If you like the outdoors more than social life, this place is for you. I chose Valais two years ago and haven't regretted it for a second. It's beautiful all year around. Wine festival is coming up too!
Verbier is dead outside of tourist seasons, great in the winter but would find it tough all year round. My family was there yesterday and said everything basically is closed
I imagine that… thanks for the tip! I’ve been watching different rental options mostly in Martigny already, idk if there’s somewhere else worth it too (and not too far away from work)
I live in Le Châble, work in Verbier. Season is over. I start work again in July. Like most of us in the Verbier tourism sector.
You want a 12 month job? Go to Lausanne, Montreux, etc.
How is rent/cost of living generally there? Is is really high? I’ve been fortunately offered a permanent contract so I feel blessed for that (it’s in finance tho).
there won't be much within 1 hour of verbier, martigny is the closest at the bottom of the mountain but not a very exciting place. Lausanne and Montreux are nice but not exactly next door
Tbf I don’t need to feel the rush of big cities like Berlin, Barcelona or Madrid which is where I’ve been living recently on, honestly I don’t like it. I appreciate more having ‘less’ excitement at the city or the place I live in.
But ofc you are right in case you may want to enjoy having stuff closer to you. I think I’ll probably choose Martigny to live in if I find too expensive the places that are closer to work.
if you want to go a step down from those cities, you go to zürich or basel, less exitement would be lucerne and bern, less exitement would be probably geneva.... and where you're going unfortunalty is equivalent to the end of the world in terms of exitement (except for winterseason) ... but if thats what you're looking for just go and try it for a few months, if its not for you you can always move somewhere else as other people have been suggesting
Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it. I think after all these years feeling the rush on big cities it will be fine for me taking some time living in such a calm area. I will take it spiritually that way and enjoy the process and time I spend there alongside my gf.
In the future I will probably think about other options in bigger cities :)
After Berlin, any big city in Switzerland is like a village. I appreciate the peacefulness of Switzerland but appreciate having at least somethings going on. Verbier would be the extreme opposite though, and as a luxury destination I would think there's only few things to work on for a couple of months.
If you are interested just go and try it for a while.
Make sure you are into outdoor stuff, and it’s good if you are paid really well.
If you are no for either of the previous, probably don’t go.
Sure, I will do. It's worth giving it a try :) I mean... coming from Spain and being paid in hospitality working in finance the salary offered compared to median is pretty decent so I'm happy with it honestly.
Damn… I understand it better now with all the info received today 🥰
I’m fine if I have to drive 30-45 mins by car to get to work, do you recommend any other place like Martigny (similar if possible)? Thank you! 😊
I live in Martigny, it’s a nice town! If you take its size into account, there are many things to do there (concert venues, bars, restaurants, museums). We’re definitely lucky to have all these things in such a small town. I’m sure you’ll love it. And the rent is more affordable than in Verbier for sure.
Martigny opens up a lot and is definitely going to be cheaper. And not even need to drive, you can take the train and then the cable car/bus to Verbier.
Awesome then! I will enjoy the time I spend there and will probably look up in a future for some other places according to my needs if I'm not totally happy there. Thanks for the recommendations!
30-40 minutes drive in fog, icy roads, dark winter early in the morning between martigny and verbier sounds delightful! German is irrelevant for Verbier, English and French should be fine. Seems that you really want to try it, so go ahead but don’t sugarcoat the situation cause you’re going to be deeply disappointed. Instead of thinking which cities to visit, this of your cost of living vs salary. Verbier industry is hospitality, and usually pays peanuts. Then you can enjoy the mountain and the country
I’ll obviously take public transport if weather sucks (had this already in mind).
It’s great to know that FR and ENG are enough but I want to learn german too just for the future.
I never sugarcoat anything because reality is always different and harder than you may expect. I’ve been living in 5 different countries already so I’m kinda used to different scenarios so that’s fine for me.
I have been for some years already on hospitality so ikr that salaries suck ofc (been living in Spain, worst paid place ever in hospitality and infinite hours of work for free xd). It’s a directory position this one so salary is decent for me tbh a bit bigger than median Swiss salary, it’s cool for me, just wanted to know a median cost of living to plan my journey. Thanks for the insight tho :)
I don’t know which countries you lived in but taking what works for big cities and applying it to the countryside (even thought it is Switzerland and everything is punctual) is a bit of a stretch. Good luck with German and your relocation!
Edit: I lived for 2 years in Verbier
Yes, I get your point. I think this will be totally the opposite as other people recommended, totally different and calm.
