Verbier tips

When Verbier decided to find a new partner, the Valais ski resort thought long and hard about it. And when they heard that a certain HUGO was looking for a holiday destination, they didn’t hesitate proposing Verbier and the Val de Bagnes as the perfect destination. HUGO? It is the real Swiss pickle marriage made in heaven. But why did Hugo, the Swiss emblem of pickle, agree to partner with an international ski resort? Despite all that may seem to separate them, he is a gherin and Verbier is a ski resort, HUGO and Verbier have one thing in common: raclette! That’s right! If Bagnes raclette has an international reputation, it would not be complete without local and crunchy gherkins. With a little hindsight, we can say to ourselves that it is logical that these two products of the Swiss nation should be combined, because tasting a 100% Swiss raclette is a la mode.

From December 2023, as part of its Mobility Plan, Verbier Tourisme will introduce a multi mode of transport booking service developed by Antidots. This innovative booking platform will incorporate all modes of transportation, covering entire journeys from any locations worldwide. As a result, it will now be possible to plan, book, and pay for your journey to Verbier through a single platform. This solution marks the first integration of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) with a valley lift, specifically the one connecting Le Châble and Verbier. It provides travelers with an all-inclusive transportation package, encompassing train and plane services, VTC and taxi options, car rentals, buses, and coaches, as well as free shuttles and the Châble-Verbier gondola. All of these services are conveniently bundled together on the Go Verbier platform, allowing for a seamless experience with a single payment.

A gale is blowing, snow slamming horizontally against the windows as skiers mill around clutching steaming coffee, waiting for a weather window. But these aren’t just any skiers, they’re the best in the world at freeriding (skiing over ungroomed terrain), gathered in Verbier for the final of the Freeride World Tour (FWT) on one of the world’s most challenging faces. 

Voted BEST SKI RESORT IN THE WORLD again at the 2022 World Ski Awards. Verbier, in Switzerland, draws legends, royalty, pop stars (James Blunt has a chairlift named after him) and, yes, us ordinary folk too. Part of the largest ski area in Switzerland, “Four Valleys” has 410 kms of slopes that cater for all levels of skiers and boarders. These include the Medran with its cruisy blues, Les Savoleyres with lovely sweeping reds, and the more challenging black runs of Mont Fort. The resort is also known for its off-piste skiing – particularly the testing Mont Gelé – and each year Verbier hosts the finals of the Freeride World Tour. The mountain views are spectacular, particularly from the 3,300 metre high Mont Fort peak, one of the few places in the Alps where you can see the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc mountains simultaneously. 

Change is afoot in the famous Swiss ski town of Verbier. Rough Guides editor, Amy Hopkins, travels to the mountains to find out: Is Verbier’s summer the new winter?

Rough Guides writer Lucy Pierce explores the best runs, off-piste skiing and touring in Verbier’s 4 Valleys, Switzerland.