The resorts at a glance
| Resort | Nearest main airport | Altitude (approx.) | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courchevel 1850 | Geneva (or Chambéry) | 1,850 m | Road about 2h30 in clear conditions; helicopter about 30 minutes, on enquiry |
| Méribel | Geneva (or Chambéry) | 1,450 m | Road transfer; confirm timing at booking |
| Val d'Isère | Geneva (or Chambéry) | 1,850 m | Road roughly 3 hours from Geneva |
| Verbier | Geneva | 1,500 m | Road about 2 hours; helicopter 30 to 40 minutes, on enquiry |
| Gstaad | Geneva | 1,050 m | Road about 1.5 hours; short helicopter transfer |
| St Moritz | Zurich (Engadin airport for small aircraft) | 1,820 m | Road or rail from Zurich |
| Andermatt | Zurich | 1,450 m | Rail about 2h15 to 2h30 with a change at Göschenen |
Altitudes are the commonly published village heights and are approximate. Road times are for clear conditions; Saturday changeovers and snow add to them. Helicopter prices are indicative one-way figures for an AS350 carrying up to five passengers, VAT and airport taxes included, payable before the flight, with no charge if the flight is cancelled for weather or technical reasons. Other routes are quoted on request.
How to choose
- Serious skiing: Val d'Isère, Verbier and Andermatt.
- Size and variety: the 3 Vallées from Méribel or Courchevel.
- Restaurants and the social week: Courchevel 1850 and St Moritz.
- Privacy and a village feel: Gstaad.
- Rail access and a modern spa hotel: Andermatt.
Who each resort suits
Courchevel 1850 and Méribel share the 3 Vallées lift pass, so the choice between them is about the evenings: Courchevel is the more formal address with the stronger restaurant scene, while Méribel is more relaxed and generally better value for a staffed chalet. Val d'Isère is a working village with a long season and steep terrain, and it suits groups who put the mountain first. Verbier and Gstaad are both an easy run from Geneva, one lively and one deliberately quiet. St Moritz is the social choice on the Swiss side, and Andermatt is the one to pick for rail access, a modern spa hotel and a smaller scene.
The weeks that matter
Christmas and New Year are priced and sold first, and at the time of writing (October 2026) the top end is largely booked for Christmas with very little left for New Year. February is the next pinch point. English schools break for half-term in the week of 15 to 19 February 2027 according to council term-date pages, although academies and some independent schools set their own dates. French school holidays also run through February, with the zones starting on 6, 13 and 20 February 2027 in the third-party calendars we checked, so the French resorts are busy for most of the month. January and March have far more choice, and March usually brings longer days and the best chance of spring sunshine. Season dates are set by each lift company and move with the snow.
Chalets
At the time of writing (October 2026), top-end fully staffed chalets for winter 2026/27 run from about €22,930 per week in Méribel to €164,290 in Val d'Isère, with Courchevel 1850 from €39,940. Read the catered chalet comparison, the Courchevel chalet guide, the Verbier chalet guide and the Gstaad hotels and chalets guide. Browse our villas and chalets.
Transfers
Geneva is the gateway for most of these resorts and Zurich for the Swiss-German ones: see Geneva and Zurich. Detailed guides cover Geneva to Courchevel and Geneva to Verbier. Helicopter legs are weather-dependent, so we hold a road transfer as the fallback. See helicopter transfers.
Choosing an airport and a transfer
Geneva is the practical gateway for the French resorts, Verbier and Gstaad, and Chambéry works for the French side when a flight fits. Zurich serves St Moritz and Andermatt, and small aircraft can use the Engadin airport near St Moritz. If you are flying privately, our Geneva and Zurich pages set out the airports. Helicopter prices for the two routes in the table are indicative and apply to those routes only; any other helicopter transfer is quoted on request, and a road car is always held as the fallback because flights depend on the weather.
Hotel, apartment or catered chalet
A hotel suits couples and small groups who want a spa and no logistics. An apartment gives a family space and can be paired with a private chef for dinners in. A fully catered chalet, with its own chef, manager and driver, is usually the better answer once a group reaches six or more, and it is how most Christmas and February weeks are spent in the French resorts. See villas and chalets for the houses we place.
Where to stay and where to eat
Our guide to where to stay in Andermatt, St Moritz and Gstaad and the St Moritz ski season guide cover the Swiss side. For tables: Courchevel, Verbier, Gstaad and St Moritz.
How we help
Tell us your dates, group, how strongly you ski and what the evenings should look like, and we narrow seven resorts to one or two. We check availability where we book, arrange the car or the helicopter, request restaurant tables through each restaurant's own channels and hold a fallback for bad weather. We give you one quote for the whole week rather than several.