 Poster: A snowHead
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Next season I'm going to try and wear out my Ikon pass both in NA and in Europe. Re the latter, I typically go in March and use MUC for my trips and do a loop including Kitzbühel, the Dolomites (both Ikon) and somewhere else like Zillertal, Serfaus or Arlberg for variety. With Zermatt and now Ischgl on Ikon, I want to hit one of those (along with Kitzbühel and the Dolomites). Ischgl fits nicely into my usual loop, but I spent a day there trying to see as much of it as I could and it was fine, but I'd rather go to Zermatt. Trouble is, Zermatt is so far west that it isn't a natural to combine with Kitzbühel and the Dolomites. I could skip Kitzbühel or maybe trade it for Ischgl but the Dolomites are non-negotiable. Going to Zermatt would also cost me a bunch for parking my rental car and paying for it to sit there during the Z portion of the trip.
Clearly dumping Z brings it into focus but I wanna go there so something else has to give.
So my guess is to fly to ZRH, train to Zermatt, train back to ZRH and get the car, drive to the Dolomites, and hit Ischgl on the way back to ZRH. If Ischgl's coverage is an issue in late March, I could go there before the Dolomites, which have always had good coverage then (at least on-piste).
If you see any flies in the ointment please let me know.
Also a couple questions re lodging: I last stayed in Zermatt in, um, 1989, at the Sarazena. It is still there and looks fine but I'd prefer half board. Any mid-market (for Zermatt) lodging suggestions are appreciated. As for Ischgl, I haven't stayed there and I like it quiet. Recognizing that I've picked party central, is there a place to stay that's walkable to lifts but otherwise reasonably tame and sedate? (Not Samnaun, I thought it was cheesy).
Thanks all.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
So my guess is to fly to ZRH, train to Zermatt, train back to ZRH and get the car, drive to the Dolomites, and hit Ischgl on the way back to ZRH. If Ischgl's coverage is an issue in late March, I could go there before the Dolomites, which have always had good coverage then (at least on-piste).
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If you’re worry about snow condition, you can flip your itinerary around and leave Zermatt to last. Drive around to all your other resorts, return your car and train to Zermatt. Similar logistic.
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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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@Scooter in Seattle,
OK, I'll bite!
Do Zermatt, you know you want to.
For accommodation I used otp.co.uk the 2 times I went there - their Swiss operation is based in Zermatt - get the boss (Jeff) to take you out for a fondue one night. I stayed at the Hotel Rhodania through otp. North Wall bar was a cracker too!
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@abc, @Kenzie, thanks. Agree that "saving" Zermatt until last might be a smart snow strategy, but it means I'd have a five hour drive after +/- 15 hours of flying. That drive is always the toughest part of the entire trip. Plus, it was horrible at Zermatt (and everywhere) my last time there....only the top third of the mountain was open, and that's not the best part. So I'll snooze on the train and take my chances on white ribbons through brown mountains in the Dolomites...they do that pretty well.
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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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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
Next season I'm going to try and wear out my Ikon pass both in NA and in Europe. Re the latter, I typically go in March and use MUC for my trips and do a loop including Kitzbühel, the Dolomites (both Ikon) and somewhere else like Zillertal, Serfaus or Arlberg for variety. With Zermatt and now Ischgl on Ikon, I want to hit one of those (along with Kitzbühel and the Dolomites). Ischgl fits nicely into my usual loop, but I spent a day there trying to see as much of it as I could and it was fine, but I'd rather go to Zermatt. Trouble is, Zermatt is so far west that it isn't a natural to combine with Kitzbühel and the Dolomites. I could skip Kitzbühel or maybe trade it for Ischgl but the Dolomites are non-negotiable. Going to Zermatt would also cost me a bunch for parking my rental car and paying for it to sit there during the Z portion of the trip.
Clearly dumping Z brings it into focus but I wanna go there so something else has to give.
So my guess is to fly to ZRH, train to Zermatt, train back to ZRH and get the car, drive to the Dolomites, and hit Ischgl on the way back to ZRH. If Ischgl's coverage is an issue in late March, I could go there before the Dolomites, which have always had good coverage then (at least on-piste).
If you see any flies in the ointment please let me know.
