The next stop on our Swiss ski adventure was Verbier, a town I had heard about for many years but never visited. Getting from Andermatt to Verbier should have been straightforward. It was not.
Arrival Challenges, Our Adventures Continue
Right before we left, I decided to switch our accommodation — the parking at the original place was practically in another canton. I found a spot on the other side of town with a garage, which sounded perfect until the payment situation became its own little adventure. The owner wanted a wire transfer, but it was still floating around in the ether somewhere, unverified when we arrived. So she wanted us to give her some cash on arrival, even though we’d booked through Booking.com, except she wasn’t there when we arrived. A friend of hers let us in, took our cash, and then we had to get our cash back once the wire transfer was verified. We sorted it out eventually. A little consternation, a little extra time, and the apartment turned out to be worth it. Barely.
The Train That Thinks It’s a Ferry
On the drive to Verbier, Google Maps guided us to what looked for all the world like a ferry terminal. Lines of cars, attendants waving us forward. We pulled on just like you would for a ferry crossing. Except it wasn’t a ferry — it was a train. We immediately entered a tunnel, which whisked us through a mountain for about 20 minutes and deposited us on the other side into a completely snow-covered world. I still don’t know if we went up or down. The scenery on the other side was stunning — castles perched on hillsides, massive snow-capped peaks behind them, and along the way some very peculiar buildings that looked like little houses on stilts. No idea what those were for. I’d like to think they were cheese storage.
Once we got to the Verbier area, we were at the bottom of a mountain staring up at what looked like a town clinging to the slope. I pointed at it and said, “I wonder if that’s Verbier?” It was Verbier. We wound our way up on a road with so many switchbacks I lost count.
On the Slopes
Our first ski day was -3 °C, sunny, and honestly pretty lovely. We took the gondola right below our apartment and spent the day rediscovering our legs because we hadn’t skied in five days. Lunch was at a wonderful outdoor chalet where we had rösti and snapped what I believe was the only photo of us in actual sunshine during our entire time in Switzerland.
One thing I noticed throughout the resort: sledge runs. Everywhere there were slopes, there were dedicated piste de luge runs — proper sled tracks alongside the ski runs. They looked like a lot of fun. Maybe next time we will try sledding.
The second day was a total whiteout — heavy clouds, snow, zero visibility. We did manage to get to the other side of town to check the runs but we abandoned our attempt due to the total whiteout. Instead, we took a gondola down the other side of the mountain to a lower valley town just to see it. There was no snow lower down on the mountain which is why we couldn’t ski to town.
Day Three Was Even Worse
The wind nearly knocked me over, which is saying something. After we’d had enough of being battered, we retreated to the restaurant just below our apartment: Le Chalet d’Adrien, a Relais & Châteaux Michelin restaurant. We decided the weather called for a very nice lunch. It was memorable and also over $200. After a certain point in Switzerland, you just stop looking at the bill and start enjoying the food.
The final sunny day brought a long gondola line and a chèvre salad at La Croix de Coeur that I’d been eyeing on menus all week. Mike had the sausage daily special and was very happy about it. That evening, we went back to Chalet d’Adrien for drinks and bar snacks — burgers, fries, and ice cream. Much more manageable, and still delicious.
The Food Situation (a Summary)
We ate well in Verbier. More rösti, naturally. Fondue at Le Caveau, which made Mike very happy. A full Italian dinner at Intenso — marinara pizza, eggplant Parmesan, and a Delizia al Limone from Amalfi that was the highlight of the meal, all for well over $100. And then the Chalet d’Adrien, twice, at two very different price points.
The Verdict
Verbier’s skiing is genuinely awesome. The terrain is enormous; we saw less than 20% of it, and the mountain views are spectacular. The town of Verbier is charming and walkable, especially in the evenings, and the free bus makes getting around easy.
The one thing that threw us both off was the snow. It was heavy and wet in a way that felt really unfamiliar. If we go back — and we’d like to — we’ve decided we need to warm up in Colorado first, get our ski legs under us, and then tackle the Swiss snow. Going straight from couch to wet alpine powder is not a recipe for graceful skiing.
And as a final note, I much prefer French Switzerland to German Switzerland. For the language, for the food, and frankly, for the general vibe. Finally, the car-train through the mountain was a first for both of us, and that alone was worth the trip.
What about you — have you ever skied in Europe?
