Europe 2025/26

[MarzNC]

Nice.
My wife and I used a 21 day eurail pass to visit Ger, IT, FR, Switz in May-June 1983! Also rode buses and boats with that pass. Visited Jungfrau, Zermatt, Garmisch, Paris, Rome, etc. Terrifically memorable trip totaling 25 days in Europe, carless.

A difference between the 1980s and the 2020s is that with the Eurail app and other apps for individual country railroad schedules, it's a lot easier to get up-to-the-minute info. Although still pays to look carefully at signs once in a station. There was one change where the track had changed and the app was updated. It was a short change situation, so ended up with a bit of a run down some stairs to get one track over where the train we wanted was in the midst of boarding. Then we had to find a 2nd class car.

Signage at the train stations is good, but learning to interpret them took a bit of practice.

For the days we would be on the train most of the day, we used one phone with the automatic daily fee in order to have WiFi access. While there were places with free WiFi, didn't want to end up without access. I also learned to take a screen shot of my activated daily Eurail pass QR code. That way, it didn't matter if I didn't have WiFi access when the conductor wanted to see it.

 

[MarzNC]

Even if he's in a single base ski resort for a week, his wife will want the car to do something else.

Probably not applicable to the trip likely for @jimk 's wife in Jan 2026, but If I were the non-skier staying in Chamonix, I would have no interest in dealing with a car for solo sightseeing. Assuming that lodging was a short walk to a bus stop or train station. When riding a train and taking in the views is an option, would much rather do that than be a solo driver. On a snowy day, would let the skier(s) take the car if they didn't want to use the Ski Bus or the Mont Blanc Express train.

Mt Blanc train stops between Chamonix and Vallorcine, Argentière is the stop for Grands Montets
The views going down off the ridge of the ridge top to Vallorcine are worth the train ride. The tunnels are fun too.

 

[ChrisC]

I was speaking with my UK friends, primarily about Wimbledon - my MBA-friend got corporate tickets to the event (semi-finals, very jealous), but things turned to skiing.

They are thinking of two places for a 4-day Long Weekend late January/early February 2026:

1. Les Deux Alpes/La Grave, France
2. Engelberg (again)

They picked Engelberg again - how can you not for an easy weekend? It's 1 hour and 15 minutes from Zurich Airport. And they promised Andermatt for a Friday or Saturday Guided Day.

They thought La Grave/Les Deux Alpes was too far for a 4-day weekend. Me: You did that in the 2000s for a Bachelor Party? WTH? However, this outcome is excellent - I did not want to try to reposition from Southern France to Austria. I also think snow chances are better for Engelberg/Andermatt versus La Grave/Les 2 Alpes, but both are quite good.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I also think snow chances are better for Engelberg/Andermatt

Jimk and son should be considering those too. Engelberg is bit over 2 hours from Bern. Caveat is that Swiss guides are expensive and you need to do that for the Big Five at Engelberg and from some far ranging itineraries at Gemsstock that ChrisC skied but I have not.

 

[ChrisC]

Jimk and son should be considering those too. Engelberg is bit over 2 hours from Bern. Caveat is that Swiss guides are expensive and you need to do that for the Big Five at Engelberg and from some far ranging itineraries at Gemsstock that ChrisC skied but I have not.

Yes. Swiss Guides are expensive and typically cost 700+ CHF per day. Partial days are possible, but generally cannot be booked too far in advance; obviously, guides want/need full days. However, guides will start accepting half-day offers about 24-72 hours in advance. I did a half-day private at Verbier - primarily for my own safety, but also to ski the Backside of Mt. Fort and explore couloirs.

Below are typical Guided Group Days for the major Swiss Freeride/Expert Mountains (i.e. how to ski the best of Switzerland cheaply and safely). These days are typically priced at 190 CHF per day.

I rationalize that I am paying the equivalent of a $300 Alterra/Vail ticket at Squaw/Snowbird/Jackson, but getting a much better deal --> a local guide to access the best terrain, untouched powder, and cutting lift lines at some places. Less crazy, manic Powder Panic. Europe can be a much, much better value at the Expert end of the scale.

