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The ski resort of Les Diablerets (The Little Devils) is situated east of Lake Geneva among the Vaud Alps. The resort’s scenery features impressive summits and unspoilt forests. Traditional, quiet and friendly, Les Diablerets ski resort is suitable for families. Skiers of every level are catered for on the 65kms of pistes. Experienced skiers may wish to try the superb off-piste skiing. Glacier 3000 adds to the length of the ski season.

Les Diablerets is a traditional Swiss mountain village. At a height of 1,200m above sea level, this scenic well-established resort sits under a towering glacier. It is popular with families due to facilities that include a Swiss ski school, afternoon kindergarten, shops, banks and a library.

The 65kms of pistes and 26 slopes local to the resort of Les Diablerets cater mainly for beginner to intermediate level skiers. Off-piste is where expert skiers will find their enjoyment, and the glacier contains 25kms of runs. Twenty-four ski lifts, three cable cars, one gondola and six chairlifts, with a capacity of 22,565 people an hour, service the area.

Après-ski during the week is generally quiet, with a livelier scene at weekends. The restaurants at the resort serve a wide diversity of foods, from traditional Swiss to Italian and Chinese styles. Alternatively, some bars offer late-night dancing and the folklore evenings may entice you. Hotels, inns, chalets, apartments and bed-and-breakfasts, along with nearby private rentals, provide the accommodation at Les Diablerets.

A 15-kilometre journey to the fashionable resort of Gstaad, with its popular boutiques and shops, gives access to the 250kms of runs in the area. Other resorts include: Leysin, Les Mosses-La Lécherette, Villars/Gryon, Château d’Oex, Rougemont, Gstaad and Lenk-Adelboden. Switzerland’s first casino and the 13th century Château de Chillon can be found beside Lake Geneva, at Montreux.

December to April is the main ski season, while Les Diablerets Glacier 3000 makes skiing possible from October to July. Flights to Zürich or Geneva and a connection by train to the resort is the most convenient way of reaching Les Diablerets.

Skiing in Les Diablerets

Lying east of Lake Geneva, under the imposing Glacier 3000, Les Diablerets is a popular family resort. The 65kms of pistes are mainly for intermediate to beginner level skiers. Advanced/expert skiers should head for the top of Glacier 3000 (2,979m), where the off-piste trails can be found.

Among the 26 slopes of Les Diablerets, difficulty levels are proportioned into 31 per cent for beginners, with a massive 69 per cent reserved for the intermediates. Expert level skiers are sure to enjoy skiing down the Les Diablerets Glacier off-piste. Trails for cross-country skiers total 30kms. In addition, natural ice-skating trails are available.

Les Diablerets ski resort is the ideal spot for intermediate skiers, while other levels have plenty to suit their skills. The extended season, available due to the Glacier 3000, and the beautiful scenery are the strengths of the resort.

Les Diablerets Glacier 3000 gives the resort an extended ski season from October to July, while the main season runs from December to April. The most convenient transportation method to the resort is to arrive at Zürich or Geneva airports, then use the train transfer to Les Diablerets. Self-drive is also popular.

Apres-ski in Les Diablerets

Off-slope activities at the resorts in Les Diablerets include snowboarding (three half-pipes and a terrain park), a toboggan run, ice-canyoning and curling. Fifteen kilometres of snowshoeing paths, 20kms of footpaths and a fun park are also available. At the bars and nightspots of Les Diablerets, nightlife is quiet and relaxed on weekdays, but picks up momentum during the weekend

Transportation to Les Diablerets

Access to Les Diablerets resort, located near Lake Geneva and in the midst of the Vaud Alps, is by road or rail. Travel by hire car or train from either Zürich or Geneva airports, is the most practical travel option to the resort. Self-drive or a train from London are other options worth consideration.

The journey to Les Diablerets by car from Calais takes you past Reims, Dijon and Lausanne. From Lausanne, take the A-9 autobahn around Lake Geneva, using route 11 for Les Diablerets (832kms; eight hours). From Geneva Cointrin Airport, use the A-1/A-9 Lake Geneva autobahn, taking the exit on to route 11 for the Les Diablerets resort (127kms; 1 hour, 15 minutes).

If you decide to take the train from London, be prepared for a 9- to 16-hour journey time (depending on connection), with three to four changes. A good connection would be the Eurostar leaving from London (Waterloo) at 08:12 for Paris (Nord). From the nearby gare de Lyon, take a TGV to Lausanne, from where an Interregional train heads for Aigle; another change is necessary to get to Les Diablerets at 18:20. The travel time is 10 hours, 8 minutes.

Zürich International Airport has more flight options than the closest major airport of Geneva-Cointrin, but travel from here to the resort involves a four-hour train journey (with two or three changes). Transfer time by train from Geneva-Cointrin Airport is around 2 hours, 30 minutes, with only one change.

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