Located on the Franco/Swiss border and south of Lake Geneva, Champéry is ideal for those who love the atmosphere and more reasonable prices of a small Swiss resort, but also want skiing facilities comparable to one of the top resorts. Champéry’s 30kms of slopes cater mainly to the intermediate and advanced skier and there is plenty of challenging skiing for experts.

Champéry village maintains its old Swiss Alpine charm and ambience, with its wooden chalets and Les Dents du Midi majestically standing watch over the valley. It is one of several Swiss resorts that link up with French villages to comprise the Portes du Soleil, one of the largest ski areas in the world. Accommodation is plentiful in hotels and chalets, with a total of 7,000 beds available.

The 30kms of runs at Champéry are separated into 16 per cent for beginners; 35 per cent for intermediates ; 40 per cent, advanced; and nine per cent for expert skiers. Thirty-five lifts have a capacity for 10,000 skiers per hour. In addition to the pisted runs there are 10kms of classic cross-country and skating tracks (250kms in the Portes du Soleil region).

Other winter activities and facilities include: a snowpark, with quarter pipe, gaps, kicks and a half-pipe at les Crosets; 30kms of winter walking trails; ice skating (artificial); mountaineering; curling; a fitness suite; indoor swimming; and a sports centre with sauna. Folklore evenings, concerts, and hotel entertainment are all popular après-ski in Champéry and there are also some great bars and discos.

The December to April season has the best snow from early February to early March, with cheaper weeks before the Christmas holidays, after the New Year’s celebrations, and from mid-March to early April.

To get to and from Champéry ski resort if you are on a budget and not on a package holiday, fly to Geneva and take a train/bus combination to the resort. If time is of the essence, hire a car from the airport.