Europe has some of the best ski slopes in the world, but with so many resorts to choose from, where is best to go?
I have come up a list of the top ten ski destinations, perfect for families, beginners skiers, groups and non-skiers.
Some of these resorts are incredible!
1. Best beginners’ skiing – Arinsal, Andorra
60% of Brits fall into the `beginner’ category so an unpretentious resort like Arinsal, away from the glare of Europe’s superior skiers and prices that are among the best value in western Europe is ideal.
2. Best group ski resort – Soll, Austria
The Tyrolean resort of Soll is a great choice for a group of skiers travelling together. There is a good selection of properties that take groups and they vary from half board hotels to self catering apartments. All offer fantastic value for money. As well as this you can enjoy the lively apres ski while taking advantage of the short transfer to resort and the 250km of marked piste.
3. Best family ski resort – St. Johann, Austria
St. Johann is a great choice for a family, it’s main advantage being its location, just a little over an hour from Salzburg airport, with centrally located hotels, excellent English speaking ski schools and creche facilities . The ski lifts, ski school and ski creche, which operates in conjunction with the adult ski school, are all located within 100 metres of the centre.
4. Best value skiing – Pas de la Casa, Andorra
The prize for best value ski holidays and best value apres ski has to go Andorra for its duty free pricing, inexpensive, great value resorts. The happy hours, discos, lively cafes and restaurants also give the Andorran resort of Pas de la Casa its reputation as one of the liveliest resorts in the mountains.
5. Best advanced skiing – Val d’Isere, France
Verbier has long been an enclave of the savvy holidaymakers, and for good reason. It is among the world’s favourite resorts, and boasts some of the best ski terrain anywhere, and an apres ski atmosphere that is hard to beat.
Val d’Isere is a traditional village that is now a world famous draw for skiers from around the world. Home to the men’s downhill in the 1992 Olympics it offers extensive, world-class skiing, amazing powder and great opportunities for off-piste adventures.
Along with Nendaz, Verbier shares access to Mont Fort, the 3330m peak on which speed skiing events take place in the Spring. Veysonnaz and Thyon are also linked within the huge Four Valleys system, but they are a little further away from Verbier. Through the winter, Mont Fort is unpisted and presents a challenging mogul slope – one of several long and extremely challenging off-piste runs you will find.
It’s not all about moguls though. The area is large and there are a plethora of wide open intermediate pistes, plus a good selection of beginners’ slopes close to the village.
Collectively, the Four Valleys offers visitors guaranteed snow and features nearly 100 lifts and more than 412km of skiable runs. The local Verbier region is itself split in three areas: Verbier, Savoleyres/La Tzoumaz and Bruson – which is just a short gondola ride down to Le Chable and up the opposite side of the mountain.
6. Best apres ski – Livigno, Italy
Start early and finish late in the tax-free Italian resort of Livigno, with its reputation for great skiing, lively apres ski and numerous watering holes. The resort has access to over 100kms of pistes and even more bars, clubs and reasonably prices restaurants. I travelling in Italy, it is one of my favourite to visit in Europe and you could combine a ski break to Livigno with a visit to Milan or other locations in northern Italy too.
7. Best ski & spa – Bad Gastein, Austria
The Austrian spa town of Bad Gastein is world renowned for the healing powers of its natural thermal waters. Its snow record is pretty good too, which makes it a perfect ski/snowboard and spa combination for those looking to relax after pounding the slopes. Check out more recommendations with my Austria travel tips.
8. Best glacier skiing – Tignes, France
Tignes is one of Europe’s premier destinations for glacier skiing with the Grand Motte glacier dominating the surrounding area giving it one of the longest ski seasons in Europe. The resort is served by the large well linked L’Espace Killy ski area and offers access to over 300km (190 miles) of pistes.
9. Best ski weekend – Lillehammer, Norway
The former Winter Olympic ski resort of Lillehammer has all the ingredients of a great ski weekend, with guaranteed snow from November through to April, great skiing, lovely hotels and a short airport transfer. Non-skiers can enjoy tobogganing, luge, sleigh rides, ice-skating and snowy walks. View more recommendations on my Norway travel guide.
10. Best non-ski activities – Zell am See, Austria
Zell am See is spectacular, and one of the most scenic skiing destinations in Europe. There are over 70 km of slopes and 8 km of ski routes available here.
For non-skiers and those wanting to take a break from the slopes Zell am See has masses to offer, including tobogganing, bowling, a sports centre with indoor pool, ice-skating, snow shoeing, sleigh rides and cinema.
Do you have any favourite places to go skiing in Europe? Let me know in the comments section. If you fancy living and working a winter season, view ski jobs abroad.