Also a couple questions re lodging: I last stayed in Zermatt in, um, 1989, at the Sarazena. It is still there and looks fine but I'd prefer half board. Any mid-market (for Zermatt) lodging suggestions are appreciated. As for Ischgl, I haven't stayed there and I like it quiet. Recognizing that I've picked party central, is there a place to stay that's walkable to lifts but otherwise reasonably tame and sedate? (Not Samnaun, I thought it was cheesy).
Thanks all. |
You might want to wrap up your Dolomites pilgrimage earlier in the trip—ideally as soon as conditions allow. I’ve heard March is usually reliable on-piste, but it’s always smart to stay flexible and play it by ear based on the snow report. We were there in the last week of January, and slope conditions were absolutely perfect.
Here’s a routing idea that keeps things interesting and snow-optimized:
Start with the Dolomites → then head toward Ischgl or Samnaun → and finish strong in Zermatt.
If you’re looking for a quieter base, Samnaun offers a more relaxed vibe than Ischgl—though I agree it can feel a bit kitschy. That said, the skiing is solid, and the duty-free perks don’t hurt.
Also worth noting: St. Moritz is on the Ikon Pass, and it’s only about 1.5 hours from Samnaun by car. If you’re open to daily drives of 30–45 minutes, you could even base yourself somewhere in between and split your ski days between the two. That’s especially useful if Ischgl’s conditions turn slushy later in March.
One of the best parts of the Ikon Pass in Europe is that you don’t need to use your ski days consecutively. That gives you the freedom to take detours, chase better snow, or simply enjoy rest days—without wasting any pass days. It’s a huge plus for flexible itineraries like yours.
Zermatt lodging tip:
I recommend Hotel Garni in Zermatt with breakfast option. The host Richard is extremely friendly and ready to help everyday, with anything you need. It’s a great mid-market option (for Zermatt), with fantastic Matterhorn views right from your room. It’s about a 5–10 bus ride to the main gondola, but you can store your skis at Furi station and use the local bus—it runs every 8 minutes and makes life easy.
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@Scooter in Seattle, sounds like a good trip!
In Zermatt some years ago I stayed at the Hotel Europe. It was very nice with good food, but you'd have to check on the prices.
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@Scooter in Seattle,
| Quote: |
| As for Ischgl, I haven't stayed there and I like it quiet. Recognizing that I've picked party central, is there a place to stay that's walkable to lifts but otherwise reasonably tame and sedate? |
Not walkable but Galtür and Kappl meet the quiet criteria and are on a short/frequent bus route into Ischgl. Also some villages in between are really quiet eg I once stayed in Mathon which was about 5 minute bus ride from Ischgl but had about 3 restaurants and a load of pensions and that was it.
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@Scooter in Seattle, in Zermatt Coeur des Alpes is fabulous 
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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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| Gämsbock wrote: |
@Scooter in Seattle,
| Quote: |
| As for Ischgl, I haven't stayed there and I like it quiet. Recognizing that I've picked party central, is there a place to stay that's walkable to lifts but otherwise reasonably tame and sedate? |
Not walkable but Galtür and Kappl meet the quiet criteria and are on a short/frequent bus route into Ischgl. Also some villages in between are really quiet eg I once stayed in Mathon which was about 5 minute bus ride from Ischgl but had about 3 restaurants and a load of pensions and that was it. |
Also I am not sure if Galtur, See and Kaapl are included with Ischgl using Ikon Pass. Samnaun is included.
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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
| Recognizing that I've picked party central, is there a place to stay that's walkable to lifts but otherwise reasonably tame and sedate? |
Yes, anywhere in Ischgl that isn't in the “party central” area. The party bars are mostly confined to one area, in the centre near Silvrettabahn. If you're prepared to walk a couple of minutes, you can avoid this area entirely.
For example, Ischgl has an underground travelator that goes from Fimbabahn to the centre, with an exit halfway. If you stay near this exit point, you can get up to Fimbabahn without much walking at all, and it rarely has the queues of Silvrettabahn (the main bubble). I have stayed in the Hotel Arnika, which is less than 5 min walk to the tunnel entrance. Use Google street view to check you are not staying next to or above a bar or strip club, and you should be fine!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
| @abc, @Kenzie, thanks. Agree that "saving" Zermatt until last might be a smart snow strategy, but it means I'd have a five hour drive after +/- 15 hours of flying. That drive is always the toughest part of the entire trip. |
@Scooter in Seattle, when I said flip your itinerary, I mean flip it completely!
