Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Sneaky day or two in Switzerland

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've been invited to address a conference in Biel in March. The chance sounds too good to miss. Thinking of a day or two in Wengen, since it's heavily promoted here. Or is there anywhere that's closer or not-too-far-away and better? (I'm reasonably quick and bullet-proof anywhere on piste; probably wouldn't bother with off piste on a flying visit.)

And now, a variation on a theme. I notice that Basel is the nearest airport to Biel - but it's actually in France. Does anyone know if it's straightforward to hire a car there with all the right equipment and permits to take into Switzerland? Where does one park for Wengen (ISTR the village is car-free)? I would do everything by train, but on a tight schedule, I'm not sure it would work.
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Wengen.

Train it.
ski holidays
 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?
If you drive, the final stage is a cog-train from Lauterbrunnen, there is a large multi-storey car park by the station in Lauterbrunnen.
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Last time I looked at a map Basel was in Switzerland Confused
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
laundryman, Mulhouse is in France and that is actually where the airport is, but the 2 countries share responsibility for the airport, customs and border control. It is quasi " neutral territory" between the two countries.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Between Biel and Wengen there are at least Lenk/Adelboden and Gstaad/Diablerets from a side road off Spiez. Will check it out in 3 weeks time myself.
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
saikee, I'd be v. interested in your report. Thanks all.
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Can anyone recommend a hotel in Wengen that's likely to accept a midweek booking for a couple of nights?
latest report
 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.
I once hired from the French side of Basel (way cheaper than Swiss side and direct onto motorway) in March.

All going well until we had 50cm in the village overnight the day before I was flying home. That was when I noticed the summer tyres (and no chains). The most fraught journey of my life followed.

I suppose that is a tale about not specifying winter kit rather than Basel. If you can't get a winter equipped car I'd go Swiss
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
As already mentioned, Basel airport has two sides (like Geneva) and both have car hire. Car hire is generally cheaper on the French side, but you won't get winter kit as standard or a Swiss motorway Vignette, so factor that in when comparing costs. Often if you do specify chains as an option the French hire companies don't have them so you have to stop somewhere and buy them then claim the money back, which is a faff you could do without.

Drive from Basel to Wengen was painless when I did it.

Powderbeds list some places there that do short breaks, could be worth a try.
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
laundryman, mid march I suspect most of the hotels in Wengen may be able to accommodate you, Would recommend the Alpenrose if you don't mind the steep uphill walk in the morning. I've never known them not to have excellent food, alternatively if you want as cheap as possible there is the Bernerhof hotel at the end of the main street and if you want very nice and are willing to pay just opposite the Bernerhof is the Shonegg

As others here have said, take the train, it's roughly as fast as driving and no parking to pay either wink Basel to Interlaken Ost then change to Lauterbrunnen (Platform 2) and change again to Wengen, no choice about the changes there are three different track widths.

Get a Swiss Transfer ticket to cover the cost of Basel to Wengen (or wherever) return it's cheaper than the return fair from Basel (only by a little though I think)
snow report
 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.
Oh, should also say, when returning take the car back to the side you got it from to avoid a big bill! Approaching from Switzerland the airport signs will take you to the Swiss side (logical really!) up a long feeder road. For the French side ignore the airport signs and follow the motorway into France.
latest report
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thanks all.

D G Orf, thanks for the hotel recommendations - I knew you'd be the man! I'll actually be staying beforehand in Biel: would that tilt the balance in favour of a car?
latest report
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
laundryman,
If you can't find a place in the recommended hotels, most Swiss tourist boards will put a request round to the various hotels and you will get offers.
latest report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I have spent 2 days skiing Lenk and Adelboden which has a combined piste length of 200km a few days ago.

Then I spent 2 days going through Zweisimmen and Gstaad which has 220km piste. Gstaad is apparently very upmarket as it got the Palace Hotel, charging 900CHF to stay overnight, at the background. The town itself has a lot of jewellery and design shops like those dominate Aspen and St Moritz. It was reported Madonna went there recently to learn ski.

These two resorts Lenk/Adelboden and Gstaad do not have high level but we hit it when a heavy dump was reported around Christmas so snow was no problem at all.

Each has about 7 to 8 unlinked areas so it is a huge job to ski them all so we only sample the largest areas which were reasonably well linked.

I didn't see many UK visitors as these resorts, similar to the majority of the Swiss resorts, have virtually no night life. Skiing was top notch though and we were glad to have all 4 days in nice sun shine. Most people we met were local Swiss.

We went to ski two days afterward in Monte Rosa comprising of 3 valleys Alagna, Gressoney and Champoluc. This domain was brilliant but we found many of the blue runs in Lenk/Adelboden/Gstaad were steeper than the red runs in Monte Rosa.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
laundryman, in all honest probably not, however it would probably be worth checking train fares and comparing to both the Swiss Transfer Ticket and Car Hire, the Transfer Ticket will take you from the border to Biel and from the Resort back to Basel station but I believe you will need to pay for the transport bus between the airport and the station at Basle, you'd also need a single ticket from Biel to Wengen

One way 2nd Class to Biel from Basel is 28 CHf from Biel to Wengen is 49.60 CHf and Wengen to Basel is 69.60 Total price 147.20 Chf A Swiss Transfer ticket is £90 2nd Class and you'd need to add 49.60 Chf to that so going by train it's better in this case to get individual tickets

I suspect once you add in fuel and parking getting a hire car will probably be more than this, plus no worrying about snow chains or motorway vignettes etc
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
DG, I think the airport bus from BSL to the station is included in the transfer ticket
snow report
 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?
pjd, I wasn't sure and I can't find an up to date map of links that are included to check so I went on the side of caution
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
laundryman, seem to remember Engelberg being pretty close to Basel if you want something a bit different with a better chance of some off piste...
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thinking of Engelberg why not go crazy and stay overnight in the Iglu's there? Includes a night hike under the stars when everyone else has gone and you are guaranteed to be first on the slopes in the morning! http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/igloo-adventure.html
latest report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy