The next train to Aigle was a pretty trip around the lake.
The train up the mountain to Leysin went once an hour at 4 minutes to the hour. It steamed up the mountain once the cog wheels kicked in and there were beautiful views down the valley with clear blue skies and lots of snow on the ground. The trip takes about 25 min
Arriving at the last of three stations in Leysin we headed off into a good layer of snow on the roads. The directions we had may have been easy when the roads were clear of snow, but pulling suitcases through snow was not easy – and we had left the suitcase snow tires at home! We looked a bit odd trudging down the hillside with suitcases when everyone else was walking back up with skis after a day on the slopes
Suitcases in need of snow chains
Eventually found our accommodation and we headed out for an explore. In some ways it is an odd little ski village in that it is quite spread out and has no natural town centre. In the late 1800’s it changed from a farming area to being a centre for tuberculosis and health clinics. Outdoor tourism and education took over in the 1950’s when antibiotics became common.
View from the balcony of our chalet