 Poster: A snowHead
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My friend and I are meeting some old friends in Villars CH at the end of February for a long weekend ski 'reunion'. Since I'm flying all the way from Canada we thought about going about 5 days earlier and hitting some other resorts in the area. We're thinking of Chamonix, Zermatt and or northern Italy. (We've not skied any of these areas). Any suggestions or advice?? We are intermediate skiers who like going off-piste and lively night life. Good hotel suggestions would also be appreciated!
Cheers!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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If full on European resort charm is what you're after, I'd pick Zermatt over Chamonix. Cham is more disjointed re skiing. However, you could do the Vallee Blanche which is one of the ultimate off piste runs ever (you need a guide and need to book, and hope the weather is Ok). End of feb = French school holiday madness too, though to be fair, it's peak season everywhere.
It would be easy to get from Zermatt back to Villars by train. We have just got back from a couple of days in Zermatt staying in the Europe Hotel and Spa-very nice.
Disadvantages of Switzerland-eyewateringly expensive!
Other options-Verbier-good off piste, good nightlife (but a bit brash and full of posh Brits, bankers and trustafarians). It's very close to Villars. Can't help you much on Italy-but if you go to Zermatt, you get to ski in Italy (Cervinia) as a bonus! Food on the Italian side is gorgeous and heaps cheaper too.
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ludwigk, one problem in France will be that because it's peak holiday time it could be difficult to find accommodation, especially for a non-standard time (the French are wedded to Sat/Sat holidays). It'll be a good time to hire a guide and get away from the lifts and queues, though.
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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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Perty, Switzerland isn't expensive, you just have a ridiculously weak currency...
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Perty, Switzerland isn't expensive, you just have a ridiculously weak currency... |
Exactly! And as ludwikg is Canadian and the Canadian Dollar has strengthened in recent years against quite a few currencies, I would expect he could well find Switzerland affordable. In fact my recommendation would be go to Zermatt - it's one place I tell skiers that they should visit at least once in their skiing career. The skiing is good (you can also ski over to Cervinia on the Italian side), it has some of the best mountain restaurants of any ski resort, and of course the iconic Matterhorn which imv is the most photogenic mountain in the world! 
As Perty says, it would be easy to get to by train and back to Villars and I can also recommend the Hotel Europe there which he mentioned.
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+1 for Zermatt. Unforgettable skiing and the best après ski in the world. The Canadian dollar is strong at the moment, so enjoy it while you can 
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'Scuse me Alastair Pink,  Perty isn't a "he" she's actually a she!
Any road oop...the pound is getting stronger! (well...it was yesterday)
However....some may think that 26CHF for a simple pizza (so about 18 quid!) in Zermatt for dinner on Weds night was a tad painful. Meanwhile over in Cervinia we had fab pasta for lunch in the rear table service restaurant at Chalet Etoile for 14 euros a pop (so about £11.50).
The others are right about finding accommodation for non standard Sat to Sat bookings-certainly in France. It is possible, but the hotels hold out until they have no choice but to let rooms on a daily rate. It may be just my experience, but they tend to be the high end ones, or budget. I certainly gained the impression that in Zermatt they are more flexible. There are some superb boutique style and family run hotels in Zermatt, plus some bigger ones. I've tried a few-Hotel Bristol is a comfy 3 star with renovated rooms, good breakfast. The Omnia is a total splurge with the best ski hotel indoor/outdoor spa pool and hot tub I have ever sat in-outdoors with the view of the Matterhorn, but you have to pay hugely more for a room with a bathtub and the Matterhorn view. The lift up to the hotel through the rock is rather a James Bond experience!
The Romantik Hotel Julen-pretty rooms, but the pool in the basement was rather chilly. The Coeur des Alpes. Very chic. Tops the list in Tripadvisor.
However, for us, I think the Hotel Europe is now my fave. Comfy room (one of the ones in the old bit of the hotel), good bathtub, great spa in basement, and a hotel bar with friendly service where you do want to spend time. It's certainly a hotel that's nice to chill out in.
