The mountain railway is one of the big draws for skiers visiting the pretty Swiss town of Interlaken. Via train and within 40 minutes, skiers can access the Jungfrau ski region and three of the top ski resorts including Grindelwald, Mürren and Wengen. The train journey is included in your ski pass which helps keep costs down and you can always choose an Interlaken hostel to save money on accommodation too. From these top resorts skiers have access to 160km of trails reachable by 45 cable cars and lifts. Each run lasts between 6 and 12 kilometres and it’s possible to ski a different route everyday for a week. Beginners should start with the small ski area at Beatenberg then attempt some of Wengen’s nursery slopes. Intermediates are particularly well catered for and experts will find the most challenging runs at Wengen and Mürren which offers excellent off piste skiing when the conditions are right. Adventurers can attempt almost any type of winter sport. There is atmospheric night sledding, snowshoe trekking and confident skiers can try heli-gliding whereby you jump from a helicopter and land in untouched, powdery snow – every skier and snowboarder’s dream. The name ‘Interlaken’ literally translates as ‘between the lakes’ and it is sandwiched between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. So there’s beautiful scenery to enjoy. Skiing is not the cheapest of sports and once you’ve forked out for travel, ski passes and lunch on the slopes, things start to look pricey. One easy way to save money is to stay at an Interlaken hostel. Aside from a cheap nightly rate, hostels also offer guests plenty of other freebies, making them great value. Backpackers Villa Sonnenhoff offers a free breakfast and kitchen facilities so you can prepare a few of your own meals. They have rooms to suit any type of traveller including families, couples and friends. The train station is a short ten-minute walk away.