Saas Fee family holidays and breaks

The car-free village of Saas Fee in Switzerland – a runner-up in our Best Ever Family Ski Resort in the Ages 7 and Under category) – oozes charm, with traditional chalets surrounded by impressive mountain peaks that you normally see only on top of a chocolate-box. The hotels and chalets are close to the slopes, and you get around by elektro-taxis (like glorified milk floats!) or horse-drawn carriages. As for the skiing, the ski run has a vertical drop of 1,800m and a top elevation of 3,550m and covers 100km, so there is something for everyone.

Yet it’s not all twinkling lights and fairy-tales – there’s also a lively atmosphere off-piste, with great bars and restaurants to keep everyone entertained on family holidays. The place feels safe and if your kids are a little bit older, this is a great place to let them stretch their wings without worrying about any rowdiness. 

Saas Fee is also a wonderful place to visit in summer, when you can romp through the flower-strewn mountains à la Heidi. 

Flying Time	1.75 hours
Carbon Footprint	0.72 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT +1
Local Currency	Swiss Franc

What to Do

Ski. Saas Fee is perfect for families and beginners, with more than its fair share of nursery and intermediate slopes, but there’s also enough to keep pros happy for a week or so. 

Book ages 4+ into the ski school; all the instructors speak English, and the nursery slopes run straight from the village, so it’s not too much of a slog for little legs. They’ll be fully entertained with supervised lunches and activities in the afternoons. 

For younger kids, book one of the crèches or kids’ clubs, all packed to the brim with arts and crafts.  

Take children to the Kids Fun Park at the sports field, with a magic carpet, a slalom course and a snow carousel.

Head for the huge sports centre with its 25m swimming pool, the toboggan run and the ice rink, and go traditional husky-dog sledding – kids get to meet and pet the dogs first, then whizz through the forest. 

Take the kids to the Saas Museum, a bakery museum where they can roll their sleeves up, bake a loaf and tuck in, receiving a diploma at the end for their efforts. 

Come in summer for events including fêtes and festivals where activities might include a fairytale trail. And make use of the playground above neighbouring Saas Grund, with a waterpark, themed trail and petting zoo; it’s reached by cable-car. 

Where to Stay

See the right-hand column of this page for our hotel recommendations and deals for family holidays in Saas Fee, and also for a family adventure holiday in the resort.

When

The high altitude means snow is pretty much guaranteed throughout the season in Saas Fee, which typically runs around 15 Dec–24 April. The most popular time for family holidays is February half-term week, so you need to book very early and be prepared to pay a premium.

How

There are direct flights from London Heathrow to Sion, from which it's a 1hr transfer to Saas Fee. Or there are regular flights to Geneva from many UK airports, but then there's a 3hr transfer on arrival – not ideal for family holidays.

See our flight deals and car-hire pages.

By train, travel to Brig or Visp and from there by bus to Saas Fee. Find train and bus connections on the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) website.

Eat

Those taking family holidays in Saas Fee normally book half-board hotel packages, but there are plenty of restaurants if you fancy a change, including the world's highest revolving restaurant at Mittelallalin. But no matter where you end up eating, you’re bound to have a pretty spectacular view.

Expect hearty, warming food – plenty of stews, soups, grilled meats and cheese dishes, including fondu, plus lots of lovely cakes.

Cost

For family holidays in Saas Fee, budget a total of £2,500 for a week including the extras, rising to £4000–5000 in high season.

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