COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In many cases, the most popular winter holiday regions of the rich and famous are located away from traditional travel routes and cannot be reached easily by car, train or even commercial flights. In the U.S., ski holiday destinations like Aspen and Vail Colorado; and in Europe, Laax, Switzerland; Chamonix, France; and Zakopane, Poland are some of the most beautiful and remote winter holiday destinations for NetJets customers.
“There is a reason many of these holiday destinations are considered jet set hideaways,” NetJets Head of Global Sales Adam Johnson said. “NetJets makes it easy and convenient for people to reach their destination quickly and comfortably by travelling privately. We have the ability to take off and land at airports in close proximity to skiing areas, saving our customers much valued time.
When traveling, for instance, with NetJets from Northern Germany to St. Moritz in Switzerland, the travel time is about 90 minutes. If one scheduled a flight to Zurich and continued their travels to St. Moritz by train, they would travel for at least five hours.”
NetJets, the leading global private aviation company, has compiled a selection of the most popular airports in winter sports regions in Europe and the U.S.
- Verbier, Switzerland: It’s all about looking great on the slopes in Verbier, a resort that attracts snow fans for the fantastic off-piste conditions. After a day on the slopes, the only place to be seen in Verbier for après ski is the W Hotel. Perched at 1,500 meters, W Verbier is perfectly situated only steps away from the main gondola, offering direct ski-in/ski-out access to over 400 kilometers of ski and hiking terrain all year around.
- Crans-Montana, Switzerland: Crans-Montana is a popular jet set holiday destination in summer as well as in winter. Prince William and former French President Sarkozy have been spotted there. On Telemark Day, 30 December 2014 (chouchentelemark.ch), fans of the original way of skiing get their money’s worth. The easiest way to reach Crans-Montana in Valais canton is via Sion Airport.
- Laax, Switzerland: In the Swiss municipality of Laax, everything is about design. The skiing area, where snow is guaranteed, banks on exclusive styles: the ski lifts were designed by Porsche and one of the city’s landmarks is “rocksresort”, a design hotel consisting of eight massive quartzite cubes. Altenrhein Airport is located only a stone’s throw from Laax, which can be reached via autobahn A13.
- Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy: The winter sports region in Northern Italy is probably the only skiing area in the Alps which gives its name to a famous car model: in the 1960s, the legendary “Ford Cortina” car conveyed a particular elegancy and exclusiveness. Today, the area is still a popular destination for the rich and famous. Moreover, the best winter sports athletes meet in Cortina d’Ampezzo every year for World Cup races. The easiest way to reach the region is via Bolzano Airport.
- Les Trois Vallées, France: Large, larger, Les Trois Vallées: with more than 180 ski lifts and ski slopes totaling more than 600 kilometres, “Les Trois Vallées” is considered the world’s largest skiing area. The “three valleys” are famous for their comfortable wooden chalets. Some celebrities even own one, for instance Harry Potter star Emma Watson. The closest airport is Chambery-Savoie.
- Chamonix, France: The spectacular panorama view of Mont Blanc massif even impresses celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Penelope Cruz. Chamonix, situated at the bottom of the Alps’ highest mountain, is a chic holiday destination with a legendary view and also hosts the “FIS Night Slalom” on 2 and 3 January 2015. Chamonix is also the 2015 “Alpine town of the year” (www.alpenstaedte.org). Geneva Airport is the ideal starting point for travels to Mont Blanc.
- Zakopane, Poland: Zakopane in Southern Poland is known for being the country’s winter sports capital and for its own “Zakopane style”: wooden buildings featuring Art Nouveau elements can be found all over the city. The “World Snow Day” on 18 January 2015 includes many winter sports activities aiming at families with children and teenagers. The closest airport is Poprad in Slovakia.
- Kitzbühel, Austria: From 20 to 25 January 2015, the Hahnenkamm Race will be held on legendary “Streiff” downhill course. This race (www.hahnenkamm.com) is considered one of the most important society events in Austria besides the Vienna Opera Ball. As one of the most dangerous racecourses in the world, it attracts thousands of winter sports fans every year. Kitzbühel can easily be reached by car from Innsbruck Airport, from which there are only a couple of scheduled flights every week.
- St. Moritz, Switzerland: The famous skiing area St. Moritz, located in Eastern Switzerland, is not only well-known for its many kilometres of ski slopes. Every year at the end of January, the “St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow” (www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com) takes place on the frozen Lake St. Moritz. In February, the “White Turf” horse race takes place (www.whiteturf.ch). High society travels to these events from around the world. Samedan Airport is situated only a few kilometres away from St. Moritz.
- Kranjska Gora, Slovenia: Kranjska Gora, located in the Julian Alps in the North-West of Slovenia, is probably one of the favourite places of Ted Ligety. The American alpine ski racer already won the giant slalom race in the Alpine skiing World Cup five times there, including last season. In March 2015, he will defend his title among the best skiers at the Vitranc Cup (www.pokal-vitranc.com). Arrival via Klagenfurt Airport in Austria is recommended.
- Aspen, Colorado: A world-class destination with outdoor adventures from skiing to biking, with a flair for arts and culture. Aspen is a unique diamond situated in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains' Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River. Aspen is known for being the Rocky Mountains playground of the rich and famous. The X Games will be held in Aspen January 22-25, 2015 at the base of Buttermilk Mountain.
- Vail, Colorado: The Vail Ski Resort celebrated its 50th anniversary on Dec. 15, 2012. It is the second largest single mountain ski resort in the United States, featuring seven bowls. Most of the mountain is wide open terrain with trails of all types, from cruising runs from most Front Side and Blue Sky Basin lifts, to the wide open Back Bowls, glades, chutes, and moguls in the Northwoods area, cornices in Blue Sky Basin, and much more.
- Park City, Utah: Park City boasts three world-class resorts, which consistently rank high in the annual SKI Magazine Reader Survey. Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and Canyons Resort combine for over 9,000 acres of terrain and are all located within minutes of each other. Park City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. Park City is also home of the renowned Sundance Film Festival, attracting the who’s who of the entertainment industry to the mountain town.
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming: Jackson Hole is a valley located in the western part of the U.S. state of Wyoming, near Idaho. Jackson Hole is known in the U.S. for its relatively steep terrain and its vertical drop is one of North America's highest, at 1,262 metres (4,140 ft). It has become home to many of the world's best free skiers as the terrain is considered to be some of the most challenging in North America. The 2013/14 ski season at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort featured over 500 inches of snow, the second snowiest February on record.
- Big Sky/Bozeman, Montana: Big Sky Resort is a 5,800-acre (23 km2) ski resort located in southwestern Montana in Madison County, an hour south of Bozeman via U.S. Highway 191 in Big Sky, Montana. The resort was the vision of NBC News anchorman Chet Huntley, a Montana native. At 11,166 feet it's easy to see Lone Peak's appeal and it boasts runs up to six miles long and glades and bowls covered in 400+ inches of annual snowfall.
About NetJets
NetJets Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the worldwide leader in private aviation with the largest and most diverse private jet fleet in the world. NetJets is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, having been established in 1964 as the world’s first private jet charter and management company. In 1986, NetJets pioneered the concept of fractional aircraft ownership – offering individuals and businesses all of the benefits of whole aircraft ownership and more, at a fraction of the cost. Today, NetJets offers a full range of private aviation solutions through businesses bearing the NetJets®, Executive Jet Management®, and Marquis Jet Card® service brands in North America, Europe and China. For more information on NetJets customer programs and services visit www.netjets.com.
