The perfect ski holiday in Crans-Montana, the Swiss resort staging a comeback
Spread along Mount Bonvin’s broad slopes, a towering massif rising to nearly 3,000m, Crans-Montana, in the Swiss canton of Valais, lies quietly under the radar when it comes to British visitors.
The ski area is extensive and varied, especially suiting intermediate-level visitors. There are runs with long, panoramic views, as well as some sheltered wooded slopes, and it is almost entirely south-facing, fuelling the local claim that Crans-Montana is the sunniest resort in Switzerland.
Perhaps the most momentous development for Crans-Montana in recent times, though, is the fact that the US ski behemoth Vail Resorts – which owns and operates some of the biggest resorts in North America, including Whistler Blackcomb and Breckenridge – purchased the ski lift company in Crans-Montana and took over the operation of the resort ahead of the 2024/25 season. Extensive new snow-making facilities are now planned, as well as in-resort developments and improvements.
Stay on track with the essential facts from the resort below, and scroll down for our insider guide to a day on the pistes, expert ratings and advice. For further Crans-Montana inspiration, see our guides to the resort's best accommodation, restaurants and après ski.
In this guide:
Inside the resort
Crans-Montana began life in the late 19th century when its first hotel, Le Parc, was built in 1893. The sunny aspect combined with fresh Alpine air made it popular as a health resort, and a number of residential sanatoriums were built – some later converted into hotels.
Set at 1,500m, strictly speaking, it’s not one resort but two. Crans and Montana are a mile or so apart, but a long trickle of mostly low-rise buildings, more modern than traditional chalet-style, has merged the small towns together. However, the two centres still retain a distinct character.
These days, of the two villages Crans is more upmarket, with big-brand shopping, glitzy nightclubs and most of the main bars; although Montana has traditionally had a younger vibe, its après-ski scene tends to be a little quieter.
Until his death in 2017, Crans-Montana’s most famous resident was archetypal Englishman Sir Roger Moore, and the resort still attracts a discreet, rich clientele who come for the quiet and somewhat rarefied atmosphere. It isn’t a package destination but that said, cheaper accommodation is available, including a strikingly stylish youth hostel, and there’s a younger crowd now taking over the bars. The opening of Alaïa Lodge, offering shared accommodation options and an après-ski terrace, helps to attract a youthful following.
The high standard of hotels and restaurants make the resort a strong candidate for indulgent holidays, and easy access means it also suits late-bookers snatching a weekend break when weather conditions bode well. However, last-minute bookers might end up paying more for lift passes. Crans Montana operates a dynamic pricing system for lift passes, meaning that buying online and in advance gives the best prices. On the plus side, the resort has a hotel pass scheme that means you can choose to buy on-the-day lift tickets from your accommodation at heavily reduced rates. Direct trains run from Geneva airport to Sierre, connecting with a small funicular (refurbished in 2022/23 with a train departing every 20 minutes) that climbs the steep hillside to Montana.
On the slopes, pistes are mostly comfortable blues and reds; more expert skiers and snowboarders may be disappointed by the lack of challenge but, if the conditions are right, there are plenty of off-piste options, plus a network of uphill routes for ski tourers. Towards the end of the season, the south-facing aspect means that lower pistes can soften by mid-afternoon, so on warm days, Crans Montana lends itself best to early starts and late lunches.
For freestyle fans, the 5,000m2 Alaïa Chalet indoor and outdoor action-sports training complex in nearby Lens has trampolines and foam pits for practising tricks, and runs ski and snowboard camps in winter.
For something a little more enchanting, look to Chemin des Lanternes (lantern path) – an event that takes place from December to March each year and sees many of the town’s paths illuminated with lanterns from 5pm until 10pm.
On the slopes
Crans-Montana has three main access points to the mountain, spread along the valley – the Merbé/Cry d’Er gondola in Crans, the Arnouva gondola in Montana, and a third serving Les Violettes, at 2,220m in the middle of the ski area, from the Barzettes area of the resort. A free shuttle bus links the bases and continues to the small outlying hamlet of Aminona.
Best suited to intermediates, of Crans-Montana’s 140km of marked pistes, there are 38 red runs, 14 blue runs and nine black. A further 10 testing itinerary runs, marked in yellow on the map, are patrolled but left unpisted for the more experienced, and there are also some challenging off-piste opportunities in the eastern areas of the resort, and more than 40km of marked blue, red and black ski touring routes. These range from three introductory level routes suitable for beginners, to La X’trême for more advanced tourers. The latter criss-crosses the ski area combining four of the routes, giving a total vertical ascent of 3,000m.