So you’re only driving 2 1/2 hs from Zurich to Ischgl on your arrival day, leaving the 5 hr drive between Dolomite and Zurich towards the end of your “driving loop”, followed by train to Zermatt.
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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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Appreciate all the suggestions gang. I hadn't considered including St. Moritz but will take a look; I'm always up for a worthy day trip. Not concerned at all about snow in the Dolomites; never an issue (on piste) in the last 8 years, all in late March (off piste definitely mostly sketchy during the same interval). I've gotten to know a number of guests at my San Cassiano hotel which is really fun, so I'll want to overlap with them, which probably puts it mid-trip. I'll check out the various hotel suggestions and hope they have a single room, which seem to be somewhat rare.
Anybody stay at the Radisson Bleu at ZRH? I usually stay at an airport hotel for my last night...I'll trade character for a short, stress-free walk to the gate the next morning. Looks like the Radisson is the only one walkable. I'm sort of a Hilton guy, so that one would be second choice.
Thanks/cheers
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@Scooter in Seattle, yes the Radisson is good, 2min walk into the terminal and you have lots of food options (The Circle) if you don't want to eat at the hotel.
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You know it makes sense.
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Not sure which pass St Anton is on but assuming the "right" one this might work. Fly into Munich, get the train to the Dolomites (assume taxi for last bit), then train to St Anton (station in middle of village). Direct trains to Zürich, connect with Zermatt train there, train back to Zürich and fly home. It is possible to go a scenic route to Zermatt by avoiding Zürich and using part of the Glacier Express route but probably not worth it unless you are interested in the train journey. You can add Kitzbühel into all this pretty easily, The trains to Kitzbühel (one of the stops is at the bottom of the Hahnenkamm lift) go from Wörgl which is a stop on the route between Munich & Südtirol (Dolomites) and also direct trains to St Anton from there.
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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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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
I hadn't considered including St. Moritz but will take a look...
Anybody stay at the Radisson Bleu at ZRH? I usually stay at an airport hotel for my last night...I'll trade character for a short, stress-free walk to the gate the next morning. |
We flew into ZRH in early March this year arriving around 2pm and easily did the drive to the Engadin valley that day and arrived before dark. Stayed in Zuoz. Short drive to the two major areas and/or Bernina Pass and a bonus that the small local hill was on the Ikon as well. So...five areas within a short drive on the Ikon. Pretty sweet and a nice spot to sort out the jet lag.
I don't mind airport hotels but we stayed downtown in Zurich and the drive the next morning (early) was easy and only 20 minutes. Nice to be in town for us and turning the car in and walking to the gate was pretty stress free as well.
Easy drive to Corvara from St. Moritz. Then we relocated to Zermatt (by far our longest driving day) and paid for parking for a couple of nights. Skied Zermatt in the morning we checked out and rode the lift at Flegere in Chamonix in the afternoon the same day. Drive is pretty short. Easy drive back to Zurich from Chamonix.
Cheers!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@munich_irish, it isn't on the Ikon pass * but thanks for the thoughts, appreciated. I much prefer to drive, but the train seems more sensible for the Zermatt piece. As for St Anton, it's a great ski area but I'm done with it. Even avoiding holidays and in the second half of March (three different seasons) I've always found it way too crowded for my tastes.
*I note that Ski Arlberg is on the Epic pass; you get 3 days but you must stay in certain hotels.
@Nadennoodlee, thanks, good to hear, I'll probably book it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Scooter in Seattle, The train is not that good for much of the "Dolomites" anyway too long transfers from nearest station. A couple of points I would make, Ischgl is as crowded as St Anton, maybe more, I avoid the place these days as I really dont like the "village" far too "corporate", pretty much all owned by an extended family. Whilst I like Kitzbühel as a ski area it does not have the best snow record and often is pretty thin & slushy low down in March (though who knows what it will be like next year), there is a high area at Pass Thurn but not that big and a fair way from Kitzbühel itself.
