Switzerland - Weekend Skiing from London

Sports and Hobbies
21
My 2 cents..

Sounds fperfectly feasible.

Trains probably best to get snow n rail tickets . This gets you 20% discount on train (on top of any concessions the kids might be entitled to) and 10-20% discount on skipasses. And 15% discount if you use the intersport ski hire shop.

There might be other better deals for trains such as family tickets but I dont know about these.

Where to go. I go to Engelberg a lot they do have a good beginers area but it is quite separate from the other runs. So I would say that the comments from Ace1 and Richdog are valid. ie If you are a complete beginner then Engelberg is fine but if you want to get away from the beginners area then the rest of Engelberg I would say is a big step up- virtually all are red runs, and often not freshly pisted, which can be diffficult for early skiers.

Other options/saving money:

Engelberg Lift pass is on of the more expensive, though If you are just in the beginner area there is probably a cheaper option.

For alternatives, look here http://swisswintersports.co.uk/getaround.php

and click on "Selected resorts from Zurich by public transport" then "least time". You will then see all the other options close to Zurich.

Zurich is also close to Austria. St Anton and other resorts are not very far by train.

22
For what it's worth, I'll throw in my two cents:

Firstly,

Engelberg wouldn't have been my first pick. It is a two hour train ride with a change, and not a particularly easy place to ski.

.... This being said, you've already established contact with Ace1, so if you take your ski lessons there, you'll be in good hands.

He's already advised you of the train details so it's all good.

Whatever advice he has to offer you will be solid - so listen to it.

Secondly, I'd stick to the train. Don't hire a car. You'll probably end up attracting all sorts of additional expenses to your holiday - and why not just find the restaurant cart for a beer along the way and enjoy the view.

It's the best way to travel, particularly AFTER skiing when you're tired and couldn't be bothered driving.

Finally,

All the other suggestions in this thread are sound. Flims, Davos, etc. all good.

Flumserberg is only an hours travel from Zurich with no changes, but it's packed on weekends, and I have no idea how difficult the accom situation would be, or what you do there at night.

The best place I've been skiing was Zermatt .... hands down the best looking place, wide easy slopes, food, night time activity. But the downside was the 3hr trip by train (you can only get there by train) and the cost in general.

If you're looking to save money, you can cook breakfast and dinner at home then it's not so bad. You can always tailor your budget to suit.

The train is 3hrs or so from both Zurich or Geneva so I guess air ticket prices will be the deciding factor.

Don't bother with the 'International' ski pass. The Zermatt side is enough (if only for the photo's of the Matterhorn in the background)

To sum things up, whatever you decide on, you can't lose.

Also, anything is better than English weather, so take the chance.

Post note:

If you do look at Geneva flights, you could consider an airport transfer to Chamonix, France.

I found it a bit touristic, and not as cheap as I'd expected. A lot of English people there so language isn't an issue - but it did rob the place of a bit of "Euro charm".

23
+ 10 for Zermatt! Such a beautiful place.

24
Beautiful yes! But a 4 hour transfer isn't sensible for such a short trip! (Transfer is 3hr 45 - 4 hours, not 3!)

25
Already mentioned.

26
It's interesting they took that name as The Ski Company, which used to be trading name of BASI Trainers Phil Smith & Sally Chapman before they split up. It kind of bothers me when people do that sort of thing...........

I remember going early season in November, it was not possible to leave work at 6.00 & get to Zermatt the same night. If you went in the morning you would arrive at the lifts for the glacier 1 hour before closing & they only sold a day passes.

27
Another idea..

When I had some visitors who were beginner skiers. We went to Pizol .

We satyed in a hotel on the slopes at the top of the gondola from Wangs. It was directly next to the ski school, nursery slope, and ski hire shop and gondola. There are other nice bluebeginner slopes and a sledging run.

http://www.hotel-alpina.ch/startseite/ was where I stayed

also in same location http://www.hotel-furt.ch/

Only problem with the hotel is that you are a bit stuck since the only way there and back is the gondola which closes in the evening.

28
I went there 2 weekends ago.

If you leave Zurich HB on the hour (or 2mins past) it was a 3hr15min trip with one change.

The later train takes a bit longer and has an additional stop in Bern.

