Swiss Ski Bargains So GREAT I Feel Like Yodeling
Nov 06 '00
It's that time of year again! No, I'm not talking about Christmas shopping. It's time to plan ski trips!
Every year around this time, my thoughts start turning to white powder, groomed slopes, and crackling fires in huge stone fireplaces at rustic base lodges. I start talking with my ski buddies, swapping tales of trips from past years, and I pull out my trusty white book to compare stats at different areas. Where will the snow be? Who gets the most snowfall? Who has the highest elevation? Where are the concentrations of great resorts? And of course, being the World's Cheapest Traveler (tm) I ask myself where can I get the best deals?
The best value ski resorts aren't in the Rockies these days. They aren't in New England. They aren't in Canada. In my opinion, the very best values for the skiing dollar are the world-class ski areas in the Swiss alps. (At least they are this year...)
Now, hold on! I know what you're thinking...I've gone totally off my rocker. After all, I am the world's cheapest traveler, what am I doing saying that alpine resorts are "best value" resorts. Let me explain.
Value means getting the most bang for the buck, not necessarily paying the cheapest price. And that's why European ski resorts represent one of the best ski travel values right now. You've got incredible skiing, you've got the romance of foreign travel, and you can get all this at prices far lower than you'd expect.
Magical Mountains
Just being in the mountains is a mystical experience for me. I love the rugged terrain, the forests, and the dramatic rock formations. I love the serenity of getting away from the crowds -- even just for a few illusory minutes. I love the feeling of a cold breeze blowing down the mountain as I'm riding a lift ever upward. In fact, I do believe that I love just about every mountain I've been to. Yet, I can't help but have some sterotypical prejudices. In skiing, I love the lower elevations and even the somewhat icy terrain that you often find in the Appalachians, but the Rockies are cooler. I love the dramatically high peaks, the sheer drops, and the higher average snow of the Rockies, but the Alps are cooler.
The thing about the Alps isn't just the huge, towering, stark peaks -- it's that these particular mountains are where the sport of alpine skiing first began. The Alps should be a holy place in the heart of skiiers. The thought of places like Zermatt, or Interloken should make a skiier's heart quicken.
In the Alps, there are lots of ski resorts where you can spend days skiing gloriously rugged mountains whose terrain is measured not in acres, but in square miles (okay, kilometers, you got me there). Ski the Matterhorn -- no problem. Ski glacial ice, even in the summer -- no problem. Ski across mountains, starting off the morning in Switzerland, and ending up in the afternoon in Italy -- no problem. Best of all, stop off for an apres ski in a cafe that doesn't have to just imitate that elusive atmosphere reminiscent of small towns in the Alps!
Skiing in Europe is cool.
Skiing Europe Might Be Cheaper Than Skiing the U.S.
Cheap air fares, cheap hotel rates, and a strong dollar all add up to incredible savings for Americans heading to Europe.
Been paying attention to foreign currency values lately? The cost of staying and eating in Europe is lower than it's been in years -- currently the dollar is worth about 1.16 euros (see finance.yahoo.com for currency exchange rates).
Although lodging near ski areas is often pricey, it's not hard to find places within a few miles of the ski areas where you can stay inexpensively. Rural lodging is almost always cheaper than the prices you pay in big cities. Also, unknown to many American travelers, hotel taxes in Europe are generally lower than they are in the U.S. Couple the low rates with low taxes and a favorable exchange rate and you're talking bargain!
Winter is the off-season for airfare to Europe. From November through April you can scarf some great deals. Sometimes insanely great, especially for anyone living on the East Coast. I just checked a few web sites, and while off-season fares are a bit higher right now than they were last season, there are still plenty of very affordable fares from lots of U.S. cities. In many cases, you can end up paying less to fly to Europe than you would to catch a flight to Colorado or Utah!
I'm not talking about charters or third-country airlines either. How about Swissair? Their web site at www.swissair.com lists some great winter travel deals. They've currently got round-trip fares as low as $418 from New York or Boston, and slightly more from other east coast cities. And that's to Geneva or Zurich -- heart of the Alps, Baby!
Skiing in Europe is cheap.
...And the Skiing...
It's been a few years since the last time I skiied in Switzerland, and I'm excited about going back this year (Can you tell? I feel like a little kid again). Although I don't remember all the runs I made, or the names of lifts and runs that I made, I can certainly remember the wonderful atmosphere of the Zermatt ski area, where we stayed.
At places like Zermatt, there's great skiing with dozens of lifts and miles upon miles of skiiable terrain, plus a beautiful ski village where cars are banned (you have to get there via cog railroad or shuttle bus). This makes the whole place seem more festive and traditional. Maybe "village" isn't quite the right word for Zermatt, since it's a pretty big place with tons of shops, restaurants, and hotels.
The Zermatt ski area spans most of the nearby mountains and is served by more than 30 lifts, including 2 railways. Zermatt has an elevation of more than 12,000 feet with a vertical drop of more than 7,000 feet.
Of course conditions can always vary, especially in the late season. A couple years ago I remember hearing some tales of disappointed skiiers who planned alpine ski trips only to find that snowfalls were dismally low and conditions were poor. The same happens some years at resorts in the U.S., so you might want to check on conditions before you go, just in case you feel like changing your ski trip to a castle tour or something like that. Zermatt's snow report phone number is +41-27-967-0144.
There are lots of other big ski areas in Switzerland, and this year I'm planning to try Davos/Klosters. I've never been there before, and I love trying new places each year. Can't wait to get on the lift!
Skiing in Europe is top-quality.
Europe is a "Gimme" Best Value
Of course the total cost of a European ski trip won't be cheap, but given the reasonable air fares, the great currency exchange rates, and the availability of inexpensive lodging, you could end up skiing in the mountains where the sport was born and have all the fun of experiencing European travel for not too much more than you'd pay for just another trip to the same old Colorado resorts that everyone else has already been to. Have a good run!
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