A logistics suggestion. Fly into Munich, take a train to Innsbruck, hire a car (number of places near main train station), head to Dolomites and then onto Kitzbühel (probably makes sense to go via Tauern tunnel & Pass Thurn rather than the Brenner), back to Innsbruck, drop off car, train to Landeck and transfer to Ischgl (car parking is a bit of a pain in Ischgl, no free parking anymore), back to Landeck for train onto Zürich etc. You could keep the car and go back to Innsbruck and take the train from there
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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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@munich_irish, appreciated. Based on some folks suggesting St Moritz, which honestly wasn't on my radar at all, I think I'll go there instead of Ischgl. I wasn't stoked for Ischgl anyway, and you've put the last nail in the coffin which is helpful. I think I'll skip Kitzbuhel this time as well....not a treasure trove of long runs there and it has been thin there for me a couple times before. I need to see a bit more of "postcard Switzerland" anyway. So its looking like Zermatt-Dolomiti-St M, probably in that order but that could change depending on when my friends (ironically, from Zurich) will be in the Dolomites.
Which means I have questions about St Moritz. I think I'd like to stay where I can walk, not bus, to the lifts. So: Compatch? Corviglia? Does it typically have coverage in late March?
Continued thanks all.
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| Brian in SLC wrote: |
| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
I hadn't considered including St. Moritz but will take a look...
Anybody stay at the Radisson Bleu at ZRH? I usually stay at an airport hotel for my last night...I'll trade character for a short, stress-free walk to the gate the next morning. |
We flew into ZRH in early March this year arriving around 2pm and easily did the drive to the Engadin valley that day and arrived before dark. Stayed in Zuoz. Short drive to the two major areas and/or Bernina Pass and a bonus that the small local hill was on the Ikon as well. So...five areas within a short drive on the Ikon. Pretty sweet and a nice spot to sort out the jet lag.
I don't mind airport hotels but we stayed downtown in Zurich and the drive the next morning (early) was easy and only 20 minutes. Nice to be in town for us and turning the car in and walking to the gate was pretty stress free as well.
Easy drive to Corvara from St. Moritz. Then we relocated to Zermatt (by far our longest driving day) and paid for parking for a couple of nights. Skied Zermatt in the morning we checked out and rode the lift at Flegere in Chamonix in the afternoon the same day. Drive is pretty short. Easy drive back to Zurich from Chamonix.
Cheers! |
Infact Samnaun (Ischgl) is only about 70 km from Zuoz, so for someone comfortable with 30–60 min drives each way, combining both St. Moritz and Ischgl is definitely doable. That’s a great way to stretch the Ikon Pass value in the region.
What really caught my attention though was your Zermatt–Chamonix double-header—skiing Zermatt in the morning and then hitting Flegère the same afternoon. That’s genuinely impressive!
I’ve been mapping this route for a future trip, and I always assumed the timing would be tight. Between checking out of the hotel, the shuttle from Zermatt to Täsch (~20–30 minutes not counting wait times), then the ~3-hour drive to Chamonix (depending on traffic and weather), and finally gearing up again—it seems like quite the logistical feat.
Did you skip lunch or have some kind of teleportation trick up your sleeve?
 Curious how you made it all flow so smoothly. Would love to learn from that experience.
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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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| ankitind wrote: |
| What really caught my attention though was your Zermatt–Chamonix double-header—skiing Zermatt in the morning and then hitting Flegère the same afternoon. That’s genuinely impressive! |
Was a bit of pipe dream. We had a few advantages that might have helped a bit. Our hotel in Zermatt had a noon checkout time and was nicely located near to both the Sunnega lift and the train station (Garni Testa). Didn't push it, but, got to the top of the tram at 9:30am and skied until around 10:30am. Walk back to hotel, pack up skis and check out. Train to Tasch by 11:30 or so. Train is only around 10 minutes and we got lucky at departure time by not having to wait but a couple of minutes.
Car was parked in a nice spot at the train station and we were quick to load and leave. I'd driven the road to Martigny before so knew that was easy but had never been over the pass to the Chamonix area before. That went faster than anticipated. I was jonesing to get back onto the snow and La Balme was right there...but...we decided to go to our hotel and check in first. Hotel said no check in before 4pm. So...with some time to kill, Flegere was easy in the mid afternoon with parking and voila.
Easy day and didn't push hard at all. Pretty funny. We knew on the front and back end we weren't going to burn up our Ikon pass days as we were less than 7 days in both locations so a short ski didn't matter as much.
Bonus day for the trip was sneaking in a Vallee Blanche day from the Helbronner (Italy) on our last ski day. Didn't expect, based on the forecast, that'd we'd have the opportunity. So at breakfast when I checked the weather, it was unusually and unexpectedly nice. We packed up and did it. Was a bit anxious about the lack of skiers...which was kinda funny in hindsight. Got asked by the tram folks if we were guided but they seemed fine that I'd done it before. A gal who had toured down and back to the tram asked us if we had harnesses, etc. We did but didn't put on any of our safety gear until we hit the snow after hiking down the stairs. Snow was great. Trip went fast. Nice that the Italian side sells a lift/train pass for the return to Chamonix.
