Poster: A snowHead
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I've been to zermatt a few years and was mega impressed Apart from the cost. Would like to know from those of you who have been to some of the other Swiss resorts what you thought and which would you consider going back to. As all Swiss resorts are pricey we will ignore the cost factor. Am considering Verbier this coming winter so any advice on this one in particular would be great!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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How about Lenzerheide? I went there a few years ago and found it a decent enough sized area, but it's now linked with Arosa, giving 225km of slopes. I found the resort to be good value - not stereotypical Swiss prices at all.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I love Davos. Enjoyable fantastic "roads" up around of it. A bit over-developed... Pistes are beautifully groomed with loads of classy mountain restaurants to stop at - many with loungers and blankets. Very picturesque! The resort is big and reminded me of Courchevel. Loads of gorgeous shops, bars and restaurants as well as a casino, outdoor steam pools etc. Overall brilliant, many times we have skied in Graubunden and it rocked!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Val dAnniviers (Zinal- Grimentz) is rightly considered as one of best off-piste/ backcountry areas in world, and very reasonably priced. If skinning takes your fancy and you are happy to splash out in guide for couple of days it can't be beat. But the extent of pistes is small, and it is very quiet. You did not mention what you liked about Zermatt but if it the atmosphere, fine dining, and beautiful people then stick witj mainstream uber expensive resorts.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You mentioned Verbier which is great (although I think Zermatt is way prettier) what about the other resorts in the Four Valleys, then you can have the best of all worlds with extensive skiing, i.e. Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Bruson etc. Do you want to self cater or hotel/chalet it?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for all advice to date.........I'll look into the 'Four Valleys'
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I've skied Zermatt and Wengen/Murren, and found that I liked Zermatt better. Wengen is absolutely beautiful, but I felt that the runs weren't very challenging, with some rare exceptions.
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I've had some brilliant trips to Switzerland in recent years. It's only the glitzy big international resorts which are super expensive. There are many resorts where lift passes are still under about £30 per day. I'd recommend staying in 2 or more places, and travelling by train between them. Really enjoyable way to see the country.
I'd also suggest sampling at least one lesser-known resort and maybe checking out one of the spa places e.g. Leukerbad, Ovronnaz or Scuol. Went to Leukerbad last winter and had a brilliant time on the slopes, and in the spa. Also the Aletsch Glacier resorts are a great destination.
The SkiRail Map of the Alps is really useful for planning these trips. There's a sample with a big chunk of Switzerland on display here:
http://rogerlascellesmaps.co.uk/SkiRail_Product_Information.aspx?area=SkiRail_Product_Information
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Neil Neige, You're right, the train is a great way to get around, good map, haven't seen that one before.
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What sort of skiing are you thinking of doing?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I went to St Moritz one year. Had a brilliant time.
It's unlike many other resorts though. It's not interconnected by lifts. While you can get to all the mountains by a combination of buses and trains (and the pass covered the whole region), you really only spend the whole day in one mountain rather than going back and forth from mountain to mountain.
I like the variety of it. There's also extensive xc skiing in the valley which I quite like. There's also quite a bit of ski-where-you-can-see kind of off-piste. Overall, it's got a good mix of easy to challenging terrain to explore.
Good food & drink options for apres.
Not too expensive in the end either.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@abc, we were in St Moritz for a weekend 2 years back and I have to say it was expensive, even by Swiss standards. (We live in Geneva).
We did like Sedrun though which is somewhat out of the way...
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An alternative option available this year is the Valais Skicard - you can get a reasonably-priced pass for 6 days across the Valais area, but can only ski in any one resort for two days. This would let you try a number of places (Verbier, Crans, La Tzoumaz, Veysonnaz, Ovronnaz ... etc.). It's also valid for many of the thermal baths.
http://www.valais.ch/en/information/landingpage/valais-skicard
This lets you use cheaper accomodation in the valley but obviously relies on having a car (well, if you organised it right, you could probably mange without the car). Of course, you could just buy passes on the day in the resorts of choice.
Another option is a combined rail and skipass such as
http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/day-trips/snownrail.angebotdetail.tagesausfluege-snownrail-wallis-4_vallees_mt_fort.html
there are similar offers for other areas.
Switzerland costs can be kept to a reasonable minimum in terms of equipment and car hire, but you probably do pay more for skipasses than in, say, Italy. The upside in many resorts is they are relatively quiet compared to French equivalents.
We have an apartment in the 4 Valleys in La Tzoumaz - most of our clients are German or Dutch and they tend to just look at a local immobiliers websites and contact them directly for rentals. As in many locations 'satellites' like La Tzoumaz are cheaper than their big name partners, even 'though they share the same pistes. Self-catering also reduces the cost considerably and offers you space to relax that you wouldnt get in a hotel. But I appreciate this isn't everyone's preference.
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