I’m a budget-conscious skier, so Switzerland is rarely on my radar. Of course, resorts like St Moritz, Zermatt and Verbier are top-notch, but I always assumed they had sky-high prices to match. My last ski trip was to wallet-friendly Andorra. A quick check of the post office’s annual ski resort report confirmed my suspicions: Switzerland has always been Europe’s most expensive destination, while Bulgaria, Italy, Austria and Andorra offer more affordable skiing.
But then I heard about Interlaken. Better known as a summer destination, this lakeside town is the gateway to the Jungfrau ski region. Accommodation is much cheaper than the region’s ski resorts Wengen and Grindelwald. And since December 2020, it has become much easier to reach the slopes from Interlaken. A short train ride from Interlaken Ost station connects you to the shiny new Grindelwald Terminal building (where skiers can rent and store equipment). From here, the slopes can be reached in just 15 minutes via the new state-of-the-art Eiger Express cable car; 47 minutes faster than before.
Grindelwald-Wengen has 160 km of pistes and altitudes of up to 2,500 metres, as well as an awe-inspiring backdrop of three mountains: the Maiden (Jungfrau), the Monk (Mönch) and the Ogre (Eiger). After a morning warming up with blue and red runs, we decided to tackle the legendary Lauberhorn, the best known black. This is a World Cup downhill course and is the longest course on the course at approximately 5 kilometers.
Races have been held here since 1930 and attract crowds of up to 30,000. The route record is 2 minutes 24 seconds and the fastest speed ever achieved is 161.9 km/h (100 mph). Sip.
Following the annual race weekend in January, the Lauberhorn is open to the public. Skiers can have their photos taken at the starting lodge and measure themselves against the pros at the speed check. Suffice to say, I won’t be breaking the record anytime soon. Although I managed to stay on my feet all the way down, my descent took at least 10 times longer than the racers. At least I had time to enjoy the view…
Big Pintenfritz, the world’s longest toboggan route at 15 km, is not for the faint of heart.
Speaking of views, another must-do in Jungfrau is a trip to Europe’s highest train station, at 3,454 meters. Jungfraujoch is reached by the Jungfrau line passing through Mönch and Eiger. This incredible feat of engineering opened over a century ago, in 1912; and thanks to the Eiger Express connecting to it, getting there is now much faster. At the top there are three restaurants, an Ice Palace, and panoramic views from the Sphinx and Plateau viewing platforms. Or there are clear days; All we could see was a snowstorm.
Other activities besides skiing include hiking (there are more than 100 km of winter hiking trails) and sledding. Among more than 20 toboggan routes, it is believed to be the longest toboggan route in the world at 15 kilometers. The Great Pintenfritz is not for the faint of heart: It takes about two and a half hours to reach it on foot, dragging your sled behind you. There are also some night toboggan runs for added excitement. True adrenaline junkies can try the First Flyer and First Glider, 800 m zip lines that reach speeds of 84 km/h.
Our trip coincided with the SnowpenAir music festival. While perhaps not the most musically cutting edge (next year’s headliners Simply Red) it’s a lot of fun to swing at 2,000m. The festival is held in March to maximize the chance of sunshine, but the weather gods were against us again: It was absolutely freezing. For the rest of the season, the biggest parties with DJ sets, bars and food are held outside the Grindelwald Terminal on Saturday nights.
On other nights we returned to Interlaken to find more affordable restaurants and bars. Restaurants such as 3a and Brasserie 17 have daily changing specials from around £13, such as spicy chorizo cubes (or spicy Quorn cubes), autumn vegetables and porcini mushroom ravioli with pumpkin sauce (add soup or salad and ice for £17). -cream or coffee). Unlike many ski resorts, Interlaken caters well to a plant-based diet. I tried cashew-based fondue and meatless meatballs; Velo Cafe is completely vegetarian and vegan. Husi Bierhaus is a fun place to sample locally produced craft beers.
More than half of the emissions from a ski trip come from transportation to the resort, and train travel can greatly reduce this.
We stayed at Hotel Interlaken, located on the site of a monastery guesthouse dating from 1323. The hotel is now a four-star hotel with a modern Swiss restaurant. There are 10 budget rooms on the fifth floor (from £133 B&B for a quadruple room). Other cheaper options include Aarburg, a nine-room hostel and café (from £117 for a five-person room) and Interlaken youth hostel, which has private and shared rooms and is located next to the station (dorms from £44 per person). It is located.
Of course, food and accommodation are only part of the cost of a ski holiday. Elevator pass is another big expense. Last season, a new all-inclusive Jungfrau winter sports pass was launched (£68 for one day for adults, £40 for 16-19s, £40 for under 16s) which covers the entire ski region, plus the train and zip lines from Interlaken £34; six days £347/£223/£165). On Saturdays, up to three children can ski free with one adult.
Relating to: How to ski greener – switching from plane to train
As well as cost, the carbon footprint of ski holidays is also a big concern for many people. Here Jungfrau can claim to lead the way. Grindelwald Terminal and Eiger Express was a massive construction project that took eight years, but sustainability was at the forefront. The gondola, which has huge 26-seat cabins, used technology that can be divided into three, so only seven supports were needed. This meant that the engineer did not need to cut a path through the forest below. It is powered by locally produced hydroelectric power and is helping to support the transition from road to rail in the region.
It is actually possible to take the train from England. More than half of a ski trip’s emissions come from transportation to the resort, and train travel can greatly reduce this. We took the Eurostar from London to Paris, the second train to Basel and the third train to Interlaken. It can be done in one day (approximately 8am to 6pm) and the longer you book in advance the more affordable it is (return fare is around £200).
So, will I go to Switzerland for my ski holiday in the future? Although Interlaken is more affordable than I expected, it still doesn’t match Andorra’s prices – but it’s worth paying the premium to ski the legendary Lauberhorn at least once.
The trip was provided by Jungfrau Railway Company and Jungfrau Regional Tourism