Verbier is a resort town in the eastern part of the Swiss canton of Valais near Martigny. It has cable car access to a huge network of ski trails which are perfectly suited for intermediate and advanced skiers. There are also a couple of bunny slopes in town, as well as a huge amount of infrastructure for skiing and after skiing.
In the summer Verbier, like many mountain villages, becomes a base for the true Swiss national sport of hiking.
Get in
By train
There is no direct train service to Verbier. Passengers coming from Geneva will need to take a train to Martigny and then change trains to take the "St. Bernard Express" to Le Châble, the Verbier base station. From there passengers can take the cable car or the Postal Bus to get up to Verbier.
By car
Verbier is just off the A9 Motorway and National Road 21 (European Road: E27), about 1.5 hours from Geneva. It is advised to have a car that can travel up steep gradients and that is equipped with snow tires, if visiting in the winter. There is also a regular bus service from Geneva Airport to Verbier offered by Alpybus. The journey takes 2 hours and runs only during the winter season from December through April. Private transfers are available in the summer.
Get around
Verbier village is small enough to get pretty much everywhere on foot, even in ski boots. A free bus runs around the village until early evening. There is a cable car service between Verbier and Le Chable which runs from 08:30 until 18:30, and a bus which runs later, so you will want to make note of the bus schedule if your hotel is in Le Chable.
See
Verbier and the region around it has a lot to offer when it comes to nice views. Take the cable car all the way to the top for the most spectacular views:
- Mont Fort, 46.080278°, 7.318889°. This is the highest point reachable by cable car and offers very nice views. There is a special sunrise package including breakfast at a couple dates during the summer. Fr. 46 for a summer day pass 2016-12-20
Do
The principal activity in Verbier during winter is skiing. The ski area Les 4 Vallées is one of the largest in Switzerland, extending as far as Thyon and up to the Mont Fort glacier. Much of the best skiing is off-piste (off-trail), making the resort best suited to experienced, or at least enthusiastic skiers. The best sector for beginners is Savoleyres. There is less infrastructure for snowboarding, but advanced boarders should consider a trip to Verbier for the magnificent off-piste possibilities
- Ecole Suisse de Ski (ESS), +41 27 775 33 63, info@verbiersportplus.ch. 2016-12-20
- ES - European Snowsport - Verbier Ski School, Mountain Air Rue de Medran (Half Way between Pl. Central and Medran), +41 27 771 6222, info@europeansnowsport.com. Verbier Ski School and Snowboard School 2016-12-20
- Performance Verbier, Ski Centre, +41 79 690 97 99. Ski school specialising in private lessons 2016-12-20
- Verbier Festival, concerts take place either at the church or the Salle des Combins. This is a festival of classical music that takes place every summer. It features famous vocal and instrumental soloists and a good orchestra of professional musicians under 30 led by well-known guest conductors. The 2018 festival will start on 19 July and end on 5 August. There will also be a Christmas concert on 29 December, 2017. You can see the schedule for the summer festival here (dead link: December 2020), starting on 5 December; click on any concert listing for more information. Individual tickets vary in price, with some concerts priced at Fr. 35 for all seats while others start at Fr. 90; the most expensive tickets cost Fr. 180 2016-12-19
Buy
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Eat
- La Grange, Route de Verbier Station 70 (Just up the road from the Migros), 46.0963°, 7.2247°, +41 27 771 6431. Fr. 30-100
- Au Vieux Verbier, Rue de Médran (Located next to the Médran lift departure point), 46.09326°, 7.23347°, +41 27 771 16 68. Noon to 15:00 & 18:30 to Midnight. Reservations are required for dinner. Fr. 20-60
- Carrefour, Route du Golf 95 (Take Bus Line 1 Carrefour to the end of the line or take Bus Line 2 to the end of the line and then walk up the hill), 46.10189°, 7.24200°, +41 27 771 55 55, lecarrefour@verbier.ch. Fr. 15-50
- Pizzeria Borsalino, Route des Creux 3 (Just above the Place Centrale, across from Farinet), 46.09672°, 7.22910°, +41 27 771 17 50. Fr. 10-60
- Al Capone, Route des Creux (A short walk above the Brunet bus stop), 46.0999650°, 7.2292403°, +41 27 7716774. This restaurant has a vast selection of Pizzas and other Italian specialties. Fr. 15-60
Drink
The après-ski nightlife is pretty happening at Verbier. In early evening the pubs and bars are jammed with skiers - many have a happy hour between 4PM and 5PM. Later on, most people return home or eat at one of the many restaurants, before hitting one of Verbier's nightclubs, which stay open until 3 or 4AM in peak season. None of this is cheap!
- Offshore, Rue de Médran, +41 27 771 5444. Daily 8AM-9PM. Famous hangout with both apres ski, sandwiches, good breakfast and good vibes in this Californian styled joint
- Pub Mont Fort, Chemin de la Tinte 10, +41 27 771 4898, info@pubmontfort.com. Legendary after-ski bar where local skibums and extreme skiers gather. Rumoured to serve most beers in Switzerland in the winter. Serves good and inexpensive foood (burgers etc)
- Farm Club, Route de Verbier, +41 79 257 78 83, farmclub@nevaihotel.com. 11PM-4AM. Run by two Italian brothers, this club doesn't get going until very late, and when it does it's for the 27+ crowd, but it does have a reputation for some outrageous nights out.
Sleep
- Chalet d'Adrien, Chemin des Creux (Right next to the base of the Savoleyres gondola), 46.10361°, 7.22421°, +41 27 771 62 00. Fr. 560-3000 2016-12-20
Go next
- Martigny, at the end of the valley leading down to Verbier, is known for its extensive Roman ruins including an amphitheatre.
- If a supplement is paid, one can ski in one of Switzerland's largest skiing domains — the Quatre Vallées offers over 450km of piste and 92 lifts
- Guides offer the possibility to "hike" on skis from Verbier to Zermatt as part of the "Haute Route", a journey of several days