Andermatt - Andermatt Guides. (Funny - this operation was created 20 years ago by an American, Dan Loutrel).
Every Friday, they organize "Freeride Fridays" from January to mid-March. https://www.andermatt-guides.ch/service-page/freeride-friday-2
This culminates in a 4-day Weekend in early March of Freeride activities.
Additionally, they offer numerous 'courses' (guided skiing groups) throughout the winter. https://www.andermatt-guides.ch/

Engelberg - Engelberg Mountain Guides
Every Saturday, they offer "Big 5" Tours from January to mid-March. https://www.engelbergmountainguide.ch/winter/freeride/freeride-tag/
Or on other days, if a guide is interested: https://www.engelbergmountainguide.ch/winter/freeride/die-big-5/
Powder Day Alarms - sometimes last-minute guided days. https://www.engelbergmountainguide.ch/winter/freeride/powderalarm-engelberg/
Lots of courses https://www.engelbergmountainguide.ch/en/calendar/calendar-2/

Verbier - Verbier Guides / Les Guides de Verbier
I am surprised Verbier does not have larger sources of Freeride Guided Groups, like Val d'Isère, Chamonix, and St. Anton.
However, every Wednesday they offer Freeride Groups from January to March. https://guideverbier.com/en/activite-hiver/freeride-verbier-2/
Note: They do not actively promote these groups and typically go out with a minimum of 3-4 persons.

I have not researched Freeride Days at other Swiss mountains, such as St. Moritz (Corvatsch/Diavolezza/Lagalb), and Davos (Jakobshorn/Parsenn). Davos offers 'Yellow' controlled itineraries that extend beyond the backside to bus pickups, allowing for a DIY experience.

Zermatt and Zinal/Grimentz - I did not find groups. One possibility: Guides and Heli Zermatt will conduct single drops on high peaks and may organize groups. These outings can range from the Schwarztor to other prominent peaks.

I should consolidate all my Europe Guiding Info in one post. Add St. Anton/Arlberg, Chamonix, Courmayeur, La Grave, Val d'Isère/Tignes, Alpe d'Huez, and Serre Chevalier.

 

[ChrisC]

A big difference from a travel planning standpoint between LCC/BCC/Parley's Canyon is that the public transportation around the Chamonix valley is much more organized. Between the train and the ski bus, there would be no reason to drive for ski days. We used Eurail passes since we started in Basel (visiting my old friend and daughter's godmother) and finished in Geneva. For people with snow driving experience and ski gear, having a rental car could make sense when the trip involves destinations other than Chamonix.

I will use Swiss Rail / SBB to travel from Zurich to Engelberg (round trip) and then pick up a rental car for Austria. The train is a scenic, only 2-hour journey via Luzern and its surrounding lakes.

I will likely purchase a First Class ticket (50 CHF) instead of a Second Class ticket (33 CHF), as I want ample storage space for my skis during the morning rush hour. You can get quite good discounts by booking early. If you are unsure about your train time, you can purchase a Flex Ticket, which allows you to travel on any train on your travel day (60 CHF).

Swiss ski areas that are well served from Zurich:

• Andermatt
• Engelberg
• Jungfrau-Region (Interlaken/Mürren/Wengen/Grindelwald)
• St. Anton
• Zermatt
• St. Moritz (need to consider public transit at the destination to get to the local ski areas). Easy bus to Covatsch.
• Davos (need to consider public transit at the destination to get to the local ski areas). Very easy to use bus/train system.
• Arosa

I would be less likely to use rail to Chamonix, since the outer areas are difficult to visit (Courmayeur, Verbier, Megeve). Still, if you are visiting the only core Chamonix area (Le Tour/GrandMontets/BreventFleger/Aguille/Les Houches) it's easy. I took the return bus to Courmayeur after descending the Vallee Noir & Vallee Blanche into Chamonix.

