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Nestled at the base of the Matterhorn, it’s no wonder that a visit to Zermatt, Switzerland is on so many peoples bucket list. It’s gorgeous!
It was on ours too.
Until we realized how expensive it was going to be.
Although Zermatt has some amazing views, and equally amazing resorts, you’ll be paying top dollar for just about everything there. For any budget traveler like us, we knew that wasn’t going to work, so we started searching for something that was still amazing, but a little more off the beaten path.
We found exactly what we were looking for in the valley of Saas-Fee. Located in the next canyon over from Zermatt, Saas-Fee is home to one of the highest mountains in the Alps, The Dom. Well known as a mecca for ski race training, Saas-Fee also provided so much of what Zermatt offered (great accomodation options, good food, easily accessable adventures, and lots of family friendly activities) but at a much lower price and without all of the crazy crowds that are swarming to Zermatt.
To top it all off, most places that you stay in the valley in the summer will also provide you with a free pass for most of the trams and cable cars which literally turn the mountains into your playground. Compare that to the trams in Zermatt that often cost over $30 per person (for a cheap one) and you’ll be saving money and exploring like a pro in no time. When we did the math, Zermatt was more than TWICE as expensive as Saas-Fee, so it was kind of a no brainer.
It’s so amazing, it made my son want to drop out of school to move there, so it’s definetly worth checking out!
Read about our top 3 family adventures in Saas-Fee here, and learn more about the area here and here.
(Oh, and if you’re wanting to cross Zermatt off your bucket list, it’s an easy day trip from here since it’s only about 45 minutes away).
