Klosters offers great alpine skiing and royal connection too

The royal connection — one of the cable cars is even named after Charles — has shaped the public's perception of the tiny town of Klosters in Switzerland, but it's only one of many reasons to visit.

The mix of terrain focuses on mid-level skiers, with an emphasis on neatly groomed slopes, and it's always exhilarating to ski to a new village or find a new restaurant tucked away on the lesser known runs.

Instead of sitting isolated in a car trying to decipher road signs in an unfamiliar language, you spend time in a train often filled with other skiers, including, inevitably, some English-speaking locals with well-informed opinions about the best place to ski, eat and drink.

The easy run from Zurich makes Klosters an attractive day trip for youthful skiers eager to get in a day's skiing without having to pay for lodging.

Passengers on the early morning trains tend to be wearing ski gear and munching energy bars as the trains climb toward Klosters and other nearby ski towns.

Klosters also has an excellent bus system to take skiers from their hotel, or the rail station, to several chairlifts — and one of the main lifts is actually just around the corner from the train station.