Crans-Montana on the plateau above Sierre, canton Valais, at 1500 m.

Where to stay in Crans-Montana

Stay in Crans-Montana for the golf plateau, 140 km of south-facing pistes split across two linked villages, and a funicular straight from the Sierre valley line. If you want a single village rather than two linked ones, Verbier suits better.

1500metres above sea level140km of south-facing pistes, 1500 m to 3000 m13minutes on the Sierre funicular, departures every 20 minutes

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Photo: Jérémy Toma, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Crans-Montana at a glance

Why Crans-Montana

Because the plateau holds two golf courses beside a 140 km ski area, and is reached directly by road from Sierre as well as by the SMC funicular. Both the Crans-sur-Sierre golf courses and the Cry d’Er cable car start on the same side of the resort, so a stay in Crans can move from golf to skiing without changing base.

Where to sleep

Playing golf or skiing from Crans: stay by the Crans-sur-Sierre courses and the Cry d’Er cable car. First stay or no car: Montana, where the funicular from Sierre arrives directly, by Lac Grenon and the shopping street. Heading for the glacier: Les Barzettes or Violettes, the fastest lifts towards the Plaine Morte.

Watch out

Winter 2026/27 opens fully on 19 December, with only a partial opening possible from 28 November depending on snow, and the operator states these dates can still change. If your stay falls in that early window, confirm the ski area is open before you book.

Crans-Montana, before you book

Crans-Montana sits at 1500 metres on a sunny plateau above the Rhone valley, really two villages, Crans and Montana, joined by a free shuttle bus. You reach it two ways: drive up directly from Sierre, or leave the car below and take the SMC funicular, renewed in 2022, which climbs 927 metres over 4.2 kilometres in about fifteen minutes, with a departure every twenty. A bus alternative takes about forty minutes, once an hour.

Three sectors decide where to sleep. Crans, at the western end, gathers the golf courses and the cable car up to Cry d’Er. Montana, to the east, is where the funicular from Sierre arrives directly, beside Lac Grenon and the shopping street. Further east again, Les Barzettes and Violettes sit at the foot of the cable cars towards the Plaine Morte glacier, a quieter, more residential stretch further from the shops.

The hotels span the full width of the plateau, from budget addresses on Montana’s shopping street to golf-side residences in Crans. A former gondola station above Crans has become one of them, at 2112 metres, and a kitchen with one Michelin star anchors another in Crans; between the two sit an address directly on Lac Grenon and a house dating from 1934 on the slope towards Violettes. Our dated price samples put the Hôtel Olympic, on Montana’s shopping street, as the least expensive address in this selection.

Winter 2026/27 runs fully from 19 December to 4 April, over 140 km of south-facing pistes; summer lifts operate from 13 June to 25 October, reaching the Plaine Morte glacier from 4 July to 13 September. From the airports, the tourist office gives about two and a half hours from Geneva, about three hours from Zurich, about three and a half from Basel, about an hour from Sion, and about four hours from Milan Malpensa.

Summer or winter?

Pick a season, or set your dates above: prices and advice follow.

Summer in Crans-Montana

Where to stay this season

In summer, Crans suits golfers, sitting on the plateau by both courses. Montana suits a family stay, close to Lac Grenon and the shops, while Barzettes and Violettes give the fastest lift access to the Plaine Morte glacier and to the start of the Marmot Trail.

320 km

of signposted hiking paths

Crans, by the golf courses · 5 stars

From

CHF 1'010/ night

Average seen CHF 1'285No price found for this season on our sample dates

Guarda Golf stands at Route des Zirès 14, by the golf courses in Crans, with its own indoor and outdoor practice facilities alongside the fairways. Guests have an indoor pool and a spa with jacuzzi, sauna and hammam, plus the restaurant FIVE, which makes it the address to pick for a stay built around golf without leaving the grounds to practise.

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Chetzeron

On the slopes above Crans

No price collected on our sample dates

Chetzeron occupies the concrete shell of a former gondola station at 2112 metres on the slopes above Crans, turned into a restaurant in 2009 and a hotel in 2014. It is ski in, ski out in winter, and reopens for the hiking and biking season in summer, which suits guests who want to stay up on the mountain rather than come down to the village each evening.

