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Located on a sunny plateau, Verbier offers a unique panoramic view of Combins, the White Mountains, and even the Matterhorn from the top of Mount Montfort. With its excellent ski slopes, Valais is the most cosmopolitan resort and an adventure playground, suitable for professional athletes and beginners. Throughout the year, mountain enthusiasts enjoy a wide variety of activities, such as hiking, cycling, paragliding, golf, and much more.
Verbier is located in the south of Switzerland, in the canton of Valais. The area covered by the ski resort starts at an altitude of 1,500 m and reaches up to 3,330 m. It is one of the most exciting winter destinations in the world, and it is famous for its off-piste routes, which traditionally attract experienced and more adventurous skiers. In addition to snowboarding and skiing, you can try snowshoeing, dog sledging, but also “fly” your drone through paths that are impossible for humans to reach.
High on the Valais Plateau, just two hours from Geneva, competitive skiers and snowboarders try to outdo each other in the famous couloirs while jet-setters do the same in glamorous nightclubs.
The main attraction of the Verbier is the 400 km of ski slopes, accessible by a fast lift. Le Jumbo, a cable car with a capacity of 150 people, transports skiers to Mont Fort (3,352 m) from where they gaze at the Swiss peaks. You do not need to climb that high to see the view. You can grab a seat on the sunny terrace of the Cabane du Mont Fort, a stone “cabin” right next to Mont Gele.
Verbier is popular among the free ride skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts mainly because of its steep terrain. It has 19 blue runs, 20 red runs, and five black runs.
As a beginner, you can save money by buying a lift pass for the magic carpet and not for the whole area of ​​Verbier. Beginners can test their skills for the first time at the nursery slopes at Les Esserts, La Chaux and Savolares. The latter two areas also host fun parks ideal for families. At La Chaux, you can bask in the sunshine until late to practice what you've learned.
Intermediate level skiers will move on to the next level in Lac des Vaux, Siviez, Nendaz and Bruson, which rarely gets crowded. Intermediate to advanced skiers will challenge themselves on the black piste that starts at the top of Mont Fort at 3,330 m and continues to the red trail down in La Chaux. Off-piste routes suitable for intermediate skiers are the Gentianes to Tortin itinerary and Col des Mines.
Verbier is a bucket list destination for many expert skiers and snowboarders. Advanced and experienced winter sporters will be thrilled by the itinerary runs in Gentiane, Tortin and Vallon d'Arby and the steep terrain of Mont Fort and Mont Gele. Mont offers long top-down trails and the most stunning panoramic views. Other off-piste routes are Col de Mouche, Catwalk, Mont Gele and many more.
If you want to try your hand at snowboarding for the first time, want to learn some new skills freestyling or want to explore some of Verbier's best off-piste areas, then make sure to check out Vivid Snowboarding. This school offers skilled instruction on the slopes that are catered to the individual needs of each pupil, with one on one lessons being the best way to improve your technique. Vivid offers private lessons, group lessons, freeride and spit-board sessions, freestyling, heli riding and much more in their camps and clinics at Verbier. Whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned pro, you are sure to learn something to improve your skills.
Verbier Accommodation
When starting your research for accommodation in Verbier, there are a few things to consider before deciding on a property. First off, you should start thinking about your travel budget. Right after that, ask yourself whether you'd like to stay in a quiet area, something that families and couples usually look for, or if you'd go for a more bustling place, which is most often preferred by young people and groups of friends.
Avid skiers who come to Verbier exclusively for skiing should explore the ski in-ski out accommodations options. You can always pick more affordable lodging which provides free shuttle service to the pistes. Last but not least, search for a place that offers a vast array of amenities that will take your mind off things like doing the groceries and cooking.
Mountain Beds can help you with effectively organising your vacations in Verbier by helping you find the accommodation that suits your budget and preferences. They collaborate with trusted catered and self-catered lodgings, family-friendly and group-friendly chambers, and luxury hotels. Most of their managed apartments are well located around Medran, almost overlooking the lifts.
For those of you who don't want to bother to cook while on vacation, you can trust their Mountain Cuisine to prepare meals for you. You can choose a package of 2 or 3 courses for 3 or 6 evenings. Their delicious homemade ready-meals include dishes like Coq au Vin with mash, Cottage pie with peas, Apple and sultana strudel with custard or cream and more fish, meat, and vegetarian options.
If you haven't booked ski equipment or classes, Mountain Bed has got you covered with its discounted ski school, ski hire, ski passes and anything else related to skiing.
In addition to skiing, when choosing a resort for your winter vacation, you should know in advance your options in other outdoor activities, shops, nightlife, restaurants and bars. Verbier has plenty of excellent restaurants with menus curated by world-renowned chefs, and clubs and bars where the party doesn't stop until dawn.
For those who are looking for something different or those travelling with family and searching for activities suitable for children and adults, we have two fun and original suggestions.
If you need a break from skiing and a change of scenery, why not try paragliding? Sounds a bit dangerous to you? Well, it isn't! In fact, it is 100% safe when you let Verbier Summits take care of you. We suggest that you add a tandem flight to your itinerary to enjoy the unique experience of seeing the snowy mountains from above, the steep slopes and the picturesque Swiss villages of the area. If you plan to stay for several days at the resort, then it is really worth checking out the full paragliding courses.
Our next suggestion is a novel approach to learning foreign languages. Learning a new language isn't something that you expected to do in a resort, but this language school is nothing like you're used to.
Verbier Language School teaches languages ​​a bit differently! It's more fun than school! Children and adults alike can choose one of the following languages, French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Swedish, and take part in a group lesson or a private class. You will learn with activities, such as catching up over an aperitif or improving your skiing and language skills at the same time. If you don't want to wait until you come back to Verbier, you can continue your course online too.
There are many ways to reach Verbier, and you can pick one based on your point of departure.
The most common one, especially if you're coming from another country, is by plane. The closest and most accessible of the nearby airports is Geneva Airport. It is only 2 hours (160km) from the resort. If you don't want to rent a car to get to Verbier, you can take an airport transfer that will drive you to your hotel's doorstep. Airports across Europe are well connected to Geneva Airport with numerous direct flights. During the winter months, when the demand increases, more flights operate every week, which means that you can find cheaper tickets as long as you book in advance.
Taking the train is another option to reach Verbier. Many European cities, such as Paris and London, are connected to Geneva through an efficient rail network. From Geneva, you can board a high-speed train that stops at Le Châble. A lift will take you to the resort centre in 10 minutes.
Driving is also common coming from another part of Switzerland or any of the neighbouring countries, such as France, Italy, and Germany. Travellers from the UK sometimes opt for driving to Verbier. Although it's a long journey, approximately 9 hours and the toll fees in France cost around € 60 one way, traversing the snow-covered landscape of the country is not an experience you can have every year.
If you put budget over convenience, why not take a coach? Most major European cities are directly connected to Geneva and Lausanne. Once you arrive in either of the two Swiss cities, you can board a train to get to Verbier.
Verbier may be one of the most expensive resorts in Switzerland, but it is worth visiting not only for its off-piste slopes but also for its great apres-ski and entertainment options.
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We are Jacob and Taylor. Travel is our passion and we love sharing our experiences here at The Travelling Souk. Our hope is that you would be inspired by this little blog to try something new, embrace an adventure, and live life to the fullest.