There can be no more iconic mountain than the Matterhorn. If I was crossing the atlantic to visit just one Alpine resort, I think I'd go for Zermatt. The whole way you get there (train only, and no cars in the village), the prettiness of the place...And this is from one whose not even been in full season (been going for the last 5 years in November pre full opening, 2013 was 2 days - Thursday and Friday this week, snow fab, got home last night, the bug*ers opened loads more lifts today!!).
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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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ludwigk, If you're starting in Villars, it's an east trip across the valley to Verbier...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Perty wrote: |
| 26CHF for a simple pizza (so about 18 quid!) in Zermatt |
That's hardly eye watering. In fact, that's pretty standard for London.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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| Zero_G wrote: |
| Perty wrote: |
| 26CHF for a simple pizza (so about 18 quid!) in Zermatt |
That's hardly eye watering. In fact, that's pretty standard for London. |
Pardon me for appearing like some unqualified yokel ............but to point out the bleedin' obvious, Zermatt is pricey..end of, even compared with London (yah...).
I challenge any UK resident to say it isn't compared with anywhere else in the Alps. Italy last season-9-10 euros for a pizza. Cheap as chips to make, margins huge.
Maybe we could have a ski pizza index on the forum....
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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 think all the suggestions are good BUT it depends on a few factors imho. Are you looking for amazing skiing, an all round experience, is budget a big concern, do you like to have everything planned out in advance, how far do you want to travel etc
If it was me and a friend and I could be flexible I would personally not book anything, see where the best snow was - there can be quite a difference between say Zermatt, Aosta Valley and Chamonix even though, as the crow flies, they aren't that far apart. I would then call the tourist office of the place that had the best snow and met my other requirements (budget, skiing, all-round experience) and go from there.
However most people like things planned well in advance. If that's you then I would look at something like hotels.com as you can often find deals on there for more independent travellers. As mention France may be an issue due to the holidays/Saturday-Saturday lettings but it is possible. I am staying in Chamonix in late Jan for a long weekend with a few mates - Wednesday - Sunday. That was booked using holidaylettings.co.uk.
Enjoy!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks for the advice... here's some more info:
- We're looking for amazing skiing (1st priority) with some good atmosphere at night. I used to live in Europe and have skied in France, CH, Austria, Germany for years so I know what to expect.
- I want to limit my choice to Chamonix and/or Zermatt as they're the two places where I've not yet been.
- Budget is not a 'big' concern... Accommodation seems similar in price for both Chamonix and Zermatt.
- Transport / distance is not really an issue as we'll have a rental car the whole trip.
- We prefer to have things planned in advance to avoid being disappointed but we are flexible.
- There still seems to be plenty of choice for accommodation in both regions despite the school holidays.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Around Chamonix I think you would mostly want to ski at Argentierre, so purely for the skiing that would be the better place to stay. But Chamonix town is a nice place in itself.
The main problem about Chamonix, other than the way the ski areas spread out along the valley, is that so many good skiers go there that the off piste gets skied out very fast.
All the suggestions would give you a good few days, especially Verbier or Zermatt, but if you go for Gressoney don't make the mistake of staying in Gressoney St Jean, which requires a bus journey to the main ski area. You need Stafal or Gressoney la Trinité (or Alagna in the next valley for the picturesque old houses, but Gressoney valley is more central for the skiing). Gressoney is tiny, though, and has no night life.
In any of them a guide will take you far from any piste and would be very worth while.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 5-12-13 17:15; edited 2 times in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
Maybe we could have a ski pizza index on the forum...
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that's a good idea. Rated for quantity and quality! Plenty of €9-10 pizzas in my neck of the French woods, but probably the Italian ones are better.
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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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| ludwigk wrote: |
Thanks for the advice... here's some more info:
- We're looking for amazing skiing (1st priority) with some good atmosphere at night. I used to live in Europe and have skied in France, CH, Austria, Germany for years so I know what to expect.
- I want to limit my choice to Chamonix and/or Zermatt as they're the two places where I've not yet been.
- Budget is not a 'big' concern... Accommodation seems similar in price for both Chamonix and Zermatt.