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Prices: lowest and average nightly rate seen on Booking.com for 2 adults and 1 room, on 2 winter dates and 1 summer dates, collected on September 16, 2026. They are indicative, the real price depends on your dates. Hotel facts come from each hotel’s own website. Some hotel links are affiliate links.

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Where to stay, area by area

Crans, the golf plateau

The west end of the plateau

Crans sits at the western end of the plateau, built around the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club and its two courses, the 18-hole Severiano Ballesteros and the 9-hole Jack Nicklaus. It suits golfers and skiers heading up the Crans-Merbé-Cry d’Er cable car, the resort’s main lift on this side and the start of the Marmot Trail. The funicular from Sierre lands on the other side of the plateau, in Montana, so from Crans you reach it on the free shuttle bus rather than on foot.

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Montana, the funicular and the lake

The east end, arrival point from Sierre

Montana is where the SMC funicular from Sierre arrives, on the eastern side of the plateau, with no further transfer needed. Lac Grenon sits here too, and the shopping street runs at the bottom of the ski slopes, past hotels such as the Olympic. It suits a first stay or heavy luggage, since you step off the funicular into the centre; the golf courses and the Cry d’Er cable car, on the Crans side, are then a shuttle ride away.

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Les Barzettes, Violettes and the slope above

The eastern edge, towards the glacier

Les Barzettes and Violettes sit on the eastern edge of the resort, at the foot of the cable cars towards Marolires and onward to the Plaine Morte glacier by the Funitel. It suits skiers and hikers making straight for the glacier, and hotels such as Le Mont-Paisible stand a few steps from the Violettes cable car. In exchange, this side sits further from the shops than Crans or Montana.

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What to do in Crans-Montana

This is not a trail guide, just a handful of named places from Crans-Montana Tourisme, the lift operator CMA and Valais Wallis Promotion, enough to picture what a day on the plateau looks like.

On foot

A historic water channel and a marmot trail

Bisse du Ro11.3 km · 3 h 35 · 144 m of climb
The path follows the historic Bisse du Ro water channel and crosses a suspended footbridge, one of the hikes the tourist office lists among its unmissable summer walks; at 3 h 35 it fills half a day rather than a short stroll.
Marmot Trailabout 2 h · 6.2 km · 80 m of climb
This shorter loop links Cry d’Er to the Cabane des Violettes in about two hours, published by the tourist office in the same set of summer hikes as the Bisse du Ro, a fit for an afternoon rather than a full day out.

Up the mountain

Two lifts towards the glacier

Plaine Morte glacier3000 m · Funitel Violettes
The Funitel Violettes climbs to the Plaine Morte glacier at 3000 m, where the operator runs a restaurant at the top; in summer the lift operates only from 4 July to 13 September 2026, so check those dates if the glacier is the point of your visit.
Crans to Cry d’Er cable carmain lift out of Crans
This is the main lift out of Crans, running via Merbé up to Cry d’Er, and it doubles as the starting point for the Marmot Trail towards the Cabane des Violettes, a practical link if you plan to combine a ride up with a walk down.

Where to eat

A former lift station and a glacier restaurant

Chetzeron2112 m · lunch and dinner
On the slopes above Crans, this restaurant occupies the converted concrete shell of an old gondola station, turned into a dining room in 2009 and listed by the tourist office among its mountain restaurants; it serves both lunch and dinner, which lets you plan either meal around the ride up.
Plaine Morte restaurant3000 m · fondues and Valais dishes
At the top of the Violettes Funitel, this restaurant is run directly by the lift operator and serves fondues and Valais dishes, including the assiette valaisanne, a lunch stop built into the same ride up to the glacier.

Typical here

Two courses on the plateau

Severiano Ballesteros course18 holes · Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club
This 18-hole course belongs to the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club and hosts the Omega European Masters, which returns 2 to 5 September 2027, so book well ahead if your stay is meant to overlap with the tournament.
Jack Nicklaus course9 holes · indoor centre open all year
The club’s second course, 9 holes, sits alongside an indoor practice centre that stays open all year, useful if your trip lands outside the summer season and you still want to keep your swing in shape.

