efficient; timetables and online ticket sales can be found at www.sbb.ch
By train
If you choose to travel out to Switzerland by train then you will not be disappointed by the service once there. It may be worth buying a Swiss rail pass; the Swiss Tourist Office in your home country will be able to advise (UK tel: 0207 734 1921). All the different passes are described in detail on www.myswissalps.com/swissrailpasses
The preferred mode of transport in Zermatt
A lovely grassy trail leads down to Rifugio Prarayer at the end of Stage 5
By car
If you drive to Switzerland you'll need to buy a motorway ‘vignette’ on entry to the country, which currently costs 40chf for the year. You cannot take the car to Zermatt, but must park at Täsch and take the train up to the town.
Bus
Eurolines offer a regular service from Britain and Ireland to Switzerland, serving both Geneva and Zurich. Whilst the journey is long the price is competitive: www.eurolines.com tel: 020 7730 8235.
Breuil-Cervinia
By air
The nearest airport is Turin, tel: +39.011.5676361/2 www.aeroportoditorino.it
Turin airport is served by:
Ryanair www.ryanair.com tel: 0871 246 0000
Easyjet www.easyjet.com tel: 0870 600 0000
British Airways www.ba.com tel: 0844 4930787
Coming to Italy from outside Europe the nearest airport is Milan.
By train
Turin is served by train and is on the railway route to Aosta. From there good bus services run up the valley to Breuil-Cervinia. There is no direct connection from Turin or Milan to Cervinia. To reach Cervinia you have to change bus at Chatillon. The bus stations are in the city and not at the airports.
By car
Driving in Italy is generally good fun so long as you have an adventurous spirit. The motorways usually charge tolls.
Bus
Eurolines offer a regular service from Britain and Ireland to Italy with stops at Turin and Aosta and Chatillon, which is at the bottom of the valley up to Cervinia. Whilst the journey is long the price is competitive: www.eurolines.com tel: 020 7730 8235.
From Zurich, Geneva or Turin airports you can reach any of the other towns encountered during the trek. In Switzerland the train is the best option for getting along the main valleys, then the yellow PTT buses give access to all but the remotest villages. These tend to meet up with the trains, so travel is exceptionally easy. Italy is a different story; here the bus seems to be the best option.
Accommodation
There are a host of possibilities for your stay in the region, ranging from hotels of all standards to gîtes to huts to campsites. In the summer season – July and August – there is a huge demand for accommodation, so advance booking is highly recommended (see Appendix II). Note that on a trek such as this it is important to get your provisions for the day before you set out in the morning; on some stages there is no guarantee that you will be able to buy food during the day.
Hotels
These range from 4-star luxury to no-star basic. Major towns such as Zermatt and Breuil-Cervinia have many to choose from, whereas the small villages will just have a handful, usually in the 2-star or below category. In addition to rooms, some hotels also have a dormitory; this is particularly common in Switzerland. There may even be a kitchen where you can cook your own meals, but this is less usual. The local tourist offices will provide a list of hotels and may even make bookings for you.
Campsites
There are sites in most Alpine towns. Camping is generally not allowed in the valley outside of campsites. Ask the tourist office for details.
The rather grand Hotel Schwarzhorn (Stage 2)
Huts or refuges
Mountain huts vary greatly in the facilities they offer, from quite luxurious with showers and even rooms to the most basic with just a dormitory and a dining room. There are always toilets, and running cold water is almost guaranteed (although the exceptionally hot summer of 2003 did see a few isolated cases of dried-up water supplies). Huts high in the mountains may not have running water early in the morning when the source could be frozen, so it's wise to fill water bottles the previous evening. Most huts are open from late June to early September, and there will be a guardian in residence, who usually cooks an evening meal and provides breakfast. At a few huts you can take your own food, but you must make sure the guardian is happy with this. Quite frankly it is hardly worth the effort of carrying up food when a very good meal will be on offer for a reasonable price. Drinks – alcoholic and otherwise – are also sold.
In Italy there are strict laws about public water supplies and in some huts you may be told the tap water is not controlled – this means they cannot guarantee that it is clean.
Hut etiquette
We are privileged in the Alps to have a system of huts that enables us to walk just carrying small packs, knowing that at the end of each day we'll have somewhere to sleep and a good hot meal. It's really important that we treat the huts and their guardians with the respect that they deserve. I highly recommend that you book accommodation in advance, even if you just phone the night before; and if you are not going to show up do call to cancel. When you arrive at a hut make yourself known to the guardian and let him show you what to do. Each hut has its own system; some are very relaxed, others less so. The guardian will tell you where to leave your sac: sometimes you can take it to your room, sometimes not. He will ask you to take off your boots and show you where to put them, as well as where to leave crampons and trekking poles. You are expected to vacate your room by a certain time in the morning and to leave it as you found it; this generally means folding up blankets or quilts.
If you have particular dietary requirements tell the guardian when you arrive so he can prepare a suitable meal. Most huts do not have a huge variety of food available, so unless you really are a vegetarian it's best to eat whatever you are given. Huts do sell drinks, and sometimes you can run up a tab and pay for everything at the end of your stay. Many huts prefer that you settle the bill before going to bed. Remember that credit cards are not usually accepted, so take cash.
Although sometimes the guardian and friends may party til the small hours it's generally accepted that from 10pm everyone is in bed.
Most huts do not have road access, so everything has to be transported up by helicopter or on foot. Bear this in mind and take your own rubbish down.
Languages
The Matterhorn and associated peaks lie on the Swiss–Italian border. Whilst you will find that in the main centres of Breuil-Cervinia – and especially Zermatt – English is widely understood it is nevertheless worth making an effort to speak the local languages. Shopkeepers and hoteliers have realised that it serves them well to speak English, and most do to some extent. Not withstanding this, it is worth making the effort to learn a few basic words; there is