Saas-Fee holidays

How to reach Saas-Fee

• Flight time: There are no direct flights to Saas-Fee. Flights to Geneva or flights to Zurich airports take about 1 hour 40 minutes from London.

• Transfer time: From Geneva Airport, the transfer to Saas-Fee is a scenic 3-hour 45-minute train ride, while from Zurich, the journey takes around 3 hours 20 minutes.

• Price: Train fares from Geneva to Visp range from CHF 30 to CHF 60. The bus from Visp to Saas-Fee costs around CHF 10. A direct taxi from Geneva Airport to Saas-Fee would set you back at least CHF 500.

Best time to visit Saas-Fee

If skiing and snowboarding are the priority on your Saas-Fee holidays, then the winter months are an obvious choice, while spring and summer are best for hiking and other outdoor pursuits.

• December to March: High season in Saas-Fee, so expect consistently large crowds and pricier accommodation, which will also need to be booked well in advance. Temperatures range between -5°C and 5°C, and you can expect consistent snow coverage on the slopes.

• April to June: This is Saas-Fee’s shoulder season when many of the facilities close down, but it’s a fantastic time for hiking. Temperatures rise from around 10°C to 20°C, with moderate rainfall (40–80mm) and 6–8 hours of sunshine.

• July to August: The ideal time for outdoor pursuits like hiking, mountain biking and lake swimming. Saas-Fee’s mountains offer a cool escape, with temperatures between 15°C to 25°C and around 8–10 hours of sunshine daily.

• September to November: The second shoulder season, with cooler temperatures between 5C and 15°C, more frequent rain (70–100mm) and about 4–7 hours of sunshine. September, and even October, are still great times to venture into the mountains for some hiking.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Otherwise, most people speak English to a very high level.

• Local habits and customs: All bar, restaurant and hotel bills are calculated with 15 percent service included; staff are on proper salaries and tipping is officially abolished.

• Health and safety: An extremely safe country, Switzerland has only a small force of plain-clothes federal police (Polizei, police, polizia). You must carry your passport at all times.

• Currency: Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). Almost all Swiss banks have English-language ATMs which accept foreign debit and credit cards, and you can pay for most goods and services using plastic.

• Getting around: Saas-Fee is car-free, and there is a huge parking area at the entrance to the village (free for the first 3 hours, discounted with a visitor card issued by your hotel); parking at the base of the gondola in Saas-Grund, or at Saas-Almagell further up the valley, is only slightly cheaper.

• Electricity and plug types: Switzerland uses Type J plugs, with a standard voltage of 230V. UK travellers will need an adaptor.

• Time zone: Switzerland operates on Central European Time (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT.

• Required travel documentation: UK travellers do not need a visa for stays up to 90 days. You’ll just need your passport.

Local dishes in Saas-Fee

Whether you’re enjoying a hearty meal after a day on the slopes or relaxing with a drink by a warming fireplace, Saas-Fee’s culinary offerings are sure to impress.

Some typical dishes

• Fondue: A communal pot of melted cheese served with bread cubes for dipping, the classic style is a moitiémoitié (“half-and-half”), using either Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois, or Gruyère and Emmental.

• Rösti: Shredded potato formed into a large patty and fried golden brown on both sides. This can either be an accompaniment to a main course or, with the embellishment of ham, melted cheese, a fried egg and/or bacon bits, be a comfortably affordable main course.

• Raclette: A large half-round of cheese is held in front of a fire, and as it melts it’s scraped (raclé) onto a plate, and served with boiled potatoes, pearl onions and pickles.

Meat dishes

• Zürcher Geschnetzeltes: Diced veal in a creamy mushroom sauce often served with rösti.

• Saucisson Vaudois: This pork and beef Vaud sausage is famous for its delicately smoked flavour, served boiled or steamed alongside papet vaudois, a purée of potatoes and leeks.

Street food

• Bratwurst: A popular street food across Switzerland, these juicy, meat-packed sausages are typically served with a side of bread or mustard.

• Pretzels (Brezel): Sold at markets and bakeries, these soft, salty breads are just the job for a quick bite on the run.

Sweets and desserts

• Chocolate: Today, more chocolate is sold in Switzerland per head of population than in any other country. The country has a long tradition of confectioners producing hand-filled luxury chocolates for special occasions, such as chocolate-covered chestnuts in autumn and chocolate bears, a Bernese favourite.

