What’s New in Verbier for Next Season

There are new places to stay and new ways to reach the slopes. Then there’s night skiing in Lourtier, mountain events + a rather good end-of-season party. NEW

Verbier’s winter 2026/27 brings a new Esserts–Savoleyres Telemix, a direct weekend rail connection from Geneva Airport to Le Châble and a new chapter for freeride as the sport heads towards its Olympic debut.

There are new places to stay too, but some of the best stories this winter involve getting away from Verbier itself:

  • Spending a night in a mountain hut
  • Learning how to ski tour,
  • Eating your way around the Val de Bagnes
  • Discovering that there is rather more to the area than uber chalets and dancing on tables.
Verbier, Switzerland. Image c/o Steve Sparks.

Verbier, Switzerland. Image c/o Steve Sparks.

Kicking off from November 2026 to the 25 April 2026, winter sports lovers will be  able to click into their bindings for the season ahead.

NEW: Esserts–Savoleyres Telemix:

The new Esserts–Savoleyres Telemix opens this winter, making it much easier to move between the resort and the Savoleyres side of the mountain.

For skiers who habitually head straight for Médran every morning, it is a good excuse to turn left for a change.

In addition, a new piste will be created between Le Carrefour and the departure station, offering a direct skiable route from the Les Ruinettes area and better integration across the Verbier-La Tzoumaz ski area.

It is particularly useful for mixed groups because Savoleyres isn’t just about skiing.

Pedestrian access and mountain restaurants mean skiers and non-skiers can head up separately and still meet for lunch.

Freeriding is Going to the Olympics:

Verbier has a head start on this one.

Freeride becomes an Olympic discipline and Verbier has long been one of the sport’s spiritual homes, with some formidable terrain and the Xtreme Verbier part of its skiing DNA.

But you don’t need to be an Xtreme Verbier competitor to try it.

Avalanche training, the DVA Park and ski-touring instruction mean competent piste skiers can learn the skills needed to start exploring beyond the marked runs rather than simply following somebody else’s tracks and hoping for the best.

Verbier Piste Patrol. Image © PlanetSKI

Verbier Piste Patrol. Image © PlanetSKI

NEW: Direct trains:

No changing in Martigny required.

This winter, from the 13 December, Verbier and the Val de Bagnes welcome a significant new rail connection, with six direct trains running from Geneva Airport to Le Châble at weekends.

From here, skiers can step off the train and straight onto the cable car for Verbier.

NEW 4* Ski Lodge developed by Norwood:

Did you know that Verbier only has 14 hotels with 503 hotel rooms, the rest of the accommodation comprises chalets and apartments.

When a new hotel is built, this is huge news for this resort.

Winter 2026/27 brings the 15th hotel, the new Ski Lodge opening in December 2026.

This brand-new boutique hotel is bringing a fresh perspective to alpine hospitality.

Perfectly positioned on Rue de la Poste, just steps from the lifts, restaurants and village life, the property combines the intimacy of a design-led boutique hotel with the effortless comfort of a private mountain retreat.

Designed around just 36 beautifully appointed suites, the hotel pairs contemporary Swiss architecture with warm natural materials, expansive mountain views and a relaxed sense of luxury.

A 400m² spa, fitness studio and vibrant restaurant and bar complete the experience.

Sustainability is woven into every detail, from its Minergie certification and photovoltaic energy production to district heating and locally inspired design, reflecting a more considered vision of luxury travel.Lead in price from CHF500/£460 per night per room.

Verbier, Switzerland. Image c/o Heather Jeffereries.

Verbier, Switzerland. Image c/o Heather Jeffereries.

NEW: Ski Verbier After Dark:

When the lifts close in Verbier, head down the valley to Lourtier, where skiing carries on after dark.

The small Dzora ski lift opens for night skiing, giving visitors the chance to ski under the lights rather than call it a day when the sun disappears.

Better still, night skiing is free, and there is sledging for those who would rather hurtle downhill without skis attached.Lourtier itself is worth the detour.

Sitting deeper in the Val de Bagnes, around 15 minutes by road from Le Châble, it feels a world away from the bars and boutiques of Verbier: a traditional mountain village of old wooden chalets, narrow lanes and a rather more local pace of life.

WAIT UNTIL APRIL:

Thanks to its altitude and extensive snowmaking, which covers 63% of the ski area, Verbier is a good bet for late season skiing.

From the resort at 1,500m, two gondola rides take skiers to above 2,700m in under 11 minutes, where snow conditions remain reliable well into spring.

The ski area is scheduled to stay open until 25 April 2027, when quieter slopes, longer days, better-value stays and sunny terraces make a strong case for waiting until spring.

Verbier is making sure the ski season ends on a high.

Following the success of its first edition, the E.N.D Session returns for a weekend of celebrations across the resort, with entertainment on the slopes, live music in the village and one enormous après-ski party.

It is a final chance to squeeze in a few spring runs before swapping ski boots for dancing shoes and seeing out the winter in suitably lively Verbier.www.verbier.ch

AND FINALLY… DON’T JUST SKI IT

There are plenty of ways to experience the mountain without spending the entire week clipped into skis.

Pedestrian access means non-skiers can meet skiing friends for lunch on the mountain.

There’s paragliding for anyone wanting a very different view of the valley.

In Lourtier, the Dzora ski lift offers night skiing and bob activities.

For mixed groups where one person lives for skiing and another would rather do almost anything else, that makes Verbier the natural choice.

The destination of Verbier – Val de Bagnes – La Tzoumaz offers visitors even more with a total of 410km of pistes across the 4 Valleys (Switzerland’s largest ski area).

There are adventures across six charming, yet varied villages.

  • Accessible Le Châble,
  • Cosmopolitan Verbier,
  • Wild Upper Val de Bagnes,
  • Authentic Bruson,
  • Discreet Vollèges,
  • Family friendly La Tzoumaz,

Each has a unique quality that are a starting point for an immersion in the Pays des Bagnes.

The UK still remains the number one market for overnight overseas visitors to Verbier, with 5,000 chalet beds and 1,300 hotel beds.

It’s not just the skiing that attracts guests but the plethora of snowy activities.

About Verbier:

Verbier is perched 1,500m up in the Alps and has transport links that make it easy to get to from the UK & Ireland.

With a train station at the heart of the destination, its proximity to Geneva Airport and the crossroads of Switzerland with France and Italy, Verbier is infinitely reachable by train, car or plane: or any combination thereof.

The train station is linked to Verbier and Bruson by cable cars that leave from the village.

Direct flights are also available from Aberdeen, Belfast-International, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Doncaster, Dublin, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Inverness, Leeds, Liverpool, London-City, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, London-Luton, Manchester, Newcastle, and Southampton.

See here for more on Verbier: www.verbier.ch

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