Times, altitudes and figures come from Crans-Montana Tourisme, the operator CMA and Valais Wallis Promotion, checked on 16 September 2026. We publish no ratings and no route descriptions: check conditions on the spot before you set off.

Found your area? Check what is still free in Crans-Montana.

Prices and availability change daily in the Alps, especially in July, August and over Christmas.

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What runs, month by month

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Ski area, 1500 m to 3000 m	Open	Open	Open	Partly closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Partly closed	Partly closed
Plaine Morte glacier	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Open	Open	Partly closed	Closed	Closed	Closed
Montana to Arnouva	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Open	Open	Partly closed	Open	Closed	Closed

Open

Partly closed

Closed

Ski area 2026/27: full opening 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with a partial opening possible from 28 November 2026 depending on snow. Summer 2026 lift season: 13 June to 25 October. Montana-Arnouva runs 4 July to 13 September and again 3 to 25 October; Plaine Morte access runs 4 July to 13 September. All dates from the operator, checked 16 September 2026.

Getting to Crans-Montana, in practice

By funicular from Sierre

The funicular covers just over 4.2 km and 927 m of height gain, and was fully renewed in 2022, so it is worth choosing over the car if you would rather not drive the mountain road. From Sierre railway station, follow the red line painted on the pavement: it leads to the funicular in about 5 minutes, so plan for that short walk between trains.

By bus from Sierre

A bus also runs from Sierre to Crans-Montana, about 40 minutes with one departure an hour, a fallback worth checking if the funicular timetable does not line up with your onward train, even though the ride itself takes longer than the funicular.

By car and the free shuttle

Driving up is straightforward: the plateau is reached directly by road from Sierre, so a car works just as well as the funicular for getting there. Once on site, leave the car at the hotel and use the free shuttle bus network run by the tourist office, which links Crans, Montana and the outer sectors without needing to drive between them.

By rail from the airports

Budget your travel day around these published door-to-door times: about 2 h 30 from Geneva Airport, about 3 h from Zurich Airport, about 3 h 30 from Basel EuroAirport, only about 1 h from Sion Airport, and about 4 h from Milan Malpensa, so a Sion arrival cuts most of the journey out entirely.

Driving on from Crans-Montana? Compare rental prices and check the vignette, the winter rules and the passes before you book.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you get up to Crans-Montana from the valley?

From Sierre, take the SMC funicular, about 15 minutes with departures every 20 minutes over 4.2 km and 927 m of climb, or the bus, about 40 minutes with one departure an hour. Choose the funicular if you want the faster, more frequent option, and the bus only as a backup when its timing suits your train better.

Crans or Montana, which side should I stay on?

Crans is the golf end, home to the Severiano Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus courses and the Cry d’Er cable car. Montana is where the funicular from Sierre arrives directly, on Lac Grenon and the shopping street. Pick Crans for golf or the Cry d’Er lift, and Montana if you want to step off the funicular straight into the centre, since free shuttle buses link the two anyway.

When does the ski season run in winter 2026/27?

The ski area opens fully from 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with a partial opening possible from 28 November 2026 if the snow allows it. The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships run 1 to 14 February 2027 and the ski area stays open through the event, so book early for that fortnight if the championships are part of the plan.

Is there skiing high enough to be reliable?

The ski area runs from 1500 m up to 3000 m, with 140 km of south-facing pistes and access to the Plaine Morte glacier by the Violettes Funitel. That top section gives a fallback if lower slopes run short of snow, so a stay near Barzettes or Violettes keeps the glacier lift within easy reach.

What is open in summer?

The lift season runs from 13 June to 25 October 2026, though Montana to Arnouva and the Plaine Morte access both operate only from 4 July to 13 September, with Montana to Arnouva adding a second spell from 3 to 25 October. Outside those windows, the 320 km network of signposted hiking paths stays open regardless, so a trip either side of high summer still works for walkers.

Nearby destinations

Compare the Valais bases →