The resort
Andermatt is a small village in the Urseren valley at about 1,450 m, on the Gotthard line. It has been rebuilt in recent years around a few large hotels and apartments, with an old village core still intact. It has far fewer restaurants and doors than Saint-Moritz or Gstaad, which suits guests who come to ski and sleep well.
The ski area
The mountain is the SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun, which links Andermatt's Gemsstock with Oberalp and Sedrun. Published piste totals differ: Graubünden tourism describes just over 100 km, while other ski publishers quote 120 km or as much as 180 km depending on how the area is counted. We therefore give the range rather than a single figure and would confirm it with the lift company. The Gemsstock is the high, snow-sure sector and is known for off-piste.
Which part of the area
Before choosing a hotel, decide how you want to ski, because the mountain splits into two characters.
The SkiArena links three places. Andermatt itself is the base: the village, the large hotels and the lift up to the Gemsstock. Sedrun lies at the other end of the SkiArena, and the Oberalp area links the two. For serious skiers the Gemsstock is the draw; guests who prefer groomed runs spend more time on the Oberalp and Sedrun side. If you plan to go off-piste, book a local guide, and we can arrange one on request.
Season dates
We have not found an official 2026/27 timetable from the lift company. The Bergfex listing, which is third party, shows the Gemsstock open from 14 November 2026 to 18 April 2027, and the Andermatt-Oberalp-Sedrun lifts from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. Treat these as to be confirmed until the lift company publishes its dates.
The weeks that matter
As the season dates above are unconfirmed, a first-week-of-season trip depends on snow. Christmas and New Year are the first weeks to fill, and English half-term, 15 to 19 February 2027 according to council term-date pages, is the next. It is a smaller resort than the French names, with fewer beds in the best hotels, so Christmas and February are worth enquiring about in the autumn rather than the week before. January and March have the most choice, and March suits the high Gemsstock terrain.
Getting there by rail from Zurich
There is no direct train. From Zurich, travellers take a main-line train towards the Gotthard route and change at Göschenen onto the narrow-gauge Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn for the short final leg into Andermatt. Published estimates run from about two hours fifteen to two and a half hours; check the SBB timetable for your date. By road it is a similar journey. We usually pair a Zurich arrival (see Zurich and private jets to Zurich) with a car or a rail ticket, depending on luggage and weather.
Where to stay
The resort's own site lists three accommodation types. The Chedi Andermatt, at Gotthardstrasse 4, is the five-star hotel, with a spa, a health club with pool, a cigar library and two Japanese restaurants. The Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen is the other hotel listed, and holiday apartments complete the choice. We have no special arrangement with any of them; we check availability and book on your behalf at the hotel's published terms. Our comparison of where to stay in Andermatt, St Moritz and Gstaad this winter helps you choose between the three resorts first.
Hotel or apartment
The Chedi suits couples and small groups who want a spa, a pool and no housekeeping. The Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen is the other hotel the resort lists. Holiday apartments suit families, and a private chef can cook in, which matters because the village has fewer restaurants than Saint-Moritz or Gstaad. For dinner out we request tables through each restaurant's own channels; the restaurant booking page explains how. We have no Andermatt restaurant guide yet, but the Saint-Moritz restaurants guide covers the larger Swiss alternative.
Helicopter and private aircraft
Most guests arrive by rail or car, but we can quote a helicopter transfer on request, with a road car held as the fallback because flights depend on the weather. For private arrivals into Switzerland see private jets to Zurich.
Andermatt or Saint-Moritz?
Andermatt is quieter and easier by rail. Saint-Moritz has the grander hotels and the social calendar, including the lake events; see the St Moritz ski season guide. Our Alps winter 2026/27 guide compares them all.
How we help
We check availability where we book, choose between hotel and apartment for your group, arrange the car or rail ticket from Zurich, and keep a plan B for weather. Tell us whether you want the Gemsstock or an easier week and we shape the rest around that.