By air: reaching Zermatt by plane involves a lengthy transfer from the airport. The good news is that there are a number of airports offering a good choice of destinations in Europe and the rest of the world. The closest airport is Geneva (3 hours), while Zurich (4 hours) is another good option, or Milan (4 hours) in Italy.
By rail: the nearest towns that are on the main Swiss rail network are at Brig and Visp. From here, it is a 90-minute journey on the narrow-gauge Matterhorn Gotthard railway. It is also possible to reach Zermatt on a cog railway train from the nearby town of Tasch.
