Guide to Villars, Swiss Alps

Villars ski resort is a pretty and traditional Swiss village, positioned on a sunny plateau above the Ollon Valley, surrounded by breathtaking views to Mont Blanc and the Dents du Midi. For beginners and intermediates the skiing pistes at Bretaye and Les Chaux are large and well-groomed but not always snowsure. Fortunately, Villars links with neighbouring resort Les Diablerets, giving access to the year-round summer skiing on the Diablerets glacier. There is some nice cross-country skiing over frozen lakes in season. Advanced skiers will find more challenging skiing at Les Diablerets, or consider the Ski Gala Pass which covers Gstaad, Château d'Oex, Adelboden, Gsteig, Lenk, Les Mosses, Leysin, Rougemont, Saanen, Saanenmoser, St Stephan, Schönried and Zweisimmen. The ski schools and kindergarten are very good and have English speaking instructors, making Villars also a great family resort.

Mountain Information Villars

 Resort Altitude 1300 m 
 Top Lift2970 m
 Lifts45
 Total Runs52   
 Longest Run5 km
 Advanced Runs7
 Intermediate Runs  35
 Beginner25
 Cross Country
 		44 km
 

Getting to Villars

The nearest and convenient airport to Villars ski resort is Geneva airport (only 77 miles, 90 mins by car). Alternatively choose flights to Basel Airport (130 miles) or Zurich (150 miles). The nearest train station is at Bex 8 miles away, from here you can take the pictoresque cog train or a taxi up to Villars. Journey time by train from Geneva airport to Villars is about 2.20 hrs, with possible changes at Lausanne & Montreux. Aigle station is also served directly from Geneva airport, from here it is a 30 minute bus ride Villars. By car from Geneva airport, Villars is easily reached via the A9 motorway, exit Aigle.

Accommodation in Villars

A good choice of acommodation in Villars is on offer with thousands of beds in hotels, apartments and traditional chalets. Most of the accommodation is in apartments or rental chalets, located near the mountain train that takes skiers up the hill to the main pistes. The Hotel du Golf is quiet, comfortable and near the station. Other recommended hotels are 5 star Grand Hotel du Parc, Eurotel Victoria & Hotel Elite are convenient for the gondola, Alpe Fleurie or Ecureuil. For cheaper lodging, try pension St.Louis at the entrance of the village, or 2 star Hotel Mon Abri in Les Diablerets.

Restaurants and nightlife

Villars has a compact centre and après-ski is low key. Fine dining and romantic evenings by roaring log fires are more the norm than the wild party scene. There are a handful of bars and discos to provide nightly entertainment. Charlie's Bar, Le Live Club and Disco Central are the main young hotspots, or try El Gringo and Fox for dancing the night away. Village concerts and folklore evenings provide cultural entertainment.
Villars has a good number of restaurants, but most are in hotels. Some nice places to eat are Feu de Bois, Pepino, Francis, Le Vieux Villars. Less expensive are Le Sporting and L'Escale. La Grange has reasonably priced traditional Swiss food and a good childrens' menu.

Other Activities

Other resort facilities include cinema, bowling, indoor pool & gym, skidoo, good hiking trails, ice skating, parapenting, snow shoeing, sleigh rides and horseback riding. For snowboarders, there are 2 great terrain parks at Bretaye and Les Chaux. Good sightseeing opportunities include Martigny with its magnificent Roman amphitheatre, the nearby Castle of Chillon and the Château de Gruyères, train excursions to Lausanne and Montreux.
 
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