With the national ski resorts running at half gas due to the perimeter closures of the autonomous communities and those of Andorra and France closed (officially) for the Spanish, many have had to abandon their plans to ski this season ... although not entirely .
In recent days, the announcement that
Switzerland was lifting the quarantine
Mandatory for Spanish citizens visiting the country has given hope to many lovers of this and other winter sports, who see a last chance to escape to the snow.
Since the measure was announced on March 10, the number of calls to the Swiss Tourism Office in Spain from interested people has been enormous, according to sources from MySwitzerland.com.
The launch of packages (stay with ski pass) of tour operators such as Alpeski has also been reactivated, which offers several destinations (including Jungfrau, Aletsch Arena, the 4 Valleys and Zermatt) to enjoy the Swiss Alps.
These are some reasons to convince inveterate ski lovers to do it in the Swiss country.
1. Do not quarantine
It was one of the biggest stumbling blocks for many.
Until last March 11, Spaniards entering Switzerland had to quarantine for seven days, as long as they presented negative PCR.
Quarantine is no longer necessary, but the negative test is, if you arrive by plane.
Those who go by car or train, will not be asked for PCR, the same as to stay in hotels (although it is necessary to fill out the entry form).
Champery, Portes du Soleil.
To return to Spain by plane it is also mandatory to present negative PCR.
In MySwitzerland.com you can find out where to take the test in Switzerland (airports, pharmacies, doctor's offices ...) before returning to Spain (price: from 120 euros; it is advisable to book an appointment).
2. Affordable flights
Iberia announced a few weeks ago the promotion of direct cheap flights to Geneva from Madrid (two frequencies a day), from 85 euros, round trip.
Given the limitations of closures of the autonomous communities, it will be possible to travel from those that allow it between March 22 and 25 and from April 10 until the end of the season.
The return date can be any, since there is no limitation for the return to Spain.
Gstaad.
3. Easy access to 7,300 km of slopes
From Geneva airport
there are train connections to any ski resort in Switzerland
.
Between two and three and a half hours you can reach the incredible slopes of Villars & Les Diablerets, Gstaad, Champéry or Zermatt without the need to rent a car.
It is recommended to get tickets online (it is usually cheaper but changes are not allowed) on the website of the Swiss railway operator www.sbb.ch.
The closest station to Geneva airport is Villars & Les Diablerets, which has 112 kilometers of tracks two hours away by train.
It connects with the Glacier 3000 mountain station, the highest point in the Canton of Vaud, at 3,000 meters high, with ideal snow conditions from October to May.
To get there, you have to change at Aigle, from where the narrow-gauge train runs through the valley and up to the mountain village.
The prices to get to Villars are around 100 euros round trip, although if purchased online in advance, they can go down to 85 euros.
To book a package at this station (accommodation and ski pass) it can be done on its website.
For example, two nights with breakfast, plus two days of skipass (including the possibility of skiing on the glacier), costs about 260 euros.
Cabin that goes up to the slopes of Champery, Portes du Soleil.
Two and a half hours by train are Champèry, Portes du Soleil (two nights with a ski pass for 260 euros / person) or the exclusive Gstaad, with 200 kilometers of slopes, some at 3,000 meters of altitude.
The country has more than 7,300 km of alpine ski slopes, which give the opportunity to practice this sport without almost repeating descents, especially in resorts such as Verbier (4 Valleys) or Veysonnaz (4 Valleys).
In addition to skiing, you can opt for other activities, such as excursions with snowshoes (there are 2,300 km of prepared trails) or sledging (150 tracks reserved for this modality, the longest in Grindelwald, with 15 km in length), cross-country skiing , etc.
The COVID measures include the closure of restaurants in ski resorts (not in towns), although they do offer
take away
options
.
Hotel catering, grocery stores and supermarkets remain open normally.
4. Guaranteed snow
Switzerland has more than 29 ski resorts located in the Alps at more than 2,800 m of altitude, so that snow is guaranteed beyond Easter, in some cases until May and even summer, as is the case of Zermatt and Saas -Fee, which has a glacier at more than 3,000 m.
Both stations can also be reached by train (just over three and a half hours) from Geneva airport.
Villars Gryon station.
The spectacular
Zermatt-Matterhorn
snow park
is located at the bottom of the Theodulgletscher glacier, right next to the Furggsattel Gletscherbahn cable car, at 3,250 meters, with the highest slopes in Europe.
The skiable domain is 360 km suitable for all levels.
The place, which boasts being open to skiers every day of the year, is a paradise for
freeride
lovers
, with its virgin snow peaks, accessible thanks to Air Zermatt helicopters (information and reservations, https: // www .zermatt.ch / en).
5. The charm of the Alpine villages ... and Geneva
Unlike other places in the Alps, such as France, on the slopes of the slopes and the coveted ski slopes there are postcard villages from which the ski lifts, chair lifts or cabins leave directly.
This is ideal for, once the day is over, to be able to explore them and get lost in their streets, buy in their stores, taste the typical
fondues
... Among some of these villas with their own personality are the aforementioned Gstaad or Zermatt.
The latter is located at the foot of the
Matterhorn, one of the most famous mountains in the world
for its peculiar shape.
The typical Swiss village is entirely pedestrianized, which has allowed it to maintain its original character.
It has more than 400 km of hiking trails through the Matter Valley, such as the partially cobbled bridle path from the 13th century.
The Gstaad Palace hotel in the Swiss Gstaad station.
The urban center of the exclusive
Gstaad
, in the canton of Bern, is a true ode to luxury (also pedestrian).
It is presided over by the emblematic Hotel Palacio and by its main street, the Promenade, a small street in which an uncountable number of exclusive brands, gourmet groceries, luxurious hotels, shops and restaurants that must be seen (although not going to buy Nothing).
All around, the wooden chalets maintain the Swiss Alpine essence of the place.
The neighboring villages are quieter and more affordable, such as
Saanen
, a charming town less than 3 km away that stands out for its late Gothic church with an original hexagonal tower and 15th-century wooden-roofed bell tower.
Before going back to the airport,
Geneva
deserves a stop, especially if you make an appointment in the city to get the PCR back to Spain.
The so-called Capital of Peace (because it houses the European headquarters of the UN and that of the Red Cross) is located on the shores of Lake Geneva, in the center of which is the
Jet d'eau
, a source of water that reaches 140 meters Tall.
The city of Geneva on the shores of Lake Geneva.
In the shadow of the nearby peaks of the Alps, the city preserves a well-kept old town, located on the left bank of the lake.
When strolling through the center, full of small shops, it is impossible not to come across the
St-Pierre Cathedral
, which dates back to 1150, or the
Place du Bourg-de-Four
, the oldest (and most touristic) square in the town, which It occupies the place where there was an ancient Roman forum and, later, a refuge for the Protestants of the 16th century.
Today it is full of cafes and terraces.
Quays, riverside promenades, parks and old alleys (such as the
Grand-Rue
, where Jean-Jacques Rousse was born) complete the visit to the old town.
If you have time, the
mouettes
, a kind of water taxi, allow you to navigate from one shore of the city to another.
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