I'm sure this won't surprise anyone here:

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...sEnabled=false

Switzerland took the top 3 out of 5 slots for most expensive ski destinations in Europe. Is it because it's Switzerland? Name notoriaty/recognition? Or are the views really worth that much more in these 3 destinations?

This may help towards explaining that

Swiss cities most expensive

In general the country is expensive

Perhaps salaries, energy costs, amenities, here a a bit higher than in Bulgaria. BTW I went skiing in Bulgaria once (that was quite enough thank you)...

There are actually some fantastic deals in CH this winter - you need to keep your nose to the ground (or press/internet), especially for families.
Even Verbier has 4 for 2 for families- which I've never come across in the US, Italy, Austria or France.

No it is solely because of the exchange rate & the high vslue of the franc.

The exchange rate does not equate to a differnece of "almost four times" the cost of the cheapest resort.

Point taken on skiing in Bulgaria. But surely Mt. Etna (second cheapest destination on the list) would be a nice experience.

Not a very informative article though. St Moritz, Gstaad, and Zermatt are the most expensive,... well duh. There are expensive resorts in other countries as well. Anyone checked out the prices Courchevel, Méribel, etc., in France? Or Vail, Aspen in the US?

Go to a less famous ski station in CH and you will find reasonable prices just like anywhere else.

Ah well, what does one expect from that bastion of quality journalism, the New York Daily News?

Daily pass for the Three Valleys covering Courchevel, Meribel, Val Tho and Orelle - 60 CHF. Compare that with Zermatt at 90 CHF or Gstaad at 60 and a both fraction of the domain size... you were saying?

Yes. Next question.

(Seriously, St. Moritz has the by far best truffle Flammkuchen I ever had...the high prices serve a purpose - to keep the chavs out.)

First, the title of the related article clearly says EUROPEAN ski resorts. Secondly, no one said there aren't other expensive resorts. Those three destinations took the top 3 spots on the list.

And finally, the article was picked up by the Daily News, yes, but it is clearly marked as a AFP piece. If you are going to make such a snark reply to something, at least read the article first.

Ok, but since you joined this forum a year ago and state your location as Zurich: You must have recognized that things in Switzerland and especially services like restaurants, cinemas or bars are fairly expensive. Cause the people who work for you have comparatively good salaries. A ski ticket buys you a service. The ski lift company employ a lot of people who are probably better paid than their Bulgarian counterparts.
I have been to Gstaad and while it does not have as many kms of Piste as other places does it have many small lifts which translates into many employees per tourist compared to some of the massive resorts in Austria with highly effective large modern lifts.
I guess these factors explain it better than "they are robbing tourists". If they were, I would buy stocks of the lift operating companies... but the truth is that not all lift operators are sooo great business opportunities. Often do the towns actually need to support them financially to get the tourists and tax revenues from hotels and restaurants.

Wow. Again, I suggest before making snarky comments, you actually read what you are responding to, since the FIRST thing I wrote in my post was "I'm sure this won't surprise anyone here." That includes me. I was merely posting the article for anyone that might be interested.

And what does my joining this forum a year ago have to do with anything? I've been in Zurich since 2003. Does that make it better for you?

The rest of the post is point well taken. Except for the fact that no one said anything about tourists being robbed.

Tourists who come to Switzerland to ski know that it is not cheap. The majority come for the experience and to be able to say they skied in Switzerland and others have their favourite places.

It they thought they were being robbed and not getting value they would stop coming.


Do the locals know that there is much better value options? OBSOLUTELY hence why so many head for the locations they know that the tourists don't know about, please don't tell the tourists this secret otherwise it will spoil the good locations and make them more expensive as a result.

St. Moritz, Switzerland
Zermatt, Switzerland
Gstaad, Switzerland



are your places if you either are prominent and/or member of the "Snobberia". They cost far more, may be twice as much as more normal places like Silvaplana, Celerina, Davos, Klosters, Savognin, Arosa, Flims, Flumserberg, Ober-Toggenburg, Hochybrig-etc, Melchsee-Frutt and many more.

You cannot take the three "Top-Schickeria-places" as "Switzerland". They are "almost three times" the cost of cheaper resorts in Switzerland. To take it the other way round, a St. Moritz "habitué" will NOT go to Bulgaria skiing even if it 10-times cheaper. Sure, places in Switzerland have been between 1,5 and 1,8 the price-level of comparable places in Austria already in the 1970ies

Again - shop around for excellent deals in CH. And a reminder- as they DO NOT advertise this, and most foreign families going there do not realise this is available (and UK ski companies keep very quiet about this!) - all the resorts in the 4 Valleys (Verbier, Haute Nendaz, Siviez, Veysonnaz, Thyon, Le Chable, Bruson) have a great offer for families (you need your passport to prove your kids are your kids though) 1 adult pays full price, 2nd adult pays half, and 2 kids pay 1/4 = 4 for the price of 2- which makes a huge difference, on a week or 2 week pass. And it's hard to beat the mileage and quality/variety of skiing in the 4 Valleys. Loads of mileage and variety in the Portes du Soleil too - stay in smaller resorts like Champoussin, or Torgon - loads cheaper and same access to the whole area. etc, etc.
Have a look at Aldi holidays, amazing deals even for CH.

You have to be a bit savvie to get good deals. Why stay in a posh hotel in Verbier, when you can rent a flat privately or with Interhome in another of the 4 valley resorts- for half the price and no queues- and still access to the whole ski area? And of course keep away from the London Hoohay Henries- which can be such a pain in the proverbial.