 

[skiandgolfnut]

I too am planning a late January trip. As usual, I will have a tight 5 day window and try to ski on arrival day in Zurich (land at 6:30 AM) and departure day (depart Zurich 5:30 PM). Engleberg and Andermatt have long interested me because of their convenience and snow sureness but I am concerned that the terrain might not be a great fit. Crowds should not be an issue as we will ski midweek.

We usually take a guide and like to do what Id describe as easily accessible, not overly technical, not fall and die, off piste. We actually like steep skiing but sometimes in Europe up above the tree line it just gets to be a little too much for me. The front side of the Mt Blanc tram at Courmayeur was a good example of this, my cousin skiid it fine but I was just too freaked out hopping over a steep fence atop a massive couloir to enjoy. Same as some of the runs off of the Valuga at St Anton. Skid it fine but repelling down couloirs with ropes etc, its not my thing. Coupled with our St Moritz avalanche from last year, Im wary of going somewhere too intimidating.

How do you think these two mountains fit with what Im describing? I'd imagine the classic off piste routes might be too difficult for me but maybe there is enough low hanging fruit to keep us busy for a few days?

 

[Tony Crocker]

The Big Five at Engelberg I would absolutely recommend highly to Jimk and son. I have never skied with skiandgolfnut. In terms of steepness the Laub was similar to Jackson's Hobacks but with more reliable snow due to north exposure. The Steinberg and Galtiberg should be done with guides due to glacial features they know where to avoid. The Galtiberg was the only one Liz did not ski. On our day (ChrisC was with us) The Galtiberg's 5,000 vertical fall line was powder but there was a tough exit traverse through trees, which I believe was the guide's main concern.

Andermatt-Sedrun is overall quite intermediate. Gemsstock I've skied 3 days, all within sight of the lifts. I've never been guided far afield there so I'll defer to ChrisC on that.

If you have intermediate groomer skiers with you, Andermatt-Sedrun is excellent but the other two are somewhat limited. Pistes at Engelberg are steeper than similarly marked runs at average ski areas, sort of like Snowbird.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

If you have intermediate groomer skiers with you, Andermatt-Sedrun is excellent but the other two are somewhat limited. Pistes at Engelberg are steeper than similarly marked runs at average ski areas, sort of like Snowbird.

An assessment that I confirmed during one-day visits last season to Andermatt and Engelberg (at Tony's behest), which made me conjecture that it wouldn't have been worth the money to hire an expensive guide during a major snow drought. OTOH, under similar conditions in which financial wherewithal isn't an issue, I guess that you have nothing to lose by hiring one to sniff out any remaining scraps.

 

[Tony Crocker]

(at Tony's behest)

Not if I knew that a major snow drought was restricting most skiing to on-piste. A phone call to a guide service in advance should be sufficient to avoid the not worth the money scenario. That us what I did in 2022 and will always do before any return trip to the Dolomites.

 

[skiandgolfnut]

Hobacks are certainly fine. If using Jackson as a gauge, the steep stuff under thunder and sublette are typically fine but I would never touch Corbetts. Andermatt does sound slightly more appealing if conditions force us into more cruising. We will likely wait to book a resort until the week of regardless.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Andermatt does sound slightly more appealing if conditions force us into more cruising.

It's personal preference but I wouldn't go back to the Andermatt-Sedrun side if cruising is what's on the menu like my day last March. I'd return there if the upper-intermediate/reddish offpiste is in play, which I assume is more typically the case. I didn't make it to the north-facing Gemstock sector, the crowd favorite.

 

[Tony Crocker]

the north-facing Gemstock sector, the crowd favorite.

Maybe the FTO crowd favorite, certainly not for 90+% of skiers.

the upper-intermediate/reddish offpiste is in play

Yes there is quite a bit of that, but we only sampled a little. We were on the clock just crossing to Sedrun and back because a storm was predicted to move in about 2PM the one day we skied there.

I wouldn't go back to the Andermatt-Sedrun side if cruising is what's on the menu

I agree with that. From Zurich you have at similar distance big places with lots of pistes like the Jungfrau, Davos-Klosters, Arosa-Lenzerheide.

