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Slow Lane Magazine, May 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • favourite (but oft-forgotten) festivals
  • Nepal's secret valley
  • boutique beauty in Drôme Provençale
  • carving out a future in southern Italy
  • Inntravellers' Tales – our new writing competition
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Short Break at Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria, Kandersteg

Bernese Oberland - relaxing & revitalising
 
A top choice for families as well as couples, this high-quality 3-star hotel with pool offers warm and friendly service. The spectacular Kander Valley is a great place to enjoy winter, with cross-country trails starting behind the hotel and a wide range of other winter activities.
Short Break at Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria. 3 nights
Short Break at Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria. 3 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A winter break in Kandersteg

for skiers and non-skiers
There are many activities to try on a three-night short break at the 3-star Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria in Kandersteg: cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, winter walking, curling, snowshoeing, ice-skating and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Equally, with its pretty main street and splendid mountain backdrop, Kandersteg is a place where you can simply enjoy the magic of winter, making it a good choice if you have never been on a winter holiday and want to see if it’s for you.
The hotel’s good-sized indoor pool is a big draw, and there are several public rooms where you can curl up with a book before a dinner of delicious cuisine, but the hotel’s best feature is the outstanding hospitality of hosts Casi and Mimi Platzer and their team, who will help you enjoy your break to the full.
 

Our expert says

“Few of our featured hotels have such a wide appeal as the Victoria, and, with so many activities on offer, you may find you do little or no skiing during your break.”
Rebecca Bruce, Inntravel snow holiday expert
 
Gallery
 

Winter activities

There’s no fixed itinerary, so take your pick of the activities as the mood takes you. The cross-country skiing is good but, equally, Kandersteg makes a good base for non-skiing breaks too.
  • Best for: beginners, improvers & intermediates
    Kandersteg offers trails for skiers of all levels, particularly beginners, improvers and intermediates. Tracks lead from just behind the hotel into the meadows surrounding the village; more challenging trails can be found in the mountains at the end of the valley, accessed by means of the cable car.

    Trails: 52km to 1934m (both classic & skating). Trail map >
    Cross-country skiing
  • Choice of routes
    Bring your walking boots and you can explore the 55 kilometres of specially prepared paths. We provide suggestions as to the most rewarding walks, but do not provide detailed route notes – the designated winter walking trails are well signposted. Some of the best walks can be found around frozen Lake Oeschinensee – there is a splendid trail from the top of the gondola to the lake which affords superb views of the surrounding amphitheatre of mountains – while lower-level routes radiate out from the village itself. For more energetic walkers, the cable car to Sunnbüel is an excellent choice – from here, a beautiful trail winds up the Gemmi Pass, eventually leading to Leukerbad.
    Winter walking
  • Best for: beginners, improvers & families
    For downhill skiing, you will find a small but good, family-oriented domain above the village, around Oeschinensee. Intermediate and advanced skiers are catered for by the alpine domain at Lauchernalp, a 25-minute train and bus ride away.

    Pistes: 13km to 1700m (comprises 5 pistes: blue 2, red 3 served by gondola & draglifts) plus a further 4 pistes at Sunnbüel accessed by bus & cable car.
  • Snowshoeing & more
    Other activities available include snowshoeing, curling, ice-skating, horse-drawn sleigh rides and tobogganing.
    Snowshoeing
    Sleigh ride
  • Bern & elsewhere
    As Kandersteg has a railway station, you can use the trains to visit the medieval capital, Bern, with its arcaded streets and iconic clock tower, or head to the unspoiled Lötschental Valley.
 

Where you stay

Nestling in the broad Kander Valley and surrounded by dramatic mountains, Kandersteg (altitude: 1200m) is a picture-book village with a pleasantly bustling centre where you will find a variety of shops, banks and cafés within an easy stroll of the centrally located Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria.
Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria

Bedrooms

 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
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  • 3 nights: 05 January - 14 March 2020

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Adults 12-15 yrs 6-11 yrs 2-5 yrs
    05 Jan - 09 Jan £695 £450 £390 £235
    10 Jan - 16 Jan not available not available not available not available
    17 Jan - 20 Jan £695 £450 £390 £235
    21 Jan - 25 Jan not available not available not available not available
    26 Jan - 05 Feb £725 £475 £410 £245
    06 Feb - 26 Feb # £780 £515 £440 £250
    27 Feb - 01 Mar £725 £475 £410 £245
    02 Mar - 11 Mar £695 £450 £390 £235

    Includes all elements of the holiday itself (accommodation, meals and any additional elements as described), plus flights (usually, but not always, from London) and onward travel as described.

