My relationship with Verbier over the last 45 years has had its ups and downs. I love skiing and the 24-hour action of Switzerland’s top destination, but today’s question is how to enjoy one of the Alps’ best resorts and its 410 kilometers of ski slopes without facing financial ruin.
When I first started visiting this region, home to some of Europe’s most challenging and exciting off-piste runs, it was charging CHF 2,165 per pound. Now, you get a miserable 1.1.
Surprisingly, it took me until this season to find the easy answer to how a foreigner on a budget can explore Verbier. Don’t stay here: Park your suitcase and ski bag next door in the small connecting village of La Tzoumaz.
Verbier is the cornerstone of the huge 4 Valleys ski area, with six resorts in total. Three of them – Thyon, Nendaz and Veysonnaz – are pleasant enough but located in remote corners, a trillion turns from Verbier. Bruson is closer, but lies on the far side of the Val de Bagnes and the railway town of Le Châble.
La Tzoumaz wins hands down on location, ease of skiing and honest, understated charm. This is a true Swiss chalet village, located at the foot of the north-facing slopes of Savoleyres, Verbier’s second ski area, at an altitude of 1,500 metres, almost the same as Verbier. There has been an explosion in the number of chalets built here every summer in recent years. The reason is obvious: value for money.
Let’s be clear though, it’s no substitute for Verbier. There is no access to the main nightlife when the elevators close for the day; There’s no dancing until 4am at the famous Farm Club, and your wallet will be a lot happier as a result. Basic food and drink costs, as well as equipment rental, are perhaps slightly lower at La Tzoumaz, but the real savings are in accommodation and nightlife costs.
Older skiers will remember this small resort as Mayen de Riddes. It was renamed in 2005 because it wasn’t considered cool enough. Z-heavy Tzoumaz (27 Scrabble points) means “place to take a break” in the local dialect. The village is roughly a tenth the size of its flashier big brother, is surprisingly less complex and après is largely what you do in your hotel bar or chalet. But it’s the price of staying here that creates a warm glow in your stomach, and the welcome is completely cordial.
I think the five-star W Verbier is on the podium of the world’s best ski hotel. It has a perfect location at the foot of the slopes in Médran. On weekend afternoons, the W Off Piste après-ski bar engulfs well-heeled designer-suited skiers down the piste for champagne, exotic cocktails and live music. W Hotel prices in January start from £869 for a double room with limited views, while £10,950 buys you the best two-bedroom suite – and that’s how much it costs nighty. The good news is that breakfast is included.
Meanwhile, in La Tzoumaz, I checked into Boutique Hotel Pap’llon, a sparkling new establishment run by a charming Portuguese couple. Like other long-term residents, Pico and Anna decided to emigrate from hectic Verbier to the quieter and much cheaper La Tzoumaz. My immaculate ensuite room on the second floor had a magnificent view of the valley.
There was not a Briton in sight in the crowded bar or adjoining restaurant. My dining companions were all Swiss and mostly locals; They had an assortment of hearty meat and cheese delicacies. For me, my most important gastronomic experience was a three-minute walk down the main street of Les Trappeurs (+41 27 565 17 66) and powerA traditional meat dish from Val de Bagnes – in French the name means gallows. This is a type of meat fondue pre-cooked with pieces of beef, chicken, or bison; A wrought-iron table is hung from the gallows and then flame-baked for the final spectacular effect. Surprisingly delicious.
But we came here to ski. Equipment rental is a troublesome business, often with uninterested staff in an overcrowded store on weekend evenings. Intersport Perraudin provided friendly and knowledgeable service on the short morning walk to the lift and excellent all-mountain skis for the variable conditions.
From La Tzoumaz you can join the main access lifts of the 4 Valleys on skis, without having to descend into the seductive meat fields of Verbier. No need to join the rush hour queue at the main Médran gondola, which is a ski nightmare. The sunshine soon gave way to flat light as we started the day, but the snow was amazing and you have to take the light given to you in the heart of one of the world’s greatest ski areas.
We traveled around the 4 Valleys without a crowded ride from the Médran cable car. Our guide Kévin, who runs the Tzoum’Evasion ski school, wanted to do Tortin, one of the most challenging slopes in Verbier. We decided otherwise at white-out.
Instead, we enjoyed the freedom of the slopes and the 10 centimeters of fresh powder next to them, then stopped for coffee at L’Inkontro (+41 27 775 26 73), a new hillside pizza restaurant with a modern atmosphere and surprisingly reasonable prices. .
Of course, after lunch with friends at old favorite Le Dahu (+41 27 778 20 00) in La Chaux, the temptation was to head down to Verbier. Maybe it was time to go to La Rouge, Pub Montfort and other entertainment venues for which the resort is rightfully famous?
If you do this, you’ll have to keep an eye on the clock to catch the last elevator home and your bag strings; It’s surprising how many francs you can spend while having fun. But I was happy to head back down the slopes to beautiful La Tzoumaz to “take a break” before dinner.
Fundamentals
Return direct flights from London Heathrow to Geneva Airport start from £90 via Switzerland (swiss.com). Complete your journey from the airport to Riddes by train; Return ticket costs from £59 (sbb.ch). Costs for a seven-night stay at Boutique-Hôtel Le Papill’on (papillon-latzoumaz.ch) start from CHF 1,470 (£1,335) per bed and breakfast, based on two sharing. Six-day premium ski hire starts from £228 at Perraudin Sports (perraudinsports.ch). A one-week cable car ticket for Verbier 4Vallées costs CHF 446 (£405) (verbier4vallees.ch).
Peter Verbier was the guest of Tourism (Verbier.ch).