Poster: A snowHead
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I will be in Zurich for a trip and wanted recommendations for skiing.
Easy access from Zurich is key. I will likely ski three separate days and will happily check out different resorts, so the recommendation doesn't need to be a week's worth of skiing. Recommendations for smaller resorts of 1 day skiing are fine too.
I am an intermediate skier. Can get down most things, but will go down blacks slowly. I usually aim for red runs.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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no recommendations?
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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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while I am here, is there anywhere in europe that's good and close to zurich (switzerland looks expensive!).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Andermatt or Engelberg are both easily reached from Zürich - and great destinations
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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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amps wrote: |
I will be in Zurich for a trip and wanted recommendations for skiing.
Easy access from Zurich is key. I will likely ski three separate days and will happily check out different resorts, so the recommendation doesn't need to be a week's worth of skiing. Recommendations for smaller resorts of 1 day skiing are fine too.
I am an intermediate skier. Can get down most things, but will go down blacks slowly. I usually aim for red runs. |
Take train from Zurich to Chur and then choose between Flims, Arosa or Leizerhaide.
Take train from Zurich to Klosters-Davos
And check SBB site, they usually have some interesting offers
http://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/day-trips/snownrail.html?leisureTripItem=snow
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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St Anton and other Austrian resorts are easily accessible by train.
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For day trips and no overnight, Engelberg and Andermatt are your best options. There are smaller areas closer to Zurich that would be easy day trips but I do not know them. I'd rely on the Zurich tourist office or your hotel to hook you up with a smaller area. There is snow coming from the North this week, so they could be very nice.
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I was thinking engelberg or laax for an overnight trip. But I was also looking for a local day trip. I will have one free Sunday (day trip) and then a weekend (go Saturday morning, back to Zurich on sunday night).
Go ogling I see flumsberg is quite close? Any good?
I have been to St anton but it seems just a little far. I have actually made that journey before. The nice thing is the train goes straight to St anton. I never did make it over to lech, so st anton is a possibility.
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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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Actually, it appears that St antonyms is about the same distance as laax and engelb erg.
I am somewhat surprised the closest resorts are so far from Zurich. I pictured it to be like innsbruck (close local mountains).
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Einari. Yes it appears that sbb offer a rail and lift pass in engelberg for 130 chf. Seems reasonable to me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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That was return Zurich to engelberg with two day pass.
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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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St Anton. Direct in 2 hours and 5 minutes walk station to town.
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indeed, st anton isn't far compared to either engelberg or laax.
I am, however, less turned off swiss resorts now that EINARI has pointed me to the SBB offers. My impression was that it was going to be outrageous to ski in switzerland, but actually it appears to be fairly reasonable. I have skied st anton (though far from thoroughly explored it), so another place might be more fun. Also, I want to take my young daughter skiing at some point, and that may be a good reason to return to st anton (the school is great there).
So, I am now leaning to laax or engelberg.
If you had to choose engelberg vs laax, what would you pick?
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You know it makes sense.
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amps wrote: |
So, I am now leaning to laax or engelberg.
If you had to choose engelberg vs laax, what would you pick? |
Check weather forecast and made own decision.
Laax is bigger
Engelberg will be more interesting if your prefer off-piste (it can also be found in Laax)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I don't prefer off-piste.
I am finding some information difficult to find out. What is the engelberg ski area? Does it include meiringen? I just booked accommodation in gadmen. Can I get to engelberg by transport?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I will be without a car, and my study of maps suggest that the laax area is better if you are without a car. I have just booking a place in Trin there, which looks close enough that there *ought* to be a bus to laax/flims.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@amps, What do you need to know? Train goes from Zurich, to Lucern, 10min stop and a change too Engelberg direct. Takes just under 2 hours, There is about 100Km of piste mostly reds and plenty of side of piste skiing.
Best and cheapest way is the rail and ride ticket SBB offer.
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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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Is gadmen near engenders (that's what I need to know. I's there an easy bus to engelberg).
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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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@amps, Not an easy trip, I'm afraid. There are some big mountains between Engelberg and the Gadmen Vally and no direct road. The best option is from Innertkirchen by rail via Meiringen and Lucerne.
Quite frankly, that would be a waste of time and effort. I'd definitely do what @Fattes13, suggests. The Engelberg Express run from Lucerne is a delight!
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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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Flumserberg and Klosters both very easily accessible from Zurich.
Flumserberg 1hr., Klosters 1hr45.
In both cases the ski lift is right by the railway station.
I prefer traveling the extra distance to Klosters as it's a much bigger resort linked to Davos.
Buy a Snow n Rail ticket from the railway station which combines your rail travel and lift ticket both at 20% discount. (You are given a voucher that you exchange for the lift pass at the lift station)
If you choose Flumserberg don't go over a weekend as too crowded.
If you need to hire equipment, the hire shop is right by the lift in Klosters and at the top if you go to Flumsberg.
It could not be easier getting to either resort - Swiss efficiency.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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it sounds like you are all suggesting not staying in the mountains. That is, returning to zurich saturday night.
That might be a good option. My plan was to go to either Laax or Engelberg (or perhaps Klosters) and stay the night, but maybe that is neither cost effective or desirable, as I am a bit of a cheapo and I can't drive (in which case I will be staying somewhere at the mercy of a bus).
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Skied in Laax last March - found the place and skiing to be perfect for a 4 day weekend - saturday was busy at the base lifts though.
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amps wrote: |
it sounds like you are all suggesting not staying in the mountains. That is, returning to zurich saturday night.
That might be a good option. My plan was to go to either Laax or Engelberg (or perhaps Klosters) and stay the night, but maybe that is neither cost effective or desirable, as I am a bit of a cheapo and I can't drive (in which case I will be staying somewhere at the mercy of a bus). |
You don't need a car in Laax (or Flims which the bus will get to first). You can enter the ski area from there and go east (to Flims) or west.
For Davos/Klosters, is possible to get buses (free on the pass) to all of the disparate ski areas.
Flims/Laax will almost certainly be (a bit) cheaper - and if you can't be rsed catching buses to the more remote smaller areas like Madrisa/Rinherhorn/Pischa then Davos may annoy you (but there should be plenty to occupy you in the more central Parsenn/Jakobshorn for a day or so anyway)...
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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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I am a piste skier, but there is apparently avalanche warnings for this weekend in Engelberg (and much of switzerland).
Is that likely to affect well used piste areas, or just off piste?
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have a look at the swiss youth hostels for reasonable price accommodation and there are a few in ski resorts
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@amps, I have skied at both Engelberg and Flims/Laax. Engelberg is more about the offpiste, and it's also quite steep generally. There are two sides (Titlis and Brunni), and they aren't linked. Meiringen is not on the Engelberg pass and is a long way by road. Flims/Laax on the other hand, is a large, fully linked area, with lots of red and blue pistes - I think this area would suit you very well from what you have said.
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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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Agree with@Gämsbock, Laax is excellent ski area for intermediates, lots of cruising reds and well interlinked with fast lifts with Flims. Engleberg not so. What about Wengen? Change of trains twice though, Bern and Interlaken. I used Interlaken last year as a base for Wengen and it worked out quite well, leaving skis up at Wengen.
After many years travelling Zurich-St Anton by train, this year I have only just noticed that it is cheaper to buy the return ticket on the OBB (Austrian rail) website rather than SBB (Swiss rail) website, £30 against £45!! Reserved seat each way.
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