Verbier - village

Verbier is a sunny, bustling village, and most of the ski and fashion shops, award-winning restaurants, lively bars and nightclubs are within walking distance from the town’s ‘Place Centrale’.  For those staying slightly out of town, there is a free bus service that operates from approximately 8 am until 8 pm, after which there are numerous taxi companies available.

The resort is very popular with weekenders from London and Geneva, creating a buzzing and energetic ambience each weekend.  There are approximately 2,500 year-round residents, and at the height of the season there can be up to 30,000 people in the resort!

Verbier is in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, but you will hear many people speaking English, German, Italian and Scandinavian languages - to name but a few.

Accommodation summary

Most of Verbier’s accommodation is chalet-style apartments and chic wooden chalets.   It does not offer a great deal of hotels, but there is always one to suit all tastes.  The 5* Chalet d’Adrien (+41 027 771 62 00) is an elegant spa hotel only 30m away from the Savoleyres lift station. The hotel is perched high overlooking the resort and has spectacular views.  For boutique-style hotels, the 4* Kings Parc Hotel (+41 277 754 545) and 4* Experimental Chalet Verbier (+41 277 754 000) boast two of the most chic and popular restaurants and bars of Verbier. 

For the ultimate in nightlife, the 3* Farinet Hotel (+41 277 716 626) is well located on Verbier’s Place Centrale. The Farinet is also host to Verbier’s best-known nightlife.  There are also lower price range hotels in Verbier, however only 10 mins down the valley in Le Chable the prices drop dramatically, so if you are on more of a budget, it is worth considering staying there.

Verbier’s chalet accommodation can vary from affordable to once in a lifetime. Verbier Exclusive runs a professional operation offering several boutique ski chalets in Verbier.  Or you can visit Sir Richard Branson’s mountain retreat, 'The Lodge', for some luxurious pampering.  For more budget chalet accommodation, there are numerous companies who offer interesting packages.   So please don’t be scared off!

Ski/snowboard equipment hire

• Ski Service (+41 27 771 67 70)
• Philippe Roux Sports (+41 27 771 47 12)
• No 1 Sports (+41 27 771 66 67)
• Xtreme Sports (+41 27 771 78 10)
• Backside (+41 27 771 55 56)
• Mountain Air (+41 27 775 44 03)
  
  

Non-ski activities

As well as shopping and eating out, there are a variety of activities for the non-skier in Verbier.   There are 20 official snowshoe trails in which you can learn about the wildlife in Verbier and take in the views.  If you’d rather take in these views from the air, then there are four paragliding schools.  You can go dog sledging from Les Ruinettes to La Chaux, and there is a sports centre with a 25m heated pool, indoor ice rink, extreme ice karting, curling, squash and climbing wall, and there’s a culture centre and museum and a cinema. 

Photo: Lionel Royet - OT Alpe d'Huez

Childcare

Crèche les Moulins (+41 27 771 65 85) is a non-skiing child-minding service that looks after children from three months to three years old. A full day is CHF 70.  For 3–5-year-olds, the Kids Club (+41 27 775 33 63), run by École Suisse de Ski, offers both child-minding and beginner ski lessons. It is based at the Moulin nursery slope in the town.  Petit Verbier (+41 79 577 49 38) offers a nanny service and equipment hire.