Villars sur Ollon is a village in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud. It is part of the municipality of Ollon.
Villars is a ski resort close to Montreux and Saint-Maurice, which offers a reasonable range of pistes at a moderate altitude. Accommodation is largely of the chalet variety, although there are also some hotels, many of which are four- and five-star. The village has hosted the Snowbombing electronic dance music and snowboarding spring festival.
Villars is recognised by the Swiss tourist board under their 'Family Friendly' scheme having excellent facilities for children. Villars is served by the Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye railway.
It is a traditional Swiss mountain village which has retained much of its old charm. If you are looking for a flashy ski resort with lots of bars and night life, Villars probably won't suit you. Have a look at the Villars website for more info.
However, if you prefer a resort which is predominantly visited by locals or are looking for a more traditional resort, then you are likely to have a good time in Villars. Plus, there are a few very nice restaurants and bars to visit as well! Remember to swot up on your French as most menus are in French and you'll get a much better reception if you make an effort when in the shops, rather than expect people to speak English, which most don't very well.
The metre gauge BVB (Bex-Villars-Bretaye railway) operated by TPC connects the village from Bex in the valley. Trains run roughly hourly and take 40 minutes. Bex is easily accessible by train from either Saint-Maurice or Montreux.
Villars-sur-Ollon has hourly bus connections from Aigle (35 min). During the summer months there is also a bus from Les Diablerets (35 min), but there are only three courses a day.
The easiest way to access Villars by car is from the south. Exit the motorway A9 either at Aigle or at Bex-Monthey and follow the signs. It is also possible to drive from les Diablerets via the Col de la Croix pass.
Whilst in Villars you could also go bowling, ice skating or to the cinema, but expect the films to be in French!
There are many other restaurants in Villars many of which are in hotels; Alpe Fleurie, for example, has a lovely restaurant. It's advisable to have a wander around and go into these places to see what they have to offer.
If you fancy some apres ski, you won't go far wrong heading for Le Sporting in the town centre, where you can sit outside with a hot chocolate and a warm blanket or go inside for a more intimate experience, as the bar area is quite small. Le Sporting also has a lovely restaurant at the back, if you fancy a nice night out. The views from the restaurant, across the mountains, are spectacular.
The nightlife is also great, there are a couple of bars around town, at the bowling alley, the sporting, Charlie's bar, and the late night club were all the locals and tourists gather, the Gringo.
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