Laax/Flims, Switzerland

* One of Switzerland's largest ski areas...

* Short airport transfers (by Swiss standards)...

* Switzerland's premier freestyling scene with excellent terrain park..

Still relatively unknown in the UK, Laax (as the resort is branded in winter) is one of Switzerland’s premier ski areas with a vast array of slopes for all levels. Less than two hours from Zurich airport it is also one of the easiest to get to and is perfect for both short and longer stays.

Laax/Flims at a glance...

Resort height:	1100m
Slopes:	1110-3020m
Pistes:	220km
Snow rating:	☆☆☆☆☆

Suitability		Skiing
Beginners	☆☆☆☆☆	Blue runs	●	29%
Intermediate	☆☆☆☆☆	Red runs	●	32%
Advanced	☆☆☆☆☆	Black runs	●	39%

Resort		Transfer time
Charm	☆☆☆☆☆	Zurich	2hr
Convenience	☆☆☆☆☆
Après-ski	☆☆☆☆☆
Family	☆☆☆☆☆
Non-skiers	☆☆☆☆☆

Snow reliability

General snow cover	3.5/5
Snow quality – upper	4/5
Snow quality – lower	3/5
Resort level snow	3/5
Powder potential	3.5/5

The skiing

With 220km of pistes, Laax is one of Switzerland’s biggest ski areas, with a vast array of slopes and a top to bottom vertical of nearly 2000m. Its slopes suit intermediates best, but there is also more challenging terrain including lots of itineraries and off-piste.

Beginners have a choice of nursery slopes at resort level and up at Crap Sogn Gion, with good easy runs to progress to.

Laax is one of Europe’s premier resorts for freestylers with four terrain parks that cater for all standards.

The resort

Although it comprises two separate villages, the resort is branded Laax in the winter and Flims in the summer.

Laax itself is a resort of parts, with a pleasantly rustic old village (Laax Dorf) rubbing shoulders with more modern developments. Just down the road, Flims is mostly of traditional appearance with lots of leafy suburbs that house many of the resort’s smarter hotels.

Laax is a reasonable choice for non-skiers with over 100km of cleared winter footpaths and a huge sports/pool complex on the edge of town. There are also plenty of après-ski options for those who want them, especially in Laax.