From Zurich Flughafen it's about a 3hr30min trip all up, with only one change if you take the 40min past option.

SBB timetable here .

I otherwise agree with you, it's a LONG way to go just for a weekend.

The trade off however is for an additional hours (easy) travel you'd have a far superior weekend in Switzerland.

No mess, no fuss.... fly in, train it to the destination - all good.

It's not really important what an individual's "opinion" is anyway, it's about helping the OP with "OPTIONS".... the OP can decide which is better.

I've demonstrated the pro's and con's of my suggestion, it's up to him to decide.

It all depends on how much weight an individual places on the additional hour of travel. Personally, I don't care - the journey can be be just as much fun as the destination. But each to their own.

(some people find "Bern" too far away)

Engelberg will already be a two hour trip, so what's an extra beer and a game of cards with the kids?

(OP - you can also book ahead to reserve seats on a train so your family can sit together - regardless of the destination you choose. Be aware that this doesn't reserve a spot for your luggage though. Travel tight and light.)

29
I've just spoken with them, very very tempted.

An amazing price, just need to read up on the area / what exactly they offer, what's accom like, lesson opportunity etc.

As it's end of half term, they can't do the transfers, which is a shame as it does add almost £200 to the cost I think, + flight not quite as good as Zurich deal, but not terrible.

Decisions decisions.

Can I just say thanks again to all who have posted, even if I haven't publically acknowledged your comments, I'm taking them all on board

30
SBB (the Swiss railways) offers a transfer ticket (valid 1 month) at CHF 139 (which is less than £100). It gets you from the airport to the ski resort and back again.

http://www.swisstravelsystem.com/en/...ticket-en.html

31
Family ski passes

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/f...-ski-pass.html

32
Just as was about to book last night, the price went up, not horrifically but enough to make me re think.

Have cheaper flights to Geneva, but did have everything pretty much sorted in Engelberg, and it looked like there would be other snow activities (sledding, igloo, snobikes) all which appealed.

Darn it

33
If its gone up by 10%-15% then its not a reason not to go if you were already planning on coming to Switzerland anyhow. It's hardly a budget destination.

34
You can also access the alps from Basel airport. Flights are usually cheaper. The airport is small and not usually busy so very quick to get through. There are buses from the airport to the train station (basel SBB) every 10 mins and they take only 15 minutes. From Basel SBB to Engelberg is just 1 h 49 minutes.

35
If the prices went up try deleting cookies, or searching again from another computer. I saved 15£ doing this recently on Easyjet.

36
I agree with that...if you are beginners...Engelberg would be rather intimidating (not impossible) as it is a bit more technical than most places. However...it is beautiful and more accessible than the southern and more central areas (zermatt, jungfrau region).

Hope you make...its been snowing above 1000m this week!

37
Don't worry, weekend skiing is great.

I'd suggest a few dry-slope runs if you you can so the first 1 or 2 days aren't taken up too much by learning the basics.

Going to the slope knowing the basics makes the short time you have more enjoyable.

I would also recommend a ski school for the little ones. That way they can learn in a safe environment with their peers. It also means you can head off and make your way down the beginner slopes a pace that suits you.

38
I can't find any info on Phil Smith and Sally Chapman's Ski Co start date- do you know. Gerry started the Ski Company from Greenwich in 1984.

A great team, and they can organise everything for you before you arrive, so no fuffing about- accom, ski and boot hire in house, next to the bar area (excellent gear and well maintained) ski passes, lessons next to the chalet with English speaking guides, meals- so nothing to do apart from enjoying yourselves- and with the team right there to deal with any probs, should they arise. If you go for a week-end, you don't want to spend time arranging ski and boot hire, lessons, passes, etc, etc

39
I don't think they go back that far, no. I was aware of them from the late 90's and they'd been going for a while, but I doubt if they predate this other mob.

40
Again people seem to be working with some odd definition of "beginner". Engelberg in fact is perfect for beginners - it's only when people are progressing to the intermediate stage that the options here become a little more limited. Even then, if you're with an instructor that knows the place, there is plenty of suitable terrain.

Just to clarify - if someone can get on a ski lift and ski down a piste, of any colour, on their own they're clearly not a beginner.