17 Tips For A Perfect Ski Trip To LAAX

LAAX is one of Switzerland’s biggest and best ski resorts. The ski area may have made its name in recent years for its massive parks and contests, but its history is steeped in classic downhill skiing. Along the way, it never lost its roots and still makes for a wonderful ski destination in Switzerland.

It has tremendous facilities, reliable snow, a wide variety of terrain, and, of course, one of the best snowparks in the world. Laax is cool and well-known for being the playground of snowboarders and freestyle skiers. Its villages have something for everyone, though, with hip bars, traditional huts, and cafes. Heck, the ski resort is one of the few outside of the Italian Alps that can serve a decent cappuccino.

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Tips For A Ski Trip To LAAX

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There Are Three Areas To LAAX

While many know the LAAX name, the other name is Flims-Laax-Falera, as it is a cooperation between the three towns and various companies. The towns are all connected via the lift system and regular buses, so it’s easy to stay at any base area for a ski trip. Unlike many European resorts with disjointed layouts, we found the valley easy to navigate and never had any issues.

Flims has the largest base area, multiple lifts from town, and the largest variety of hotels, lodging, and restaurant options. Flims has hotels and condos on the lower slopes, so ski-in lodging is possible here. The village has the most cohesive atmosphere, with shopping, art galleries, and a convenient supermarket.

The original village of Laax is 1.5 km away from the lifts in LAAX, but a large base area is designed around the LAAX Base Station. Several hotels, resorts, and condos are available for lodging in the base area. Most notable here are the RocksResort and the trendy Riders Hotel. It feels more similar to the purpose-built resorts of North America, with a clear layout that provides rental shops, ski schools, restaurants, cafes, and bars.

Falera is the smallest village and is best for those seeking a quaint atmosphere. The village is still connected to the lift system, and getting up the mountain for a day of skiing is still easy. It’s the best area to find chalets and apartments for rental.

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It Has An Extensive Piste Network

With 214km of pistes, it is one of the largest ski areas in Europe. The extensive network of trails offers a good variety, and most are well-suited for intermediates and beginners, which makes for a very approachable mountain. The pistes are serviced by 28 lifts, many of which are modern.

The FlemXpress is a real standout, a first-of-its-kind gondola that operates out of Flims. The new gondola is an on-demand gondola that delivers guests to their desired stop after pressing a button before boarding. We tested out the lower portion of the lift, which is still under construction; it’s pretty cool!

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Purchase Your Ski Pass In Advance

If you purchase your ski pass in advance, like many resorts, it offers a good chance for savings. It’s easy to purchase lift tickets in advance on LAAX.com. North Americans will be shocked to see the single-day lift ticket prices compared to the modern lift infrastructure. Not only are the lifts and services far better at LAAX, but day tickets average around 80 CHF a day. The website is also a great place to book extra tickets and activities. You can book parking, tobogganing, and even the treetop walk in advance.

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Easy Navigation

LAAX is a surprisingly easy ski area to navigate, running along one valley. We’ve skied fairly extensively around Europe’s largest ski areas, and many can be difficult to navigate. It’s not unheard of to end up in another village or even country at the end of the day once the lifts stop running. However, thanks to public transport and the mountain’s layout, we found it easy to return to our accommodation at the end of the day. This saves a lot of headaches, particularly for groups and families.

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It’s Actually Very Family Friendly

That brings me to my next point: LAAX is a family-friendly ski area. You might not expect that from the resorts with Europe’s largest halfpipe, but it’s true. Thanks to a wide range of self-catering accommodation options, many blue and red pistes, easy navigation, and ski schools, families can safely choose to holiday in LAAX. Even the Swiss Tourism Association has given the ski area the “Families Welcome” seal of approval as it meets the standards to cater to families, young and old. We would have to agree.

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It’s Got The Elevation On Its Side

As we face warmer winters with more uncertain conditions, LAAX has the advantage of elevation. Nearly 70% of the resort’s groomed pistes are between 2000 and 3000 meters in elevation. This provides the ski area with more snow-sure conditions. Guests can rest assured that booking a holiday here means they’ll at least have decent piste conditions, and for freestyle skiers, that means the killer park setup.

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Green Standards

As the ski industry faces the realities of climate change, it’s nice to see that ski areas such as LAAX are leading green initiatives. The ski area has operated totally on renewable energy sources since 2008 and aims to produce all the energy to meet the area’s demands. They also utilize precision mapping and snow farming to reduce the need for snowmaking.

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Traditional Swiss Mountain Food

The canton of Graubünden has some excellent regional specialties that will help recharge your batteries after a day of skiing. One of our favorite dishes was capuns from Tegia Larnags, a spätzle dough with dried meat wrapped in a chard leaf and served in a rich broth. Of course, there was the obligatory Swiss fondue one night at Berghaus Foppa after an evening of sledding down floodlit slopes. Even if you’re not after traditional Swiss food, the area has many cuisines and restaurants to satisfy your cravings.