Ran into a guided crew with a group from Salt Lake City who'd come down from the Aiguille when we hit the classic route descent. Kinda wonder how their day went (they had a skier who was suffering and we saw a helicopter go that way after we'd passed them). We chatted with a Norwegian couple who were on their second lap of the Vallee for the day.
The discussion started when I asked them if they hauled the big paperback books on the ski tour that they were reading on the train. Pretty good humor. Anyhow...great fun, splitter day and a super nice end to our Europe ski trip. Rained in town that night.
Kunstmuseum in Zurich another nice bonus prior to our flight home.
Cheers!
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Some people seem to want a car tour of the alps rather than spend time skiing, no need for a ski pass at all!
Not been to St Moritz in winter (I had a plan to climb the Piz Bernina, didnt make it though!), its popular with rich folk playing with their horses (though the lake is unlikely to be frozen in March) and English public school types sliding down the mountain on a tea tray. It feels a bit different, perhaps as it is a bit isolated and also a Romansch speaking area. I would guess the skiing will be quieter than many other places. The Diavolezza area at the Bernina pass is supposed to be good for spring skiing
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St Moritz is a place where you may wish you have a car. There’re distinctly 3 areas, two of which were barely connected, and the third not at all (Diavolezza). Rather than taking the train to Diavolezza, it’s faster to go by car. That said, if the itinerary is open, it dumps you on the train station, negating the car advantage. Still, the town is spread out. So a car would give you a better option in terms of lodging.
There’s quite a bit of skiing to be had. A lot of easy off-piste you can see, between the pistes and such. Plus an itinerary (or two?). So if you’re going there, don’t short change it. Might as well stay for a week.
I was there a good decade ago. So it’s possible the climate had change enough that @munich_irish maybe right. But when I was there in early April, the lake was more than just frozen. It was the site of a cross country ski race. Thousands skied on it. Nobody drown.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
Some people seem to want a car tour of the alps rather than spend time skiing, no need for a ski pass at all!
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I can say the same of most Europeans going to North America. They want to cover 10 resorts from Colorado to California in 20 days! What’s 1 month to cover just the Alps when you can “car tour” half a continent in 20 days! 
It’s not my thing. But then, counting the km of piste in a week isn’t my thing either. (My thing is park myself in one spot and skiing off-piste, which St Moritz happens to have a fair bit of). Still, it doesn’t make other people’s preference wrong either, even if they want to car tour half a continent and only ski half of the days!
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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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| munich_irish wrote: |
| Some people seem to want a car tour of the alps rather than spend time skiing, no need for a ski pass at all! |
These are not mutually exclusive. I ski every day on my trips...I've come so far and spent so much (and I need to leverage the jet lag). On the days I drive to my next venue I either ski the morning and then bail out, or leave early and hit someplace fun along the way (road warrior tip: have pizza for dinner the night before relocating, and save half for lunch on the next day's journey). Having sort of an enforced short day helps me pace myself, never my long suit. Plus, driving in the Alps isn't exactly ugly, and on the autobahnen it is a joy to drive on roads where the lane-keeping discipline is so strong vs the US, where idiots think its their god-given right to go slow in the fast lane!
A bunch of research today says you're right @abc, the skiing at St Moritz is kind of disjointed. But also pretty good terrain, snow, and not crowded. Looks like a fun and expensive place to ski 3-4 days at the end of my trip. Surlej appears to be a good base of operations....
But first, I need a dose of spring skiing on a volcano. Mt Bachelor here I come!
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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
| munich_irish wrote: |
| Some people seem to want a car tour of the alps rather than spend time skiing, no need for a ski pass at all! |
These are not mutually exclusive. I ski every day on my trips...I've come so far and spent so much (and I need to leverage the jet lag). On the days I drive to my next venue I either ski the morning and then bail out, or leave early and hit someplace fun along the way (road warrior tip: have pizza for dinner the night before relocating, and save half for lunch on the next day's journey). Having sort of an enforced short day helps me pace myself, never my long suit. Plus, driving in the Alps isn't exactly ugly, and on the autobahnen it is a joy to drive on roads where the lane-keeping discipline is so strong vs the US, where idiots think its their god-given right to go slow in the fast lane!
