It’s almost that time of year again when the snows begin to fall, eventually lying thick enough to cover the mountains of Europe and turn them into a mecca for winter sports. From Bulgaria to France, there are an incredible number of mountain ranges offering the opportunity to spend some time on the slopes, but Switzerland is arguably the capital of the European winter sports scene and still attracts impressive tourist numbers every year. It is, after all, home to the world’s most famous skiing destination at St Moritz
responsible for the first ski-directed tourism back in 1864, home to the infamous Cresta Run and two-time host to the winter Olympics. It’s a destination for the rich and the
famous, and for travellers with a lot of money to spend. But with nearly two hundred dedicated ski resorts in a country that can only lay claim to around 16,000 square miles of territory, there are plenty of alternative options for winter sports enthusiasts on a more modest budget.

Champery

This pretty Alpine location is a fast becoming a popular choice with skiers in Europe. It’s located in the ever popular Alps, but it’s a mere hour and a half’s drive from Geneva airport making it perfect for budget travel. It has a much more family friendly feel to it than the glitz and glam of St Moritz or the equally popular Davos resort, offering wallet friendly accommodation that means you’ll have a few Swiss Francs left over for some souvenirs.

Grindelward

This unusual location sits at one of the highest skiing points in Switzerland, which is both a good and a bad thing. On the plus side, the altitude means snow is almost
guaranteed year round, with the landscape only turning green for just a couple of months in the summer. The downside is that if you’re not used to exerting yourself at height, it could take your entire holiday before you acclimatise successfully. It’s worth visiting even if you don’t ski, just to admire the pretty wooden village huts that give it a real Alpine feel.

Pontresina

Moritz, but would rather leave at the end of the day than pay the extortionate rates for a night in a hotel, head to Pontresina a little further south to source alternative
accommodation. It’s a pretty little skiing town that’s often overlooked by visitors to its richer northern cousin, but it enjoys the same scenery and the same snowfall at a
fraction of the cost.

Toggenburg

This unusual location is perfect for the indecisive traveller, offering three villages atop mountains that connect to each other by alpine ridges. The skiing here is great, with a good choice of runs for all levels of ability, and between them there’s always something happening at night to enjoy. It’s not the easiest location to get to, and if you’re hiring a car make sure you’re confident driving uphill in bad weather.

Zinal

Not all mountain resorts in Switzerland focus on skiing. Zinal is well-known as a freeride mecca, offering snowboarding runs with jumps and obstacles to challenge novices and experts alike. It has a large following in the winter because of its self-proclaimed boarder-friendly status, and that does make it a little more expensive than some of our other ‘budget’ locations, but it’s one of the liveliest and least pretentious of all Swiss ski resorts making it excellent value for money.

600 GB Pounds Buys The Following Amount Of Swiss Francs:



Written by Fiona Galloway
Chief travel writer – Currency Today