Laax, Switzerland

The Laax/Flims/Falera area might be one of the more underappreciated Swiss ski resorts. As a tourist you hear of famous resorts like Zermatt, Verbier, Davos and St. Moritz but a day skiing here will not leave you disappointed.

Catch Snow N Rail from Zurich and you'll be there in less then 2 hours. You'll take a train to Chur and transfer to a bus. A direct bus will take you to Flims first and then Laax, with several stops at each spot. When connecting at Chur get ready to move quickly the connection can be tight. Look both ways as you come off the train and look for an escalator going up - catch this for the bus station. Two buses will say Laax, just ask the driver which one to get on (or follow all of the skiers). From here it will be about 30 minutes until you are on the slopes. As you leave the bus, take a quick look at the bus schedule for when your return to Chur leaves.

If you do some close studying of the map you can ski or bus to all three mountains, but for some of the best stuff stay on Laax. Work your way to the top for outstanding views and glacier skiing. You'll access a t-bar atop the glacier to get you up to 10,000 feet. You'll find more options for food and apres ski options in the town of Flims, which is probably where you want to stay overnight.

The cafeteria type food at the Crap SB Restaurant is fine and there are plenty of options on the Laax gastronomy map. The overlook gives great views of the Alps, Falera, Laax and the outdoor bar below.

Laax seems to get some of the best snow and from what reviews say, if there is snow in Switzerland you'll find it here. Many of the resorts in 2008 seemed to really need snow, but Laax proved to have some of the best snow in the region.