A bunch of research today says you're right @abc, the skiing at St Moritz is kind of disjointed. But also pretty good terrain, snow, and not crowded. Looks like a fun and expensive place to ski 3-4 days at the end of my trip. Surlej appears to be a good base of operations....
But first, I need a dose of spring skiing on a volcano. Mt Bachelor here I come! |
I sole-heartedly agree—driving in the Alps is a dream come true. I mean, where else do you get views so breathtaking they make you forget you’re supposed to be steering a moving vehicle?
I’ve settled into a ski rhythm that works for my legs and my sanity: ski hard for six days, then use Sunday as a built-in recovery + travel day. Not because I’m a strategic genius, mind you—but mostly because my knees start negotiating with me after Day 5 like union workers demanding better conditions.
Saturdays, contrary to what you'd think, are often fantastic for skiing. Most tourists are busy dragging suitcases into apartments, figuring out where they stashed their gloves, or arguing about ski pass prices. Meanwhile, I’m out there cruising empty slopes like I rented the whole resort.
Sundays, on the other hand? Chaos. That’s when everyone shows up—locals out for their weekend turns, and all the freshly checked-in tourists, fully caffeinated and ready to start burning their Epic and Ikon Pass days with religious fervor. It's like a powder-fueled stampede.
So yeah, give me a Sunday drive any day. I’ll take majestic scenery, a well-timed pizza slice from last night’s dinner, and maybe—just maybe—a detour to some underrated spa town I “accidentally” found during my “meticulously planned” route.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
| Anybody stay at the Radisson Bleu at ZRH? I usually stay at an airport hotel for my last night...I'll trade character for a short, stress-free walk to the gate the next morning. Looks like the Radisson is the only one walkable. I'm sort of a Hilton guy, so that one would be second choice. |
All of the hotels in “The Circle” are walkable. I have stayed overnight (unplanned!) in the Park Hyatt, which looks like it's changed its name, and it was very nice. For 45 CHF, I made sure I ate as much breakfast as possible though!
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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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| Scarlet wrote: |
All of the hotels in “The Circle” are walkable. I have stayed overnight (unplanned!) in the Park Hyatt, which looks like it's changed its name, and it was very nice. For 45 CHF, I made sure I ate as much breakfast as possible though! |
Did one of the zero got left out w/re to the price?
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| abc wrote: |
| Scarlet wrote: |
All of the hotels in “The Circle” are walkable. I have stayed overnight (unplanned!) in the Park Hyatt, which looks like it's changed its name, and it was very nice. For 45 CHF, I made sure I ate as much breakfast as possible though! |
Did one of the zero got left out w/re to the price? |
Suspect CHF 45 was the cost of the breakfast, not the stay.
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You know it makes sense.
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@abc, @DJL, Yes indeed, that was the breakfast. Lufthansa picked up the room, which I think was about 350€ (but essentially a walk-up price). I suspect you could do a lot better with an advanced booking.
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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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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
Which means I have questions about St Moritz. I think I'd like to stay where I can walk, not bus, to the lifts. So: Compatch? Corviglia? Does it typically have coverage in late March?
Continued thanks all. |
I would say Corviglia has the best skiing and access via the funicular is probably most convenient. Staying in a hotel close to that would allow you to walk around the town in the evenings. The bus services are frequent and cover the area well, so easy to get to Corvatsch in the morning as an alternative. If skiing in corvatsch there is a link across to Corviglia but this depends on using a black run that requires a lot of snow cover and can often be closed due to lack of snow - so you need the bus to transfer.
Diavolezza is really another resort - almost an hour away by bus. While it has some nice runs I'm not sure it's worth it to go there if only staying 3-4 days although if you have a car that might make a difference.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@DCG, good stuff,thanks, and I want to drill down a bit on the skiing. My conclusions from a day's web research agree with you: Corviglia does have the best skiing, but takes a lot of sun (its all closed now), whereas Corvatsch is north-facing, so better snow and better coverage at the margins. I also read that the Corviglia funicular is not great, which I don't really understand. I see the black run (5) that sort of connects the two; looks great if it's open. As for Diavolezza, it appears to be a perfect place to go after skiing 16 days in a row for a fun short day, especially if the glacier/valley run is open Maybe on my getaway day.
