Many may think it is a lie when you put Switzerland and budget in the same sentence, however on a recent trip to Switzerland I took a solo ski trip to three of Switzerland’s cheapest ski resorts in the Valais Canton in Switzerland. I got to experience skiing in the Swiss alps at a few cheapest ski resorts located in Switzerland- the Mont Blanc Massif and close to major ski resorts in Switzerland like Verbier on a budget that many may not believe.
Switzerland winter can be extremely cold, and mean lots of snow, but if you are looking to ski this is exactly what you may be looking for. However, skiing itself is already quite expensive never mind skiing in one of the most expensive countries in Europe.
So when I found Ski Hostel and Coliving Frilingue I knew I had to share it with you. The area around Liddes and Bourg St Pierre offers not only ski workations for a cheap ski holiday in Switzerland, but also coliving for digital nomads looking to slow travel in the Valais canton of Switzerland.
Disclaimer: I was hosted by Coliving Frilingue for the ski week and workation. All views expressed here are my own opinion and I was not paid for this. I do have affiliate links that earn me a small commission as well at no additional cost to you.
What is coliving and what else does the ski hostel offer in Liddes, Switzerland?
Coliving spaces, coliving communities, and events are becoming more common to cater to the surge of digital nomads traveling the world working remotely. Coliving spaces allow for costs to be lower for travelers to travel longer and slow travel through countries. That is where coliving frilingue comes in and creates a space in the Swiss Alps in Bourg St Pierre for digital nomads looking to stay and ski longer.
They also offer skiworkations, which is focused on allowing digital nomads 1 – 2 weeks to stay at their ski hostel in Liddes, Switzerland to ski and work with other like-minded travelers. It is the perfect ski holiday for budget-minded travelers, digital nomads, and people both beginner and advanced skiers as it allows you to stay in the ski area of Pays du Saint Bernard. This ski area offers 3 cheap ski resorts with an affordable pass that is good not just in the winter season, but all year round.
Why coliving and the ski workation at Liddes, Switzerland or Bourg St Pierre are perfect for solo travelers?
Often solo travelers may be intimidated by doing certain adventure travel activities solo, such as skiing or learning how to ski. However, the ski hostel in Liddes skiworkation was great because they offered ski lessons for beginners, had affordable ski rentals, and allowed for coliving where you could share a room at an affordable price with other solo traveling digital nomads.
There are also some people there just to ski, which is great because you can always find an adventure buddy on the slopes.
What to expect at coliving in Liddes, Switzerland and the ski workation?
Every day we woke up to a new adventure. If you signed up to help with the cooking and cleaning you could get a discount on the half board, however, if you don’t want to do this you could pay full price. The coliving and environment of people cooking some of their dishes from around the world was a cool element of the ski hostel. It was a way to learn about the people I was skiing with every day.
The group meals were delicious and we even had swiss classics such as fondue night, and a raclette night. This was perfect not only to make new friends but to network and learn about what others were working on when we were not skiing or adventuring around the Valais canton.
Is it possible to ski in Switzerland on a budget? When I told people I was going to ski and stay in Switzerland in the alps for 2 weeks they thought it would break the bank. However, the ski hostel and coliving setup with Coliving Frilingue created an affordable ski experience.
3 Affordable Ski Resorts in Switzerland
Affordable ski resorts in Europe exist and they exist in one of the most expensive countries in the world, Switzerland. I was originally shocked when I learned the price of the Ski hostel and the ski workation, but shocked in a good way.
The Pays Du St Bernard area offers a ski pass that costs 90 euros for three ski mountains as well as other benefits. Also, it works year-round so if you happen to be there in the spring or summer you can enjoy the benefits of the local transport and other activities/discounts.
The ski hostel went to all three mountains and one of them even offered night skiing. These three affordable ski mountains in Switzerland reminded me of the pure joys of skiing in the mountains without all the fuss bringing me truly closer to the nature I sought being surrounded by the Swiss Alps.
Why should you ski local in the Swiss Alps at the Cheapest ski resorts in Switzerland?
