If you’re looking for a late season ski resort that’s affordable but isn’t jam-packed with tourists, let me introduce you to La Tzoumaz, an idyllic village perched on the slopes of Mont Savoleyres in the Swiss Alps. Part of the legendary 4-Vallées – the largest ski area in Switzerland – it makes a tranquil base from which to explore its glitzier (and much louder) neighbours like Verbier, Nendaz, Thyon, Veysonnaz and Bruson. But you’d better hurry as the La Tzoumaz ski season ends 20 April and reopens in December.
Where can I stay?
Papill’on Boutique Hotel
Being such a small village, there aren’t many hotels in La Tzoumaz – all the more reason to stay at the picturesque Le Papill’on, a boutique hotel with only 12 rooms, owned by friendly couple Anna and Nico. Exuding warmth and homeliness, the hotel has a cosy-chalet feel, but with plenty of modern luxuries.
Small touches, such as Swiss chocolates waiting in your room on arrival with a pretty postcard and a handwritten welcome note, make you feel like you’ve arrived in a home away from home. My snug room was in the eaves and felt like a haven to return to after a day skiing. My nightly routine of easing achey muscles in the steamy shower, followed by crawling into my luxurious fur-draped bed felt heavenly.
I fell asleep every night almost instantly, cocooned in my warm, cosy room, with the imprint of the snowy mountains still on my mind. Mornings were for rolling out of bed and straight on to my mountain-view balcony, where the fresh, icy air blew the cobwebs away.
Breakfast is served in the bijou restaurant, the buffet’s a delight and a perfect example of less is more. I’m a slightly fussy coffee drinker, but their café au lait made me want to sip and linger. You will be met with a dainty selection of Swiss cheese and meats, freshly baked bread rolls, homemade pancakes sprinkled with apple cinnamon and perfectly cooked eggs made to order. If you choose to dine for dinner, you won’t be disappointed, from melt-in-your-mouth burgers to mouth-watering traditional raclette. My only regret was not having more nights to dine there.
Tell me about the skiing…
La Tzoumaz
There’s a ski lift just a five-minute walk from the hotel with a convenient ski rental shop just below. It has all the gear you could need and more – I left feeling like the Michelin man, sweating, and a couple pounds heavier. Booted and suited you can catch the ski lift up to the top of the mountain where you have access to a rainbow of runs.
La Tzoumaz
Thanks to my friendly ESS instructor I didn’t need to worry about navigating, though all the slopes seemed fairly easy to negotiate alone anyway. Soon my guide had me flying down the slopes with ease, stopping occasionally to indulge in coffee and lunch breaks at the pretty restaurants scattered on the mountain along the way.
However the best part of La Tzoumaz is that you can ski without feeling like you are merging onto the M25 on a Friday afternoon. I witnessed this shocking contrast when we skied over to Verbier for the day and were met with more than triple the number of skiers on the slopes, who were skiing with what felt like an out-of-control speed. Although Verbier does have more slopes, lots of great restaurants and a buzzing atmosphere, staying at its quieter sister feels like you can reap the best of both worlds.
Are there any non-skiing activities?
La Tzoumaz
If you’re looking a different kind of thrill-seeking head to Mont Fort Zipline. A staggering 3,330m high, it’s the highest zip line in the world, promising a 383m drop of adrenaline junkie dreams, that would make slightly less daring people like me second-guess themselves when you are waiting for your go. A total length of 1.4 km through the chasm of mountains, the zipline has breathtaking panoramic views, and rushing through them at 100km per hour is an unmissable experience (even for height-avoidants like me).
La Tzoumaz
If that’s not quenched your adrenaline appetite, pick up a sledge and fly down the La Tzoumaz’s Toboggan Run – one of the longest ones in Switzerland. With sharp turns and an impressive descent, the run is surprisingly thrilling and makes a great race.
What is the village like?
La Tzoumaz
As well as its much quieter slopes, La Tzoumaz also has a more local feel than your average ski village. Everyone speaks primarily French rather than English, and the people who live here are proud to. Everyone seems to know each other and speaking to the president of the village was delightful, her enthusiasm and genuine passion for the future of the place felt genuine.
She told us of the major new ski lift that is being built to help transport skiers to and from La Tzoumaz. Another ski lift is being built to connect the village’s slopes more directly to the four valleys and money is being invested into the tiny village, helping to further enhance it as a charming destination.
Despite its size, you won’t be bored staying in La Tzoumaz. There’s a small selection of bars to aprés ski in, (I’d recommend Le Central for it’s mesmerizing mountain views), as well as a satisfactory choice of restaurants (L’Auberge serves moreish fondue in a pretty, traditional setting). If you’ve had enough of carving powder, you can head to the village’s local ice rink to play ice stock, a popular sport (a bit similar to bowels, but on non-slippery ice) with the locals – it’s a fun, easy team sport to play with friends.
Verdict
Discovering La Tzoumaz was a delight for me. Its charms were in the little details, from Anna’s homemade pastel de natas served at breakfast in Le Papill’on, to the calming quietude of the snow-enveloped streets and the warmth you’re met with in every local interaction. You can’t help but feel that you have discovered something special in this small mountainside village…
Go there!
Accommodation: Boutique-Hôtel Le Papill’on in La Tzoumaz from £89 per person, per night, based on two sharing, breakfast included BOOK NOW.
Flights: SWISS offers over 160 flights weekly from London Heathrow, London City, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh to Zurich (£76) or Geneva (£54). SWISS will also transport your first set of ski or snowboard equipment and boots free of charge in addition to your standard hold baggage allowance (subject to availability, excludes hand-luggage-only).
Ski Hire: Adult ski hire at T-Shop starts at £167pp for six days.
Ski lessons: ESS La Tzoumaz and Tzoum’Evasion – La Tzoumaz Ski School.
Lift Pass: An adult one-day pass for the Verbier 4-Vallées sector is £89. An adult six-day pass for the Verbier 4-Vallées is £388. For more information, please visit Prices winter 25-26 – Verbier 4Vallées.
Swiss Travel Pass: If you want to explore Switzerland by public transport, whether by train, bus, boat or mountain railway, it’s a bargain. Point-to-point tickets start at £40 one-way; Swiss Travel Passes start at £229 for three days.
Three more ski breaks…
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