How to Enjoy Vibrant Verbier

THE LITTLE SCOOP: [THE BULLET POINTS]

EAT & DRINK:

• Chez Dany is a wonderful spot right on the mountain. You can ski, hike, or snow taxi to it!
• Le Shed on Verbier’s main drag is walk-ins only and has amazing burgers (get the truffle one!)
• Vie Montagne is a bar, microbrewery, and has a fine dining restaurant. Their interiors are stunning.

Vie Montagne Verbier

STAY:

Hotel Bristol is perfectly situated in town. The rooms are not very big, but rooms come with ski lockers so you can stow your gear, and there’s robust breakfast included.

Views from Hotel Bristol

PLAY:

Of course, the point of coming to Verbier is to ski – but even if you are not athletically inclined or have pretty big reasons not to ski, the apres-ski scene comes out in full force at a variety of bars along the main street, and it’s just a great place to walk around and marvel at the views. The weather was stunning, bring your fanciest shades! (Verbier is posh, Princess Eugenie met her husband here!)

THE BIG SCOOP: [THE WHOLE STORY]

After our Christmas trip to Chamonix, we stayed in Geneva for a record seven straight weeks for my husband’s busiest work season and for my intensive French class. January in Geneva, in a valley surrounded by mountains, can be pretty grey buried underneath a “perma-cloud” and we have had to battle a lot of administrative headaches lately, so we were keen to hit the road for one more overnight trip pre-baby.

In reviewing our travel resolutions, we realized we could easily hop on a train to Verbier, Switzerland – long acknowledged to be one of the country’s best ski villages. Best of all, the train was less than $60 each person round trip (plus $10 for the cable car up the mountain) and we were able to get a room deal on Booking.com at the Hotel Bristol, even with it being the country’s school ski break week.  

Views from Swiss trains *never* disappoint

Chateau Chillon from train

We arrived just before lunch on Sunday and had an adventurous trek up to our lunch reservation, recommended by our dear friend C, at Chez Dany. You have a few options to find your way to the restaurant – on skis, on foot, or by snow taxi (the latter is only available at dinner.) Absolutely make reservations well in advance! We were led to believe the hike through the forest during the day was far simpler than it was – but it was great third trimester cardio that left us laughing on many, many occasions.

Chez Dany sign

Hike up to Chez Dany

Walk down from Chez Dany

Even with reservations, the place is packed, so don’t be in a rush. The views were sensational and the fondue was flowing all around.

Verbier’s set-up is really unique from other ski towns we have visited like Chamonix, and we are told that overall it’s a more narrow and challenging mountain to ski, so it’s not exactly beginner friendly. You must also take a bus or gondola up from the town of Le Chable’s train station to even get to the town’s  main drag, which itself sits on a hill – so you are amidst the mountains as soon as you step off the gondola even as a non-skiier. There are views from every angle of the peaks and the gingerbread style chalet homes beneath the slopes.

After lunch, we made our way back down the mountain on foot and enjoyed a walk through town while partaking in apres-ski before a casual dinner (another dear friend C recommendation) at Le Shed. Arrive early and in a small group to secure a table.

The next day, we breakfasted at the hotel, walked through town and found a bloody mary at Vie Montagne , and made our way back to Geneva.

Verbier is amazing and we get what the fuss is all about. We can’t wait to come back next year with a stroller and some friendly babysitters 🙂 We joked that it was our last trip of “just backpacks” – we really had a good run!

It was a great way to wrap up a year of travel as a family of two, and enjoy time out of Geneva and in the sun. We are now battening down the hatches and preparing for the baby’s due date in really just days!

Verbier view