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| Airport | Distance to Verbier | Approx. transfer time by road | Approx. transfer time by train to Martigny (changes) |
| Sion | 55km | 55 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Basel | 157km | 3 hours | 4 hours (2-3) |
| Geneva | 170m | 2 hours | 2 hours (0) |
| Zurich | 280km | 3 hours | 3 hours 30 minutes (1-2) |
Many UK airlines fly into Geneva (Switzerland), which is 170km from Verbier and has a transfer time of around 2 hours in a car or 3 to 3.5 hours on a train. The other major Swiss airport, Zurich, and the smaller Basel airport are other options. There is also the much closer local airport of Sion but routes there are limited and fairly pricey. That said, it is only 55km from Verbier.
One of the things to look out for is that quite often, the cheaper the airline, the more complicated and expensive their baggage policy is. This can make carrying skis or snowboards to your destination costly if you are not prepared.
Get onto a train at Geneva airport and, apart from one change, you can relax and enjoy the ride all the way to the resort. The nearest mainline station is Martigny, which is about 25km from Verbier. From there you can catch a bus (during the winter months) or taxi directly to Verbier or take a small connecting train to Le Chable. From Le Chable you can take a bus or taxi to Verbier or during the day, catch the cable car.
Check out the train timetables the Swiss rail website (www.sbb.ch). Tickets are around 50chf one-way.
Trains from London Waterloo to Geneva (change in Paris) take around nine hours. For the ongoing journey from Geneva to Verbier see the Swiss rail website.
You can hire a car at the airport – see listings for companies. Winter tyres, snow chains and ski racks are normally available at additional costs - make sure you request them when booking. You are required by law to carry snow chains and the police set up checkpoints during bad weather to enforce this.
For door-to-door, private transfers or taxis are a good option, but not the cheapest.
Self-drive
Calais is around 9-11 hours from Verbier and most of the route is on motorway. (You are likely to need winter tyres and snow chains). If possible, try to avoid peak periods (e.g. Saturdays) when traffic builds up and causes delays. It is also sensible to fill up with petrol before reaching the resort as prices rise with the altitude.
To drive through Switzerland you'll need a motorway pass (vignette) that you can buy at the border for 40chf. Don't forget to check your insurance cover for European accident and carry details of your breakdown service (RAC, AA etc). To help with driving routes, check out www.rac.co.uk or www.drivingabroad.co.uk for directions and tips.
| Report date: | 30 Apr 2008 |
|---|---|
| Last snowed: | na |
| Fresh snow: | cm |
| Lifts open: | na out of 35 |
Snow depth | |
| Lower slopes: | 0cm |
| Upper slopes: | 0cm |
Piste information | |
| On-piste: | na |
| Off-piste: | na |
| Resort runs: | na |
