sts603

Looking for a 2 night high-end ski holiday in Europe and don't want to spend much time getting from the airport to the destination. Something like Verbier is too far from GVA and the CMF flight schedule doesn't allow a Friday-Sunday or Saturday-Monday. Any good ideas out there?

Joshm300

I would say Innsbruck is your best bet. St Anton and Iscghl are both within an hour and have good skiing and hotel options. BA now fly from gatwick and Heathrow.

Amazing airport to approach/depart on a clear day as well.

Swiss Tony

Check out Austria.

BA have flights to both SZG and INN that do a weekend very well, allowing 2.5 days skiing with just 1 day off work.

Within an hour you can be in some very swanky hotels.

Or if you're set on being further West (which if you've not skied in Austria in the last decade or so you're really missing out IMO) try https://www.powdair.ski who have flights from City to Sion 6 days a week.

Ldnn1

Agreed. I actually did a day trip there last year. Even with a lengthy delay on the outbound due to fog (can be an issue at INN) I managed to get a good few hours on the slopes just outside town.

WorldLux

There are flights from LCY and SEN to Sion (don't know that code) but they aren't with BA and probably are pricier than INN.

rossmacd

Another route, with higher frequency, is ZRH, then a very nice and comfortable 2hr train into St Anton. Granted, it is no Verbier or St Mortiz, but still an excellent ski location that you can easily enjoy a weekend.

Luckily, those of us based in ZRH can use it for a day of skiing and come back on the 9pm train after some fantastic après (Caution needs to be taken not to miss the last train, of course!)

MrMutton

There is some excellent skiing in the French Alps (such as Auron and Isola) served by NCE - flights from LHR/LGW/LCY. For the past couple of years I have taken the last LHR-NCE flight on a Friday, stayed in a hotel at the airport, then hired a car and been on the slopes for 10am Saturday morning. Leave the resort when the lifts stop, drive back to Nice for the 9pm-ish flight and be back in London at 10pm Sunday night.

A weekend's skiing with no time off work!

MrMutton

SIR

Apparently it is Switzerland's 7th busiest airport (which I would hazard a guess was because there are 7 airports in the country...!)

corporate-wage-slave

Since it's a nasty Saturday out there today, here's my first stab at this:

Ski resorts with at least one flight a day:
GVA
TLS
OSL
MUC
INN
SZG
ZRH
BSL


Non daily services
FDH
CMF
GNB


Less obvious options (perhaps with onward connections)
NCE
LYS
BCN (Andorra etc)
TRN
MXP/LIN (MXP has direct rail links to the Alps)
KRK
PRG
BLQ (Abetone)
FCO-NAP (Roccaraso)
ABZ-INV
PNA (codeshare with IB via MAD)
RVN (codeshare with AY via HEL)

rt112

I think Geneva is the most accessible airport in terms of service frequency, and there are plenty of resorts within a couple of hours' drive. I would personally rent a car and drive to the resort - in my experience even private transfers involve a lot of waiting around, and often insist on you arriving at the airport very early for the return flight. If you arrive on a Friday night and/or have status with a car hire company the queues shouldn't be too bad, and the pickup lot is very close to the terminal. No doubt some will prefer a transfer, however, and may be able to recommend a good company!

Morzine is about 90 minutes' drive and has plenty of very nice hotels/chalets, and excellent skiing. Samoens is closer still at 75 minutes, although depending when in the season you're visiting it may be a bit low, and I suspect the hotels are slightly less luxurious (I've only stayed in chalets there). The Three Valleys (Meribel, Val Thorens, Courchevel) are definitely further (c140min drive) although the skiing is particularly good and Courchevel definitely rivals Verbier for high end hotels, dining, etc. Meribel is my favourite, however.

FlyerTalker39574

It's a shame CJ aren't doing more weekend ski flights, perhaps too risky compared to summer night stopping and rotations through PMI.

FlyerTalker39574

So is it possible to get the 9pm train on a Sunday back to Zurich, stay overnight and then get the first ZRH-LON flight on Monday?

rossmacd

Absolutely yes. The 21:00 train arrives at Zurich HB at 23.20, then you can transfer from there to the airport (~9mins train) and stay at one of the airport hotels, prior to the BA709 the next morning - landing at LHR about 08:00.

The SBB website is best for checking train times: https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html

FlyerTalker39574

Very interesting rossmacd, sounds like a great weekend is possible.

South London Bon Viveur

All the above are good suggestions, but to pick up on the OP's comment about Verbier, in my experience it works well for a weekend from GVA. Afternoon flight out, train from apt to Verbier (couple of changes but it runs like clockwork in Switzerland) arriving Friday night. Ski all day Saturday and Sunday and then late flight home Sunday night. If you can take a day off work and fly Thursday night then even better. So I would not discount Verbier.