• Meringues: Invented in or near Meiringen, most Emmental and Bernese Oberland villages offer their own cream-laden meringue creations.

Local drinks

• Swiss wine: Switzerland’s wine industry is modest, but a couple of regions produce some impressive vintages, most notably Lavaux.

• Kirsch: The country’s most famous distilled spirit or liquor, this is a cherry spirit from Zug and around Lake Lucerne.

• Swiss beer: Beer (Bier, bière, birra) on draught (vom Fass, à la pression, alla pressione) comes as a flavourful lager-type brew, always served with a large head of foam.

Best things to do in Saas-Fee

Beautiful village set in an amphitheatre of glaciers, ideal for sunny summer walks and gentle skiing and boarding. Saas-Fee can lay claim to unrivalled Alpine views and landscapes.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Mittelallalin: Take the highest funicular in the world to Mittelallalin at 3,500m, which is also home to the world’s highest revolving restaurant.

• Hohsaas: Another stunning viewpoint, reachable via cable car, offering vistas that stretch across 18 peaks around 4,000m high.

The best districts

• The Old Village of Saas-Fee: The most beguiling part of Saas-Fee is just down from the bus station, where several quaint lanes are flanked by dozens of old–fashioned mazots (wooden barns) propped up on stone discs. Stadelweg will lead you down (southwest) through the barns into the heart of the village, packed with shops and boutiques.

Museums

• Village Museum: The town’s one real sight - and well worth a peek - has illuminating displays covering everything from photos of life in Saas-Fee before tourism took hold to ancient looms, sledges and church decorations.

Historical monuments

• Baroque Church of Saas-Fee: The village church is a beautiful Baroque specimen of classic alpine design, whose interior is smothered with fine frescoes.

Day trips in the area

• Sierre: A lovely, sunny and unpretentious wine town on the Rhône, with vineyard walks leading along the valley.

• Zermatt and the Matterhorn: Switzerland’s most famous mountain resort offers a vast array of skiing and boarding, plus great summer walks – all watched over by the giant Matterhorn.

• The Goms: The upper part of the Rhône valley, stretching from Brig to the high Alpine passes, is known as the Goms - rarely visited high country, it’s remote, tranquil and sublime.

Activities for families in Saas-Fee

Saas-Fee is a fantastic destination for families, offering activities that entertain both kids and adults alike. From snow sports to educational excursions, there’s something for everyone.

• Saas-Fee Adventure Park: This high ropes course will keep kids entertained for hours, with zip lines, climbing walls and rope bridges. Forest Fun Park comprises three adventure circuits of varying difficulty, with zip lines and bridges strung between the trees. Some 300m further on is the Gorner Gorge where walkways lead down and around a narrow valley cut by a raging torrent.

• Alpin Express funicular: This unique underground funicular whisks families up to the glacier, where you can enjoy snow activities even in summer. Kids love the novelty of being underground and the promise of a snowball fight in July.

• Tobogganing: Feeblitz is a thrilling year-round toboggan run that winds down the slopes, offering a wickedly fast ride.

• Ice Pavilion: Explore the depths of the Allalin Glacier at this incredible ice grotto, whose shimmering ice sculptures will live long in the memory.

Nature and outdoor activities in Saas-Fee

Holidays to Saas-Fee are a haven for those who love the great outdoors, with activities available throughout the year that take full advantage of its stunning alpine setting. Whether you’re visiting in summer or winter, there’s always something to get your pulse racing.

• Skiing and snowboarding: With a preponderance of blue and red pistes, Saas-Fee is ideal skiing territory for beginners or intermediates, and its snowboarding facilities have made it one of Switzerland’s top boarding destinations. The focus of attention is the “Alpin Express” lifts serving the Felskinn (3000m); from here, there are plenty of good blue and red runs coming down the side of the huge glacial bowl that towers all around, plus a snowboarding half-pipe.

• Hiking and trekking: Hiking routes abound, both in summer, with long treks finding a way between the peaks into the Mattertal, and in winter, when some 30km of trails above the village remain open. Popular routes include the Saas-Fee to Almagelleralp trail and the scenic route to Mattmark Lake, both offering a glimpse of the region’s diverse landscapes.

• Glacier trekking: Embark on a guided trek across the glaciers, a thrilling way to explore the frozen landscapes up close - and you don’t need to be a seasoned adventurer as there are options for novices too.