Saas-Fee is car-free, and there is a huge – but expensive – parking area at the entrance to the village (Fr.13/day); you’d do better to take advantage of the cheaper deals in Visp, and catch the bus in. The bus station is beside the car park, as is the post office (CH-3906) and, just opposite, the tourist office (June–Sept & Dec–April Mon–Fri 8.30am–noon & 2–6.30pm, Sat 8am–7pm, Sun 9am–noon & 3–6pm; rest of year Mon–Sat 8.30am–noon & 2–6pm, Sun 10am–noon & 4–6pm; 027/958 18 58, www. saas-fee.ch).

Saas Grund has two campsites, but only the simple Bergheimat, alongside the village, stays open year-round (027/957 20 66). The cheapest hotel in Saas-Fee is the plain and simple Happy Lodge (027/957 15 55, fax 957 33 36; a), 500m northeast of the tourist office. Following hard on its heels is the Zur Mühle (027/957 26 76, fax 957 26 77; b), an excellent-value place in an old burnt-wood chalet, with all rooms facing south and balconied; it’s 500m southwest of the tourist office, close to all the lifts and on the riverbank. Close by is the small, charming Burgener (027/957 15 22, fax 957 28 88; c–d), beside the quiet Ski Hütte restaurant. The Zurbriggen (027/958 12 60, fax 958 12 65; b–c), set in its own gardens, is another good mid-range choice, close to the tourist office, while more upmarket is the Saaserhof (027/957 35 51, fax 957 28 83; e–g), a modern, extremely comfortable four-star place, very convenient for the lifts.

Eating and drinking is a case of keep wandering until your stomach, or your eyes, tell you to stop. Next door to each other in the centre are Boccalino, doing pizzas and the like for Fr.12–15, and Pizzeria Philippe, with quality Italian-inspired menus for Fr.22, along with steaks and pizzas from a wood oven. The restaurant attached to Hotel Zur Mühle is a reliable proposition for inexpensive Walliser cuisine – mainly fondues and raclettes. La Ferme, near the tourist office, is a step up in quality, with good menus from Fr.25 and brave attempts at rustic decor. The sky’s the limit for gourmet cuisine, exemplified by two temples to the art: the Fletschhorn (027/957 21 31), out in the woods north of the village, and the restaurant within Hotel Walliserhof (027/958 19 00), in the centre.