I would want to know in advance that off piste skiing is in decent shape for either Andermatt or Engelberg. A reason we recommend them is that both of them are well above average in both snowfall and snow preservation. But it's still the Alps and you should check before committing $$$.

 

[ChrisC]

The Big Five at Engelberg I would absolutely recommend highly to Jimk and son. I have never skied with skiandgolfnut.

Engelberg is a steeper mountain that is mainly at a higher intermediate pitch. However, if you are not going to get a guide, it's a one-day mountain. They run guided groups more frequently.

Andermatt/Sedrun/Disentis are newly connected (the new cable car to Disentis has an unusual location due to the valley power line). Still, some of the lift verticals can be a bit shorter, and most terrain faces south—lots of obvious off-piste that you do not need a guide.

Andermatt/Gemsstock is a tall mountain, but you cannot see any of the off-piste terrain, and you are committing to a 5,000 vertical foot run. Some runs start as couloirs but typically open up into bowls, and sometimes into narrower chutes that lead to the valley floor. The issue NE off-piste can require a flat 20-30 min poling/slog out. The NW can require even a train/bus back. However, this is why you can always find powder here - Cable Car capacity is low and the slog back is long, but you are getting a 5000 ft quality run. I still have not completed some itineraries that can require more extended returns. Most off-piste skiers try to go outside the piste system so you can ski back to the lifts.

 

[ChrisC]

I agree with that. From Zurich you have at similar distance big places with lots of pistes like the Jungfrau, Davos-Klosters, Arosa-Lenzerheide.

If you want to do some cruising and off-piste, Davos is a great choice.

It is similar to Chamonix in that it is:

• A small city/town strung out along a main road
• Its five areas are not interconnected, and
• There are still several Surface Lifts in the outer areas.
• A car is something just stored, not used, due to excellent transportation, and trying to find a parking spot.

However, there are some good reasons to go there:

• The Davos Economic Forum will be held from January 19–23, 2026, and no one will be there, since 'the globalists' will have taken over every room in town.. You might find some good lodging deals.
• They have the yellow, unpisted, but controlled itineraries. I did one off the backside of Jakobshorn and wound up in Tuefi, miles from anywhere. There were other skiers at the stop, and it came directly on time.
• Lots of cruising/groomers, Parsenn, and a little upper intermediate on Jakobshorn.
• I skied 4/5 ski areas, everywhere but Pischa, since it faces almost entirely south.
• I would try to stay on a bus route since you will be using municipal transportation.

 

[ChrisC]

The Jungfrau is one of the most scenic ski regions in Europe (Top 3?), and a little lower in top elevations, with less expert skiing, Murren, and parts of other areas.

You could pair Engelberg+Andermatt (more advanced and freeride) with the Jungfrau Region (more cruising with scenery). They are all relatively close to one another.

 

[skiandgolfnut]

Davos looks great and our week is just after that event so probably lodging will be cheap yes. It is just outside of the 2 hour ring around Zurich i was hoping to stay within though. I have loved both visits to Alberg and St Moritz if I were willing to drive a bit further but with such a tight window Im really hoping to keep it within 90 minutes.

Engelberg is a steeper mountain that is mainly at a higher intermediate pitch. However, if you are not going to get a guide, it's a one-day mountain. They run guided groups more frequently.

We will definitely get a guide for all 4 days assuming the conditions warrant it. The snowsureness and aspects seem appealing to me especially after we got skunked last year at Courmayeur with warm snow. If the conditions are good, we will be mostly off piste with only some cruising. If the conditions are bad, we will likely need to pick a mountain with better piste skiing. So this will likely be a week of decision one way or another.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

A car is something just stored, not used, due to excellent transportation, and trying to find a parking spot.

One of the places I believed would be an exception to our "always rent a car for an Alps ski trip" guidance was Davos, with the average travel time from Zurich airport a manageable 2:45 and a week's worth of good-sized ski areas where, as noted above, having a car isn't an advantage. Unfortunately, it appears that all of the itineraries include two changes of train, which would be a (first-world) buzzkill.

Has anyone here gone on a train-based trip where the itinerary wasn't overly inconvenient (no more than one change) while schlepping a heavy ski bag and a boot bag?

