What do I like about Switzerland? That I can discover it in different seasons. On the last day of February, my daughter and I went skiing in Charmey. I was curious to see what it was like in the winter because two summers ago, we discovered the beautiful marble runs at the top of the Vounetz (I wrote about them here on the blog) and a beautiful hiking trail (you can also find this trip in my book Die 44 schönsten Familienwanderungen). Since 25 centimeters of new snow had fallen a few days before our arrival, we were in for beautiful snow conditions. And the pleasant surprise? The possibility of a four-hour ski pass! Perfect for exploring the ten local slopes!
How to get to Charmey
Exit the A12 at the Bulle exit, then go via Broc and continue in the direction of Charmey. At the end of the village, at the bottom of the cable car station, is the Parking Val-de-Charmey (paid). Alternatively, take the train to the Broc, Gare stop and then take the line 260 bus to the Charmey, village stop. From here, it is about a 200-meter walk to the cable car.
Télécabine Charmey
Operating hours in winter
Daily from 21 December 2024 to 16 March 2025. Monday to Thursday, 8:45 am – 4:45 pm, Friday 8:45 am – 10:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 8:45 am – 4:4 5 pm.
Ski pass prices
As I mentioned in the introduction, I was delighted to see they also have a four-hour ski pass here, plus discounted ski passes for 16-24-year-olds.
A four-hour ski pass costs CHF 39 for an adult (CHF 46 full day), a four-hour ski pass costs CHF 25 for a child aged 6 to 15 (CHF 31 full day), and CHF 33 for youth and seniors over 64 (CHF 40 full day). Ski passes are issued on the Keycard, which costs an extra CHF 5. This card is compulsory and is not a refundable deposit as in other places. The advantage is that you can use it in other ski regions. Or you can have the ski pass loaded onto your SwissPass.
Along with the ski pass, you can buy a combined ticket to the local thermal bath, Les Bains de la Gruyère.
Skiing
The resort includes 10 slopes that will satisfy both families with small children and experienced skiers looking for more challenging terrain. There is a small snow park with a magic carpet and rope tow at the top of the cable car station for the youngest skiers.
The rest are mostly red and blue slopes (there is one black slope, but it was closed during our visit). Freeride enthusiasts will also find something to do here. Even though about 25 cm of new snow fell a few days before our arrival, it was not enough to open slope Nr. 8 leading to the intermediate station, let alone slope Nr. 9 up to the valley. This is, unfortunately, a disadvantage for resorts at lower altitudes in late winter or early spring (the ski resort of Charmey lies at an altitude of 900 to 1 630 meters).
Restaurant Les Dents-Verts
When skiing, you get hungry, so a good restaurant comes in handy. In Les Dents-Verts, you can not only have a good meal, but while waiting for your food (you order at the cash desk, and they bring it to your table), you can shorten a long time with your children by playing board games of which there are many to choose from. A really family-friendly restaurant (the high child dining chairs need not be mentioned).
Other winter activities
Even if you’re not a skier, you can have a great day out in Charmey – there are toboggan runs, but also snowshoeing and skialp trails.
But the absolute hit is snow tubing, which my daughter discovered after skiing. The track is located right next to the cable car’s top station and is great fun for young and old alike. And what’s the best thing about it? It’s free! It is an unforgettable experience that we can recommend to everyone. You can go alone or with two people and you don’t have to worry about letting smaller children alone in the inflatable “boat”. It is safe.
Summary
- The resort surprised me with beautifully groomed slopes.
- We went here during the week, so we didn’t have to queue at the lifts.
- After skiing, don’t forget to make a stop either at the thermal baths, or in the Cailler Chocolate Factory.
Enjoy Charmey in Summer!
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