Crans-Montana Must–Read Guide

Denis Emery - photo-genic.ch- Courtesy Crans Montana Tourism Office.

Crans-Montana Must-Read Guide

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Check no more! Here is your must-read guide to Crans-Montana:  Crans-Montana is a world-renown ski and summer resort in the Valais area of Switzerland, celebrating its 125th year this year. Easily accessible by train and a funicular, the resort has two big towns, Crans and Montana that are almost now linked into one bigger town.

Crans-Montana is a lively town, with lots of people that live there year-round. This is not the classic resort that opens only for the season and then nothing happens anymore; it is pretty big and busy.

Crans-Montana unique selling point is its vista and the sunny terrace where the valley is sitting.
Crans-Montana unique selling point is its vista and the sunny terrace where the valley is sitting. Your must-read guide to Crans-Montana.

Crans and Montana are located in a wide sunny valley, perched at 1500m, with magnificent south views of the mountains of the Rhône Valley in Valais, from the Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn- 19 peaks over 4,000 meters are facing Crans-Montana.  Hotels and condominiums are dotted in town amongst hotels, from 3 stars to deluxe 5 stars with all the services.

Crans-Montana has been a magnet for stars, from Roger Moore who had a house there, Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo, who used to stay at the Grand Hotel du Golf & Palace. The Kennedy’s family and Mr Bourvil used to holiday in Crans Montana. Also David Guetta comes for a discreet winter holiday to Crans-Montana.

Chez Croux, a painting by Martina Diez-Routh. Chez Croux is an on-mountain restaurant on Courmayeur. You have panoramic views of the Monte Bianco from there. In my shop for sale, to check it out, click here.

People go to Crans-Montana for the vistas, they are magnificent; for it’s skiing, with nice sunny pistes to all type of skiers, and in the rest of the year for its golf. With an 18-hole golf course by Severino Ballesteros and a 9-hole by Jack Nicklaus, and many hotels offering direct access to the golf course (or the cross country trails in winter), it is the best you could get in Switzerland! Plus the biking is pretty big now, lots of hiking and water sports around, to make it a year-round resort.

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The Magic Pass – the multi-area ski pass for 30 Swiss French resorts is on SALE now

Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets is one of the resorts in the Magic Pass.

The Magic Pass, this multi-area ski resort pass launched in the Swiss French regions last year – with 25 ski resorts of all sizes, attracted by the end of February 2018, 2.177 million skier-days which brought a 30% increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous season on the same date. In terms of turnover, an increase of 10% was achieved by the end of February compared to the season total from 2016/17.

Magic Pass is on sale for the 2nd year in the row with more ski areas, with some also usable for summer.
Magic Pass is on sale for the 2nd year in the row with more ski areas, with some also usable for summer.

These results were very encouraging, from very small resorts such as Rathvel, which got 220%, increase in visits, to larger resorts, such as Crans-Montana, that their numbers rose more than 30%.

This spirit of cooperation amongst ski areas has guaranteed an appreciable level of stability for the smaller, less well-known ski areas.

Now looking to the 2018-19 ski season, the Magic Mountains Cooperation is launching the MAGIC Pass with more ski areas- The new areas waiting to be discovered by pass holders are: the Espace Dent Blanche (Evolène – La Forclas – Arolla), the Vallée de Joux (L’Abbaye, – L’Orient – Le Brassus), and the Riviera (Les Pléiades- Rochers-de-Naye). In total, Magic Pass 2018/19 includes more than 30 ski areas of all shapes and sizes.

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Packing list for your family ski holiday

Skiers Over New Year Prepare for a £450 Wipeout at the Car Hire Rental Desk. Photo by Adrian - Unsplash - taken in Mont Saint Helens, USA.

Going skiing with the family is great, but you need to plan your bag ahead, and be sure that your little ones will not be suffering from the cold, or if not, your holiday might be jeopardised if they are too cold for skiing.

A stop in the way when driving - Photo by Easton Oliver - Unsplash - Estes Park, Colorado
A stop in the way when driving – Photo by Easton Oliver – Unsplash – Estes Park, Colorado

When you are packing, I suggest thinking on your ski clothes first, and doing the normal clothes later. You will not need too many normal clothes if you are self catering, a couple of trousers, shirts or t-shirts and warm jumpers if you are planning to dine outside, unless you are staying in a hotel or chalet and you have to go out for dinner or you have included half or full board, that you might want to look smart every evening.

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The Second Ever European Mountain Travel Summit (EMTS) has concluded with lots of success at Crans Montana

Crans Montana photo by The-Ski-Guru- EMTS 2018

EMTS, the 2nd ever European Mountain Travel Summit (EMTS),  has concluded in Crans Montana, gathering 160  senior executives of the Ski Industry. Delegates from different countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas got together to have an insight on how business is going, what could be done better and to learn from peers.

EMTS took place at the Centre de Congrés Le Régent in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Amin Momen from Momentum Ski presented the morning sessions.
EMTS took place at the Centre de Congrés Le Régent in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Amin Momen from Momentum Ski presented the morning sessions.

The business-to-business event connects top-level executives from all over the globe for thought provoking content, a number of networking events and alpine skiing in a leading mountain resort destination.

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European Mountain Travel Summit to start next week at Crans Montana, Switzerland

Hotelplan UK Group acquires Flexiski. Photo: Unsplash. Riciardus.

The European Mountain Travel Summit will start its second edition on the 9th January 2018 in Crans Montana.

This forum is produced by Mountain Travel Symposium and will gother over 150 senior executives for three days of networking and learning in one of the most exceptional resorts in the world.

Skiing resort of Crans-Montana. Crans-Montana, Valais canton, SWITZERLAND//Station de ski de Crans-Montana. Crans-Montana,Valais, SUISSE
Skiing resort of Crans-Montana. Crans-Montana, Valais canton, SWITZERLAND

EMTS content features market research, strategic marketing, best practices and trends – all focused on the mountain travel industry.

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