Housing in Sion area

EPFL Valais Wallis Housing Blog (FR)

Please note that everyone is responsible of contacting the landlords on their own, either by email or by phone, precising that you are already in Switzerland, working for EPFL, with a salary and a residence permit if this is the case.

If you are not yet in the country, the best would be to organise a few days’ trip in order to make a few visits. This will allow you to get a sense of the city and meet some people in Sion, however it will not guarantee that you will find a place during your trip.

If you have no possibility to proceed this way, you will have to make your search from abroad and we highly recommend you to search for a temporary place for 2 to 3 months at your arrival in order to have a place to stay. Finding a place by being on the spot is easier than abroad.

Please see the temporary options in the paragraph “last minute housing” below.

While looking for a place, the location is very important and in order to find a suitable housing, not too far from the public transports and from Sion center, use the CFF website. It will give you precise commuting times and travel solutions.

Make sure to select only the city of Sion in your house search or any big city which has a main train station such as Martigny or Sierre. Surrounding villages are not convenient to commute unless you have a car.

When contacting a landlord it is always better to call if there is a phone number in the ad, but if you write an email, be precise, short and straight to the point. Your goal is to make a visit of the place/get in touch with the landlord.

Most of the landlords do not necessarily speak English, therefore we would highly suggest you to write in French (using google translation for example) in order to get in touch with them or ask the help of a colleague or friend. Lab secretaries cannot help you with this as they are not always available and very busy with lab works.

With today’s housing market situation, it is quite difficult to obtain an apartment rental if you are looking from abroad. This is why we advise everyone arriving from abroad to bring their search around to rooms with private owners or flat-sharing or even a temporary room. They will not ask you for a Swiss guarantor as some of the agencies do.

The various regions and municipalities around Sion are not very well connected by public transports. Make sure to select only the city of Sion in your house search or any big city which has a main train station such as Martigny or Sierre. Surrounding villages are not convenient to commute unless you have a car.

Use the CFF website to calculate your travel time by public transports and check the bus schedules as these can stop running around 8pm already!

Links to external sites are provided to facilitate your search. We cannot and do not provide any guarantee with regard to the accuracy or the maintenance of the content of these sites. Furthermore, we recommend you take care as unfortunately there can be dishonest users on even the most reliable sites.
 
The Information Housing team can advise you in case of doubt. Nevertheless, we decline any responsibility for any financial loss or other consequence linked to your use of these sites.

The date of your arrival at EPFL Valais Wallis is approaching and you still haven’t found housing?

Don’t give up, the search can take time and if you still haven’t found the right place, you can find some temporary solutions hereafter: