You can't drive into Zermatt. Private cars stop in Täsch, 5 km down the valley, and Zermatt Tourism says electric cars are no exception. The last stretch of road is for permit holders only.
My plan: park at Matterhorn Terminal Täsch, about CHF 17 a day, and take the shuttle train from the same building, CHF 17.20 return. For a cheaper day rate, I'd stop one station earlier at Randa, CHF 12.
Parking in Zermatt: Täsch: CHF 17 a day and a 12-minute train
1. Buy the CHF 40 vignette first
Any Swiss motorway on the way needs the vignette. It's CHF 40, and the 2027 one runs from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2028. Buy the e-vignette at the federal Via shop; it's tied to your plate. Without one the fine is CHF 200, and you still buy the vignette.
2. Stop at Täsch, not the barrier
The road from Täsch to Zermatt is closed to motor traffic except authorised users. Since 1 December 2024 the canton issues those permits through an app, and they're for people with a right of access, not visitors. Zermatt Tourism warns of "large fines" and publishes no amount.
3. Park at Matterhorn Terminal Täsch
Matterhorn Terminal Täsch has 2,100 covered spaces, opens 24/7 and has the station inside. parking.ch lists CHF 5 up to 2 hours, CHF 15 up to 8, CHF 17 a day, CHF 16 a day from the eighth day. The older zermatt.ch page still says CHF 16 a day; the machine wins, so I budget 17. Height is 2.30 m; taller vans use the outdoor car park next to it.
4. Ride the shuttle, CHF 8.60 each way
Trains leave every 20 minutes from 05:55 to 21:55 and take 12 minutes to Zermatt Bahnhofplatz. An adult pays CHF 8.60 single, CHF 17.20 return; children 6–16 with a Junior or half-fare card pay half. Extra night trains run Thursday to Sunday, times unpublished. Luggage trolleys cost a CHF 5 deposit and roll onto the train.
5. Do the sum before you book
Two adults, three days at the terminal: CHF 51 parking plus CHF 34.40 in tickets, CHF 85.40. Hotel Mountime charges CHF 10 a day in summer, but its minibus is CHF 10 a head with a CHF 30 minimum per trip, so the same pair pays CHF 90. Four adults tip it the other way: CHF 110 against CHF 119.80 at the terminal.
The classic mistake is following the satnav towards Zermatt itself. The car stays in Täsch.
Car parks worth knowing
| Car park | Price | Height | EV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matterhorn Terminal Täsch (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn)3929 Täsch, under the same roof as the shuttle station; 2,100 covered spaces, open 24 hours, 365 days. Desk +41 27 967 12 14 | parking.ch: CHF 5 up to 2 hours, CHF 9 up to 4, CHF 12 up to 6, CHF 15 up to 8, CHF 17 a day, CHF 16 a day from 8 days. An older tourist-board page still shows CHF 16 a day; the machine wins. Height 2.30 m; taller vehicles use an outdoor car park next door. | 2.3 m | 131 spaces in an e-zone, 22 kW AC with cable and Type 2 plug, paid by QR code (card, Twint, Apple Pay, Google Pay). parking.ch: CHF 4 a session plus CHF 0.65 per kWh. |
| Parkhaus Randa (Gemeinde Randa)By Randa station and the Gemeindehaus, 3928 Randa, one stop before Täsch; 88 covered spaces plus 12 outdoor by the church. Open 24 hours. +41 27 967 17 76 | CHF 1 an hour, CHF 12 a day. Garage machine takes francs or euros, no cards; the church car park takes francs or cards, no euros. Height not published. | not published | Not published. |
| Welcome Parking Täsch (Taxi Fredy)Kantonsstrasse 81, 3929 Täsch; over 120 indoor spaces plus outdoor, open around the clock. +41 27 967 01 70 | Per day: summer CHF 8 outdoor, CHF 15 indoor; winter CHF 10 outdoor, CHF 18 indoor. Only bookable with its taxi transfer to Zermatt (fare not published). No minimum stay. | not published | Charging an electric car: CHF 30 flat. |
