Saas-Fee: known as the "Pearl of the Alps," is located near the Matterhorn in Wallis (Valais) and surrounded by thirteen mountains. The village is a car-free zone and a beautiful starting point for climbing tours and skiing. A new Metro Alpine connects Saas-Fee with higher regions where skiing is possible even in the summer. The German playwright Carl Zuckmayer (Der fröhliche Weinberg, Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, Des Teufels General) lived in Saas-Fee from 1958 to until his death in 1977.

The town has all the amenities of a first-class Swiss resort (including spa, sports field, and public swimming pool in August), and the Allalin Hotel offers our students an exceptional rate: US $110.00 a day for lodging, meals and internet access, either in hotel rooms or nearby apartments. Saas-Fee can be reached by plane via Geneva or Zurich in combination with the excellent Swiss Federal Railways. A railway terminal is located within both airports where you can purchase a combined train and bus ticket to Visp — with connections every 30 minutes.

Flights: Tickets should be booked as early as possible since it gets more expensive as summer approaches, and direct flights go first. Cheaptickets and Orbitz are good sources; they require credit card payment.

Return flights that leave Geneva (or Zurich) in the morning shouldn't be booked, since the earliest flight you can make by bus or train would be after noon.

Train: It is a 2 1/2 hour train ride from Geneva or Zurich to Visp; on arrival you need to take the bus (Postbus) waiting outside the train station in Visp in order to come to Saas-Fee (another 45min). The bus station in Visp is directly in front of the train station. The final destination of the bus is the same as yours: Saas-Fee Post (Busterminal).

Bus: The bus trip is approx. CHF 20 (USD 20). Please check: http://www.postbus.ch/ for all bus related information and make sure you arrive in time to catch a bus before 8:30pm - there are no buses during the night and a taxi would be your only hope.

Try to have your Postbus ticket to "Saas-Fee, Post" included when you buy the train ticket (sometimes not possible from abroad), if not, you have to buy it at the train station (with cash or credit card) or when you enter the bus (only cash in Swiss Francs). Please check: the Swiss (http://www.rail.ch/) or German (http://www.bahn.de/) train companies for all train related information such as schedules.

Please consider the following travel information from Zürich Airport to Saas Fee and from Geneva Airport to Saas-Fee.

Taxi: If you consider taking a taxi (up to four persons) from Visp (See contact addres below) to Saas-Fee, it will cost CHF 120.00 (USD 120.00) and may be an alternative if a few people chip in. For six persons and more the taxi company is charging CHF 180.00 (180 USD) for a mini bus (reservation required). Please identify yourself as student from European Graduate School to receive special rates.

For more information please contact: Taxi Zerzuben, Kantonsstrasse 67, CH-3930 Visp, Switzerland, Phone: +41 27 9 480 480, Fax +41 27 9 480 485, info@z-zerzuben.ch, http://www.taxi-zerzuben.ch/

Saas-Fee

This village high in the mountains has a no-car policy, but there will be a small electrocar from the Allalin Hotel (our principal reception place, next to the EGS office) sent to the Saas-Fee bus station to meet every bus arriving from Visp / Brig between 11am and 9pm on arrival day. If you arrive earlier, the hotel is a 10-minute walk away, or use a courtesy phone across from the bus station at the tourist Information office to call the Allalin Hotel.

Weather: Please be advised the weather in Saas-Fee can be rather cool in June (sometimes even in August) which is conducive to thinking. Bring a sweater or jacket for the evenings! For current conditions go top http://www.saas-fee.ch/en/weather.cfm