Longest Gondolas & Cable Cars 2026

By single-section length, the Grindelwald Eiger Express (Switzerland, 6.5 km, opened 2020) is the world's longest 3S tri-cable gondola. By total combined length across one mountain access system, the Grandvalira Funicamp (Andorra, 5.8 km) and Telluride Mountain Village Gondola (USA, 4.6 km) are also among the longest. The Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler-Blackcomb is the longest unsupported single span at 3.024 km.

A gondola (cabin lift) runs many small detachable cabins (8–24 person) on a single haul rope — high capacity, continuous operation. A cable car or tram runs two large cabins (60–200 person) back-and-forth on fixed haul ropes — lower frequency but bigger capacity per ride. A 3S (tri-cable) gondola uses three ropes (two support, one haul), giving very long spans, weather resistance and a smooth ride — used for the longest modern installations like Eiger Express and Peak 2 Peak.

The Chamonix Aiguille du Midi cable car ascends 2,807 m vertically — the biggest single-stage vertical rise of any aerial cableway in the world. Courmayeur's Skyway Monte Bianco rises 2,173 m. Engelberg's Titlis system rises 1,700 m across two stages. These are also the three most spectacular sightseeing rides at any major ski resort.

Yes — modern detachable gondolas typically run at 6 m/s (21.6 km/h) versus 5 m/s for high-speed quad chairlifts. 3S gondolas like Peak 2 Peak run at 7.5 m/s. Long gondolas also avoid the multi-lift transfers needed to ascend on chairlifts, so total mountain-access time is usually 30–50% faster than the equivalent chairlift chain.

3S tri-cable gondolas (Eiger Express, Peak 2 Peak, Matterhorn Glacier Ride) operate in winds up to roughly 100 km/h — far higher than chairlifts (which typically stop at 40–50 km/h) or single-rope gondolas (60–80 km/h). This is the main reason ski areas have invested in 3S systems for their flagship mountain access — they keep the mountain open on weather days that close everything else.