Resorts Summary

Swiss skiing in VillarsWinter Sports in Villars

Ski and snowboard 84 km of piste in Villars between 1300-3000m


V

illars and the nearby village of Gryon combine to make a likeable resort, with a good range of pistes for intermediate skiers and boarders linking up with the runs at Les Diablerets. Being one of the closest Swiss resorts to Geneva Airport Villars is a package holiday favourite, but is rarely very busy except during school holidays. The resorts of the Alpes Vaudois boast a summit of 3000 metres, but this refers to the glacier above Les Diablerets - which is not linked. Above Villars the highest point is actually 2020 metres at Croix des Chaux. Access to the ski area is either by the train from Villars to Bretaye, the Roc D'Orsay gondola form Chesières or the slightly less well connected Barboleuse gondola at Gryon.

Ski and Snowboard Villars

Villars is probably the easiest significant ski resort to get to from Geneva Airport, with direct trains to Aigle and Bex (pronounced 'Bay'). Villars is 30m from Aigle by bus and around 40m by train from Bex, then the best way up is the train to Bretaye. By car, the easiest access to the slopes is from the free car park at the Roc D'Orsay gondola in Chesières.

Best of the Slopes

The runs off Grand Chamossaire and Les Chaux are lovely cruisy runs which can be extended all the way down to Villars and Gryon respectively. There is some reasonable off-piste in Villars, mostly under or near the runs of the chairlifts. It is worth booking a guide to access the best of the off-piste.

Where to Eat and Party

Lac des Chavonnes (+41 24 495 21 31) at the bottom of the Petit Chamossaire chairlift is renowned for its cuisine. Le Mazot (+41 24 492 10 23), on the Les Diablerets side of the resort has lovely views to enjoy while you have your lunch break. In the evening the Cookie Bar & Restaurant on Rte de Solalex in Gryon (+41 24 498 22 33) and La Gourmandine in Villars (+41 24 495 17 43) are recommended. Both for lunch and dinner places can get busy and you may want to book if you want table service. Charlie's bar is a popular place to begin après ski.

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Getting There

By Public Transport

The best destination to access the downhill slopes by public transport in this ski area is Villars-sur-Ollon. Change to the BVB rack railway to take you to the heart of the pistes.

  • From Zurich the least travel time is 3 hrs 58 mins with as few as 2 changes going via Lausanne / Aigle.
  • From Basel the least travel time is 3 hrs 31 mins with as few as 2 changes going via Lausanne / Aigle.
  • From Berne the least travel time is 2 hrs 28 mins with as few as 2 changes going via Lausanne / Aigle.

By Road

Please refer to a map and check local conditions for accurate routing information.

  • The road distance from Zurich is around 239 km and the journey time is roughly 2 hrs 45 mins.
  • The road distance from Basel is around 212 km and the journey time is roughly 2 hrs 25 mins.
  • The road distance from Berne is around 118 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr 25 mins.
  • The road distance from Geneva is around 129 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr 34 mins.
  • The road distance from Lausanne is around 59 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr.
  • The road distance from Fribourg is around 93 km and the journey time is roughly 1 hr 11 mins.

Get road directions at Google Maps

Nearby Resorts

Destinations in the region include Glacier3000 and Les Diablerets.

Weather Outlook

Latest Resort Report

MySwitzerland report for Villars

Piste Map for Villars

Ski and Snowboard using the Villars trail map

Larger piste map for Villars

Map



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View of winter sports resort in Vaud


Accommodation in the Resort & Nearby

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Useful Links


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