The Times: The slopes of Switzerland, for less

In an article published in today's The Times newspaper by Liz Rowlinson, Investors in Property's Rob Keddy gave his view on some affordable properties for sale in the Valais ski regions which, thanks to direct flights to Sion starting this Winter, have suddenly become a lot more accessible.

"With the Swiss Franc cruising high against the pound, British skiers and property hunters are going to need that extra push to persuade them not to head to the French or Austrian Alps this Winter. The pragmatic Swiss realise this and have cut the price of some ski passes - and properties. Yet the biggest game-changer may be the start of direct flights to the Valais mountains.

Powdair, a private winter sports airline, is opening routes to Sion, a small airport in the Valais that is normally the preserve of private jets. Its 50-seat planes will fly from six UK airports - London City, Luton, Southend, Manchester, Southampton and Bristol - from December 11. Timetables are based around a short-break ski trips and, according to Zoe Ombler, the head of commercial at Powdair, uptake has been good. " There has been a lot of interest from British owners with property in the Valais, especially the Nendaz area," she says, "Powdair is offering special 'season passes' for winter trips with flight discounts."

Veysonnaz, a smaller and more charming resort near Nendaz, is also popular with Dutch and Belgians. "Compact Veysonnaz is easier to get around and is only 20 minutes from Sion," says Rob Keddy, an agent at Investors in Property. "Buyers should also look at Les Collons, only ten minutes away. You can get a built-to-order, five-bedroom chalet 1.05m Sfrs" Alternatively, there is a two-bedroom apartment in Veysonnaz on the market for 750,000 Sfrs."

Rob goes on to further discuss the 4 Vallees ski area in more detail below:

"Nendaz is a large resort spread over a considerable area. The word sprawling is constantly used to describe it and it is certainly not the most attractive of resorts. There is also a very hard black run to get back towards the village giving you no option to either face it or take the cable car. Some clients have found this quite inconvenient. Saying all this there is a lot to do with more restaurants and a more active night life than Veysonnaz. It is also easier to access Verbier’s slopes from Nendaz.
 
Veysonnaz is a cute, traditional and family friendly resort split between the old village below and Veysonnaz station above where you access the slopes. Here there is a wellness centre with a pool and spa, a number of good bars and a few very good restaurants like the Magrappe and the Caboulis. Veysonnaz is more compact than Nendaz, making it a lot easier to get around and has picturesque views across the Rhone Valley. You can get to Verbier, however it involves a lot of slow lifts, though luckily there are a number of very good red runs nearby.
 
So essentially buyers who are looking for a more active ski scene are likely to choose Nendaz, while families and those looking for something a bit more relaxed will prefer Veysonnaz. We get a decent amount of interest from both, which we expect to increase with new flights to Sion, however more end up choosing Nendaz simply because it is larger and there are more properties to choose from.
 
Of course another 4 Valleys resort worth mentioning is Les Collons. Just 30 minutes from Sion and with a similar make up to Veysonnaz, Les Collons also has some great restaurants like the newly reopened Le Bois Sauvage. Clients looking for a chalet should certainly look here as you can get a brand new, built to order chalet for unbeatable value."