SWISS
HOLIDAYS
The two neighbouring resorts of Crans and Montana are situated at an altitude of 1,500m on a sun-drenched plateau high above the Rhône Valley. Together they form one of the biggest holiday destinations in the Valais. They have much to offer, including an impressive view of the chain of mountain peaks from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc and a particularly wide programme of activities all year round.
Crans-Montana is still a big venue in alpine ski racing, including the 1987 World Championships and is often still on the World Cup circuit. The main discipline being the women’s speed events. It also hosts the only winter mountain pop rock festival Caprices Festival and the second largest European golf event Omega European Masters.
Crans-Montana combines all the comforts of a modern holiday resort with a huge natural landscape with panoramic views of the Valais Alps. The new side to Crans-Montana offers the biggest alpine shopping centre in the Alps. It also boasts a renowned cultural and congress centre and a wide range of great accommodation.
It is located on a plateau above Sierre allowing huge views over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular. The resort is a fusion of the two centres of Crans and Montana and belongs to 6 municipalities (Chermignon, Icogne, Lens, Mollens, Montana and Randogne).
Although Crans-Montana may have a fairly modern feel to it, you can eat the normal traditions of Raclettes, fondue and air-dried meat or polenta, which are also local specialities. A meal in the resort or in a mountain hut gives you the very good excuse to try the notably high quality of wine produced on the Valais hillside. The Swiss do not tend to export their wine for very good reasons!
With a choice of over 90 restaurants, it is also possible to treat yourself to a little culinary tour of the world and step away from the Swiss norm. You can find menus from nearly all corners of the globe, ranging from the European classics to perhaps Japanese, Thai, Lebanese, Chinese or maybe even Argentinian.
Being a large town there are plenty of Discos and cabarets to welcome the night owls in us until the early hours. Themed evenings all year round complete the choice for those for whom partying is also their lifestyle. The bars and pubs in Crans-Montana on the Haut Plateau range from local and traditional to the most modern. They all deliver one common theme however, and that is great atmosphere!
The ski slopes stretch from the high plateau up to the Plaine Morte Glacier at 3,000m. Directly beyond the edge of the forest the pistes open up and become broad, ideal for beginners on the gentle slopes and also perfect for freeride skiers on the steeper, deeper snow parts. Advanced skiers can take the chairlift to La Toula and find a really challenging descent. Very popular are the broad carving pistes and the descent down the Piste Nationale which is the longest in the area at 12km. As the majority of pistes are long and wide, it means skiers and snowboarders can use the pistes side by side, something that some other resorts lack. There are a few selected pistes that are floodlit which allow a safe descent for those who started the après ski a little higher than others.
You ski at altitudes between 1,500m and 3,000m on the Plaine-Morte Glacier, on a network of 140kms of marked pistes there’s something for all tastes and levels. Around 55km of Blue pistes, 70km of Red pistes and 15km of Black pistes are all well prepared. A third of them have snow cannons and therefore guarantees a long and excellent season. All these pistes are fed by 27 cable cars, funiculars, chair lifts, button lifts and….magic carpets for beginners!
In winter the golf courses become a paradise for cross-country skiers and hikers. In addition to classic cross-country ski trails, there is also a large area especially for skaters.
Over the years we have managed to negotiate some superb equipment at excellent rates and have passed the benefits of this directly to you.
We use one of the top Sports shops in Crans Montana, One Way Sports, they are very convenient and friendly and we can offer a massive 20% discount here.
SKIS: Top rate skis are included in the rental price with the latest brands and models.
SNOWBOARDS: No extra for snowboards with the latest bindings and designs.
We include Cross-Channel Ferries for those who are self driving or Airport Transfers for those flying, so you can choose the best option that suits you.
| Train Transfer Time from Basel: | 3hr 30min |
| Train Transfer Time from Bern: | 3hr 25min |
| Train Transfer Time from Geneva: | 2hr 30min |
| Train Transfer Time from Zürich : | 3hr 15min |
| Driving Distance from Calais: | 550 miles |
View the Swiss Rail timetable.
We have 2-person studio apartments and every size, right up to 12-person apartments. They are spacious and convenient to amenities, the ski lifts and free village ski bus.
Again, we offer a huge range of availability on hotels. We can offer any level from our 2, 3 or 4-star hotel selection. In some resorts we can even 5 star hotels.
If you have any specific requests such as swimming pools, childcare etc, please also mention this on the Personal Quote Page and we will do our utmost to quote you the ideal place to suit your needs.
You can specify the standard and size of apartment or standard of hotel required on the Live Availability & Booking Search
LOW & HIGH season vary for each accommodation/resort – we do not add any of our own surcharges onto the cost of your stay. NEW YEAR and HALF-TERM are standard HIGH Season. If you have any queries about which dates are LOW or HIGH for the accommodation level you desire, please mention this on your Personal Quote Page or contact us directly.
Live: Open Lifts
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