From Cry d’Er (2,267m) and Violettes, the higher, open and tree-less slopes of Mont Lachaux (2,140m) suit morning excursions, with relaxing, usually uncrowded, pistes which continue down the mountain to Barzettes.
On clear days, continuing on up to Bella Lui (2,543m) gives panoramic views, and a giddyingly high restaurant here has a broad sun terrace and makes a good pitstop before taking another scenic blue to Chetzeron. The Bella Lui piste from here also marks the start of a series of runs used as a downhill race course, the Piste Nationale.
The runs from the resort’s highest point, Plaine Morte at 2,927m, are also a treat in good weather. However, in bad visibility route finding can be difficult in these exposed stretches so if the weather closes in it’s better to head back to the lower, tree-lined slopes.
From just below Plaine Morte, a long black run accesses the eastern fringes of the resort, where there are some meaty blues and reds from Petit Bonvin at 2,383m. A day’s itinerary between Crans and Aminona is easy to do, but time the return carefully as some lifts close at 4pm. The alternative is to return by free shuttle bus.
The terrain park at Cry d’Er, is Switzerland’s second largest terrain park, operated by Alaïa Parks with boardercross, quarterpipes, big-air, rails and a superpipe.
Who should go?
Grabbing a quick weekend at short notice when snow conditions are good is a very appealing prospect in Crans Montana. It is a great place for a bit of short-break indulgence and is also easily reached from Geneva. Trains run from the airport to the valley town of Sierre, from where a funicular zips up to Montana, a total transfer time of about two hours and 40 minutes. On the slopes, pistes are mostly comfortable blues and reds meaning beginners and intermediates will feel most at home; however there are some off-piste options for experts.
Where to stay
Crans-Montana abounds in top hotels with designer rooms, luxurious spas, and dining rooms that offer fine, sometimes Michelin-starred cuisine. All this comes with eye-popping prices though. Crans offers the lion’s share of smarter, more expensive hotels, but there are some more affordable places in Montana and on the road between the two. These are usually family run B&Bs, and there’s also a clean and comfortable youth hostel with private rooms and dormitory beds. Most hotels are within a short walk or a quick bus ride of the slopes – with the exception of the new ski-in/ski-out Six Senses, which is conveniently located near the Cry d’Er gondola.
How to get there
All but ignored by most UK tour operators until recently, Crans-Montana is now emerging from under the radar. Crystal (crystalski.co.uk) offers a couple of options, and Ski Solutions (skisolutions.com) has more of a portfolio. However, the region’s full offering is largely in the hands of tailormade, upmarket companies, including Scott Dunn (scottdunn.com), Oxford Ski Company (oxfordski.com) and Momentum (momentumxp.co.uk). Ideal for short breaks, the scenic funicular train operates from Sierre, which is linked to Geneva airport by an efficient train service. This enables skiers to forgo the hassle of hiring a car or booking a taxi and allows for a total transfer time of about two hours, 40 minutes.
When to go
Opening date: December 2, 2024
Closing date: April 21, 2025
Open from early December to mid-April, Crans-Montana is best visited in January for quiet pistes and the best conditions. The resort is busy during school-holiday periods and the south-facing slopes tend to get slushy, even early on in the season. The new owner, Vail Resorts, is planning extensive snow-making facilities for the 2024/25 winter season, which should help. It’s also worth noting that the men’s Alpine Ski World Cup race takes place on Feb 22 to 23, 2025; the City Ski Challenge (previously Championships) runs from March 14 over a packed weekend of skiing, networking and socialising (it’s open to anyone, but often attracts people from London’s financial industry and a number of celebrities); and Caprices Festival returns for spring 2025, taking place over the weekends of April 4 to 6 and 11 to 13.
Know before you go
Essential information
British Embassy/Consulate: 00 31 359 77 00
Ambulance: dial 144
Police: dial 117
Fire: dial 118
Tourist office: See crans-montana.ch, the website for the Crans-Montana Tourist Board, for weather reports, lift status, webcams, traffic details and local event listings. Pick up maps, leaflets and other information from the office in the centre of Montana.
The basics
Currency: Swiss franc (CHF)
Telephone code: from abroad, dial 00 41, then leave off the zero at the start of the 10-figure number.
Time difference: +1 hour