    # Supplement applies on 15 Feb; please contact us for details

    Prices for children are based on sharing a room with 2 adults

    Included travel: British Airways or Swiss Heathrow-Zürich or Geneva (1h40) (hold luggage included; timings vary, please call for details), connecting journey by rail from the airport (Zürich 2h30, Geneva 3h20) & transfer (0h05)

    Prices are subject to availability and flight supplements may apply. Book early for Christmas, New Year and school holidays. We can also book different flight routes (see flight section below). Please contact us to discuss any pricing implications.

  • Room upgrades (supplement per room per night)

    Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria
    Family apartment: 05 Jan - 14 Mar 2020 £65
    Mini-suite: 05 Jan - 14 Mar 2020 £65
    Single room: 05 Jan - 14 Mar 2020 £8

    Extra nights

    Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria (with dinner) Double room Single room
    05 Jan - 09 Jan 2020 £112 £120
    10 Jan - 16 Jan 2020 not available not available
    17 Jan - 20 Jan 2020 £112 £120
    21 Jan - 25 Jan 2020 not available not available
    26 Jan - 05 Feb 2020 £115 £123
    06 Feb - 26 Feb 2020 £130 £138
    27 Feb - 01 Mar 2020 £115 £123
    02 Mar - 14 Mar 2020 £112 £120
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Zürich or Geneva (latest flight arrival time: 1730; earliest flight departure time: 1300 for both airports)

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Zürich or Geneva. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book onward flights and connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Geneva easyJet 
    Aberdeen - Zurich (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Aberdeen - Zurich (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Geneva easyJet,  Flybe 
    Birmingham - Zurich Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Bournemouth - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Basel easyJet 
    Bristol - Geneva easyJet 
    Bristol - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Cardiff - Geneva Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Geneva jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Basel easyJet 
    Edinburgh - Geneva easyJet,  jet2 
    Edinburgh - Zurich Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Exeter - Geneva Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Geneva easyJet,  jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Inverness - Geneva Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Geneva easyJet,  jet2 
    Leeds Bradford - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Geneva British Airways,  Swiss 
    London City - Zurich British Airways,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Basel easyJet 
    Gatwick - Geneva British Airways,  easyJet,  Swiss 
    Gatwick - Zurich easyJet,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Basel British Airways 
    Heathrow - Geneva British Airways,  Swiss 
    Heathrow - Zurich British Airways,  Swiss 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Basel easyJet 
    Luton - Geneva easyJet 
    Luton - Zurich easyJet,  Vueling 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Geneva easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Basel easyJet 
    Manchester - Geneva easyJet,  jet2 
    Manchester - Zurich Swiss 
    Manchester - Zurich (via Frankfurt) Lufthansa 
    Manchester - Zurich (via Munich) Lufthansa 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Geneva easyJet 
    Newcastle - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Newquay - Geneva Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Norwich - Geneva Flybe 
    Norwich - Zurich (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Southampton - Bern Flybe 
    Southampton - Geneva Flybe 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend Zürich or Geneva. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of alternative flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated above, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice if you would prefer to fly via a different route to the one included in our standard arrangements. A supplement may be payable for other flights.

What is included
  • 3 nights
  • 3 dinners
    3 breakfasts
  • detailed documentation
  • flights from Heathrow (regional flights available)
  • rail travel from/to Zürich or Geneva airport (if flying)
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

 

FAQs

  • In the Alps, most hotels have a vegetarian menu. Please contact us for specific information about this particular hotel.
  • Living far from the capital ourselves, we know better than most that flying from London can be a bind, so we are very flexible with our travel arrangements. Call or email us, and one of the team will be happy to list the different options available to you, and any price implications.
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to Switzerland, but not a visa (if you are travelling after 31 October 2019, see the Brexit question below for more information). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found through the following NHS link: www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/ You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). UK citizens should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by applying at a Post Office or at www.ehic.org.uk. The EHIC allows reciprocal health care but should not be seen as a substitute for travel insurance. EHICs may cease to be valid in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
  • The official languages are German, spoken in the majority of the country; French, spoken in the south-west; Italian, spoken in the south-east; and Romansch, mostly limited to the Engadine valley. The currency is the Franc. Swiss time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 7/17/2019 9:00:54 AM