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Know How To Check The Weather

We suggest downloading the White Risk app if you plan to freeride in Switzerland. It’s a great app run by the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, which provides daily reports on avalanche risks and problems. It’s also a reliable way to check the snow conditions as it gives access to the country’s extensive mountain weather stations. However, we highly recommend everyone hire a guide for skiing off-piste as they have the most comprehensive knowledge of local problems.

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Hire A Guide For A Day

Chasing after powder and fresh lines is probably the best way to build an appetite. LAAX has a surprising amount of freeride terrain with wide open bowls and glaciers perfect for chasing after powder. It has a wealth of terrain that can cater well to any ability level, whether an expert or beginner. Those just starting or unfamiliar with the terrain will greatly appreciate the resort’s freeride guides. They know all the best powder stashes and off-piste routes around the region.

It’s not just the off-piste guiding across all of the ski resorts. Many guides, coaches, and instructors can help you improve your technique, whether you’re an expert or a beginner. We always find it best to book in advance if you’re on the higher end of the spectrum to ensure you have the most advanced guide. The terrain here skews more on the intermediate side of things, but the area has a few challenging lines and routes.

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SnowPark LAAX Is King

It’s no mystery; we’ve already mentioned it, but the LAAX Snowpark is one of the ski resort’s stars. They have a phenomenal park setup, with all the parks accessible from the main cable car. The parks are separated by size, with a small, medium, large, and proline.

There is a lot of pride, investment, and care given to the park as every setup has been thought out. It’s easy to build up progression with an interesting mix of features to work on and challenge yourself. We’re not the biggest park rats, but we had fun with a few laps in the medium park, which is easy thanks to the variety of pommel lifts.

Snowpark LAAX also boosts two halfpipes, a competition-ready superpipe, and a “mini-pipe.” The pipes are shaped regularly and operate as the training grounds for several pros. Most notable is the two km-long snowpark line that’s a blast for anyone with many features and side hits. With all of this, it shouldn’t be surprising that LAAX has won multiple awards, including “World’s Best Freestyle Resort” at the World Ski Awards.

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Work On Your Aerials At The Freestyle Academy

The LAAX base area is home to the Freestyle Academy, a huge warehouse and facility that offers training for freestyle and skating. Inside are airbags, trampolines, and a skate park. Unfortunately for us, the Freestyle Academy was under renovation for the 2023/24 winter season, but it’s due to reopen in the summer better than ever, with improved facilities and more to offer guests.

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Hit The Nordic Trails For A Different Type Of Ski

As snowboarders, it may be surprising to hear that we enjoy skiing, just not the downhill kind. We love Nordic or cross-country skiing as it’s a tremendous exercise and a great way to get outside in nature. A short bus ride out of Flims takes you to Bargis, with lovely cross-country ski trails through forests and snowy meadows.

Bargis is a small car-free hamlet that sits above Flims at an elevation of 1550 meters, which ensures better snow conditions than in the valley. It’s a pretty easy loop with gradual ups and downs, which would suit beginners on classic skis.

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There’s Some Great Winter Activities

It’s not just skiing and snowboarding that you can enjoy in Laax, Flims, or Falera. You can go sledding by day along a nice route or attempt at night in Foppa. Other fun winter activities include snowshoeing, paragliding, and hiking.

We took two separate winter hikes around the base of the ski area. The first one is the “Senda dil Dragun,” the longest treetop path in the world. It connects Laax Murschetg and Laax Village via a 1.56-kilometer footbridge through the treetops. Children and adults will love the huge multistory slide! The second winter hike was to the Caumasee Lake and Il Spir platform to view the Rhine Valley. The valley is often called the “Swiss Grand Canyon,” a tremendous view visitors shouldn’t miss on their trip.

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No Need For Car To Visit

Accessing Laax, Flims, and Falera from many of Switzerland’s cities is easy. The ski area is a short drive, bus, or taxi ride up from the small city of Chur, which can work as a more affordable base during peak season. Chur is connected to Zurich and its international airport by highway and train, making it hassle-free to reach the ski area without needing a vehicle. However, those who do travel to the ski area with their vehicle will find several large parking garages to park for their stay.

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Best Time To Visit LAAX

Like any ski resort, January and March are our favorite times to book a trip. We find February too busy with elevated prices and crowds too much on piste. January is usually a good time in LAAX for good snow conditions, better prices, and fewer crowds, especially after the holidays are finished. We visited just after the famous LAAX Open and never stood in a lift line for more than two minutes, including the weekend.

March tends to be a bit busier, but it’s still a better time to visit than February. It can be a mixed month as the weather is more variable. However, it’s the best time for apres-ski, and the warmer weather is more conducive to enjoying the outdoor patios.

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It’s Also Worth A Summer Visit

Flims became popular as a summer destination before the ski area grew to its current size. Thanks to the charming traditional village vibes, Lake Cauma, and views over the Rhine Valley. The village has wonderful access to the extensive network of hiking trails in the alpine and one of Switerland’s best via feratta routes. Many other summer activities include parasailing, trail running, biking, swimming, and even skating.

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