Ski Holidays Switzerland

Skiing Breaks in Switzerland

It is argued that Switzerland is the birthplace of modern recreational skiing and some of its’ resorts have been the most longstanding tourist destinations.

The Swiss have a great tradition of preservation and ecological policies making most Swiss resorts the archetypal ”chocolate box” picture postcard destinations that spring to mind when we talk of skiing. With fantastic scenery and efficient service we have seen a resurgence of interest in a country, which at one stage did price itself out of the UK market. Prices have gently slipped back and most destinations are now less expensive than their French counterparts.

The grand old father, Zermatt probably dominates people’s minds when thinking of Swiss ski resorts but there are many other fantastic destinations such as Verbier, Crans-Montana, Saas Fee, Wengen, Grindelwald, Davos, Klosters, St Moritz, Flims, Laax, Arosa, Gstaad, and Andermatt. Each of these boasts its’ own plethora of unique selling features but one thing they have in common is the efficiency of their lift systems and of their transport links.

The ski resorts vary considerably in terms of size an altitude, Verbier and the “Quatre Vallees” totals a huge 410kms whilst Zermatt’s skiing extends to a whopping 3820m. Compare those resorts to Meiringen at 600m and Andermatt with 56km of piste.

The skiing covers all standard from beginners on the nursery slopes of Saas Fee, Villars, and Leysin to extreme off-piste skiing in Zermatt, Engelberg, and Verbier.

Switzerland tends to favour hotel accommodation and they have a fantastic range of bed and breakfast ski accommodation to plush 5 star ski in ski out hotels. Self-catering accommodation does exist but rarely in the French format of huge blocks. Catered chalet exist in a handful of resorts but as they are harder to find they do get booked up quickly.

The mountain food in Switzerland covers a broad range from pizzas and pastas to cheese and meat fondues, through to goulash soup and dumplings. There is such a choice of regional specialities but children needn’t be excluded, as there are always choices from the “kinder menu”.

As a rule the “German” speaking resorts tend to have a livelier après ski with a good family fun element with local Zither music coupled with ample locally brewed beers and spirits. Of course, as with all other countries virtually all resorts have nightclubs for the younger clientele.

Ski Resorts Switzerland