Snow and Rail
There are over 50 ski areas with railway stations right in the heart of the resort (or reached by a cable car or gondola from the station). You can take connecting trains from anywhere in Europe, or fly to a convenient international airport. However if you choose to take the entire journey by train, your carbon footprint is roughly 15% of what it would be if you flew or drove.
Here is my pick of the best rail-served resorts in the world.
Zermatt
The Matterhorn stands dramatically over the extensive ski area that links Zermatt up to Cervinia in Italy. With its very long season, excellent gastronomy and lively apres, it's a pretty perfect ski destination. You can only get to Zermatt by train.
Resort
St Anton
With 340km of piste, skiing for all standards and some of the best apres in the Alps, there is little to fault about St Anton. The most convenient airports are Innsbruck and Zurich.
Resort
Verbier
Verbier has access to the extensive 4 Vallées and some of the best off-piste in the Alps. By train the resort is very easy to get to from Geneva Airport, with one change at Martigny and a gondola from Le Châble into the heart of the village.
Resort
St Gervais
St-Gervais is unusual for France in that it is a winter sports resort that has bags of charm and a wide range of activities for non-skiers. The slopes are good too, especially for intermediates and snowboarders. Geneva is two hours away by train.
Resort
Kitzbuhel
Kitkbuhel is famous for the demanding Hahnenkamm downhill race, but most of the 168km of pistes are intermediate. The town is pretty with a good apres scene. Served by trains from Innsbruck and Munich.
Resort
St Moritz
Despite its jet set associations, St Moritz has some of the best skiing in the Alps and a good range of accommodation options. The train ride from Zrich, vis Chur, is spectacular.
Resort
Davos
A bustling town with extensive skiing for all standards and a long season, Davos is easily accessible from Zurich, changing at Landqart to the narrow gauge Rhätische Bahn.
Resort
Andermatt
Once a small resort best known for its excellent snow record and off-piste, Andermatt is now the most extensive ski area in Central Switzerland. Zurich is the nearest airport.
Resort
Arosa-Lenzerheide
Arosa is a long established resort with a cute narrow gauge rail link from Chur. A cable car links the resort to lenzerheide, making it one of the biggest ski areas in Graubünden. The nearest airport is Zurich.
Resort
Portes du Soleil
The largest ski area in the world sits astride the French-Swiss border, but the pretty village of Champéry is the only resort on the circuit served by a train service, one change away from Geneva Airport railway station.
Resort
Jungfrau
The legendary Jungfrau comprises three resorts, the linked ski area of Grindelwald and Wengen and the section on the Schilthorn above Murren, made famous in the james Bond movie, OHMSS. Trains from Basel or Zurich airports.
Resort
Les Arcs
With access to the slopes of la Plagne, les Arcs shares one of the most extensive ski areas in the world. Arc 1600 is served by a funicular from Bourg St Maurice which has a train sevice to Chambéry, in turn with fast trains to Lyon, Paris and Geneva.
Resort
Engelberg
The "town of angels" has a good range of on and off-piste, a lively apres, a long season and is an easy transit from Basel, Zurich or Luzern.
Resort
Gstaad
Gstaad is at the heart of a collection of loosely linked ski areas known as Gstaad Mountain Rides which bridge both German and French speaking Switzerland. A narrow gauge railway links most of the resorts, and connects up to the main SBB train network.
Resort
Aletsch Arena
Three small ski-in, ski-out villages served by cable cars from the rail stations in the valley have 104km of outstanding intermediatr skiing, overlooking the Aletsch Arena. The nearest airport at Zurich.
Resort
Villars
Villars-sur-Ollon is the easiest significant ski resort to get to from Geneva and Lausanne, but is rarely crowded and has a good range of slopes connecting up with Les Diablerets. From the main line the slopes can be reached by cog railway from Bex or bus from Aigle. Les Diablerets is also served by a direct rail service from Aigle.
Resort