Swiss resort at Easter from Zurich?

A snowHead

Hi Everyone,

I've searched loads but still cant make my mind up.

Looking for an Easter break next year 2nd April for 7 days - Sat to Sat. Would normally look at Manchester to Geneva (extortionate) or Malpensa (land at 8pm), so not the best. I have checked out Man to Zurich, really good prices and flight times.

I have never been to Switzerland, other than a cross border trip from PDS and Cervinia. What are the resorts to aim for at Easter - would like the ease of a train journey from Zurich airport but would hire a car if worthwhile and not too far - 2 - 2.5 hrs

Grindlewald?
Wengen?
Other Swiss?
St Anton?
Ischgl?
SaaS Fee too far I think?

OR do I just drive to Cervinia and make it easy?!?!

Thanks for any advice

Gaz

A snowHead

You can get to Engelberg easily by train from Zurich.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Engelberg is easy via Lucerne by train.

Arosa is another option - change at the main Zurich railway station and then again for the last, spectacular 50 minutes, from Chur.

I have done Grindelwald as well by train from Zurich - a bit longer and a couple of changes too.

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Ive heard Flumserberg is worth a look and convenient to Zurich.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I flew into Zurich and drove to Flims for a weekend. It really depends where you want to be for 7 days. Cervina sounds fine too...

A lot of Zurich Swiss get the train to St Anton!

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I have done two resorts in Switzerland at Easter: Zermatt and Verbier. Both had adequate snow at altitude and were fine. However, IIRC, Easter those years was early in April rather than the late Easter we have in 2022. Two or three weeks can make a lot of difference that time of year.

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After all it is free

Another vote for the Arlberg, early April skiing is often very good and it is a simple train ride direct to the heart of St Anton. Also in eastern Austria the Montafon is worth a look. Ischgl is perfectly doable but probably easier with a car. In Switzerland, Andermatt is easy to get to though can be busy at weekends it now forms part of a much bigger area stretching over the pass to Disentis, I would have thought April is getting a bit late for Grindelwald, the Valais resorts might be a bit far though both Zermatt & Verbier are good options.

Since the new north-south tunnel was built, Zermatt is fairly easy to get to from Zurich - quicker than from Geneva.
You should still have good snow there at that time of year and a safer bet then Wengen or Grindelweld.
You don't say what type of skiing you're looking for. Makes quite a difference to where one might recommend.
If you're looking to do guided off-piste then Engelberg and Andermatt would be good choices but both are busy at weekends.
Zermatt is a fantastic all-round resort and has lots of interesting itineries as well as oodles of piste. Plus you can hop over the border to Cervinia for a cheap coffee or pasta

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Andermatt, Engelberg, Melchsee Frutt, small but beautifully formed.

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@Gaz_H, like others have said it depends what you are after. Zermatt really comes into it‘s own late season, and that would be my first choice. I think it‘s an easy journey on the train - 3.5 hours, get straight on at the airport, change once at Visp, then all the way to Zermatt. Otherwise I like Andermatt and the ski area is pretty big these days now it‘s all linked up with Sedrun and Disentis. Both are good for piste and off-piste. Engelberg is usually also good though it‘s not really a piste skiing resort so I‘d only go there if you want to predominantly ski off piste. Though Engelberg and Andermatt are much closer than Zermatt the train connections aren’t as good so I‘m not sure it‘s worth making a factor in your choice. I didn‘t really gel with the Jungfrau ski area but that’s me and I‘m sure the snow would still be good. Others I‘d put on your list would be Laax (particularly if you are a snowboarder/into park) and Arosa/Lenzerheide.

Someone mentioned Flumserberg - it‘s nice for a day or two but I don‘t think I‘d go for a week. I‘m also not sure it would still be open at Easter, or if much would be open, it‘s not that high.

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Arlberg dead easy from ZRH on the Railjet or Arlberg Express bus if time works.

Engelberg another good shout.

Thanks for the replies guys. Yes, I should have said a bit more. Our easter hols start on the 2nd

and this is with the kids, going into ski school and one 16 and keen, can do easy Blacks., the other 13 and can do easy reds.

I'm also consider going on my own for a long weekend on the 2nd Dec too, all being well. Prob go zurich too!

You know it makes sense.

@Gaz_H, St Anton / Arlberg would be ideal for the older one but if the younger one is a bit timid then not so much though perfectly good for "red run" skiers with a bit of sense of adventure. It works well for weekends via Zürich, train takes about 2 hours though not reliable for early December. Ischgl would be perfect but maybe too far. In Switzerland itself Verbier & Zermatt again pretty much perfect with large areas and a variety of skiing. Not sure about the newer areas at Andermatt, the traditional area is good for high altitude off piste / black runs. Dont know Flims / Laax but it does have a decent reputation and a reasonable size.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Gaz_H, I'd be hesitant about booking for Laax, most of the runs there face due South which in April is unlikely to result in good piste conditions. At any rate, the sweet spot between frozen solid and a slushy mess will last for much longer on a North facing slope on a sunny day in April. I also don't think that Engelberg would suit your family for a week. The pisted area feels small and the top third is only linked to the middle third via an unpisted black which your younger son may not enjoy (Both sections are accessible without using this but it involves downloading and would give it a very disjointed feel). Sorry, more don'ts than do's there but I don't have an informed opinion on the other locations

A snowHead

Arosa-Lenzerheide would suit your youngsters (I share the reservations about Engelberg, too).