- Transport / distance is not really an issue as we'll have a rental car the whole trip.
- We prefer to have things planned in advance to avoid being disappointed but we are flexible.
- There still seems to be plenty of choice for accommodation in both regions despite the school holidays. |
As regards transport, Zermatt is a car free town (they only have small electric taxis and horse drawn vehicles) so if you have a car you will have to leave it in the nearest village you can drive to called Täsch, where there are large car parking facilities, and then do the last 5km to Zermatt on the frequent train shuttle services from Täsch to Zermatt, see this site.
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Zermatt all day long. You get what you pay for.
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ludwigk, plenty of choice for accommodation is probably down to your budget being adequate!!
I have skied Zermatt only once and only because it was our heli run out. It's very pretty. I don't like the Cervinia side at all.
If it's big skiing you are after and can cope with hiring a guide and maybe a little boot packing I'd go Chamonix. Mind you, with a guide and a little boot packing and even a little skinning, it doesn't really matter where you are based, does it?
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| ludwigk wrote: |
My friend and I are meeting some old friends in Villars CH at the end of February for a long weekend ski 'reunion'. Since I'm flying all the way from Canada we thought about going about 5 days earlier and hitting some other resorts in the area. We're thinking of Chamonix, Zermatt and or northern Italy. (We've not skied any of these areas). Any suggestions or advice?? We are intermediate skiers who like going off-piste and lively night life. Good hotel suggestions would also be appreciated!
Cheers!! |
If you are intermediate skiers then I would suggest Zermatt before Chamonix although both are great places but very different.
If you only have a few days it will probably take you a while to get to know Chamonix because as others have said the skiing is disjointed. The Zermatt system nowadays is well inter connected so if you do not enjoy one area you can get to another quite easily.
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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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Zermatt was the first thing to come to mind when I saw the Forum title. It is such a charming resort!
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Maybe we could have a ski pizza index on the forum...
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that's a good idea. Rated for quantity and quality! Plenty of €9-10 pizzas in my neck of the French woods, but probably the Italian ones are better. |
The best pizza I have ever eaten was in Söll in Austria, but I would hope that for £18 you could find something nicer than pizza in Zermatt.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Zero_G wrote: |
| Perty wrote: |
| 26CHF for a simple pizza (so about 18 quid!) in Zermatt |
That's hardly eye watering. In fact, that's pretty standard for London. |
Where the hell do you eat? That is certainly eye watering to me for a pizza. Maybe at a high end restaurant £18 is acceptable but a pizza at a standard restaurant in London will rarely set you back much more than £10. I would feel well and truly diddled if I paid £18 for a pizza in London.
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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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Eh, well, it does depend what you're looking for. Of those two, I've ridden them both many times, but they're quite different.
Cham is more "real", and has a broader mix of people in it.
You can't drive to Zermatt, so your rental car is a waste of cash. It's easiest to get there from GVA on the train (air and rail stations are connected). Otherwise you have to park and catch the train up there anyway.
My personal view...
Visitors will be gob smacked by both the Aiguille du Midi and the Matterhorn, so you're set either way. You'll get great photos in either place if the conditions are right.
The piste map in both places is... unplanned, so don't expect well connected purpose built stuff. Chamonix in particular is mostly very steep, so it's not great for beginners, and the more intrepid you are the more you'll get out of it. You may find Zermatt better for a single brief trip as it's probably easier to work out.
Zermatt garners it's fair share of American tourists, often with better skis than ability, but has a range of runs including easy stuff. Yeah you can ride over from Zermatt to Cervinia (no you don't need your passport), and it's fun to blast down to the bottom there without stopping. But you can do just that, because .... the runs seem to me to be pretty much all motorway. More people from Cervinia likely ride in Zermatt than the other way around. Some of the lifts are quite slow.
You will get gnarly queues of aggressive smelly Europeans blowing cigarette smoke in your face.
Zermatt wins out for ancient alpine charm and little mountain restaurants set amongst the trees at the bottom of the runs. Check out Rosti and Raclette, none of this Pizza nonsense. Pizza is probably the cheapest way to eat in Zermatt, but it's hardly the place for skinflints.
