For the shortest trip to the cable car, stay in Les Diablerets: its hotels are 5 to 7 minutes by car from Col du Pillon, and the bus takes 13 to 15 minutes. Gstaad, about 20 minutes away, has more hotels, the GoldenPass Express and the Gstaad Card, which makes PostBus 180 to Col du Pillon free. Gsteig sits between the two, 11 minutes from the cable car by bus, and the lake towns of Montreux and Lausanne work for a day trip.
Facts checked 16 October 2026
Independent guide, not the official Glacier 3000 website. Official tickets and live opening status: glacier3000.ch
Col du Pillon, the Glacier 3000 valley station, sits on the pass between Les Diablerets on the Vaud side and Gsteig and Gstaad on the Bernese side. PostBus 180 links all three, so wherever you stay you can reach the cable car without a car.
| Base | To Col du Pillon by car | By bus | Free bus | Hotels on this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Diablerets | 5–7 min | 13–15 min | Welcome Card; with a Glacier 3000 ticket 1 Nov to 30 Apr | 5 |
| Gsteig | On the way from Gstaad | About 11 min | Check with your host | None |
| Gstaad | About 20 min | 25–30 min | Gstaad Card | 3 |
| Saanen | About 26 min | Some line 180 buses run on to Saanen | Gstaad Card | 1 |
| Montreux or Lausanne | About 40 or 63 min | Train and bus 1 h 25 to 1 h 52 | No | Day trip |
Les Diablerets, at 1,200 m, is the village just below the pass on the Vaud side and the terminus of the little railway from Aigle, a ride of about 50 minutes. From its hotels the cable car is 5 to 7 minutes by car, and buses to Col du Pillon run every 20 to 40 minutes in the morning in winter.
The bus is free with the Welcome Card, and from 1 November to 30 April it is also free with a Glacier 3000 ticket or a Magic Pass. If you want to be on the first cabin at 09:00, this is the place to stay.
Les Diablerets · 4-star superior · 111 rooms
6 minutes from Col du Pillon, ski to the door and an indoor pool. Closed 11 October to 19 December 2026 for renovation
Winter season from 19 December
From €491 a night
Les Diablerets · 3-star · 52 rooms
The closest of our picks, 5 minutes by car to the cable car; family-friendly, and dogs are welcome
Seasonal
From €267 a night
Les Diablerets · 3-star · 48 rooms
A 3-star for families, 7 minutes away, with half board from two nights; dogs welcome
From €245 a night
Les Diablerets · 3-star · 10 rooms
Just 10 rooms and a small spa, 6 minutes from Col du Pillon
Les Diablerets · 3-star · 10 rooms
A 10-room inn in the village centre, 6 minutes from the cable car; open this winter, but expected to close as a hotel after April 2027
Hotel closing after April 2027
Gsteig is the last village on the Bernese side before the pass. It has no railway, but PostBus 180 reaches it from Gstaad in about 15 minutes and carries on to Col du Pillon in about 11 more. Reusch, between Gsteig and the pass, has its own Glacier 3000 car park.
None of our nine recommended hotels is in Gsteig, so most visitors choose between Les Diablerets and Gstaad.
Gstaad is about 20 minutes from Col du Pillon by car, and every overnight guest in the Saanenland gets a Gstaad Card that makes PostBus 180 to the cable car free all year. The GoldenPass Express stops here, and the car-free Promenade puts shops, cafés and restaurants on foot from the station.
It has the widest range of our hotel picks, from a 3-star on the Promenade to a 5-star superior palace. Our sister site Gstaad Hotel Guide (gstaadhotelguide.com) reviews every hotel in the Gstaad area.
Gstaad · 4-star superior · 46 rooms
4-star superior beside Gstaad station, where the bus to Col du Pillon starts; indoor pool, 22 minutes by car
From €432 a night
Gstaad · 3-star · 21 rooms
A 3-star on the Promenade, the nearest of our Gstaad picks at 20 minutes from the cable car
From €236 a night
Gstaad · 5-star superior · 90 rooms
5-star superior with indoor and outdoor pools and a kids' club, 22 minutes away; winter season 15 December 2026 to 7 March 2027
Winter season from 15 December
From €1,236 a night
Saanen is Gstaad's neighbour, and some line 180 buses run through Gstaad to Saanen. It suits a longer stay when the hotel itself is part of the holiday.
Saanen · 4-star superior · 136 rooms
4-star superior in Saanen with a full spa, indoor pool, kids' club and ski shuttle; 26 minutes to Col du Pillon
From €692 a night
If Glacier 3000 is one day of a longer Swiss trip, you can stay on Lake Geneva instead. By train, Col du Pillon is about 1 hour 25 minutes from Montreux, 1 hour 47 from Lausanne and 2 hours 30 from Geneva; by car, Montreux is about 40 minutes and Lausanne about 63. Coach day trips from all three handle the transport for you.
Glacier 3000 day trips: tours compared, and doing it yourself
Skiers who want the slopes outside the door should look at The Glacier Hotel in Les Diablerets once it reopens after 19 December 2026. Families have good choices on both sides: Hôtel Les Sources and Hôtel Le Chamois in Les Diablerets, or the kids' clubs at HUUS Gstaad and the Gstaad Palace.
Without a car, Gstaad is the easiest base: the Bernerhof and the Posthotel Rössli are by the station, and the Gstaad Card covers the bus. Travelling with a dog, Le Chamois, Les Sources, the Rössli, HUUS and the Palace all accept them.
Les Diablerets is closest, with hotels 5 to 7 minutes by car from the Col du Pillon cable car. Gstaad, about 20 minutes away, has more hotels and a free bus with the Gstaad Card.
In Les Diablerets: Hôtel Le Chamois is about 5 minutes by car from Col du Pillon, The Glacier Hotel, Hôtel Les Lilas and Auberge de la Poste about 6, and Hôtel Les Sources about 7.
It is closed from 11 October to 19 December 2026 for renovation and reopens for the holiday season.
Yes. PostBus 180 runs hourly from Gstaad station to Col du Pillon in about 25 to 30 minutes, and hotel guests ride free with the Gstaad Card.
It is close, about 11 minutes from Col du Pillon by bus, but it has no railway and none of the hotels we recommend, so most visitors stay in Les Diablerets or Gstaad.
Sources: glacier3000.ch, glacier3000.ch, transport.opendata.ch, router.project-osrm.org, gstaad.ch, datocms-assets.com, palace.ch, alpesvaudoises.ch. Checked October 2026. Prices and times can change: confirm with the operator before you travel.