These mountains offer amazing views of the Swiss alps, are accessible for many different levels of skiers, and are more manageable in terms of size if you are skiing alone. Also, the three ski resorts covered under the Pays Du St Bernard Ski Pass are cheaper and less expensive so if you are working as a digital nomad or just want to ski for a few hours each day you don’t feel guilty about skiing at a leisurely pace in between work.
Here is a rundown of the most affordable ski resorts in Switzerland I have ever been to.
La Fouly Ski Resort
The ski resort is located 30 minutes from the ski hostel in Liddes, it is a part of the Mont Blanc massif close to the Swiss France Border. It offers a beginner slope and magic carpet ride, blue, red, and black runs. It is the first ski resort we went to since there were skiers of all levels and some of us were a little rusty. The owner of the hostel helped the beginners learn how to ski, while some of us took to the bigger lift to go down some more intermediate runs.
The mountain itself offers 20 km of on-piste skiing including black, red, and blue runs. It is a great mountain for those learning to ski and wanting to have a more relaxed environment to learn in versus larger resorts.
The best part about this is it is great for beginners with a T bar that takes you to a really fun blue run. This was perfect to get my feet wet after having felt a little rusty skiing.
One thing I loved about La Fouly was the chance to go night skiing with the Ski hostel and Coliving. Night skiing is when you get to ski at night under the stars and lights. Every Wednesday you can enjoy night skiing at La Fouly. After the perfect way to warm up from hitting the slopes was dining or having a cup of hot cocoa at Auberge Restaurant des Glaciers. The food is great, but still a little pricey (after all you are in Switzerland).
Vichères (Liddes) Ski Resort
The second resort I visited on the St Bernard Ski pass was Vichères in Liddes, Switzerland only a 10-minute ride up the mountain and visible to Liddes it was the closest resort and most convenient. This was perfect for a couple of hours of skiing in the afternoon after you get some work done in the morning or vice versa depending on what you felt like.
Public transit went right in front of the Ski hostel in Liddes to the mountain so it made it extremely convenient if you wanted to hit the slopes and ski without organizing a group to go to the mountain.
Vicheres was amazing and such a hidden gem this is a cheap ski resort in Switzerland, but you wouldn’t have known based on the 360 views at the top of the Combin range.
La Choux the top of the ski resort, reaches 2267 meters high, but beautiful nonetheless. My favorite thing to do was have Ovomaltine at the top of the mountain at a little cafe they had. There was a cafeteria at the bottom of the mountain you could fuel up.
Champex-Lac (Orsières) Ski Resort
Just as you can probably tell from the name, this place is beautiful because there is an alpine lake centered in the center of this chalet town. On the way to Champex Lac, you will drive through one of the cutest villages that reminded me of the town in Beauty and the Beast Orsières.
This is located in the French-speaking area of Valais Canton, and the lake offers a warm welcome with its beauty. It is also a hidden gem and another cheap and affordable ski area for those looking to ski in less crowded areas without sacrificing the beauty of a traditional Swiss ski town.
Champex Lac is “Switzerland’s Little Canada” it is perfect for those looking to ski through the forests of the Mont Blanc Massif. It is a beautiful place and while it may be one of the cheapest ski areas in Switzerland with the St Bernard Pass you would not know it.
Tips For Using The Saint Bernard Pass
While the Saint Bernard Pass is perfect to ski at the Cheapest Switzerland Ski Resorts, it also has many benefits. It is hard to believe that a ski pass that covers you for three ski resorts costs the same as a day passes to nearby Verbier or Zermatt. While they are iconic ski resorts, the charm of the small Swiss chalet villages and more local ski resorts will always be something I remember about this trip to Switzerland in the winter.
Check out all the benefits of the Saint Bernard Pass here, but here are a few of the things I recommend using the pass that costs 90 euros when purchased through the Ski Hostel or Coliving space in Liddes.
- The transport from Orsieres to all of the towns is free to get to and from the mountains.
- Lifts are covered in the summer and winter.
- Ice skating in the winter.
- Sledging at Champex Lac.
- Swimming pool in Bourg St Pierre.
- 50 percent discount on things such as Barryland to learn about the Saint Bernard dogs, or take the scenic train from Martigny on the Mont Blanc Express for 50 percent off.
What to know about Skiing in Switzerland Cheapest Ski Resorts and traveling to Switzerland in the winter?
