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SKIING

EXPLAINED: Six money-saving tips for skiing in Switzerland

Skiing — and winter sports in general —are expensive activities in Switzerland, but there are some ways to cut costs.

Published: 7 December 2022 15:16 CET
Updated: 20 December 2022 12:24 CET
EXPLAINED: Six money-saving tips for skiing in Switzerland
There are ways to save on the price of ski lift passes . Photo by Glade Optics on Unsplash

Even during the best (economy-wise) times, skiing in the Swiss Alps is a pricey undertaking, especially if entire families are hitting the slopes and staying in mountain accommodations.

This season is even more expensive, as many resorts in Switzerland are increasing their prices due to rising energy costs.

Ski passes will cost more during the upcoming season — which usually lasts between November and March at high-altitude areas — to offset the price of electricity used to operate ski lifts. 

For instance, the Bernese-Oberland resorts of Adelboden-Lenk, Gstaad, Jungfrau, and Meiringen-Hasliberg, raised their prices by 9.4 percent for adults.

In the Saas-Fee (VS) ski area, tickets increased by 5 percent.

These are just a few examples of the upward trend throughout many resorts in the Swiss Alps.

READ MORE: Why your ski trip in Switzerland will be more expensive this winter 

Does this mean you have to put away your skis this winter?

Not at all.

Yes, you have to be realistic and keep in mind that skiing is never going to be a cheap activity in Switzerland, but there are nevertheless ways to cut at least some of the costs.

The Local asked Daniel Dreier, financial expert at Switzerland’s Moneyland consumer platform, for his money-saving tips.

Plan ahead

“Buying your ski passes in advance can slash the cost of skiing at many Swiss resorts by around 10 percent,” Dreier told The Local.

Pre-season sales usually run between September and November, so now may be too late to take advantage of this particular tip, but keep it in mind for next season.

Get a ski pass rather than individual tickets

If you expect to ski at least 15 times, a season pass is cheaper than buying individual day passes every time you go skiing.

You can choose to purchase a pass for one resort, or a combo for the whole region.

If you are going to ski for only a week or so (as many foreign tourists do) rather than the whole season, you can purchase your pass for just the time you’ll be skiing.

Combo tickets will allow you to ski in the whole region, like here, in Les Diablerets. Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP

Choose the right resort

“A few popular ski regions like Jungfrau and Aletsch Arena offer free ski passes for accompanying children on Saturdays,” Dreier said.

Also, many don’t charge for accompanying children up to a certain age. «If you have several children, planning your ski trips based on the total cost of passes for your whole family can save you a lot of money,” he pointed out.

Choose the cheapest way to get to the resort

While families with children may find it less expensive to drive to the resort than use public transport, do your math carefully.

That’s because in some cases, public transport will cost less, especially given the current petrol prices, as well as the cost of parking your car at the resort.

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) offer a Snow’n’Rail deal with reductions of up to 20 percent on your ski pass. 

“Additional discounts apply if you have a GA Travelcard, Half Fare Travelcard, or Junior Travelcard,” Dreier said.

A good thing about Switzerland is that you can get practically to the top of any mountain with a train and a Postbus.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Why PostBuses are true Swiss icons

Find the right accommodation

“If you expect to spend the night at a hotel, check into ones that offer complimentary or discounted ski passes,” Dreier said. “Some entire regions offer heavily discounted ski passes to hotel guests.”

You can find hotels which offer these ski deals on websites like Bergfex.ch.  

You can find good accommodations on certain sites.Image by Riad Kanane from Pixabay 

Look for deals online

Whether you are looking for accommodations, unwanted ski passes, or even pre-paid holidays that someone else can’t use, check out ads on websites like Tutti.ch, Anabis.ch and Ricardo.ch.

From time to time, a good deal can be found there.

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For members

VISAS

How much money do you need to enter Switzerland on a tourist visa?

While tourists from many countries can enter Switzerland with just their passports, others need to have financial proof that they will be able to support themselves while in the country.

Published: 30 May 2024 17:27 CEST
How much money do you need to enter Switzerland on a tourist visa?

Citizens of many states, including members of the Schengen zone, as well as certain nationalities from outside the EU / EFTA — Brits, Americans, and Canadians among them — can come to Switzerland easily, and stay here for up to 90 days.

On the other hand, citizens of many other third nations, which are outlined here, need a tourist visa to enter Switzerland.

The burden of proof

According to State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), “third country nationals may be questioned by the border authorities about the purpose of their visit as well as their financial means. They may be turned away if they do not have sufficient financial means.”

“They must be able to demonstrate their financial resources amounting to at least 100 francs per day of their stay. Students with a valid student permit are required to demonstrate funds of 30 francs per day.”

“Sufficient financial resources” can be demonstrated by showing cash, traveller’s cheques, credit cards or other collaterals like a bank guarantee.”

Note, however, that these rules apply only to tourists; third-country citizens with work permits are exempted.

What if you don’t have 100 francs per day but still want to visit friends or relatives in Switzerland?

In this case, you will have to provide a letter of invitation from a Swiss host.

This is what such a letter should include, according to SEM:

A statement from your host (company or private individual) saying that they have invited you;
 
Your host’s and your own full details (surname, first name, date of birth, address, telephone
number, email address and nationality)

The length of stay
 
The date on which the letter was written
 
Your host’s signature
 
If the costs of travel, accommodation and food are being met by your host, this should also be mentioned.
 
The letter must be written in an official Swiss language (German, French or Italian).
 
It is even better (and increases your chances of being granted a visa) if you can show a Declaration of Sponsorship.
 
 “A Swiss embassy or consulate may require this declaration before issuing a visa, if applicants do not have sufficient funds or there is doubt as to whether they have sufficient funds to support themselves,” SEM said.
 
The following people/entities may submit a declaration of sponsorship:
 
Swiss citizens
 
Foreign nationals who have a residence or settlement permit
 
Legal entities according to the commercial or trade register
.
By signing the declaration of sponsorship, the guarantor undertakes to cover the following costs:

Costs arising from sickness, accident, return transport and living costs, which would otherwise arise for public welfare or private medical services during the applicant’s stay in the country.
 
A maximum of 30,000 francs  for individuals or families of up to 10 people who are travelling
together.

Why do Swiss authorities require such high burden of proof?

Clearly, they don’t want ‘penniless’ people to come into Switzerland and rely on government help in case of medical or other emergencies.

In fact, Switzerland is not the only country to have these requirements in place; they are pretty much standard throughout the Schengen zone.

These rules don’t exist for citizens of the EU or EFTA states (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) because there are mutual agreements in place covering emergency health care and other extreme situations that may befall citizens of these nations in Switzerland — and vice-versa.

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