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The Swiss Railways have published their Snow’n’Rail prices for 2010/2011. Here is a summary of the prices for a single day rail and lift combined, assuming you have a half-price railcard.

Resort	Region	Slopes (km)	Runs	Via (typically)	Basel	Zürich
Adelboden-Lenk	BE	210	72	Adelboden, Post	100.40	106.00
Flumserberg	BE	65	16	Unterterzen	95.20	73.60
Gstaad Mountain Rides	BE	250	58	Zweisimmen	100.00	105.60
Meiringen-Hasliberg	BE	60	16	Brünig-Hasliberg	81.60	74.40
Obertoggenburg	BE	60	17	Wildhaus, Post	92.40	70.80
Region Jungfrau	BE	213	45	Lauterbrunnen	100.20	107.40
Braunwald	CS	32	9		80.00	59.20
Engelberg-Titlis	CS	82	25		90.00	82.00
Gotthard Oberalp Arena	CS	125	20	Göschenen	89.60	72.80
High-Ybrig	CS	50	12	Hoch-Ybrig Weglosen	84.40	62.60
Klewenalp Stockhütte	CS	40	13	Beckenried	70.40	64.00
Melchsee-Frutt	CS	32	10		74.60	68.20
Pizol	CS	40	11	Bad Ragaz	86.40	66.40
San Bernardino	CS	40	8		110.40	90.40
Sorenberg	CS	53	17		78.60	73.00
Stoos	CS	35	8	Schlattli funicular	78.60	59.40
Arosa	GR	100	13		104.00	86.40
Davos Klosters	GR	305	52	Davos Platz	113.60	96.00
Engadine St. Moritz	GR	350	56	St. Moritz Bad, Post	133.60	118.40
Flims Laax Falera	GR	220	28	Laax, Bergbahnen	117.00	97.00
Lenzerheide	GR	155	37	Canols, Rothornbahn	110.40	90.40
Motta Naluns, Scuol-Sent-Ftan	GR	80	14		108.80	93.60
Splügen	GR	30	6		106.60	88.20
Airolo	TI	30	6		84.80	67.20
Nara	TI	30	7		93.00	76.20
Aletsch Arena	VS	104	35	Valley Stations	114.00	117.20
Belalp-Blatten	VS	60	9		107.20	110.40
Crans-Montana	VS	140	24		124.80	130.40
Lauchernalp / Lötschental	VS	33	7		98.60	104.20
Leukerbad	VS	50	9		115.40	117.80
Nendaz	VS	220	49		118.00	124.40
Portes du Soleil	VS	650	196	Champéry	115.40	121.80
Saas-Fee/Saastal	VS	150	38	Saas-Fee, Busterminal	133.00	136.20
Sierre-Anniviers	VS	220	45		117.60	123.20
Verbier	VS	181	34	Le Châble	116.40	122.80
Visp	VS	90	25	Unterbäch	100.80	106.40
Zermatt & Cervinia	VS	350	57		156.20	159.40
Alpes Vaudoises	VD	225	72	Les Diablerets	113.00	119.40

The ski area at Verbier and Nendaz is bigger, but the price quoted is only for the resort, not the ski region. To have access to the full Four Valleys area (and for the Saastal and Cervinia regions from Saas-Fee and Zermatt respectively) make sure you request the full region pass.

The English-language online site is at http://railaway.rail.ch/english/snow-n-rail/, but note a lot of the resorts are not available online in English – you’ll need to switch to German, French or Italian for some of them (and for prices from Ticino and Romande). You can get Snow’n’Rail from most stations in Switzerland, and you can even buy them at the ticket machines (in English) – but remember to pick up both the ticket and the voucher for the ski pass!

In addition to BA, Easyjet and Swiss into Basel, Zurich and Geneva, and BMI to Geneva and Zurich, there are a number of other operators with scheduled flights into Switzerland from the UK.

Snowjet have direct flights from London Stansted to Sion on weekends, providing the fastest route into the skiing areas of Valais and Vaud. In less than an hour from landing you can be in Verbier, Crans Montana, Villars, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon, Anzère, Grimentz, Zinal and a bunch of other resorts. The airport is particularly convenient for the largely undiscovered gems of Val D’Annivers. Les Portes du Soleil, Saas-Fee and Zermatt are not much further afield so it is entirely feasible to take in several of the best ski resorts in the world during a week’s vacation. Snowjet’s flights from London to Sion include free bus transfers between Sion airport and Sion bus/train station – from where ALL of Valais and Vaud’s resorts can be reached by public transport.

In addition to flights from Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Belfast and East Midlands, Jet2 is launching 2 new routes this winter from Edinburgh and Newcastle to Geneva, convenient for linking to the Snowtrain and other scheduled train services which run right out of Geneva Airport into Valais and Vaud.

Flybe have scheduled flights to Geneva from Exeter, Isle of Man, Jersey and Southampton and will have scheduled flights from Southampton to Bern from 12th February, 2011. Bern is very convenient for Adelboden, Lenk, Gstaad and surrounding resorts and the Jungfrau (Wengen, Mürren and Grindelwald), but it is also a practical option for Zermatt and other resorts in East Valais. There is a bus service from the airport  linking into the Swiss rail network.

Most airlines will charge you for carrying skis and snowboards, although some will allow you to include them in your allowance. Generally reckon on around 30 to 50 pounds of additional charges unless you get very creative. Swiss carries skis and boards for free, and you can also arrange to have your kit forwarded to any rail station in Switzerland if you send it in advance.

Remember for onward rail and bus travel to a resort from the airport the Swiss Transfer Ticket offers great value at 79 pounds, but must be purchased in advance.