UKC

Hi all,

Just wondering what peoples general impressions of Verbier skiing are? I'm doing a season there next year and would be interested to hear peoples thoughts...particularly on budget accommodation for the early part of the season (Dec-10th Jan), improving my French (French classes etc) and if anyone has done a season there.

Cheers for the help,

Tom

In reply to Tom Lawfield:

Hi Tom,

I went to Verbier last year for a week. We stayed in a chalet so cant really help you with cheap accomodation, in fact I would say the main town is nearly all chalets so maybe there is not much in the way of budget accomodation? The town is very nice, Farinet definately THE nightspot. Main ski area is excellent, but the extended '4 valleys' area is poorly linked, realistically you cannot get across and back in a day. The long off piste route that goes off the back of Mont Fort is one of the best lift-lift served routes I have done.

In reply to Tom Lawfield: No doubt wingman will be along shortly with advice on this as i know he's spent a good bit of time there. The skiing in verbier is quite good as i remember though i've only spent 2 days there. The one thing i will say that this is very early in the season & snow & snow cover is liable to be poor on based on the average season. If you want to get some good skiing in you'd be better advised taking your month & a bit & use it around february/march time.

In reply to Tom Lawfield: I've only skied there for a couple of days, but as ski resorts go its one of the best. But judging by the amount of languages other than French being spoken (and especially English) I wouldn't think its the best place to go to improve your French


For cheap accommodation try the bunker or maybe look in the surrounding villages (where they are more likely to speak French).

In reply to Tom Lawfield:

Verbier is awsome, you'll have a great time, you lucky bugger!

Two friends of mine have done a couple of seasons there and really rate it, I can drop 'em a mail if you like...

In reply to Tom Lawfield:
This is a description of Verbier from the world snowboard guide 2003

Verbier is a big resort in more ways than one: Big slope area, big mountain and big on extreme terrain. However Verbier is also big on the stuck up and poncy scale being a resort that goes out of it's way to attract the rich, the stuck up elite, disposed European royals and their side kicks... blah blah.... year round skiing on mont Fort Glacier.... good snow record should reach resort in April....

On food.... Bring stacks of tins and a cooker, as unless your name is Princess Lucky you won't be able to afford any of the restaurants or even the supermarkets.
On accommodation.... There are 15000 beds on offer in Verbier. But at a high price, that's not to say you won't get a bed somewhere.. either take a package or hook up with a local girl/guy no matter how ugly, and promise them the earth in order to share their bed..

Summary... Extremely good resort, very stuck up, criminally expensive

Overal rating 9/10

In reply to Paul Bowen:
Lorne, my partner is instructing there all season.
Verbier's skiing is good, particularly the off piste and the moguls, but the accomodation can be hideously expensive. The slopes near the town get very crowded, but most people don't go far away.
I'd recommend staying at Le Chable, the village below. Not only is it cheaper but the lift goes straight past the huge queues at Verbier and the train from Geneva stops there.
For cheap accomodation for a whole season, I'd recommend rooms run by Le Rosbif, the pizza/pub in the centre of Le Chable.
For a short stay there is a well run hostel called Le Stop in Le Chable. It has several dormatories and one double room.
In Verbier the only cheap accomodation seems to be at The Bunker, but I've heard nothing but terrible reports.

In reply to Tom Lawfield: Hmm a few lies being told here. I lived there last year, working a shit job, and having a brilliant time.

Truth: Verbier has a lot of posh tw*ts. Beer is expensive in bars. Food is expensive in restaurants. The mountain is amazing, especially when it has just snowed.

Lies: Food from the supermarket is not more expensive than in Le Chable (the village at the bottom) Believe me, I've checked. Food from the supermarket is generally no more expensive than the UK. It is also a lie that there is nowhere cheap to stay. The bunker is quality, £10 a night, skanky as, and you wouldnt want to stay for more than 2 weeks, but you'll meet some quality people in there, mainly as they'll have no money either!! There is also a place at the bottom of the Le Chable ski lift called Le Stop that isnt too expensive either.

My advice, book a night or two in the Bunker, buy food from the supermarket for lunch, hit the mountain (PS Savolayres is a hidden gem)have a few beers after at The Farinet, its near the bottom of the main lift and beer is cheaper than UK during happy hour, then stay in the bunker and drink beer with the degenerates for the evening, or go to Le Chable. There is a bar down there for the local abatoir workers if you are wanting to speak French and are feeling brave heheh....

If you want a job, this is what we did. We went in January with a hundred quid. If we didnt find a job by the time the money was gone, we would go home. We had two job interviews within 3 hours of arriving and were employed that night. January is the month when Rupert and Camilla decide they dont want to work in a kitchen after all and go home. Not everyone found it that easy, but no one I knew there had to go home cos they couldnt find work......

You should have a great time, hope you get good snow! I Just read John Alcocks message, too, he has good advice also.

In reply to Tom Lawfield:

I have skied Verbier on about 20 seperate occasions now and love it. There is still plenty of stuff for me to explore there.

Stayed in the infamous bunker a couple of weeks ago. I could nt imagine staying more than a couple of nights there ! but it was cheap. Its about 100 beds in an old military underground bunker adjacent to the sports centre - it certainly packs the punters in. You can get a shower and breakfast at the sports centre.

I agree with previous comments re Le Chable for good accomodation options (have used on the haute route). The lift and post bus run quite late.

As regards the skiing - the lift system is probably the most comprehensive in Switzerland (similar in scale to the likes of Val Disere and trois vallees) and the off piste is fantastic. Mont Gele is the centrepiece for steep off piste runs. There is also some great stuff off the back of Mont Fort.

In reply to Tom Lawfield: the Summerhouse is the just-about-acceptable alternative to the Bunker - although it's very cramped. Don't book the bunker - really - it's insane. Both places have security issues so don't leave valuables there.

Link here...

http://www.thebunker.ch/

Bear in mind that the dorms look a little different stuffed full of 8 smelly boarders and all their smelly kit. The dorms are mixed too, which can be good (bloke) or bad (bint)

The skiing in Verbier rocks - if you're competant... everything else is a little over-rated IMO

In reply to Tom Lawfield: The comments that have been made are all interesting - cheers. I'm looking at getting a studio place for the month as opposed to the Bunker because of the points made - also the maths would work out only a little more expensive than the Bunker option, providing I fill an entire property. I'll expand my search to include le Chable. I'd be interested to hear from anybody else who has done stuff there, or is interested in coming out on the cheap for that month.