Villars

Villars Ski Resort

As one of the closest resorts to Geneva, Villars is the perfect weekend destination, but there’s also more than enough to keep you happy for a full week.

84km of marked pistes and some great tree-lined skiing can be found in Villars, which is located on a sunny plateau just to the south of Lake Geneva. Yes the slopes are low (topping out at only 2120m), but the location – the drive should take around an hour and a half from Geneva Airport – makes this a great weekend or last minute destination. It is no surprise that many Brits have second homes here as few places can rival Villars’ accessibility.

The mountain itself is mainly geared towards beginner and intermediate skiers and boarders – there are no black runs marked on the piste map. Off the slopes, winter walking, tobogganing and even snow mountain biking are popular pastimes.

Our Villars Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Advanced ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Après ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Villars Skiing and Snowboarding

From town, a gondola or the train whisk you quickly up towards Bretaye at 1810m and the heart of the ski area. There are some excellent gentle slopes up here, which are ideal for beginners and the rest of the slopes radiate from this point. More adventurous intermediates will want to catch the two-way Laouissalet chairlift to access the pretty wooded slopes at Les Mazots – despite their relatively low altitude, they are north facing and are served by a slick new gondola.

Those looking for more challenging slopes should look elsewhere, unless there has been fresh powder when the tree runs come into their own. Day trips to Glacier 3000 are possible via the Ski Bus from Les Diablerets and Verbier is not too far away if you’re looking for seriously steep terrain.

• Total Pistes: 84km
• Blue: 55%
• Red: 45%
• Black: 0%
• 2 additional ski routes
• Lifts:25
• Altitude: 1224m – 2120m

Villars Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Villars Resort

If you’re looking for a sunny location, there are few places better than Villars. The village faces southwest so is a real suntrap – it is no wonder that the traditional wooden chalets that make up much of the town are stained dark by the sunshine. Lots of the available accommodation is within these chalets, making for a traditional Swiss ski holiday. There are other options including a large Club Med, located right next to the railway station.

Away from the slopes, there are lots of winter activities to keep non-skiers or young children happy. Tobogganing is popular and there is a nice route down from the Col de Soud train station above town. For bad weather days, there’s a bowling alley, indoor climbing wall and skating rink.

How to get to Villars

Access from Geneva is incredibly easy, the drive takes around 90 minutes and the train around two hours – there is only one change required at Aigle. Villars is also one of the easier resorts to drive to from the UK.

• Geneva airport: 1.5 hours (driving) or 2 hours (train)
• Basel airport: 2.5 hours (driving) or 4 hours (train)
• Calais: approximately 9 hours driving (503 miles)

Villars Contact Details

• Website: www.villars-diablerets.ch
• Email: information@villars.ch
• Telephone: 41 02 44 95 32 32
• Facebook: @villarstourisme
• Instagram: @villarstourisme
• Twitter: @portedesalpes