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REAL DEALS

Swiss Alps on Sale

Air/hotel package for hitting the powder in the picturesque Alps.
Thursday, January 18, 2007 |

The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare and seven nights' accommodations in Interlaken, Switzerland, from $810 per person.

When: Depart by Apr. 5, 2007.

Gateways: New York City.

Details: Breakfast daily, tips, and hotel taxes are included. Airport taxes and fuel surcharges are an additional $290 a person. Based on double occupancy; single supplement varies but is typically $160. For general guidelines on evaluating deals,  click here.

Book By: No deadline; 30-45 day advance booking required.

Contact: Holidaze Ski Tours, 800/526-2827, ext. 19, holidaze.com.

The package includes round-trip airfare from New York City to Zurich (flying on Delta, Lufthansa, or Swiss) and a seven-night stay at the 25-room Hotel Rossli in the lakeside tourist town of Interlaken. Add extra nights for up to $50 per person per night. Four hotel upgrades are available. One choice is the high-end Hotel Metropole for an additional $541 per person. Unlike Hotel Rossli, Hotel Metropole boasts a sauna and a heated indoor swimming pool--delightful perks after a day on the slopes. Package includes two-hour airport/hotel transfers by rail.

Tucked between Lakes Brienz and Thun, Interlaken has been a popular summer resort for more than a century and has become a favorite winter destination for skiers. The local network of trails covers some 100 miles. (The longest trail is nine miles.) Before you go, check out Interlaken's official tourism Web site, interlaken.ch. You can check the weather forecast, local time, and exchange rate at budgettravelonline.com.

What Makes This a Deal? In comparison, the lowest round-trip fare we've found from New York City to Zurich in early February is $503 per person, including taxes (American and Swiss). For about $614 more, Holidaze Ski Tours covers airfare and accommodations for seven nights for two people.

Not included in the package are lift tickets, which cost about $250 per person for six days and cover free bus and rail transport to the trails in the Jungfrau region. That price is nearly half what you would likely pay to ski in the Rockies. If you're departing from somewhere other than New York City, the money you'll save on lifts in Europe should make up for the extra U.S. domestic airfare you'll need to add to fly on a discount carrier to J.F.K. airport.

More on Switzerland:

  • Trip Coach: Switzerland

  • Storybook Ski Villages in Switzerland, Austria and Italy

    • Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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