Engelberg or Garmisch-Partenkirchen?
Engelberg takes 5 of 9, with 2 too close to call. That still does not settle it — only the categories you care about count.
Switzerland
Engelberg
The Laub and the Steinberg glacier: 2,000 m of continuous off-piste vertical an hour from Zurich, and the reason Scandinavians fill this valley every February. The piste skiing is an afterthought.
Worth knowing. The piste skiing is an afterthought. Come for the off-piste or do not come.
Choose it if
Off-piste
About £1,325 a week from London
Germany
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Germany's highest lift-served skiing on the Zugspitze glacier, an hour and a half from Munich by train. Small area, but the town and the transfer make it an easy short break.
Worth knowing. Small area, and the Zugspitze glacier is a separate trip.
Choose it if
A non-skiing partner
About £1,076 a week from London
Side by side
| Engelberg | Garmisch-Partenkirchen | |
|---|---|---|
| Snow reliability | 59/100 | 50/100 |
| Size of the ski area | 82 km | 60 km |
| Top lift | 3020 m | 2720 m |
| Cost before travel | €1315 | €990 |
| Families with young kids | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Snowboarders | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| A non-skiing partner | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Budget and après | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Off-piste | 10/10 | 5/10 |
Bold marks the winner. Rows where neither is bold are close enough that the difference would not change a decision. Cost excludes travel, which depends on where you leave from.
Piste kilometres, lift counts and prices are indicative and compiled from public sources — they have not yet been checked against the resort's own figures for this season. Costs are planning estimates, not quotes. Spotted one that is wrong? Tell us.