Is Zermatt worth the costs$$?

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Zermatt in early March, and have read many negative reviews on the experience there being entirely more expensive than what it is worth. I figured I would get the real deal opinion here..

For a single 30's guy looking for some great snowboarding, fun nightlife, and wonderful scenery, is Zermatt the place to be or are there other, more affordable but equally similar opportunities elsewhere?

Anyone..Bueller?

Hope so. My mate is off there on 30 Dec with his missis ;) :oops:

Although expensive, it is a fantastic resort with excellent skiing and spectacular scenery.

I have only skied there once a few years ago for our 25th wedding anniversary - it was suggested to us as a suitable place for such a celebration and one of those places 'you must ski before you die' :D
The whole experience was certainly different and nothing like the ski-in-ski-out resorts of say France. The journey up to Zermatt on the railway, getting up to the slopes on the cog railway or on the Sunnega Express is just so different.
However, have we been back - No - although we might consider it if we saw a bargain late deal. I don't think we saw a snowboarder the whole week we were there - although surely there must be snowboarders there? The average age of the skiers we saw out on the slopes was probably the oldest we have come across! I wouldn't personally recommend it as a 'young person' resort, although I daresay someone will come along shortly who thinks differently. Not a resort that is easy to do on a limited budget either, although there was MacDonalds in the main street and a supermarket for self-catering.

Best boarder territory in Flims/Laax & Verbier and no contest. Burton European Open is from February 25 - March 3 in Flims.

I looked at zermatt for Christmas with the Mrs but in the need decided on Cervinia on the other side of the border so we get the best of both worlds cheaper food,accommodation and night life but we are still able to Ski Zermatt as well as Cervinia.

Hello there,
If you'd have already booked and I'd said chill and just enjoy it, but if you haven't there are probably better places, OK there are defiantly better places if you're worried about the costs. Zermatt isn't expensive per se it's just the relative strength of the CHF against pretty much every currency going. Allot of tour operators are trying to offset this by offering 2 for 1 or half price lift passes (no good for you on the 2 for 1 though obviously). In fact I was tempted to 2 deals in Zermatt and Verbier with Crystal in catered chalet including lift passes was coming out to under £700pp which I think is the way to go if you're concerned about in resort prices.

Zermatt is awesome for the advanced Skier or boarder, the off piste is simply amazing and the resort is also good for a strong intermediate-what level are you? As an overall package including Après Zermatt is awesome. The link over to Cervinia can be a bit tedious and unreliable so I'd not stay in Cervinia if I wanted to spend most of my time in Zermatt but Cervinia is a very good resort and is the definition of intermediate crusing IMO!

It really depends on your level as to what I'd suggest as viable alternatives. Let's rule out France because the schools will still be holidaying the first week of March, and although some resorts have good après the prices are generally punitive. This leave Austria, If you're more of an Intermediate and spend more time on than off piste look at Ischgl, if you want more off piste than on and are advanced it has to be St. Anton. If you really want to save on costs for extra beer tokens and are more of an intermediate standard consider Soll or Mayrhofen or slightly more expensive but better sliding Kitzbuhel or maybe Saalbach.

Is it worth it ...it really depends how desperate you to visit Zermatt, personally I'd for go the skiing and visit for a day in the summer. It would be nice to see the Matterhorn but I'm not desperate to ski there.