunnen, about 37 minutes from Interlaken Ost; Lauterbrunnen has a multi-storey car park below the station and a car park at the church
  • Lötschberg car-carrying train (BLS, Kandersteg-Goppenstein, about 15 minutes): buses travel only on the hourly trains for large vehicles and only with up to 22 seats (length up to 12 m, weight up to 28 t, with width and height limits), so a full-size coach cannot use it
  • Routed by road in winter (not over closed passes): Genève Aéroport to Täsch about 230 km (about 2 h 50 min); Zürich Airport to Täsch about 356 km via Bern and Martigny (about 4 h 30 min); EuroAirport to Täsch about 331 km (about 4 h 05 min); Genève Aéroport to Saas-Fee about 226 km (about 2 h 45 min); these are car times, and a coach takes longer: Genève Aéroport to Täsch is about 3 h 30 min by coach

Tyres and chains

Swiss law sets no date for winter tyres. A vehicle must be fit for the road, and snow chains are compulsory wherever the chain sign is shown. Where a pass or resort road begins, a road-condition sign tells drivers whether it is open, shut or passable only on chains. Ask for the vehicle's winter equipment to be stated on the quote.

What organisers ask us

Can a coach drive up to Zermatt?

No. Beyond Täsch only licensed taxis use the road. The group changes to the shuttle train at the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch.

How much ski luggage fits?

A full-size coach takes skis and boot bags in its underfloor holds. In a minibus with every seat taken there is little room left, so a second vehicle may be needed. Give the number of ski bags in the request.

Where does a coach park in Davos in winter?

Only at Parkplatz Panorama, with a coach parking card. The Metz car park takes coaches from June to November only. The road from Zurich Airport via Landquart and Klosters is open all year.

Destinations

Vehicles, each with a driver