Stunning. Breathtaking. Awesome. Pristine. Thrilling. Romantic. The prospect of a winter vacation in the Swiss Alps evokes many images and adjectives. Cheap is not usually among them.
But tourist officials hope this will change, thanks to a campaign to convince potential visitors - Americans in particular - that snow, sun and fun in Switzerland is affordable, even on a budget.
"Switzerland is a prestigious destination and it isn't as expensive as many people think," says Silvia de Vito of Switzerland Tourism.
The tourism agency claims that a week-long vacation for an American during the February peak season in Zermatt - one of the most exclusive Swiss resorts - would cost about R11 650, including flights, transfers, accommodation, food and a ski pass.
A comparable week in the Rocky Mountain resort of Aspen would set the average New Yorker back nearly R15 500, Switzerland Tourism maintains.
Popular destinations such as Arosa, Verbier and Lenzerheide are among those this year offering SkiFree packages - with a free weekly ski pass thrown in with the hotel accommodation.
The deal does not apply to the peak February slot but, as most ski passes cost more than 50 Swiss francs R388 a day, it's not to be sneezed at.
Perhaps belatedly, the Swiss have also decided to give a more generous welcome to families.
The glacier resort of Saas Fee in the Valais Alps is offering free lift passes to children accompanied by an adult. In nearby Zermatt, children under nine go free.
Swiss accommodation is normally good quality. The food and wine, although slightly more expensive than in neighbouring France, Italy or Austria, is also reliable.
Cheese fondue - melted cheese with chunks of bread dipped in it - is a cheap and filling staple for skiers.
Trains run like clockwork - even in the snow. Foreigners can take advantage of special rail passes and family cards to speed them on their way.
The best rail experience has to be the Glacier Express - an eight-hour journey over the mountains from St Moritz to Zermatt.
Once they arrive at the slopes, visitors will find that traditional skiing and snowboarding are now supplemented with a whole new range of activities.
For instance, there's zorbing - described as "an activity that comes closest to letting the participant know what it feels like to be in a washing machine".
The sport consists of rolling down the slope in a huge rubber ball.
Many resorts have halfpipes and snowboard parks, some of them floodlit. Some of them also have free-ride zones - a challenging, deep snow area for snowboarders.
It is meant to give the sought-after adrenaline rush while keeping snowboarders in prepared areas to avert the risk of avalanches.
For the slightly more sedate, there's cross-country skiing, sledding - or even walking.
The south-eastern Swiss Engadin area boasts stunningly beautiful walks and cross-country skiing across vast frozen lakes.
Davos and Klosters are both well-known resorts in the area, which has many small, delightful villages for those preferring the quiet life.
St Moritz is the jewel in a glittering crown. It is a magnet for the rich and famous during the festive season when it boasts a greater density of fur coats and diamonds than perhaps anywhere else in the world.