By skiing at Switzerland’s cheapest resorts it allows you to have money for more activities while you travel Switzerland in the winter. I love finding activities on GetYourGuide these are just a few to look out for.
How can I save money to ski in Switzerland?
One way you can save money is to get a Swiss Travel Card if you will be staying and traveling around Switzerland for an extended period. This allows you to get half off of train fares and get other discounts throughout the country.
Also, a big money saver for me to have money to not only ski more with the Saint Bernard Pass, but as well as ski at major resorts such as Zermatt and Verbier, was coliving.
How much does skiing in Switzerland cost?
Usually, the large ski mountain resorts cost $70-100 USD per day, however, the local resorts and areas such as Pays Du Saint Bernard offer a season pass that cost the equivalent of a day pass almost and are good all year.
Where to find affordable ski accommodations in Switzerland? Ski Hostel Liddes and Coliving in Bourg St Pierre?
The best part about it is Ski hostel in Liddes offers a one-stop shop for your skiing needs at an affordable price from ski rentals, and a ski pass, to half-board options to save on food as well as accommodation. There are also shared rooms where you can pay 300 euros for two weeks! That is almost unheard of in Switzerland.
Also, the ski hostel runs little trips to go to the spa, has other fun events, and provides transport to and from those as well as to the mountain.
Why stay at Ski Hostel Liddes?
Switzerland on a budget is difficult, however colliding and the half board at Ski Hostel offers you the opportunity to see other parts of Switzerland in the Winter like Geneva 2 hours away, Zermatt 2.5 hours away, and even seeing more local towns in Valais region like Martigny.
The best thing about staying in a coliving space is that there is always someone to split the cost on things with whether that is a trip to Verbier, a trip to the spa like we did when we went to Les Bains de Lavey. The Ski hostel offered a range of activities, and even spur of the moment exciting challenges like building an igloo. There was always a new adventure with amazing people. There is also an option to stay longer in the location in Bourg St Pierre if you want to stay a month or longer which is also a part of Coliving Frilingue.
How are the facilities at Ski Hostel and Colliding Frilingue?
I found the rooms to be extremely comfortable and warm. The common spaces were very cozy, with games, a pool table, ping pong, and desks for people to work. Every night we had a coliving dinner where some volunteers cooked for the entire hostel. This was definitely a great time to meet people especially as a solo traveler in Switzerland.
How to get to Liddes, Switzerland?
Luckily when you arrive to Geneva airport, Ski Hostel and Coliving offers an airport transfer. However, if you do get the Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare card you would get 50 percent off and discounts on train travel. While I did not get this on this trip,if you will be spending longer coliving in Switzerland you would save a lot of money with this.
Otherwise to get to Liddes from Geneva, first go on Sbb.ch or download the app in order to buy your tickets and look at the schedule.
Take the train direction Brig to Martigny from Geneva Airport, change at Martigny in direction of Le Chable to Sembancher, and change to head to Osiers where there is a bus that takes you to Liddes. The cost round trip with out discount card will cost around 125 Swiss francs round trip.
Is it worth skiing in Switzerland at the cheapest ski resorts in Switzerland? A Solo Travelers Recap To Skiing and Coliving in Liddes, Switzerland.
There are many places you can ski in the world as well as in the USA, however, there is something truly special about skiing in the Swiss alps as well as traveling in Switzerland in the winter.
Traveling to Switzerland to find a community of like-minded travelers, and digital nomads, and finding the cheapest ski resorts in Europe and Switzerland was a bonus. Saint Bernard Pass as well as the coliving ski hostel in Liddes made the plane ticket to Switzerland in the winter worth it. Also since I was traveling in January I was able to find flight deals from the USA.
If you are either a beginner or intermediate skier wanting to travel solo to ski in the Swiss alps there is no better option for you to find community and fun, and stay safe skiing in some of the best mountains in the world. In total for two weeks, half board, and the ski rentals not including flights it would cost you know more.
As always let me know if you have any questions about Switzerland’s Cheapest Ski Resorts and how to enjoy Switzerland in the winter in the comments or on my Instagram.
Looking for other places to travel this winter check out my ski and winter road trip to Colorado.
Save This For Later To Find The Cheapest Ski Resorts In Switzerland
