Malpensa to Zermatt via Täsch: car or train

Täsch is the end of the road

Petrol and diesel cars are banned in Zermatt. Only small electric vehicles and horse-drawn carriages use its streets. Every car journey, whether you drive yourself or are driven, ends in Täsch, 5 km down the valley.

That's where you'll find the Matterhorn Terminal: a covered multi-storey car park with about 2,100 spaces and the shuttle station. It's open around the clock.

The shuttle leaves every 20 minutes from 05:55 to 21:55 and takes 12 minutes. After that it runs hourly, and through the night at weekends. Licensed local taxis also operate from Täsch.

So when you book, put "to Täsch" as the destination. The driver unloads at the terminal, next to the platform, and helps carry your ski bags to the shuttle.

Every way to get there

Train and shuttle details come from the operators and were checked on 5 September 2026.

By train over the Simplon

From Milan the train crosses the Simplon to Brig or Visp. There you change onto the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, which climbs all the way into Zermatt.

The whole trip takes about five hours with two changes, and tickets cost €60–90.

It's a good choice for one or two people with compact luggage, and half the journey runs through lovely mountain scenery.

Ski bags and several suitcases are another story: you have to haul them off and on at every change.

By car: border, pass and vignette

The road from Malpensa to Täsch goes over the Simplon Pass. You're entering Switzerland, so every passenger needs a passport.

In winter the Simplon is sometimes closed, and the car then takes a detour that adds to the journey. That's why we quote a range rather than one figure: 3 h 30 min to 4 h 10 min.

If you're driving yourself, Swiss motorways require a vignette costing CHF 40. The 2026 sticker is valid until 31 January 2027. Parking at the Täsch terminal is charged.

The 2026/27 winter season

Zermatt belongs to the Matterhorn Ski Paradise, which it shares with Cervinia in Italy. The winter season runs from 1 November 2026 to 3 May 2027, with the Sunnegga-Rothorn and Gornergrat areas opening on 28 November.

You can ski across to Cervinia and back in a day. Take your passport, as you're crossing a border.

From 6 to 10 April 2027 Zermatt hosts the Zermatt Unplugged music festival, when hotels and roads are noticeably busier.

Fares to Täsch

Tap a row to book this route.

Times in the table assume the Simplon is open. If the pass is shut the drive takes longer, up to 4 h 10 min from Malpensa.

You see the fare when you book, and it stays the same for the agreed route. Motorway tolls, luggage, ski carriage and the first 60 minutes of waiting at the airport are included.

Child seats are free. You pay the driver on the day, in cash or by card, with no prepayment.

Back from Täsch to Milan

The return works the same way in reverse: you ride the shuttle down from Zermatt to Täsch, and the car is waiting at the terminal. The return trip is 10% cheaper. If you fly out of Malpensa in the evening, allow extra time in case the pass is closed and the driver has to take the detour.

Making up your mind

At €60–90 and five hours, the train is a sensible option for one or two people travelling light. The car is easier with a late landing, a group or plenty of luggage, but it too only gets you as far as Täsch: the final 5 km are always by shuttle or local taxi.

If you're landing in the evening, tell us your arrival time. After 21:55 the shuttle runs only once an hour, so it's worth matching your arrival in Täsch to its timetable.