| Hotel Mountime parking + shuttleKantonsstrasse 185, 3929 Täsch; over 120 spaces underground, outdoor spaces for tall vehicles. +41 27 967 12 26 | CHF 10 a day 1 May–31 October, CHF 13 1 November–30 April. Minimum 2 days, only with its minibus: CHF 10 a person each way, at least CHF 30 a trip. | not published | Not published. |
| Parkhaus Bahnhof / TäscherhofBahnhofstrasse 1, 3929 Täsch, at the station; open 24 hours. Pay at the machine or Hotel Täscherhof reception. +41 27 966 62 62 | Described as "low-cost"; no tariff, spaces or height published. | not published | Not published. |
The cheapest way to park, by how long you stay
| If you stay | Cheapest | Cost | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours in the centre | Parkhaus Randa (Gemeinde Randa) | 2 CHF ≈ €2.2 | Train to Zermatt extra; fare not published here |
| A full day (10 h) | Welcome Parking Täsch (Taxi Fredy) | 8 CHF ≈ €8.7 | Summer outdoor rate; taxi transfer compulsory and extra |
| 24 hours | Welcome Parking Täsch (Taxi Fredy) | 8 CHF ≈ €8.7 | Summer outdoor rate; taxi transfer compulsory and extra |
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Towed in Zermatt: Nobody tows in Zermatt because nobody parks there
1. Know there's no street parking
Zermatt has no kerb for visitors to get wrong. Every Täsch car park I found is privately run, and neither Täsch nor Zermatt publishes a towing procedure, car pound or fee.
2. Ask the operator first
If your car isn't where you left it, go to the Matterhorn Terminal desk, staffed daily 07:00–19:00, or ring +41 27 967 12 14. For a crime or an emergency, the Swiss police number is 117.
3. Know the federal fines
On public roads Swiss fines are fixed nationally: CHF 40 for overstaying by up to two hours, CHF 60 up to four, CHF 100 up to ten. At CHF 17 a day, an hour over in the wrong spot costs more than two days at the terminal.
What would actually cost me here is the vignette fine, not a tow.
If your car has disappeared
- Who took it
- There is no street parking for visitors in Zermatt; the town is closed to private cars. Täsch publishes no towing procedure, car pound or fee, and the Täsch car parks are privately run. On public roads Swiss parking fines are fixed federally
- Phone
- Police emergency, Switzerland: 117
Matterhorn Terminal Täsch desk: +41 27 967 12 14
Gemeinde Randa (runs the Randa car park): +41 27 967 17 76 - Collect it at
- No car pound is published. If your car has gone from a Täsch car park, ask the operator first, starting with the Matterhorn Terminal desk.
- Hours
- Matterhorn Terminal's ticket desk is staffed daily 07:00–19:00, says Zermatt Tourism; the car park itself never closes.
- What it costs
- Federal fines (Ordnungsbussenverordnung): CHF 40 for overstaying up to 2 hours, CHF 60 up to 4, CHF 100 up to 10. No vignette: CHF 200 plus the CHF 40 vignette. Driving on to Zermatt without a permit: "large fines", amount not published.
- Bring
- Nobody publishes a list. I'd bring the parking ticket or booking, my driving licence, passport and, for a hire car, the rental agreement.
EV charging in Zermatt: 131 charging bays under the Täsch roof
1. Charge at the terminal
Matterhorn Terminal has an e-zone of 131 spaces with 22 kW AC chargers, cable and Type 2 plug attached. You pay by QR code with a card, Twint, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
2. Expect CHF 4 plus 65 centimes
parking.ch lists CHF 4 a session plus CHF 0.65 per kWh. A 20 kWh top-up is CHF 17, the price of the parking day again. An older tourist-board page still promises 17 free chargers; I'd trust the newer listing and read the screen.
3. Skip the CHF 30 flat rate
Welcome Parking charges CHF 30 to charge a car, whatever it takes. Below about 40 kWh, the terminal is cheaper.
4. Leave the plug behind in Zermatt
Inside Zermatt you're on e-taxis and a free e-bus. There's nowhere for a visitor's car to charge because there's nowhere for it to be.
