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SKIING

Winter sports: Which Swiss ski resorts are already open?

Wanting to get in before the crowds or just can’t wait to hit the slopes? Here are six ski resorts which open the earliest in Switzerland.

Published: 22 October 2021 14:34 CEST
Updated: 25 October 2021 10:58 CEST
If you are looking for a good ski field, head topwards the Matterhorn
The Matterhorn, seen in Zermatt, which offers year-round skiing. Photo by Abigail Griffith on Unsplash

After a partial closure in 2019-2020 due to the Covid pandemic – where several resorts were closed and restricted and where foreign tourists were almost completely shut out – Switzerland is planning a return to form this winter. 

Climate change has made winters more difficult to predict, with less snowfall than usual and fewer snow days. 

There are however several resort areas where you can count on early snow – with some offering year-round skiing. 

The Local got in touch with Swiss Tourism to ask for some inside tips on early season skiing in Switzerland. 

So if you just can’t wait to get back on piste or you want to avoid the Christmas crowds, here are some of your best options. 

Why would you want to ski in November? 

Any winter sports nut would probably answer that question with a simple “why not?” but there are a lot of reasons for early season skiing, provided you can get the time free to do so. 

Early skiing means you avoid the crowds of peak time, which is good for beginners and experienced skiers alike. 

Getting in early means you can be halfway down the slopes while people are already planning their Christmas break. 

Early season skiing is also a fair bit cheaper than peak season, both in terms of ski passes and accommodation. 

More information on the rules for skiing in Switzerland this winter can be seen at the following link. 

IN DEPTH: What are the rules on Swiss ski slopes this year?

‘We know how to winter’: What will skiing look like in Switzerland this year? 

While revenue was 25 percent down on usual standards last year, the industry is expected to rebound close to its former glory in 2021-22. 

André Aschwanden, a spokesperson for Switzerland Tourism, told The Local a strong season was predicted. 

“The last winter season with the open and welcoming Swiss ski resorts showed impressively that the Swiss tourism industry knows how to provide their services even under pandemic circumstances.”

Zermatt, with the Matterhorn in the background. Photo by Victor He on Unsplash

Zermatt, with the Matterhorn in the background. Photo by Victor He on Unsplash

“Winter tourism took place even under difficult pandemic circumstances. The Swiss tourism providers have therefore proved that “they know how to winter”. 

“This proof and this performance also give confidence for the upcoming winter season.”

While things will look better than in previous years, Aschwanden predicted it would not feel completely the same as a few years ago due to international travel hurdles. 

“According to this preview a solid winter season can be expected – of course and unfortunately, oversea tourists will still not fully come back, especially from Asia and Australia / New Zealand.”

Australians, New Zealanders and people from many Asian countries are not prevented from entering Switzerland but in many cases are restricted from leaving their own countries. 

Please click the following link to see the rules for entry to Switzerland from around the globe. 

EXPLAINED: Who can enter Switzerland right now and what are the rules? 

Will I need to be vaccinated etc to ski in Switzerland this year? 

Somewhat controversially, Switzerland decided it would buck the trends of its neighbours and not require the Covid certificate on the slopes this winter. 

Switzerland’s Covid certificate shows you have been fully vaccinated against the virus, have contracted it recently and recovered or that you have tested negative. 

This means that you will not need Switzerland’s Covid certificate or national equivalents in order to take part in winter sports or take chairlifts or gondolas in Switzerland (chairlifts and gondolas will require masks).

You can even eat and drink in outside areas without a Covid certificate. If you go inside however, a certificate will be required. 

Keep in mind that while you will not need the certificate for skiing or hotel stays, it is required in restaurants, bars and other event venues. 

Covid passes from European Union countries are valid in Switzerland, but those from outside the EU are not – meaning you will have to get one in Switzerland. 

READ MORE: How tourists and visitors can get Switzerland’s Covid certificate

As it stands, this costs 30CHF. Aschwanden said a solution was being developed. 

“A national and electronic solution for the conversion of third country vaccination certificates into Swiss Covid Certificates will be operational from mid-October.”

Zermatt

OK, so no early skiing report would be complete without Switzerland’s highest ski field: Zermatt. 

Zermatt offers year-round skiing, 365-days-a-year (pandemics pending). It’s the anti-New York of ski fields; if you can’t make it there, you won’t make it anywhere. 

Zermatt has several high peaks pushing 4,000 metres, including Klein Matterhorn and Gobba di Rollin. 

Engelberg Titlis

In the central canton of Obwalden, Engelberg Titlis is already open and accepting winter sport tourists. 

There are two areas – Titlis area and the area on Berg Brunni – both of which offer something for beginners, experts and everyone in between. 

There’s also the Rotair Titlis, a rotating cable car which is equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. 

