Region

Valais

Sleep in one valley base; reach the side valleys by train plus postbus, not by hire car.

Travel to Switzerland Plan a trip

More: share, save offline, report a correction

Key facts · Switzerland

Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Swiss franc (CHF)
Language: German, French, Italian and Romansh
Plugs: J · C · 230 V
Time zone: CET, UTC+1

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…

Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
Switzerland ↗Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not the EU: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
Switzerland ↗Switzerland is outside the EU customs area: allowances on meat, alcohol and tobacco are strict and checked at borders.
Switzerland ↗Motorways need a vignette (sticker or e-vignette) before you drive on them.

Valais is one long L-shaped Rhone valley with side valleys climbing off it. Trains run the floor of the valley; postbuses and mountain railways climb from the stations. Pick one base for 3–4 nights and day-trip the rest rather than moving hotels every night.

Where to sleep

10 places in this region

Sleep base

ZermattCity guide
Car-free; Matterhorn views and high-altitude lifts.
Best Jul–Sep, Jan–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Zermatt →
BrigCity guide
Main rail junction; Simplon and Italy trains.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Brig →
SionCity guide
Canton capital; two hill castles, valley trains.
Best Jun–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Sion →

Day trip

Saas-FeeCity guide
Car-free village; Mittelallalin cable car.
Best Jul–Sep, Dec–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Saas-Fee →
VerbierCity guide
High plateau above Martigny; ski and summer lifts.
Best Jul–Sep, Dec–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Verbier →
Crans-MontanaCity guide
Sunny plateau above Sierre; mountain railway from the valley.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Crans-Montana →
LeukerbadCity guide
Thermal baths; bus up from Leuk station.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Leukerbad →
SierreCity guide
Valley town; base for the Crans-Montana funicular.
Best May–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Sierre →
FieschCity guide
Cable car to the Aletsch glacier area.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Fiesch →

Also here

VispCity guide
Where north–south and east–west lines meet; change here.
Best Jun, Sep, Dec–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Visp →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Zermatt 3, day-trip Saas-Fee or the Gornergrat
4 nights: Zermatt 2 + Brig or Sion 2, day-trip Leukerbad and Crans-Montana
5 nights: Zermatt 2 + Sion 2 + Brig 1, add Fiesch for the Aletsch

Valais is large: Gletsch to Saint-Gingolph is over 170 km (106 mi), so a 'quick' side-valley hop can eat half a day.Valais is large: Gletsch to Saint-Gingolph is over 106 mi (170 km), so a 'quick' side-valley hop can eat half a day.
Off-piste skiing and alpine tours need the avalanche bulletin and often a guide; helicopter rescue is billed by the minute and runs to thousands of francs.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Saas-Fee	Visp	75 min	unknown	Bus from Visp or Stalden; last descent is early evening — check.
Leukerbad	Leuk	40 min	unknown	Bus climbs from Leuk station; baths need a booking in high season.
Crans-Montana	Sierre	35 min	unknown	Funicular from Sierre; check seasonal timetable.
Fiesch / Aletsch	Brig	70 min	unknown	Train to Fiesch then cable car; go early for glacier views.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding between Swiss stations is usually next-day (D+1); the receiving hotel must accept it.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Zermatt	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	ok
Brig	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	×	×	go
Sion	×	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	×	×
Saas-Fee	go	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	go	ok	ok	go
Verbier	go	go	go	go	×	ok	go	go	go	ok	×	go
Crans-Montana	go	go	go	×	×	go	go	go	go	×	×	go
Leukerbad	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	×	×	go
Sierre	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok
Fiesch	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	×	×	go
Visp	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	ok	ok	go	ok	×	go
Switzerland (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Rhone valley (Sion)Valley floor, about 480 m	cool	cool	ok	best	best	best	hot	hot	best	best	ok	cool
High resorts and passesZermatt, Saas-Fee, Great St Bernard	snow	snow	snow	ok	ok	best	best	best	ok	ok	snow	snow

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windows

Rhone valley (Sion): One of the driest, sunniest parts of Switzerland; summer can hit 35 °C (95 °F), and long dry spells bring forest fires every few years.One of the driest, sunniest parts of Switzerland; summer can hit 95 °F (35 °C), and long dry spells bring forest fires every few years.
High resorts and passes: Snow from November to April; the Great St Bernard Pass sits near 2,470 m and is a winter route by ski or helicopter only.

Christmas, the February sports holidays and Easter are the ski peaks; January is the quiet month. September and October are mild and quiet for walking.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Geneva Airport	Brig via Martigny, Sion, Visp	Direct train, twice hourly	~2 h 41 to Brig	Stops include Martigny (~1 h 51), Sion (~2 h 05) and Visp (~2 h 32); not all trains stop everywhere.
Zurich Airport	Brig via Visp	Direct train, hourly	~2 h 33 to Brig	Runs through the 34 km (21 mi) Lötschberg base tunnel.Runs through the 21 mi (34 km) Lötschberg base tunnel.
Milan Malpensa	Brig	Train with changes	check	Fewer connections and no direct train from the airport.
Bern / Spiez	Brig via the old Lötschberg line	Regional train, change required	~1 h longer	Scenic descent with a stop at Goppenstein for the Lötschental; popular with hikers.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Swiss Travel Pass

check

Covers SBB, RegionAlps and most postbuses; run the fares for your legs before buying.

Half Fare Card

check

Pays off if you ride several mountain railways, which are discounted but rarely free.

Point-to-point tickets

buy

All timetables and tickets sit on the SBB site, even for private lines.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Raclette	Valais-wide	Cheese melted and scraped onto potatoes or bread with gherkins and pearl onions.
Croûte au fromage / Käseschnitte	Valais-wide	Bread soaked in Fendant wine, baked under cheese; ham or egg versions exist.
Cholera	Valais-wide	Covered pie of potato, leek, apple and cheese.
Assiette valaisanne / Walliserteller	Valais-wide	Cold platter of rye bread, dried meat, cured ham, cheese and sausage.
Brisolée	Valais-wide	Cold cuts with hot chestnuts and dried fruit; an autumn dish.
Apricots and apricot liqueur (Apricotine)	Valais-wide	Local fruit around July; buy boxes labelled Wallis or Valais.

Go next

Lake Geneva Region

Train west from Martigny or Sion

Montreux, Lavaux and Chillon; the natural end of the valley.

Geneva

Train ~2 h from Sion

Fly home from here if the ticket is open-jaw.

Domodossola, Italy

planned

Train ~30 min from Brig

Then the Centovalli line to Locarno; Swiss passes cover it.

Bern

planned

Train from Visp via the Bernese Highlands

Pairs with a Valais stop on a north–south route.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 3 bases
Day trips: 4, 35 min to 1 h 15
Nights suggested: 3–5 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: Jun (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Travel to Switzerland Up to Switzerland

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialValais/Wallis Promotion — official tourism
officialCanton of Valais — official site
officialSwiss Federal Railways (SBB) — timetables and tickets
officialMeteoSwiss — climate data
officialSLF — avalanche bulletin
secondaryWikivoyage: Valais, revision 5306048 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Valais

Loading…

Was this useful?