I'd plug in at the terminal and forget the car until the drive home.
Where to charge
- Matterhorn Terminal Täsch e-zone, 131 spaces — Matterhorn Terminal Täsch, inside the car park; two of the ten disabled bays also charge. 22 kW AC, cable with Type 2 plug, pay by QR code. parking.ch gives CHF 4 a session plus CHF 0.65 per kWh. An older tourist-board page still says 17 free chargers; I'd trust the newer listing and read the screen
- Welcome Parking Täsch — Welcome Parking, Kantonsstrasse 81. Charging is a CHF 30 flat fee; no power or plug type published
- Zermatt itself: e-taxis and a free e-bus — Zermatt, no public charging for visitors' cars because visitors' cars can't get in. Inside Zermatt you ride e-taxis or the free e-bus (Ski-Bus and Winkelmatten lines). Taxi fares are not published
Free parking in Zermatt: Randa for CHF 12, Kiss & Ride for nothing
1. Park in Randa for CHF 12
Parkhaus Randa, run by the village, sits beside Randa station one stop before Täsch: CHF 1 an hour, CHF 12 a day, 88 covered spaces plus 12 by the church. The garage machine takes francs or euros but no cards. The train fare from Randa wasn't published where I looked.
2. Use Kiss & Ride for drop-offs
Matterhorn Terminal has a free outdoor Kiss & Ride, 30 minutes at most. That's enough to unload skis and passengers.
3. Ride Zermatt's e-bus free
Zermatt Tourism lists a free e-bus on two lines, Ski-Bus and Winkelmatten. Once you're off the shuttle, getting around costs nothing.
4. Don't count on free hotel parking
I found no hotel whose own site says parking is free. The cheapest outdoor rate in Täsch is Welcome Parking at CHF 8 a day in summer, but its taxi transfer is compulsory and unpriced.
Every figure here was checked on 26 October 2026. There's no free parking for Zermatt, only cheaper.
Free or nearly-free spots
Free 30 minutes: Kiss & Ride at the terminal
Matterhorn Terminal has a free outdoor Kiss & Ride for drop-offs, 30 minutes at most. Fine for unloading skis and family; not for the day.
Randa: CHF 12 a day, one stop earlier
Gemeinde Randa's car park by the station charges CHF 1 an hour and CHF 12 a day, the lowest public day rate I found in the valley. The garage machine takes no cards.
Free e-bus inside Zermatt
Zermatt Tourism lists a free e-bus on two lines, Ski-Bus and Winkelmatten. Once you are off the shuttle, getting around costs nothing.
Motorcycles: free spots at Umschlag
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn says motorcycles pay car rates in the garage, but free motorcycle spots exist at Umschlag/Bahnhofplatz when space allows.
⚠ The small print on 'free' parking
- The 5 km road from Täsch to Zermatt is closed to private cars. Zermatt Tourism says electric cars follow the same rule and warns of large fines. Since 1 December 2024 the canton issues permits for vehicles up to 3.5 t through the "Strasse NG13 Zermatt" app; they are for people with a right of access, not visitors.
- Matterhorn Terminal is 2.30 m high. Roof boxes and vans over that go to the outdoor car park beside it, which needs no reservation.
- Switzerland has no low-emission zone to register for. A foreign car needs the CHF 40 vignette for the motorways; the 2027 one is valid from 1 December 2026 to 31 January 2028. Buy the e-vignette at the federal Via shop; it's tied to your plate.
- In January 2018 avalanche danger closed both the road and the railway between Täsch and Zermatt (SRF). In heavy snow, check the line is running before you set off.
- Two Matterhorn Terminal tariffs circulate: CHF 16 a day on the older zermatt.ch page, CHF 17 on parking.ch. I've budgeted CHF 17 on this page.
- Shuttle trains run 05:55–21:55 every 20 minutes, with extra night trains Thursday to Sunday whose times aren't published. Arriving late on a Monday? Check the last train.
Take these places with you
Every place on this page as a file you can keep — car parks with their prices, the free and park-and-ride spots, the chargers and the pound.