Sarah looking out over the Valais Alps — expat relocation specialist, Verbier and Val des Bagnes
Journal

Life, written
from the Alps.

Honest, practical writing about relocating to Valais, Switzerland — Swiss permits, seasons, schools, property in Verbier and Val des Bagnes, and everything nobody else tells you about expat life in the Swiss Alps.

Sarah snowshoeing above Verbier — relocation concierge living in Valais for 20 years
Permits·Featured

The B permit, the C permit,
and what comes after

Everyone asks me about permits. It's the first thing people want to understand — and the part that causes the most anxiety. So here is the honest, complete picture from someone who has lived through every stage personally.

Sarah · March 2025 · 8 min read
All Posts

From the journal

Val des Bagnes valley, Valais Switzerland — relocating to this area with Valais Life
Life in Valais
The first winter: what nobody warns you about
The darkness arrives earlier than you expect. The cold is deeper than you imagined. And the beauty is more extraordinary than anything you could have prepared for.
February 2025 · 6 min read
Sarah in winter in Valais — Swiss schools specialist and family relocation concierge
Schools
Swiss schools: what to expect, what to do first
Swiss education is excellent but opaque from the outside. Here's what I've learned from navigating it as a parent — and what I do differently now for clients.
January 2025 · 7 min read
Valais Alps at sunset — property search and relocation concierge service
Property
Why the best properties never reach the portals
In Val des Bagnes, the homes worth having move through networks, not listings. Here's how that market actually works — and how to position yourself inside it.
December 2024 · 5 min read
Summer in Val des Bagnes, Valais — life beyond the ski season for expat families
Seasons
Summer in Valais: the season first-timers miss
Everyone comes for the snow. The people who fall in love and never leave are the ones who discover the valley in July. Here's what summer actually looks like.
November 2024 · 5 min read
Alpine forest near Val des Bagnes, Valais — Swiss health insurance and permit guide
Permits
Swiss health insurance: the choices that actually matter
Mandatory, complex and confusing. The Swiss health insurance system is one of the first things I help clients navigate — here's how I think about it.
October 2024 · 6 min read
Sarah with her dog in Val des Bagnes snow — contact info@valais.life for relocation help
Life in Valais
Why Dutch families are finding their way to Valais
Over the past few years I've noticed a pattern. Dutch families — particularly those seeking outdoor life, quality schools and tax efficiency — are discovering that Valais fits perfectly.
September 2024 · 4 min read

Notes from
the valley

Occasional writing from life in Valais — practical, personal and honest. No noise, no newsletters for the sake of it. Just the things worth saying, when there's something worth saying.

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"Thank you — I'll write when there's something worth reading."
— Sarah
Sister Brand

Interested in luxury alpine stays in Val des Bagnes? ActiveFusion is Sarah's chalet portfolio — available to rent.

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