I found an affordable ski-in/out hotel in Surlej for Corvatsch. The same folks who dissed the Corviglia funicular suggested Celerina as a better base from which to ascend into Corviglia. Any thoughts on this subject?
Thanks/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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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
The same folks who dissed the Corviglia funicular suggested Celerina as a better base from which to ascend into Corviglia. Any thoughts on this subject?
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St Moritz is the town where things are: restaurants, shops, etc. However, if you’re not into that, there’s not a lot to recommend the town itself. In fact, by Switzerland standard, St Moritz is … well, butt ugly! 
From a ski access point of view, Selerina is excellent! But, there’s really not much there. When you’re done skiing, you go back to your hotel and sleep kind of place.
In terms of skiing, I like Diavolezza the best. Together with Lagalb across the road, it’s got quite a lot of wide open bowl types of skiing. Very different characteristic than Corvatsch and Corviglia. Each area has its own character
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 9-04-25 1:35; edited 1 time in total
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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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@Scooter in Seattle, My first trip to SM was 15+ years ago and we stayed in the centre of town close to the funicular, using that most days. Can't recall that being a problem. In the last few years I've stayed in Sils Maria a couple of times which is further out of town than Surlej at the extreme right of the Corvatsch piste map. Sils Maria is cheaper but the access is to a not particularly interesting area from where you need to traverse into the main part of Corvatsch. Corvatsch gives some good skiing but is not extensive so you might get a bit bored spending too long there. If the place you have in mind is close to the Corvatsch lift station then that would be very convenient and also for the bus to Corviglia. The bus takes about 10 minutes to go to the Signalbahn stop in St Moritz Bad which is a quick way up the mountain.
My trips have been in January but I would imagine it should still be good in mid March - it is fairly high.
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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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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
@DCG, good stuff,thanks, and I want to drill down a bit on the skiing. My conclusions from a day's web research agree with you: Corviglia does have the best skiing, but takes a lot of sun (its all closed now), whereas Corvatsch is north-facing, so better snow and better coverage at the margins. I also read that the Corviglia funicular is not great, which I don't really understand. I see the black run (5) that sort of connects the two; looks great if it's open. As for Diavolezza, it appears to be a perfect place to go after skiing 16 days in a row for a fun short day, especially if the glacier/valley run is open Maybe on my getaway day.
I found an affordable ski-in/out hotel in Surlej for Corvatsch. The same folks who dissed the Corviglia funicular suggested Celerina as a better base from which to ascend into Corviglia. Any thoughts on this subject? |
In early March this year, we parked at Surleg to ski Corvatch so I'd that that'd work well. We also parked at Celerina to ski Corviglia so that'd work too. Some friends we skied with at Corviglia also stayed in Samedan and there's a run that goes all the way to town that they used to get back to their hotel which was pretty sweet.
Corviglia is pretty fun skiing. The views from the top tram at Corvatch are stunning.
Our friends staying in Samadan skied Lagalb and Diavolezza on their last day in the area. Reported that it was pretty fun. The glacier run (run 31 Morteratsch Gletchabfahrt Freeride or some such) was closed but a local skier said its commonly done anyhow, which, they didn't bite on. We drove up after skiing one day and the area looks stunning especially for some off piste. I'd rock climbed there in the fall a few years back and hadn't recalled how quick the drive is. Hit the local brewery (Käslin) on the way back to Zuoz. Kinda sweet to have a car (ha ha). If you're into offpiste and fancy a guide, give me a shout...I have an Italian friend who guides the backcountry off the pass.
Missing it already!
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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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| Brian in SLC wrote: |
| [ If you're into offpiste and fancy a guide, give me a shout...I have an Italian friend who guides the backcountry off the pass. |
Half way down from the top of Diavolezza, there’s a short chair to take skiers up to the shoulder on the (looker’s) left of the peak. Apparently, lots of people ski down the back side of that, which ended on a road. Back then, it’s even shown on the piste map as a “ski tour route”. (Not an itinerary)
The person at the tourist information booth told me the local skiers congregate there in the morning on weekends to form car pool groups to do that route. I unfortunately didn’t have my avi gear with me on that trip so didn’t partake. But if I were to go to St Moritz again, I’d bring my gear with me and check that out.
That was over 10 years ago though. Things might have changed since.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 9-04-25 1:34; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@abc, @scarlet, @DCG, @Brian in SLC, thanks for the intel. I'm now trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together.
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