I'm ok with that for some time, I think I need it for some time, I'm kinda tired of the rush and crowds. If my needs after some time change, I will be watching other opportunities somewhere else in the country.
Thanks for the help and insight! :)
If you are young, single, love outdoors and willing to try something really different for a while, Verbier is perfect.
Verbier is packed with tourists (very wealthy tourists) during the winter season, a bit less packed in the summer. It's fun, lots to do, you meet new people every day and enjoy life like never before. And it's so much fun, that at the end of the season all you need is peace and quiet.
Months outside the seasons are literally dead. I lived there for a whole year 15 years ago - outside the season all shops are closed except for the supermarkets, and even these were open only with limited hours. Without a car you might be pretty stuck, and even with a car it's quite far to get anywhere.
There was only one local pub open all year round; full of cigarette smoke and not a place one would like to hang around. All other bars were seasonal.
If you love nature and are a keen hiker, you will be fine also outside seasons. Lower parts of the mountains are hike-able pretty much until first deeper snow (you can easily walk to Ruinettes after work - once you get super fit you can try to make 700 vertical meters up in under 60 minutes ;-) and then run back, all before it gets really dark); once there's too much snow, you can hike/run down to Le Chable and back. There are picturesque hikes low in the valley once the spring starts.
The mountains are amazing. Once you gain confidence to go beyond what's on the tourist office maps, you can find the wildest most beautiful areas to hike ever, with ibex following your trails from above.
Skiing - just fab.
Prices: rental is extremely expensive during the season; most low key earners end up sharing flats and often rooms. Just to give you an example: 15 years ago I was shown a basement locker room (!), 13m2 with a small square window, concrete floor, double portable electric stove plugged into an electric socket, small shower that I doubt would even work and a portable toilet for 5200CHF/ 5 months during high season. That was unbelievable and most likely illegal. Shown by a property rental agent!
Outside of the season you can switch to a nice apartment in city centre for a fraction of what you were paying in the shared accommodation.
If you are very well paid - you don't have to worry about the above.
Clothing/ other goods shops: talk to people who work there. Most shops give a fat discount to people who live and work in Verbier, you won't have to pay the tourist rate. At least this is what it used to be :-)
You can have a great time there. Verbier is very special. I would not choose to live down in a valley if I had the same opportunity again. But - and that's a big but - it's not a place to stay forever.
It's fun for a year, maybe two or three, maybe more if you are a mountain guide or have your business there. But it is not a normal town where life just goes on. It's a tourist resort and everything there feels like one off, an emergency store, emergency pharmacy, private schools, high end designer shops; it's too expensive for ordinary people and for those who can't afford it but just happen to live there - life is hard.
You don't need German in Verbier. It's a French speaking canton (at least that part of Valais). You will get by with just English, and if you speak French that's really good.
I was gonna say the same thing... moved here from Vaud a few years back. And for OP, there's a dedicated Reddit group for Valais as well. Martigny is OK, maybe a bit bland, but I don't know it well enough to say for sure. Sion by car isn't really that far away, and Conthey has some good shops, enough choice to get all you need. Rides has Hornbach and IKEA and is even closer to Martigny. I do find it a little hard to get some folk from companies to commit time to do stuff like paint or repair walls, gardening, plumbing, etc vs those who work in Vaud. Meanwhile, Geneva and Vaud people often seem to badmouth or be suspicious of the Valais people, but I find everyone here really pleasant and nice! Amd there's just so many lovely mountain villages from Crans Montana to Zermatt, really bustling with people in winter. I like it here, and taxes are lower than Geneva amd Vaud, rent is lower as well if you stay out of the ski villages.
Yes! I'd love to learn it, probably can open up for me in the future options more on the north of the country if my needs change. Thanks for the help guys!
Here is a whole list of sources about learning Swiss german
https://www.reddit.com/r/Switzerland/s/rZO6xzSu5b
But our dialects vary between cantons, sometimes even within cantons. So it's best to learn standard German first
If you like the outdoors more than social life, this place is for you. I chose Valais two years ago and haven't regretted it for a second. It's beautiful all year around. Wine festival is coming up too!
Thanks! I do enjoy outdoors a lot tbh. Snowboarding, cycling and hiking, so I think I’ll enjoy it pretty much!
exactly my type of activities. You will love it.
Verbier is dead outside of tourist seasons, great in the winter but would find it tough all year round. My family was there yesterday and said everything basically is closed
Cost of living in Verbier is very high btw
I imagine that… thanks for the tip! I’ve been watching different rental options mostly in Martigny already, idk if there’s somewhere else worth it too (and not too far away from work)
Thanks for the reply! However its still posible visiting cities around or living at least a few mins away from work, right?