A snowHead

No one's mentioned Davos/Klosters. Change at Landquart to the narrow gauge RhB, stations in the resorts (in fact two in Davos, one each end of the town).

And St Moritz, though haven't skiied there myself and prices may be a deterrent.

By the way, don't get put off by the places needing a Postbus for the last bit (e.g. Flims/Laax, Lenzerheide), if you haven't experienced it be assured the efficiency of Swiss public transport makes it all work

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I love Engelberg. It just has a great feel about it. They were skiing until late May/ June this year.

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Lots of good advice above. But IMO you just can’t beat Zermatt in April. High altitude skiing in the shadow of the Matterhorn, long sunny lunches at Chalet Etoile on the Cervinia side. Magnifico!

3h 15m train journey with a change at Visp.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

+1 for Zermatt..if you can afford it, it dont find a reason not to go there

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Klosters, linked in with Davos. Maybe 2 hours by train, one change at Landquart. Klosters/Davos extensive ski area, mainly intermediate. Engleberg more limited but high 11k ft.

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Flims/Laax very good and extensive intermediate ski area, but by train then postbus.

After all it is free

@Gaz_H, I have only been to Davos to work on the WEF conference in January (the most snow I have ever seen though unfortunately had to work!) and it was expensive even by normal Swiss standards. I know they put prices up during the forum but I was there during the set up period so the prices would have been considered "normal" for Davos. We were going to ordinary pizzerias and bars nothing swanky. Nice train ride from Landquart though.

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@Gaz_H, Staying in Klosters is cheaper than Davos, there are some reasonably priced 3 stars there. But, maybe not at Easter, my visits have been in early Jan. Check one of the hotel search engines. The cable car from Klosters Platz takes you right into the Davos system.
Don't remember Engleberg being particularly expensive.

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@Gaz_H, we've twice been to Davos over half term when our daughter was younger, and our overall costs were less than we would have paid in France that week.

Admittedly we went self-catering so ate in a couple of nights, but otherwise were careful about where we chose. All our lunches were out. Also the half term factor, French prices for flights and accommodation are ramped up something scary, wheras Swiss prices don't change.

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@Gaz_H, I did not find Davos expensive compared to St Moritz! The youth hostel in Klosters looks really cheap compared to anywhere. (even non Swiss) I have considered getting plane to Basel, and train to Klosters to take advantage of those bargain prices.

Do not be fooled by reputation. Prices depend on what you spend your money on.

As a regular visitor over the years to the Alps (skiing) to Austria, France, Switz., and Italy I've always found France to be the most expensive like for like. Hotels in Switzerland, whatever 'star rating', operate at a higher level of service, as do Austrian, than French hotels.
St. Moritz, and Verbier, being the exception in my experience. I can forgive Verbier for it's skiing.
For those in cars petrol is cheaper in Switzerland. Diesel?

You know it makes sense.

Interesting guys - thanks!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I've been to Davos/Klosters about a dozen times, Zermatt slightly less, Engleberg and Andermatt a few each. Based on your party I would rule out the last two although they are both superb for off-piste. Zermatt is much higher and is fabulous but I would say pricier than Davos/Klosters. Why not check out prices there online and see if your budget will stretch to it. No real restrictions on where to stay as it's fairly compact but my personal preference is as close to the Sunnegga lift as possible. If that's not financially viable then try the same with either Klosters or Davos. Both share the same main mountain but Davos has better additional options. That said, you can ski all of Davos from Klosters and vice versa. If going for accomodation in Klosters, choose the area closer to Klostes Platz station rather than Klosters Dorf. In Davos both Platz and Dorf are fine.

A snowHead

@DCG, you obviously know Davos very well!

@Gaz_H, with five (I think that's right) different ski areas, and a good Swiss system of shuttle buses* there are quite a few places that are feasible. But the Parsenn area between Davos Dorf and Klosters Platz is the biggest so the most convenient to have easy access to. We stayed quite economically in Hotel Cresta Apartments (if they still exist) in Davos, walkable at a pinch with skis to Dorf but with a bus stop outside anyway.

[*Actually the ski pass gives you free transport on anything, you can use the train between Davos and Klosters, and more adventurously you can do the long run off Parsenn that takes you to Kublis with a 45 min+ train ride back. And there are some other fun routes through the trees that get you to places where you need to wait for a service bus for the return].

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@DCG, I agree, the home run into Davos off Parsenn is crowded and not much fun anyway. I think after doing it once we saw no point in repeating it. The run into Klosters on the other hand is enjoyable almost all the way, you just have to be prepared to take off the skis and wade the last few yards.

As well as the run to the outlying village of Serneus, there was one to a suburb of Klosters which had its own nursery slope - and crossing the entrance to a rail tunnel linking to the Engadine.

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@j b, Re the run down to Davos, I agree it's best avoided at the end of the day if it's busy. However, if it's quiet then it's a super run top to bottom. Often fairly quiet mid morning as people don't seem to want to go all the way back down.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@DCG, thanks, I guess we must have been near the end of day. Impossible to find a clear line.

@Gaz_H, apologies for the side-chat, but the bottom line is that our memories of skiing in Davos were good.

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Surprising how many resorts you can discard based on presumptions. I'll be sure to dig a little deeper....... thanks

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@Gaz_H, Just to add that while you can see the enthusiasm for Davos/Klosters, it is late in the season for that resort and you may find only Parsenn and Jacobshorn open - still a lot of skiing there. OTOH Zermatt will still be in full swing

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Swiss resort at Easter from Zurich?

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