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| Quote: |
| Zermatt was the first thing to come to mind when I saw the Forum title. It is such a charming resort! |
If you're in the Zermatt neck of the woods, Saas Fee could certainly be worth a look too in terms of resort charm and decent skiing.
I'm sure you'll have a great time - no matter wher you end up  .
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You know it makes sense.
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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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ludwigk, I don't know that hotel and I prefer to be more central, this hotel was discussed in a previous thread Best Western Alpen Resort Hotel, it isnt too far from the main railway station and the Gornergrat railway also close to the Sunnegga funicular. Check this site out for more information on accommodation and Zermatt http://www.zermatt.ch/en/
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi I haven't personally stayed in the Aristella but I know someone who does and speaks very well of it. It was a fairly traditional old style hotel until a total makeover roughly a couple of years ago (by which I meant tearing most of it down and rebuilding). So very modern up to date accommodation, still run mostly by the same family I believe. I would think you would find it very acceptable. Standards in Zermatt hotel wise are pretty high, so I would think you would be happy with most accommodation in terms of cleanliness, food and so on from 3 star and up. Personally i think the location is still pretty central, we stay just up the road from the Aristella at new year, and you are very close to a number of bars, restaurants, small supermarket and so on, and only about 5 mins walk from the main street. The main station is about 10 minutes walk away but the Aristella will have a little electric car (as most of the hotels do) which will pick you up at the station and take you back so you don't have to walk with luggage if you don't want to. Being slightly back from the main drag it is also quieter at night, which you might consider a plus (or maybe not!) They have their own (public) restaurant, the Spycher, but if that is too formal for your tastes, there are plenty of other more casual options nearby.
A central location does mean however you are not next to any of the lifts onto the mountains. The Sunnegga funicular is the nearest I would think about 6 or 7 minutes walk, with the Schwarzsee express (to Klein Matterhorn) a bus or taxi ride away, and the Gornergrat railway opposite the main station. I don't know if you are taking your own gear or renting, but Flexrent opposite the Sunnegga funicular has a heated boot room where you can leave your stuff overnight and go back and forth in shoes/walking boots, if that helps, so you don't have to carry gear around with you. They aren't generous enough to extend that privilege to those with their own equipment, sadly! Hope that helps
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ludwigk, all good advice and choices.
If you are going to end up in Villars you could easily ski in Zermatt, Verbier and Chamonix without spending too much time travelling between them, no reason to miss and hours skiing and perhaps only a couple of hours drinking.
Both Zermatt and Chamonix are worth crossing the Atlantic for- do both! Driving from Zermatt to Chamonix you pass Verbier so it would be rude not to have go there. The only question I'd ask is whether you really need a car at all to do this- although it might speed things up a little.
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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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Hi, if you don't want total luxury, but good, clean, very central and with an excellent breakfast, try the Matterhornblick. Decent price, and if you like rock music go to the Paperla pub, just up the road!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Oh how twee, it wouldn't let me say a*se. Hardly a rude word!
FWIW, I would never use a phrase like 'back bottom' - yuck!
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To the OP - I reckon Chamonix and Zermatt are both excellent choices. If you've got a car I'd do both (obviously will need to leave the car in the valley below Zermatt. Both are spectacular. Zermatt more chocolate boxy alpine pretty, Chamonix just intimidatingly big mountains.
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Thanks for the hotel info -I will check them out.
ed123 - I guess you could call us intermediate-advanced. None of those runs posted looks difficult or intimidating. Just because we're Canadian does not necessarily mean we're all born with skis on. My friend and I live near Toronto (more towards the East coast) and a 5hr flight to Whistler. However, inn addition to skiing several times in Western Canada and the U.S., I lived in Europe for almost 10yrs and skied most of the Austrian resorts and several in CH & France.
I hear what people say about taking the train vs car hire but we would like the flexibility of a car (we're North American after all) and need a car in Villars anyway. When you add up the cost of all the transfers, the hire car is actually much cheaper!
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