Hello,

I'd be interested to rent a small chalet in the mountains, something in the wild, far from any ski resort or road, within 1 - 2 hour walk from the nearest road. I don't need much space (2 persons), and am ok with spartan conditions, as long as we get a fireplace for winter time :-)

I'd like to rent the chalet for several periods of a few days in the course of the year.

I've been searching the holiday rentals web sites but they only seem to offer large chalets in ski resorts, which is totally the opposite of what I'd like.

Any ideas, ideally in VD, FR, VS ?


Thanks,
Alain

Talk to some farmers. Maybe they would be willing to rent out their summer Alp houses during the winter.

Another option is to make use of the Alpine Huts run by the SAC: http://www.sac-cas.ch/index.php?id=416&L=3

You won't be alone but there are some nice huts in beautiful locations.

That SAC website is a good tip.

Does anyone else know of any other good websites which have information on several chalets? Looking to do some walking in either Bernese Oberland or near Zermatt, but google searches seem to be pulling back websites for a particular chalet.

I guess what I'm looking for is a hotels.com website for chalets! Any good tips?

Finding a chalet like that is indeed a very difficult undertaking. unless you know someone who has one and is willing to share it (that is how it works most of the time) hélas, I'm afraid you won't find it on a website.

Ask around amongst the people you know if they know someone ...

The tourist offices of most villages have information on rentals. In some, like Zermatt you can actually rent online through the tourist office. Others, like Zinal have lists of rental agencies. Others, like Kandersteg have lists of rental units.

In any case, choose your village then go to its tourist office web site. You are almost guaranteed to find something!

I know that some of the skiing resorts in Eastern Switzerland (like Lenzerheide, Laax, etc.) do keep lists of apartments for rent. You can get them through the tourist office I think - maybe some villages in the areas you're looking have the same?

Given your "low-comfort" specification you might even find it cheaper to buy a property. Check out homegate.ch.

I have tried looking for small chalets without much success.

There don't appear to be many options about. One of the very few that I have seen was promoted on EF.

Nussbaumer-Raffainer Haus Lauterbrunnen

I find the magazine "TIERWELT" really useful, it's amazing the properties you can rent or buy (available in any Kiosk). In one of the previous issues there was even an Aelpler looking for a housekeeper to spend a whole summer in his mountain hut for "Kost und Logis". If I wouldn't be married I would have been very tempted! There is also a website: www.tierwelt.ch