Zermatt is effectively split into two different areas, both physically and because of the lift system.  Rothorn and Gornergrat forming one and the slopes off the Klein Matterhorn the other.  However, it is possible to ski between the two, though this is by no means made easy.  This review will concentrate on the Rothorn and Gornergrat areas as this is where we spent most of our time skiing so far. 
 

On the Rothorn and Gornergrat side there are two main methods of getting up to the skiing.  The quickest (though usually crowded) is by the Alpen-Metro (funicular) to Sunnegga station which connects nicely into the lift network.  Secondly, one can take the cog-train which is rather slow, though it is a must on a clear day for its beautiful views.  Alternatively, go up by the Alpen-Metro and take a leisurely trip down on the train at the end of a long day. 

When we skied, we usually went up by the Alpen-Metro before taking the gondola to Blauherd and the tram on to Rothorn.  We have a group of mixed abilities, from beginner-intermediate to expert.  Going up to Rothorn gave us the option of taking an intermediate trail with more advanced runs off it.  This meant we could ski as a group, socialise, and keep everyone happy.  We found ourselves skiing trails 22a, 22b and 4 (Trail 4 is fairly narrow and gets icy) down to Patrullarve, almost every day even if it was only once, as we felt this provided a good warm up run for all of us.  An alternative to the above is trail 23 down to Gant, though this has a couple of narrow sections and does seem to get icy fairly quickly, there are some nice areas just off-piste that collect snow. 

From Gornergrat, where the cog-train terminates, one can head up the mountain to Hohthalli and Stockhorn for some more advanced skiing.  We liked 8b down from Hohtalli as this allowed us to link with Gant (9c) or to ski over to Riffelalp (9b) and the train up or down.  Trail 8b also had some good terrain off-piste which had good snow almost all the time we were in Zermatt, partly due to the fact mentioned above, that so few people seem to ski off the groomed runs.  For those in search of powder but not yet ready for the steep and deep, the beginner terrain from Rotenboden down to Riffelberg (especially near K2 T-bar) provided some really nice powder that was hardly skied.  Yet it was not too deep or steep for those in the party who were new to powder. 
 
Finally I shall just mention our two favourite eating places on the mountain:  one is just above Findeln and had big lounge chairs on its deck as well as terrific 'brownies and ice cream'; the other one is the small and simple place at Tuftern (Trail 4), plain food with a good atmosphere and great views of the Matterhorn when the weather was clear as you an see below. 
 

There are a number of places in town that rent boots and skis, and prices were pretty uniform with a good variety of differing brands to try.  A damage waiver seemed to be included at all places (10% extra), though please check this.  We had only one German and French speaker in our group, but this was not a problem as most of the staff spoke English.  We found the ski boot selections much higher in quality than those available for rental in the U.S. 
 
Our group rented skis from two different places: Julen Sport and Bayard Top Equipment. 
 
Julen Sport had a broad range of equipment and offered us a 10% discount through our hotel.  They were generally helpful and were willing and able to offer advice as to which skis were appropriate for different individuals, and when the skis did not match perfectly, they had no problem exchanging our skis almost every day in order for us to try a variety of different models. 

Bayard Top Equipment was the other store we used to rent equipment.  It was the only place in Zermatt which offered both telemark and alpine skis for rental.  One member of our group is a telemarker, so this was an important point. 
 
The staff were very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.  There was also a good range of stock from which to choose.  My wife and I particularly wanted to try out the hand-made Swiss skis from Stockli.  Which, by the way, are really nice and much more expensive in the USA.  Bayard is the only store in the area which carries this brand. 
 
We had no problem going in almost every day to swap gear over in order to try out different models.  Though once I found a pair of skis I liked (I am the telemarker and I loved the Stockli Stormrider Fry) I stuck with them for the rest of the week.  Indeed, we were both so impressed with the ones we tried that we each purchased the pair we liked best.  Kara liked the Stockli Spirit ED. V downhill model. Purchasing Stockli skis in Zermatt is definitely worth thinking about given the difference in cost of these skis in the USA and in the difficulty of finding them there. 

Kara and I highly recommend if you come to Zermatt, that you pop by Bayard and try the hand-made Stockli skis too.  Visit the Bayard website by taking this LINK. 
 
Note: Anorak also offers telemark gear for rental, but had no alpine skis.