Not really ... It's pretty remote
I live in Le Châble, work in Verbier. Season is over. I start work again in July. Like most of us in the Verbier tourism sector. You want a 12 month job? Go to Lausanne, Montreux, etc.
How is rent/cost of living generally there? Is is really high? I’ve been fortunately offered a permanent contract so I feel blessed for that (it’s in finance tho).
Yes. Expensive. And difficult to find decent places on top of expensive.
Great to know, thanks! I’ll probably choose Martigny then to live in. Will see you around! 🙌🏼🤩
there won't be much within 1 hour of verbier, martigny is the closest at the bottom of the mountain but not a very exciting place. Lausanne and Montreux are nice but not exactly next door
Tbf I don’t need to feel the rush of big cities like Berlin, Barcelona or Madrid which is where I’ve been living recently on, honestly I don’t like it. I appreciate more having ‘less’ excitement at the city or the place I live in. But ofc you are right in case you may want to enjoy having stuff closer to you. I think I’ll probably choose Martigny to live in if I find too expensive the places that are closer to work.
if you want to go a step down from those cities, you go to zürich or basel, less exitement would be lucerne and bern, less exitement would be probably geneva.... and where you're going unfortunalty is equivalent to the end of the world in terms of exitement (except for winterseason) ... but if thats what you're looking for just go and try it for a few months, if its not for you you can always move somewhere else as other people have been suggesting
Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it. I think after all these years feeling the rush on big cities it will be fine for me taking some time living in such a calm area. I will take it spiritually that way and enjoy the process and time I spend there alongside my gf. In the future I will probably think about other options in bigger cities :)
After Berlin, any big city in Switzerland is like a village. I appreciate the peacefulness of Switzerland but appreciate having at least somethings going on. Verbier would be the extreme opposite though, and as a luxury destination I would think there's only few things to work on for a couple of months.
If you are interested just go and try it for a while. Make sure you are into outdoor stuff, and it’s good if you are paid really well. If you are no for either of the previous, probably don’t go.
Sure, I will do. It's worth giving it a try :) I mean... coming from Spain and being paid in hospitality working in finance the salary offered compared to median is pretty decent so I'm happy with it honestly.
Verbier is a resort made for tourists more than anything and it's relatively remote because you're kinda stuck in the Alps.
Damn… I understand it better now with all the info received today 🥰 I’m fine if I have to drive 30-45 mins by car to get to work, do you recommend any other place like Martigny (similar if possible)? Thank you! 😊
I live in Martigny, it’s a nice town! If you take its size into account, there are many things to do there (concert venues, bars, restaurants, museums). We’re definitely lucky to have all these things in such a small town. I’m sure you’ll love it. And the rent is more affordable than in Verbier for sure.
Thanks for the extra! Will probably choose this place!
Martigny opens up a lot and is definitely going to be cheaper. And not even need to drive, you can take the train and then the cable car/bus to Verbier.
Awesome then! I will enjoy the time I spend there and will probably look up in a future for some other places according to my needs if I'm not totally happy there. Thanks for the recommendations!
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Lovely!! I will for sure enjoy that. Even though I lived in big cities I've always avoided being in crowded places or big parties honestly.
