A little bit of help from our experienced travellers please

A few years ago we flew into Zurich with Crossair (I think) and right outside Zurich airport we got on the Arlberg Express coach which took us to Lech. I think it went via St. Anton though. Someone elso did the booking so I can't remember price details, but we were trying to do Lech on a budget (not easy!) so the coach is probably quite reasonable if you can get free flights. If you fancy Zermatt however, we flew into Sion and again just outside the little airport was a coach which took us to Tasch and the railway up to Zermatt.

It looks as though this may be developing towards Zermatt for you Tony. If so, you have:
Your free flight.

A £75 rail fare, easy pleasant journey. A big advantage over being on a T/O is that are not held back, waiting for a delayed flight from Belfast/Newcastle/Luton. You just get on the next train.

At Visp, if you have bags and skis, worth knowing that you put all your luggage onto a wheeled cart, and push it onto the rack&pinion Zermatt train, wheel it off in Zermatt, right up to your electric hotel buggy. Be careful of arriving late at Visp, the Zermatt train does not run late, and the taxi up to Zermatt is a £60ish hit.

Your hotel is yet to be defined. I will dig out the name of one I stayed in, middle price range, nice family, but mostly, a balcony view of the Matterhorn. Bandit, I am sure will give you some others.
When you make your hotel enquiry, and after you have agreed the price, you ask if the hotel will collect and deliver you to & from the station. Every hotel has at least one electric buggy.

Unless you are in love with your skis, consider hiring. Ski set £50~£80, and you get to try 2/3 different new model skis. Mainly, it just makes your travel that bit easier.

I have been fortunate to have skiied in many places. Apart from my beloved N., Zermatt and Arapahoe Basin are outstanding in the memory.

Pretty much what most have said - except to add that rail/post bus to almost anywhere in Switzerland is easy. I have done Saas Fee, Zermatt, Andermatt, and Wengen that way. The choice of Zurich or Geneva often depended on flight arrangements, rather than which was the shortest rail time to resort. I also went from Basel to Wengen. That was (slightly) the biggest hassle - managed to hop on a private bus to Basel rail station - but had to get a taxi on return.

Thanks guys. I assume there are websites that give details of buses to ski resorts from Geneva and Zurich?
Dave - good shout re taking the skis, but flying with Swiss means I dont have to pay for carriage which therefore reduces the cost of my trip by whatever I would pay to rent, and these days I would want to rent good skis, so would be looking at at least another £250 for the 2 of us, which is a total non starter. I can cope with carrying a ski bag on my shoulder for the sake of a couple of hundred quid. In fact, I'd carry yours if you paid me that!
Any ideas on the best websites to use for ski resort buses?

try this place for Swiss rail passes
http://www.swisspasses.com/
I agree about Zermatt it was so easy to transfer
I stayeds here
http://www.hoteljaegerhofzermatt.ch/
and I can recommend it as a nice friendly place

also from Geneva
http://www.transfer-intelligence.com/index/info/chambery/117
http://www.skiidygonzales.com/?gclid=CO-wv9a0mpYCFQaB1QodwG0eiQ

I have flown and got the train at Geneva to Zermatt. Typical Swiss efficiency means that it is a well signposted short walk to the airport station and everything leaves on time. I can't recall the cost of the ticket-not cheap, and we did the journey in the dark, so I can't comment on the views (but i know they are fab). The station at the other end is right in town, and it rather depends on where your accommodation is as to whether you need an (extortionate) electric taxi. We stayed in the Hotel Bristol (3 star, a bit dated but comfy, great view of Matterhorn, 5 mins up to main Gondola) which was a easy and reasonably flat 10 min walk up through the town, past all the pretty shops and restaurants. But there's loads of hotels etc much closer.I'd say most of the time you don't need wheeled transport in Zermatt-you can leave ski boots at the bottom lift stations.

I know you can get the train from Geneva airport to Le Chable which is at the valley bottom below Verbier. I think you do need to change trains, and I'm not sure about cost. The advantage of Le Chable is that you literally step over the railway tracks to the lift ticket office and ski hire shop and you can take the gondola up into Verbier, takes 10 mins, and runs until about 8pm I think. There's probably some good value accommodation there too.

I have flown to Geneva and hired cars. Car hire is easy-but don't be tempted to hire on the french side, as I understand it's difficult to navigate back in to the airport on your return. Hire on the Swiss side, and follow the signs to France once you leave the car park (dead easy), and on the way back the route back in is much easier.

On Monday I am going to visit Les Carroz (see my entry re looking for season accommdation!) which links into Flaine. My very helpful english contact there tells me it's a 50 minute drive up to the resort-it's only about 70km, and she has had guests on the piste within 90 mins of landing. Not sure about train links but it is literally 10 mins from the motorway, so I guess there must be a station in the valley bottom close by.

Hope this helps!

Brilliant, thanks.
One question on swiss car hire - do they all have a Vignette in them to cover the motorway costs?

Tony_H wrote:Brilliant, thanks.
One question on swiss car hire - do they all have a Vignette in them to cover the motorway costs?

Yes, Tony they do. If you get in one that does not have a window sticker, reject the car with the rental office.

French rentals, do not have a Vignette, unless the last hirer got stuffed to pay for one at the border crossing )

Swiss rentals, will not have Hi-vis vests as standard, as it's not law in Switzerland. This is important if you cross into France!

Swiss rentals will have winter tyres in the winter. Sometimes, they have chains in the boot, but this is not guaranteed, unless you pay for them.

French rentals might have winter tyres, unless you specify and pay you can't be certain.