Saas Fee is often regarded as close to the perfect Swiss ski resort. This is a reasonable size resort with lower prices and fewer crowds than the “must see” resorts in Switzerland. There are no cars in the village of Saas Fee and there never has been. The road didn't come to Saas Fee until 1951 and then, the locals decided to have a large car park, so even the taxis in the village are electric.

Those skiers looking for a quiet retreat would do well to come to Saas Fee. There is a 10:00pm noise ordinance. Saas Fee also offers a free card that offers a general 10 percent discount and other offers. There are also “Q for You” stickers on certain establishments that guarantees the highest quality. And, even with the noise ordinance, the bars and discos in Saas Fee run until near dawn behind double doors.

General Information
Saas Fee is a typical “next door” destination. This means that it is next to a larger, more popular resort. In this case, Saas Fee is next to the Matterhorn and Zermatt. The difference is that Saas Fee still offers solid conditions, just at a lower price and with less crowds.

Saas Fee residents care about their visitors and hope for repeat business. With the free Saas Fee card with its 10 percent discount and the Swiss Visitors Tax being lumped into hotel bills, locals welcome visitors and even reward medals to regular guests who return 10, 15, 25, or 40 years.

Skiing/Snowboarding
The 60 miles of trails at Saas Fee are divided into 37 percent for beginners, 40 percent for intermediate, and 23 percent advanced. While Saas Fee does offer quite a few bunny slopes, it is mainly known for its intermediate level skiing.

The plateau around the village is best suited for beginners. Since the bunny slopes here are at such a high altitude, this is one of the few resorts that doesn't need to worry about snow on the beginner runs. Intermediates have the best possible skiing here. Not only do they have 40 percent of the trails rated to intermediate, this level of skier can try the lowest half of the black trails for challenge and the top half of the beginner trails for showing off. Intermediate skiers should head to Plattjen to start and move on from there.

Advanced skiers may not have a high percentage of the trails, but there are plenty of places to go here. Hinterallin and Egginerjoch offer some great steeps as long as you don't mind sharing with boarders. The “White Pearl” moguls below the Langfluh Lift can range from mountains to molehills. Snowboarders have a snowpark with a winter half-pipe, quarter-pipe, rails, tables, and gaps. Boarders are welcome on any of the regular ski pistes.

Night skiing is available on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday nights during high season. Heliskiing is available on Tuesdays and Sundays through mountain guides. Snowmobiling is not available at Saas Fee.

Cross-country skiing here is free, but this is not the best place to go for cross-country. There are only three miles of tracks for classic technique and one mile of skating track. Ice climbing is available here due to having a glacier in the area.

Children's Ski and Winter Activities
In October 2005, Saas Fee was awarded with the stamp of quality slogan “Families Welcome” by the Swiss tourism board. With no cars in the area, parents can rest easier knowing that they don't have to worry so much. It seems that the people of Saas Fee go out of their way to make children and families feel welcomed.

Children over five can take lessons at the Swiss Ski School. The Bears Club care center at the Hotel Berghof accepts children over four. In the past, Saas Fee has offered a deal for families. When two parents buy a week pass, their children ski for free. Also, several hotels offer a kids-stay-free arrangement.

Apres-Ski
Saas-Fee is not the place to go if apres-ski is a top priority. The best word for the apres-ski here is conservative. There are four or five gourmet restaurants and about 60 beer halls, bars, and discos.

The most famous restaurant here is the Drehrestaurant Allalin. This rotating restaurant was used in a James Bond movie and takes an hour to turn. The views from this restaurant are breathtaking and the food is good.

The 10:00 p.m. Noise ordinance makes for quiet nights in Saas Fee. That hasn't stopped some of the clubs from digging down into the ground and installing double doors in order to keep the noise hidden.

Attractions
While there is not much other than skiing to do in Saas Fee, there are a few attractions nearby that are worth the trip. Zermatt is only an hour away via bus and a special Swiss cogwheel railway.

About 20 miles away is the 17th century Stockalper Castle in Brig. The Leukerbad hot springs is about and hour-and-a-half by car and perhaps an additional hour by bus. Lake Maggiore can make a lovely day trip with a market on Friday. Domodossola is about the same distance, at two-and-a-half hours, and has a market on Saturday.

Lift Facilities
The Metro Alpin is the highlight of Saas Fee's exceptional lift system. This is an underground railway that was built in 1984 and was the first of its kind. There are two 30-person gondolas, a singe cable lift, and a four-seater chairlift allows 27,000 skiers per hour to make it up the hill.

Lift Tickets
There are two special tickets that deserve consideration. The “5 in 7” ticket permits five days of skiing in any seven days. The other option is the week ticket. As stated above, when two parents purchase either of these, their children ski for free. Children under five are already free.

Discounts are available for groups, children, and seniors. Day passes and half-day passes are available.

Snow Conditions
The snow here comes early, stays late, and stays cold for longer than most of the Alps. Therefore, there is good skiing here from early December until well into May. There are snow cannons on 30 percent of the area, mostly in heavy wear areas.

There is a lot of sunshine here, so protection is necessary. The only problem can be the wind chill at this altitude. Gloves and ear protection is always needed.

Travel Time
Both Zurich and Lucerne airports offer train connections to Visp and Brig every hour or two. From Zurich, the train ride is about two hours. The train from Lucerne takes three hours.

There are multiple Swiss train and lift passes available. Look into these if you will be traveling by train.

For more information or for package rates please call us at 888-222-2110.