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Writer's pictureHoward Chai

Megeve, France & Verbier, Switzerland - Jan 2024

Updated: Sep 24

First time skiing Europe and it was a blast! Went with a group of friends. Alot to unpack.


Megeve:

Charming town dating back to the 13th century nestled in the mountains, Megeve offers a distinct and luxurious European ski vacation. The Japanese equivalent would be Nozawa-Onsen's cobbled streets. Village center is convenient (not too small or large) with a variety of restaurants and even a casino. Cost was in general cheaper than Verbier. Amazing views with sea of clouds as you ski down the mountain.


Verbier

Europe's #1 expert ski resort will keep intermediate to expert skiiers entertained. Amazing views of the Alps with one of Europe's largest ski areas. Expensive, but great selection of shops, restaurants and accomodations. Not very diverse crowd (ie 99% white) which is not a big deal, but just different when compared to resorts in North America. Everyone is friendly and can speak English (although French seems to be the default language).


Transportation

Emirates flight from Taipei to Geneva with a 3 hour layover in Dubai. 9 hours Taipei to Dubai, 7 hours Dubai to Geneva. Its a long travel day, no doubt. Megeve (which is about 30 minutes from Chamonix) is about 2 hours away from Geneva. Verbier is about the same distance.


One of our friends had a car, so we got around that way. There are shuttle buses in both locations which seem easy enough to use. We took a private car service (https://mydaytrip.com/) to get from Verbier to Geneva Airport, which was about $400 for a 2 hour ride (7 person van). About the same as Japan. There are buses as well, but it would have been a long walk with all of our luggage to get to the bus stop in town.


When to go

We went mid Jan but unfortunately did not get much new snow, which is attributable to a El Nino year.


Megeve:

Snow conditions by month




Real-time snow report


Verbier:

Snow conditions by month





Real-time snow report


Accommodations

Megeve:

We rented a apartment in Megeve walking distance to a Gondola. There is a variety of accommodations to choose from, including a Four Seasons at the high end.


Verbier:

We rented a house in Verbier that was outside the village center. I would recommend finding accommodation within the village so you are walking distance to either a Lift, or to a shuttle bus. We were a bit further out, so either had to drive to a parking lot, or walk 15-20 minutes into town.


Guides/schools/rentals

We did not take any lessons, but there were many students taking courses in Veriber. I would recommend a Guide take you around Verbier's various off-piste trails if you are a experienced skiier.

Tips/Resources

As in Europe, a power adapter is needed.



Pictures/Video





Mostly Megeve I think:












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