Travel and Transport

For paraglider pilots, it’s completely unnecessary to bring a car, as the public transport facilities are so comprehensive. If you’re coming by air, you can fly to Zürich, Geneva, Basel, or even Milan and take the main line train to Brig, then change to the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn narrow-gauge railway for the final leg to Fiesch. There are several campsites in the area, numerous apartments are scattered around the village, and there are plenty of hotels, some relatively inexpensive. Details can be found on the Tourist Office website. The popular impression that Switzerland is excessively pricey is true for fashionable resorts and big cities, especially with the strengthening of the Swiss franc, but in Fiesch you may find that you don’t pay much more than you would in other premier Alpine flying areas (e.g. Chamonix, the Dolomites) for the equivalent accommodation and food.

If you intend to stay in Switzerland for a while and to get around by public transport, it may be worth investigating whether you could benefit from a Swiss Half Fare card. This entitles the holder to a 50% discount not only on the trains and post buses, but also on the uphill transport to the Fiescheralp and Riederalp takeoffs, for which you can also buy a chip card for multiple trips (covering both gondolas) at a much lower rate than for single journeys.

The Fiescheralp takeoffs are served by an efficient 10-person gondola starting from the train station, which is around five minutes walk from the Fiesch landing field.  It runs continuously throughout the day, with specially adapted facilities to take hang gliders.  The Riederalp takeoff is accessed from Mörel.

The comprehensive Swiss public transport system takes all the hassle out of retrieves, although it isn’t cheap.  Between Martigny and Chur trains run along the valley floor (where you will usually be landing) in both directions every hour.  You are allowed to pay for your ticket on the train only if you get on at one of the smaller stations which have no ticket office or machine; otherwise, you must buy it before boarding, either at a ticket machine with cash or a credit/debit card, or online with the SBB app.  If you are returning along the valley from a one-way XC to the east, the last train departs Chur at 17:56, Disentis at 19:14, and Andermatt at 20:25, arriving at Fiesch at 21:31. However, if you have missed that connection, your latest option from Chur departs at 19:08, goes via Zürich and Brig, and arrives at 23:23. Standard prices to get back to Fiesch are CHF 67 from Chur, CHF 37 from Disentis, and CHF 25 from Andermatt.  Hitchhiking along the valley floor, which in my experience is quite hit-and-miss outside the peak tourist season, is only likely to be quicker than the train if you are lucky enough to be picked up by someone who can take you the whole way.