Travel to Leukerbad with travel insurance from Essential Travel

Leukerbad ski resort is east of Lake Geneva and to the south of Bern in the Valais region of Switzerland. The pistes are well-suited to beginners and intermediate skiers. Off-piste provides excitement and challenge for the expert/advanced skier. Leukerbad’s slopes have played host to World Cup races and the town’s thermal baths provide relaxation.

At an altitude of 1,411m and positioned at the very end of the Dala Valley, Leukerbad village is famed for having Europe’s largest Alpine hot springs. The town centre becomes traffic free after 22:00. Skiing at the resort of Leukerbad can be had on 50kms of pistes, mainly suited to beginner and intermediates. The 17 lifts have a combined capacity of 12,000 people per hour.

Après-ski in Leukerbad is centred on restaurants, bars and discos. Cultural events and shows, relating to the spa town, can also be a noteworthy alternative. Children from about four are provided for with a kindergarten and ski school. Hotels and apartments offer visitors a choice of 8,000 beds. Other resorts in the area are Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Crans-Montana and Verbier.

The summit of Gornergrat Mountain gives sightseers a spectacular viewing point and can be reached on the Gornergrat Mountain railway. Views of Europe’s longest glacier (Aletsch) can be had from Riederalp, Bemeralp and Fischeralp, east of the medieval city of Brig.

Special deals can be found at the beginning and towards the end of the mid-December to late April ski season. The most popular method of travel to the resort is to fly to Geneva and transfer to Leukerbad by train and bus.

Skiing in Leukerbad

Popular with skiers seeking the 50kms of prepared slopes, as well as the health benefits from the four million litres (per day) of flowing hot springs, Leukerbad ski resort, in the southwest of Switzerland, concentrates on beginner and intermediate skiers.

The 50kms of pistes at Leukerbad are split into 40 per cent for beginners, 50 per cent for intermediates, and the remaining 10 per cent for advanced skiers. The longest run is six kilometres. Cross-country skiers have 33kms of marked trails, while expert skiers can enjoy themselves off-piste.

Mid-December to late April is the ski season at Leukerbad resort. Special deals can be found at the beginning and towards the end of the season (except Easter), and in mid-January. The most convenient way to get to the resort is to fly to Geneva, and then take a combination of train/bus to Leukerbad.

Apres-ski in Leukerbad

When not traversing the slopes, bathing in the curative thermal waters of the spa baths at Leukerbad should be given top priority. Alternative activities and facilities include: 40kms of winter walking paths; mountaineering; paragliding; ice-skating; curling; mono-skiing or snowboarding at the terrain park or half-pipe. The indoor facilities for swimming and tennis, along with the fitness centre, offer other sporting options. Hotels provide most of the nightlife for Leukerbad, and the 50 restaurants also offer an entertaining alternative.

From the thermal waters, famous since Roman times, to the choice of good restaurants and facilities, a relaxing time away from the slopes at Leukerbad ski resort, is never far away. Accommodation is available in 28 hotels and there are 6,900 beds in apartments. Travellers with children are provided for with a kindergarten and ski school.

Transportation to Leukerbad

Self-drive or a train/bus from Geneva are the options to consider when travelling to Leukerbad ski resort, located in the north of the Valais region. From London, a train to Leuk (near the resort) is possible. The route by air to Geneva, with transfer to Leukerbad by train and bus, is the most popular.

By car from Calais, the route takes you to the cities of Reims, Dijon, Lausanne and Martigny. At Martigny, continue along the A-9 to Susten, and then head north to Leukerbad (900kms; nine hours). From Geneva-Cointrin Airport, take the eastern route around Lake Geneva, using the A-1 and A-9 autobahns, then head towards Susten, before continuing north to Leukerbad.

From London by train, approximately 10 connections a day are available to Leuk. This route involves three to five changes and a journey time of between 10 and 17 hours. Eurostar has a convenient departure time of 08:12 from London (Waterloo) to Paris (Nord), where a short trip to gare de Lyon will then take you on the high-speed TGV link to Sierre. A change of train will get you to Leuk, where the bus takes you on to Leukerbad ski resort.

The nearest international airport to Leukerbad is Geneva-Cointrin, and the connection by train to Leuk is a three-hour journey. Because the resort is only accessible by road, a bus from Leuk can take you here. Alternatively, hiring a car from the airport will save 1 hour, 30 minutes on the journey. Other airports that can be considered for travel to Leukerbad ski resort are Zürich International Airport (four to five hours by train/bus) or the nearby Sion Airport (one hour away).

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