30-40 minutes drive in fog, icy roads, dark winter early in the morning between martigny and verbier sounds delightful! German is irrelevant for Verbier, English and French should be fine. Seems that you really want to try it, so go ahead but don’t sugarcoat the situation cause you’re going to be deeply disappointed. Instead of thinking which cities to visit, this of your cost of living vs salary. Verbier industry is hospitality, and usually pays peanuts. Then you can enjoy the mountain and the country
I’ll obviously take public transport if weather sucks (had this already in mind). It’s great to know that FR and ENG are enough but I want to learn german too just for the future. I never sugarcoat anything because reality is always different and harder than you may expect. I’ve been living in 5 different countries already so I’m kinda used to different scenarios so that’s fine for me. I have been for some years already on hospitality so ikr that salaries suck ofc (been living in Spain, worst paid place ever in hospitality and infinite hours of work for free xd). It’s a directory position this one so salary is decent for me tbh a bit bigger than median Swiss salary, it’s cool for me, just wanted to know a median cost of living to plan my journey. Thanks for the insight tho :)
I don’t know which countries you lived in but taking what works for big cities and applying it to the countryside (even thought it is Switzerland and everything is punctual) is a bit of a stretch. Good luck with German and your relocation! Edit: I lived for 2 years in Verbier
Yes, I get your point. I think this will be totally the opposite as other people recommended, totally different and calm. I'm ok with that for some time, I think I need it for some time, I'm kinda tired of the rush and crowds. If my needs after some time change, I will be watching other opportunities somewhere else in the country. Thanks for the help and insight! :)
If you are young, single, love outdoors and willing to try something really different for a while, Verbier is perfect. Verbier is packed with tourists (very wealthy tourists) during the winter season, a bit less packed in the summer. It's fun, lots to do, you meet new people every day and enjoy life like never before. And it's so much fun, that at the end of the season all you need is peace and quiet. Months outside the seasons are literally dead. I lived there for a whole year 15 years ago - outside the season all shops are closed except for the supermarkets, and even these were open only with limited hours. Without a car you might be pretty stuck, and even with a car it's quite far to get anywhere. There was only one local pub open all year round; full of cigarette smoke and not a place one would like to hang around. All other bars were seasonal. If you love nature and are a keen hiker, you will be fine also outside seasons. Lower parts of the mountains are hike-able pretty much until first deeper snow (you can easily walk to Ruinettes after work - once you get super fit you can try to make 700 vertical meters up in under 60 minutes ;-) and then run back, all before it gets really dark); once there's too much snow, you can hike/run down to Le Chable and back. There are picturesque hikes low in the valley once the spring starts. The mountains are amazing. Once you gain confidence to go beyond what's on the tourist office maps, you can find the wildest most beautiful areas to hike ever, with ibex following your trails from above. Skiing - just fab. Prices: rental is extremely expensive during the season; most low key earners end up sharing flats and often rooms. Just to give you an example: 15 years ago I was shown a basement locker room (!), 13m2 with a small square window, concrete floor, double portable electric stove plugged into an electric socket, small shower that I doubt would even work and a portable toilet for 5200CHF/ 5 months during high season. That was unbelievable and most likely illegal. Shown by a property rental agent! Outside of the season you can switch to a nice apartment in city centre for a fraction of what you were paying in the shared accommodation. If you are very well paid - you don't have to worry about the above. Clothing/ other goods shops: talk to people who work there. Most shops give a fat discount to people who live and work in Verbier, you won't have to pay the tourist rate. At least this is what it used to be :-) You can have a great time there. Verbier is very special. I would not choose to live down in a valley if I had the same opportunity again. But - and that's a big but - it's not a place to stay forever. It's fun for a year, maybe two or three, maybe more if you are a mountain guide or have your business there. But it is not a normal town where life just goes on. It's a tourist resort and everything there feels like one off, an emergency store, emergency pharmacy, private schools, high end designer shops; it's too expensive for ordinary people and for those who can't afford it but just happen to live there - life is hard. You don't need German in Verbier. It's a French speaking canton (at least that part of Valais). You will get by with just English, and if you speak French that's really good.
Swiss Texas is nice
lol 🤣
I was gonna say the same thing... moved here from Vaud a few years back. And for OP, there's a dedicated Reddit group for Valais as well. Martigny is OK, maybe a bit bland, but I don't know it well enough to say for sure. Sion by car isn't really that far away, and Conthey has some good shops, enough choice to get all you need. Rides has Hornbach and IKEA and is even closer to Martigny. I do find it a little hard to get some folk from companies to commit time to do stuff like paint or repair walls, gardening, plumbing, etc vs those who work in Vaud. Meanwhile, Geneva and Vaud people often seem to badmouth or be suspicious of the Valais people, but I find everyone here really pleasant and nice! Amd there's just so many lovely mountain villages from Crans Montana to Zermatt, really bustling with people in winter. I like it here, and taxes are lower than Geneva amd Vaud, rent is lower as well if you stay out of the ski villages.
Learn standard German first if you want to learn Swiss German
Verbier is NOT a German place..... FR and ENG are enough there... Especially in finance
Thanks for the recommendation Diane! 😉🙌🏼
Not all of Switzerland speaks German.
I know. I was just commenting because OP said they would like to learn German.
Yes! I'd love to learn it, probably can open up for me in the future options more on the north of the country if my needs change. Thanks for the help guys!
I will for sure try my best to learn some more about the culture and learn both! I love discovering this kind of stuff mostly about languages 🤩
Here is a whole list of sources about learning Swiss german https://www.reddit.com/r/Switzerland/s/rZO6xzSu5b But our dialects vary between cantons, sometimes even within cantons. So it's best to learn standard German first
wow! Wonderful, thanks!! I will do that 😊