Ski St Moritz 2009-2010 from $1693*per person
Includes airfare from New York, transfers from airport to hotel, 7 nights hotel stay, and breakfast each morning

St. Moritz is one of the most luxurious winter resorts in the world. A modern town, set in the spectacular Swiss Alps next to the lowest lake at the foot of the Piz Bernina, is absolutely breathtaking. The slogan for the resort of St. Moritz is "The Top of the World". The reason for this slogan is the actual altitude of the area which is 6,089. However, there are many who believe this slogan actually refers to visitors' financial status.

Known throughout the world as a haven for the rich and famous, St. Moritz has hosted kings, presidents, and others in high society over the last 150 years. This is the place to see and be seen, but don't be intimidated by the celebrity status. This area can be enjoyed by all.

General Information
St. Moritz is divided into two distinct sectors. Dorf rises into the foothills to the northeast and is considered the exclusive area. Bad extends to the west and south along the shores of the lake bearing the same name and offers more suitable areas for the economically-challenged.

St. Moritz was the host of the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympic Games and is the only Swiss site to host the Winter Olympics. Before hosting the Olympics, skiing was not a priority for St. Moritz. Now, St. Moritz is known best for the skiing.

Skiing/Snowboarding
The climate of St. Moritz is affected by the Mediterranean since it is located on the southern slopes of the Swiss Alps. Lots of sun, light champagne snow, and mild winter temperatures are the keys here. Skiing here is good for any level of skiers and with five well-known ski areas nearby, there are plenty of places to try.

Beginner trails make up 10 percent of the total terrain. Of the five resorts, Muottas Muragi is a good choice for beginners. Corviglia is the most versatile resort in the area. Many of the beginner trails are located mid-point on the mountain, so a novice can enjoy the mountain experience without having to brave higher level runs.

St. Moritz is perfect for the strong intermediate skier. Twenty-five percent of the trails are rated intermediate. Most of these trails are broad runs on treeless slopes. About 20 percent of the terrain suits advanced skiers here, with 35 trails at Corvatsch, two at Furtschellas, and four at Diavolezza/Lagalb. St. Moritz was the first resort to sponsor snowboard events in the Alps. Corviglia has a half-pipe and Corvatsch has a fun park, but no terrain is off-limits to boarders.

Once a month, some of the lifts stay open until 10:00 p.m. On Diavolezza for a moonlight ski experience. Corvatsch has night skiing every Friday evening. Heliskiing is offered at three locations at St. Moritz. There are 111 miles of trails at St. Moritz for cross-country skiing and another 93 miles of winter walking trails. Snowmobiling is discouraged at St. Moritz.

Children's Ski and Winter Activities
Some of the finer hotels offer daycare for children over three. Most of these are not open all day, though. Children four and over can be put into ski school. Children five and younger ski for free and ages six through 16 get discounted lift tickets. Although most visitors arrive by public transportation, cars are still used regularly and there is no pedestrian area, so parents need to take extra precautions.

Apres-Ski
Due to the wide range of age and wealth of the visitors to St. Moritz, the only word to describe the apres-ski here would be variety. St. Moritz caters to all. There are clubs that require a formal jacket and tie and there are others where jeans are the norm. There are over 64 restaurants and five discos and clubs. There is also a new casino. Dinner here is formal. Jacket and tie are required for most restaurants. Most restaurants close around 10:00 p.m.

Attractions
There is not much in the way of attractions in St. Moritz because the area is so focus on sports. In that regard, there are no real excursions to go on unless you have a considerable amount of time here. The Swiss National Park is about two hours away and provides walking trails in order to see the beautiful 100-mile park.

The main attraction in this area would be the Rhaetian Railway Glacier Express. This is a seven-hour train trip through the Alps from St. Moritz to Zermatt and the Matterhorn. This train runs over 291 bridges and viaducts and through 91 tunnels. This trip can be excellent year-round.

Lift Facilities
St. Moritz has a diverse lift system consisting of funiculars, cable cars, gondolas, triple chairlifts, high-speed quads, and a six-passenger chairlift. There are still a lot of drag lifts and t-bars for the shorter distances. Some of the children's areas still have button-type rope tows to help them up the gentle slopes. This lift system allows 62,000 skiers up the mountains per hour.

Lift Tickets
A general pass is interchangeable between resorts as well as valid on the ski bus between them. Children and seniors receive discounted lift tickets. For those skiers purchasing a two or more day pass, the option of an electronic pass is available with a deposit. <<pricing>>

Snow Conditions
Due to the high elevation and thin air, a dry powdery snow falls consistently here. The sun shines for the majority of the year and temperatures are fairly moderate due to the location on the south side of the Alps. Good snow conditions are almost guaranteed at St. Moritz. Therefore, snowmaking is pretty limited. There are only 43.5 miles of trails out of 218 miles that have snowmaking. The average afternoon temperature is between 28 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter.

Travel Time
You should fly into Zurich International Airport to get to St. Moritz. Renting a car may not be the best decision due to the road conditions and lack of space to park in St. Moritz. Most visitors arrive using the Swiss train system. A Swiss Flexi Pass is recommended due to the flexibility of dates and times. The travel time will be around two to three hours.

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