There are so many amazing destinations you can go skiing and to help you decide where to go we have put together a guide to the ultimate resorts.
Check out our pick of best places for Christmas and New Year ski holidays.
1. Tignes, France
Tignes is a high-altitude ski resort in the French Alps with amazing ski slopes, hotels, restaurants and shops. Tignes is a really popular destination for beginners, intermediate and advanced level skiers.
If you have never been skiing before we highly recommend Tignes as a destination to start. This resort is very relaxed and has a huge area of the Espace Killy, with slow lifts and easy to ride slopes. Tignes is one of our top picks for families looking for a festive ski break.
2. Val d'Isere, France
No list of top rated ski resorts would be complete without Val d’Isère. This ski resort is located in the French Alps, near the Italian border and with nearby Tignes, it form part of the Espace Killy ski area.
Val d'Isère is a great place to go skiing especially for beginner levels as you can walk straight onto the piste into an area with four free lifts and gentle slopes to safely start skiing. There are also more advanced slopes including the steep Face de Bellevarde, a black-rated piste, and the Grande Motte glacier.
Val d'Isère usually has fantastic weather conditions for skiing around the Christmas break.
3. St Anton, Austria
St. Anton am Arlberg is ski village in the Tyrolean Alps of Austria. St. Anton is a very special resort with a lively après-ski scene, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightlife. The snow conditions are usually amazing too throughout the whole season.
St. Anton is a gateway to the Arlberg ski region and is often called the “cradle of alpine skiing” for its role in inventing the sport. Lifts and cable cars provide access to the slopes of Valluga and Rendl.
St. Anton is one of the more expensive places to go skiing on our list, but it is a price worth paying at least once in your life. If your spare time you could check out the Museum of St. Anton am Arlberg which chronicles local ski history.
4. Verbier, Switzerland
Verbier has long been one of the most popular ski destinations in Europe and it is easy to see why.
Located in south-western Switzerland in the Valais Canton of the Swiss Alps, this is one of the most spectacular ski resorts in the world.
Famed for its world-class off piste terrain, vibrant night life and vast linked ski area, Verbier is quite rightly a Ski Club favourite. ... Après ski in Verbier is perhaps the best in Switzerland, with the action starting on the slopes before moving later on into town.
Verbier is located close to the 4 Vallées ski area. Trails on Mont Fort Glacier have views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Mont Gelé is known for its off-piste ski slopes.
Verbier is quite expensive, and is one of the more luxury resorts to stay in Switzerland but it is the best place to see celebrities skiing here.
3. Méribel, France
Méribel is a picturesq ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps. Méribel is a purpose-built resort with some really pretty chalets, and it is a very relaxing place to stay. There is also a great combination of ski slopes, this is one of the best all-round ski resort in France and is especially popular with British skiiers and snowboarders attracting thousands every year.
6. Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt is a really stunningvillage in the Swiss Alps. Zermatt is a car free zone which gives it a really special atmosphere, whilst the skiing is world-famous.
Zermatt is one of the more affordable Eurooean ski destinations and prices for accommodation here are generally a lot less than some of the other destinations on our list like swanky Verbier.
7. Mayrhofen, Austria
Located in the heart of the Austrian Zillertal Valley, Mayrhofen is a popular resort for all types of travellers and ability levels. Whether you're a complete beginner, or advanced level, or looking for your first family ski holiday, Mayrhofen should be somewhere you consider.
Mayrhofen is a beautiful ski resort and it has some amazing ski areas. Lifts provide access to the slopes of popular Ahorn Mountain and Penken Mountain - both with lots of runs and routes.
Mayrhofen is a great place to stay too, there are lots of tasty restaurants, bars and shops.
8. Livigno, Italy
Livigno is a ski resort in the Italian Alps, near the Swiss border. It's one of the lesser known locations on our list but you will be rewarded if you travel here. Livigno is a high-altitude, remote ski resort and is an ideal destination for beginners. Livigno is famous for slopes and trails and has a great selection of pistes for beginners and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Livigno is also great value for money ski resort.
9. Courchevel, France
Courchevel is a French Alps ski resort. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski areas in the world. Courchevel also refers to the towns of Courchevel 1300 (Le Praz), Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 (Moriond), and Courchevel 1850, which are named for their altitudes in metres.
Courchevel offers access to the world's largest ski area, Les 3 Vallées, with 600 km of slopes, more than 180 green-blue slopes and more than 140 red-black slopes.
It is renowned for having one of the longest ski seasons and the best snow cover in the whole of the Alps. World's largest ski area – Courchevel sits within the Three Valleys, which boasts 600km of pistes and an interlinked lift system, with over 170 lifts.
10. St Moritz, Switzerland
St Moritz is one of the most gloriously situated ski resorts in Switzerland, with highly rated skiing and charming chalets. The lively town has the exciting buzz and is home of the infamous Cresta Run, some of the Alps finest hotels and restaurants and three excellent ski areas, St Moritz has long been a favourite amongst foreign tourists. Even if you don't go skiing here, this area is stunning and there is so much to do.
Plan Your Festive Ski Break
Our guide could have really included so many more locations but hopefully the places featured has given you some ideas for where to go.
Have you ever been to the ski resorts featured on our list? Or would you like to recommend somewhere different? Let us know in the comments section below.