The Rotair Titlis in the Swiss alps is a sight to behold. Photo by Julien Flutto on Unsplash

The Rotair Titlis is a sight to behold. Skiing in Switzerland should be largely back to normal this year. Photo by Julien Flutto on Unsplash

Saas Fee

Another favourite of early skiers is Saas Fee, just around the corner from Zermatt. 

Saas Fee opens properly on the 30th of October, according to Swiss Tourism, and has good quality snow thanks to boasting similar altitudes and weather conditions to neighbouring Zermatt. 

While it might not be as well known, in some ways you’ve already been to Saas Fee – it was the location of Wham’s Last Christmas video. 

The year-round snow meant it was the perfect backdrop for George Michael’s brooding, clad in a Christmas sweater and tremendous hair. 

Glacier3000

Located where Vaud meets Valais and Bern, Glacier3000 is a resort in the Diablerets region. 

The winter sports season starts officially on November 6th. 

Corvatsch

Corvatsch, in the canton of Graubünden, opens officially on the 27th of November. 

Located on the Piz Corvatsch mountain range, the ski area “extends from Sils via Silvaplana all the way to St. Moritz”.

Daredevil Freddy Nock in a training session in Corvatsch, Samedan, Switzerland.

Daredevil Freddy Nock in a training session in Corvatsch, Samedan, Switzerland. Image: Marc Weiland, Unsplash

Verbier

A favourite of British tourists, Verbier opens in early December. In addition to great winter sports action, Verbier has some of the best culinary options and nightlife available in any ski town. 

Information on which ski fields are open is available in English here. 

 

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TRAVEL NEWS

Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but among many questions that remain is the situation for non-EU nationals who live in the EU or Schengen zone.

Published: 27 April 2024 07:59 CEST
Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is not unlikely) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is basically an enhanced passport check at external EU borders, including a facial scan and fingerprinting.

You can find a full explanation of the new system HERE.

Travellers crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities including that facial scan and fingerprinting.

There are, however, several groups exempt from EES and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

So if you’re a foreigner living in the EU or Schengen zone, here’s what you need to know.

Exempt

One of the stated aims of EES is to tighten up enforcement of over-staying – IE, people who stay longer than 90 days in every 180 without a visa, or those who overstay the limits of their visa.

Obviously these limits do not apply to non-EU nationals who are resident in the EU or Schengen zone, which is why this group is exempt from EES checks. They will instead be required to show their passport and residency permit/visa when crossing a border, just as they do now.

In its explanations of how EES will work, the European Commission is clear – exempt groups include non-EU residents of the Bloc.

A Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

How this will work

How this will work on the ground, however, is a lot less clear.

Most ports/airports/terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It does seem clear that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths. However it is not clear whether these will be available at all airports/ports/terminals or how non-EU residents of the EU will be directed to those services.

There’s also the issue that individual border guards are not always clear on the processes and rules for non-EU residents of the EU – even under the current system it’s relatively commonly for EU residents to have their passports incorrectly stamped or be given incorrect information about passport stamping by border guards.

Brits in particular will remember the immediate post-Brexit period when the processes as described by the EU and national authorities frequently did not match what was happening on the ground.

The Local will continue to try and get answers on these questions. 

READ ALSO What will EES mean for dual nationals

What if I live in the EU but I don’t have a visa/residency permit?

For most non-EU citizens, having either a visa or a residency permit is obligatory in order to be legally resident.

However, there is one exception: UK citizens who were legally resident in the EU prior to the end of the Brexit transition period and who live in one of the “declaratory” countries where getting a post-Brexit residency card was optional, rather than compulsory. Declaratory countries include Germany and Italy.

Although it is legal for people in this situation to live in those countries without a residency permit, authorities already advise people to get one in order to avoid confusion/hassle/delays at the border. Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a residency card than it is now.

Our advice? Things are going to be chaotic enough, getting a residency permit seems likely to save you a considerable amount of hassle.

Delays 

Although residents of the EU do not need to complete EES formalities, they will be affected if the new system causes long queues or delays at the border.

Several countries have expressed worries about this, with the UK-France border a particular cause for concern.

READ ALSO Travellers could face ’14 hours queues’ at UK-France border

Where does it apply?

EES is about external EU/Schengen borders, so does not apply if you are travelling within the Schengen zone – eg taking the train from France to Germany or flying from Spain to Sweden.

Ireland and Cyprus, despite being in the EU, are not in the Schengen zone so will not be using EES, they will continue to stamp passports manually.

Norway, Switzerland and Iceland – countries that are in the Schengen zone but not in the EU – will be using EES.

The full list of countries using EES is: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Therefore a journey between any of the countries listed above will not be covered by EES.

However a journey in or out of any of those countries from a country not listed above will be covered by EES.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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