Skiing and snowboarding in Verbier, Switzerland travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Verbier is a resort town in the east central part of the Switzerland. It is dominated by chalet-style houses and mid-size hotels, giving it a traditional Swiss feel that is at odds with the multi-story hotel blocks and modern atmosphere typical of many major French resorts. This is the French-speaking region of Switzerland, but thanks to its standing as one of the most popular Alpine destinations for British tourists, Verbier also hangs out an “English is spoken” plaque for its visitors.The quaint Swiss town resting in the saddle of majestic mountains nearly 5,000 feet above the valley floor. The principal activity at Verbier during the winter is skiing. The ski area is one of the largest in Switzerland, extending as far as Thyon and up to the Mt Fort glacier. Much of the best skiing is off-piste, making the resort best suited for experienced, or at least enthusiastic skiers. The best sector for beginners is Savolyres. There is less infrastructure for snowboarding, but advanced boarders should consider a trip to Verbier for the magnificent off-piste possibilities. The Swiss ski resort of Verbier is part of the Four Valleys Ski Area with access to 412km of downhill skiing, with 47 individual pistes, served by 92 ski lifts.

For experts prepared to hire a guide in order to explore off-slope, Verbier is one of the big names. With its Four Valleys lift network and a claimed 250 miles of slopes; Verbier would seem at first sight to rank alongside the French mega-resorts such as Courchevel or La Plagne for slope skiers, too. But it doesn’t; the Four Valleys is an inconveniently sprawling affair, while Verbier’s local slopes are surprisingly confined. Verbier sector is anywhere accessible with a standard Verbier pass, 33 standard ski runs, 2 snow parks, 1 “Jardin de Neige” (an area which is relatively flat and is made for small children initiating skiing), 4 cross-country pistes and 2 walking areas.

With pistes above 2500 metres, skiing and snowboarding is assured throughout the season. There is an airport within two hours drive, so ski weekends, snowboard breaks and short ski holidays to Verbier are perfectly feasible.