Transportation – Page 3 – Alpine Winter Sports

02/01/201404/10/2014

January Offers from Swiss Railways

The Snow’n’Rail scheme from Swiss Railways provides a 20% discount on the combined public transport and lift passes for a whole host of resorts in Switzerland. Additionally there are often even better offers available, and January sees some really brilliant ones.
Ski Airolo
Airolo is a pretty little village, famous as the home resort of Lara Gut, with enough slopes to keep most skiers and snowboarders happy for a day trip. They will be particularly happy with the massive 50% discount offered in January. You can get to Airolo from many locations, including Basel and Zurich, without changing trains – and there are not many resorts you can say that of. Plus it is the largest Italian-speaking resort in Switzerland.

If you do take the train to Airolo you can either take the courtesy bus from the station or walk to the bottom station – head left out of the station.

Other noteworthy deals are the 30% discount for Distentis (here), a favourite for freeriders, Meiringen-Hasliberg (here), convenient for Basel and Berne, Sattel (here), convenient for Zug and Lucerne, and Braunwald (here), a direct train trip from Zurich.

10/10/201328/09/2014

Snow’n’Rail 2013-4

Swiss Railways provide a unique service called “Snow’n’Rail” to provide discounted use of public transport in combination with discounted lift passes for dozens of winter sports destinations. With new resorts added every season, the arrival of the new season brochures is always a memorable event.

The new Snow’n’Rail brochures should be available from railway stations throughout Switzerland from 21st October, and available online in full (in English) from 1st November at http://www.sbb.ch/ – Gstaad (Glacier 3000), St Moritz (Diavolezza) and Engelberg are already open and details are available online.

The brochures, although available only in local languages, are invaluable companions for skiing and snowboarding in Switzerland. As well as useful information on the resorts, prices, events and tips, this year also features a competition to win a weekend break for four at one of eight youth hostels located in major ski areas such as Zermatt and St Moritz. As a huge fan of Swiss Youth Hostels you can be sure that I will be entering this competition!

Snow’n’Rail enables you to combine public transport to resorts with a lift pass, gaining a 20% discount on the combined tickets. It is available in a variety of combinations for trips of 1,2 or 6 days. If you use the service a lot, it is well worth using it with a half-price card, available from the SBB, giving even better value for money.

Although the most comprehensive information about the scheme is available from the SBB themselves, I have summarised some of the key features at http://www.swisswintersports.co.uk, and the new season prices and details are listed there. In addition the site provides some useful additional information on getting to the resort and where to go once you are there.

There are a few changes in the Snow’n’Rail scheme from last year. Prices are generally around the same as last year with most smaller resorts holding their prices, and some even reducing them for the second day. There are some small increases for some of the bigger resorts, although Zermatt has held its prices. New for this year are the small but excellent Brigels and Disentis resorts, whilst the listings for Arosa and Lenzerheide are combined with the imminent opening of a gondola uniting the two resorts. Sensibly the resorts of the Four Valleys are now combined in a single entry.

05/10/201309/10/2013

Lenzerheide and Arosa link up

It has been mooted for some years. What has been a famous off-piste tour has finally become something for everyone. From December what some claim is the largest linked ski resort in Graubünden will open with a gondola running between Arosa and Lenzerheide. The only real downside is that you have to take the gondola in both directions – you cannot ski on piste between the two resorts, although there is an off-piste itinerary you can take. Maybe one of these days it will be marked and patrolled.

The combined area will have 225 km of groomed pistes, a 50 km freeride area, a snow park and 42 lifts up to altitudes of 2865 metres.

You can click on the map to get a better idea of the terrain, with a full-size piste map available from either the Lenzerheide or Arosa pages at SwissWinterSports.co.uk.

I’ve always loved Lenzerheide, but by public transport you need to take a bus – not the end of the world, but it is always nice to let the train take the strain. Conversely, much though I like Arosa with its spectacular railway link, the ski area itself has always felt a little limited. For some time the gemeinde in Lenzerheide had opposed the link but they have recanted and now this new super-resort is a reality.

05/08/201321/01/2023

Eurostar opens the ski season…

Well, I have been making the most of a Swiss summer – swimming in the Rhein and enjoying all the outdoor activities – but preparations are beginning for the new winter sports season, and not just at Swiss Winter Sports. Visit https://www.amny.com/sponsored/best-weight-loss-pills/.

Eurostar has also been busy preparing for the new season, and today announced that their popular ski services to the French and Swiss Alps is open for sale from 6.30am GMT on 6 August 2013.

Launched in 2012, Eurostar’s Swiss ski service transports skiers and snowboarders from St Pancras International and Ashford International to the heart of the Swiss Alps and the Valais region, with return fares starting from only £179. Read more about this Alpine ice hack.

This year, the route will run over five peak weeks during the 2013/2014 ski season including Christmas, New Year and February half term, and passengers can carry skis or snowboards all the way at no extra cost.

With an easy connection in Lille onto a high-speed TGV Lyria service, passengers arrive into Vallorbe, Aigle, Martigny, Visp and Brig stations, from where they can make easy connections to nearby ski resorts including Verbier, Zermatt and Saas Fee. Eurostar ticket holders benefit from exclusive, discounted onward travel to these resorts, simply by booking their ticket in advance through the Switzerland Travel Centre (STC) on 020 7420 4934.

A similar service also operates for the French Alpine resorts, with stops at Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne and Bourg St Maurice. A bus shuttle operates from the stations to resorts that include Les Arcs, Courchevel, Tignes, Val D’Isère and Meribel.

Tickets for the Swiss and French ski services are available from www.eurostar.com, by calling 08432 186 186, at Eurostar stations or from travel agents.