My climbing partner and I will be flying into Switzerland in July to climb in the Alps. We were wondering about short term lodging there. Any suggestions from our Swiss SP memers would be a great help. Cheap hostels, hotels, couches etc. Thank you in advance...

In Zermatt, the basic "Annex" section in the basement of the Hotel Antika was the best deal in town that we could find. Sick view of the Matterhorn from the bridge next to the hotel, too.

I can also make recommendations for huts/hostels along or near the Tour du Mont Blanc and Haute Route if that's where you are going.

- Greg

In Visp there is a small and good value hotel called “Visperhof”. They provide free WLAN access in the hotel and free parking in a garage plus a superb breakfast and everything for only 65,-€. Good deal.

Visp is located very central in the western Alps at the spot where Mattervalley and Saasvalley meet the Rhone valley. All higher mountains of the western alps can be reached very fast from there within under 2hrs. This is a good and central base to start from before and come back after some days climbing different mountains.
They are also very flexible with the booking and you don't have to stay all nights in a row, but can leave your room when your out for mountaineering and come back another day.

Possiblities:

You can get to the western part of Bernese Alps and reach Kandersteg in 1:31hrs and climb Doldenhorn or Blümlisalp.

You can access the southern side of Bernese Alps and get to Blatten and Fafleralp in 1:30hrs to climb Bietschhorn.

You can use the Simplonpass to get into Italy and reach Macugnaga in 1:57hrs. and take a look at Europes highest iceface, the 2,7km high Monte Rosa eastface (or even climb it?).

Zermatt is reached in 1:16hrs. and Saas Fee in 0:59hrs. From both villages you are in touch and have acess to a big amount of 4000m mountains located in the following moutainranges: Weissmies-range, Mischabel-range, Monterosa-range, Weisshorn-range.

To get into France and the city of Chamonix is possible in 1:53 hrs. Montblanc-range offers everything.

To get into Italy and the city of Aosta is possible in 1:59 via the S.Bernard tunnel.


If you are looking for something directly in Saas Fee or Zermatt with comparable quality, you'd have to pay more. I wouldn't recommend a stay in the very touristic spots because not only accomodation but also food is way more expensive there than in some spots not far away.
From the saved money you can easily rent a car and drive around here and there.

There are also some cheapish places down the valley from Zermatt in the villages on the road. If you change and go to Cham. I can rocommend the Gite Le Belvédére in Argentiére. (033 4 50 54 02 59) Very friendly and reasonably priced. Both owners speak good English and last year there was a nice American chap working there too.

http://www.rooms.ch/index.cfm?nav=home&lang=e&CFID=4012380&CFTOKEN=73916000

and you will be happy.

Cheers D.

Thank you all very much. I will look into each of these I am sure more than one will be suitable.

Kandersteg is sort of a sleeper - it's relatively cheap but on the main rail line so you can play the weather and be in the Wallis or in the Berner Oberland very quickly. There are also penty of things to do directly from there, too. We usually have rented an apartment there with all amenities for far less than most hotels but certainly not as cheap as a hostel (there is one there). Contact family Klopfenstein if interested. PM me for more details.

There is a large hostel in Interlaken, also a good jumping off point for various parts of Switzerland.

We went to Grindelwald and Saas Fee in July 2005, let me know by PM if you are interested in our lodging. The hostel at Grindelwald was specially nice