 

[ChrisC]

It is just outside of the 2 hour ring around Zurich i was hoping to stay within though

There are three lodging zones:
Klosters - A traditional Swiss Village, most attractive, smaller, base of Parsenn and Madrisa. (i.e. King Charles)
Davos Dorf - center of town, base of Parsenn
Davos Platz - a bit out of the center, base of Jakobshorn. I stayed here.

I would stay in these zones, and not off at some resort hotel.

Klosters is in your self-imposed limit. What are you giving up - a run or two on transfer days?

If the conditions are good, we will be mostly off piste with only some cruising.

The Parsenn runs/pistes are legendary for being some of the longest in the Alps. Specifically, the Schiferbahn is 3.5 miles long, and you can lap it. The runs under the cable car from Klosters are some of the steepest, but the itinerary was taken off the map after King Charles and party members were buried in an avalanche (some died)—lots of freeride terrain.

And a book

I would characterize the freeride terrain as less rocky than resorts such as St. Moritz Corvatsch, Zermatt, and Verbier - so you could likely do without as much snow to have good conditions. Overall, it might be slightly less steep than some of the other famous European expert resorts.
However, one important upside is that there is not a huge hardcore expert set tracking everything, as is the case at St. Anton, Verbier, Chamonix, etc.

Still a very healthy freeride scene - just less powder frenzy

Freeriding in the Swiss Alps

Davos Klosters is one of the best freeriding areas in the Alps: ✓ Tour suggestions for deep snow skiing ✓ Snow & avalanche report ➜ Plan now!

www.davos.ch

I always agree with this list.

Best Off-Piste Skiing in the Alps - Ultimate Ski

Ultimate-Ski guide to the best ski areas and ski resorts in Europe for off-piste and backcountry skiing and freeriding.

www.ultimate-ski.com

This is also why I suggested to JimK and his son to be careful about Zermatt and St. Moritz (Corvatsch, to a lesser extent, Diavolezza) in January. Yes, the pistes will be great, and the resort will be snowy, but they are rocky places:

Top Tip for freeriders in Zermatt: The exceptional height of Zermatt’s ski area – lifts go up to 3800m – enables piste skiing all year round, but freeride enthusiasts should delay their trip until late-February. The resort has a famously dry climate and some of the slopes around Hohtalli can be closed earlier in the season.

And the Hohtalli is equivalent to the entire north face of Snowbird (3,000 vertical feet), serviced by a single cable car. It's one of the best ratios of terrain/vertical/skiers that exists.

 

[ChrisC]

Has anyone here gone on a train-based trip where the itinerary wasn't overly inconvenient (no more than one change) while schlepping a heavy ski bag and a boot bag?

When airlines started charging for baggage, I changed my gear around 10+ years ago:

• One ski boot backpack with an additional compartment for one day of ski clothing (helmet/goggles/jacket/pants/mid-layers), super-light laptops, and a few other essentials. This NEVER gets checked and stays with me 24/7.
• One roller ski bag that can carry two pairs of skis. And it has 2.5 other compartments for street clothes, and any additional ski gear. I put my avy backpack in here too since you cannot always carry on a probe/beacon/shovel. This gets checked, and is less than 50 (or 70) pounds.

So I am set up to schlepp a boot backpack and a ski roller bag anywhere.

Unfortunately, it appears that all of the itineraries include two changes of train, which would be a (first-world) buzzkill.

You need to remove one stop. You often have to take a train from the airport to Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Zürich HB).

I forgot, you don't transfer/connect on planes or trains.

Zermatt is perhaps one of the best. You get on a high-speed train to Milan, but get off at Visp—a super small station -and ascend to the last leg of the Glacier Express to Zermatt. And Zermatt does not allow cars. Most lodging will pick up /drop off with their own electric car/gold-cart.

Saint Anton is also straightforward.

Chamonix or Verbier could be easily accessible from Geneva, but Chamonix's local buses are incredibly crowded. Forget getting a bus from Chamonix to Grand Montets. Additionally, I would like to ski in other local areas.