Haut-Valais

The Simplon line runs from Lausanne to Visp and Brig. From Visp, the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn climbs to Zermatt in about an hour. If you drive, you must stop at Täsch: the covered car park and shuttle train cover the last few kilometres, as Zermatt is closed to cars. Saas-Fee is reached by postal bus from Visp or Brig, with a large car park at the village entrance. For Leukerbad, get off at Leuk and take the postal bus.

Good to know: allow three hours door to door from the Lake Geneva area. Leave early and book ahead, as the Zermatt trains fill up fast at weekends.

In Zermatt, the Sunnegga funicular removes any uphill walking and opens onto lake Leisee, with a playground and a sandy shore in summer. In Saas-Fee, the underground railway is a genuine thrill, but the altitude tires small children quickly before age three. Leukerbad is the easiest of the three: a compact village you can cross with a pushchair, plus the sports centre playground with its zip line and wooden tower facing the peaks.

German takes over here, though English and French are understood throughout the resorts. Journeys are long and tickets add up fast, so day passes and family cards change the maths considerably. And dress the children warmly: at these altitudes it is easily ten degrees colder than down in Sion, even on a bright summer afternoon with a clear sky.