Ski Resorts

Pick your ideal resort, with expert destination guides and "Top Tens".

Val d'Isere

Possibly world’s greatest skiing town – posh but not expensive.

Great for:

  • choc box chalets
  • famous après ski (Folie Douce)
  • huge Espace Killy domain

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Meribel

Heart of the 3 Valleys and long time British skiers' favourite.

Great for:

  • family holidays
  • famous apres ski
  • world's biggest area

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

St Anton

Austria’s top ski destination – après ski world capital.

Great for:

  • massive off piste
  • legendary Austrian nightlife
  • short airport transfer

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Verbier

Switzerland’s most fashionable – posh yet friendly.

Great for:

  • huge 4 Valleys area & off piste
  • infamous après scene (Farinet)
  • pretty chalets & chalet/hotels

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Whistler

Consistently voted best in the world

Great for:

  • Groups
  • Families
  • Non-skiers

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Kitzbuhel

Austria’s favourite family destination.

Great for:

  • vast skiing for all abilities
  • child friendly locals
  • pretty Austrian mountain town

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Zermatt

Class act of the skiing world – 'neath majestic Matterhorn.

Great for:

  • car-free old world charm
  • vast snow-sure glacier skiing
  • Swiss capital of alpinism

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Chamonix

The world capital of alpinism – beneath mighty Mont Blanc.

Great for:

  • famous lift-served off piste
  • historic mountain town
  • big restaurant & après variety

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Mayrhofen

If only all world-class resorts were this laid back.

Great for:

  • vast ski area & great boarding
  • Austrian après & charm
  • great prices & short transfer

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Courchevel

Old money Brit meets nouveau Russian bling. Epic ski & apres.

Great for:

  • Families
  • Groups
  • Luxury holiday

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboard

Top 10 Most Popular

Choosing the best ski resort

Whatever you look for in a perfect ski week, you'll find it in this guide, along with inspiration if you fancy something new.

Forgiving slopes to learn on, a massive linked area to clock up the miles, a family friendly town with world class ski schools and childcare, epic off-piste & backcountry skiing areas, or short transfer times from the airport.

Top Tens

Brits love France – this is the country we ski more than any other and it’s not hard to see why. The mountains ...
At a glanceBrit favouriteGreat for families High altitudeMost varied skiingBig apres

Top 3 French Resorts

Fast catching up with France as the favourite place for Brits to ski, Austria is known for its family friendly nature ...
At a glanceAmazing food Great for familiesPretty mountain villagesQuiet pistes

Top 3 Austrian Resorts

A stay in Italy is all about the perfect balance between serious skiing, deliciously lazy dolce far niente and some of ...
At a glanceWorld’s best après Friendliest welcomePretty alpine villagesChild friendly resorts

Top 3 Italian Resorts

It’s not just fondue that the Swiss do better than anyone else – with the highest standards of quality both on ...
At a glanceClassic ski resortsHigh quality hotelsWorld famous sceneryChocolate box accommodation

Top 3 Swiss Resorts

Huge amounts of effort have gone into improving the ski resorts here with loads of investment into modern lifts ...
At a glanceCheap and cheerfulSuper ApresModern liftsTax free shopsSunny Pyrenees

Top 3 Andorran Resorts

Cheap, cheerful and incredibly sunny, Bulgaria is well worth checking out as a break from the norm. Heaps of ...
At a glanceSunny skiingAlternative to alpine skiingFriendly après skiCheap ski schools

Top 3 Bulgaria

With cosy log cabins, reindeer roaming free and Father Christmas calling it home, there’s no place on earth ...
At a glanceSee the northern lightsWinter wonderlandFun local customs Snow sure skiing

Top Finnish Resorts

Norway is hugely underrated and Alpine skiing wouldn’t be what it is today without it. Spend the week skiing ...
At a glancePeaceful, pretty villagesFamily friendly Incredible cross countryLots of non ski activities

Norwegian Top 3

It’s a wonder Slovenia doesn’t have more of a name in the skiing world... Bordering the Austrian and Italian Alps...
At a glanceFamily funEasy Skiing Beautiful scenery

Slovenian Top 3

There’s no denying that Spain has some brilliant beaches, but it’s also the second most mountainous country ...
At a glanceGorgeous Pyrenees sceneryHuge variety of ski terrain

Spanish Top Resort

Sweden’s peaks are far from the highest in Europe, but they are some of the snowiest – with long ski seasons lasting from ...
At a glanceExcellent snow recordChic village base

Swedish Top Resort

There are loads of reasons to ski Canada and you’ll struggle to find one not to: the scenery is some of the most jaw...
At a glanceAwesome sceneryWorld class resortsDeep powder Massive ski areas Fun, friendly vibe

Top 3 Canadian Resorts

USA

You wouldn’t expect anything less than the biggest, shiniest, ticking-all-the-boxes (and then some) ski resorts when it ...
At a glanceExcellent ski schoolsState of the art resorts Heaps of terrain Awesome powderMore than 450 resorts

Top 3 American Resorts

Delve into some of the world’s finest powder terrain, then get knee deep in fabulous Japanese culture ...
At a glanceWorld-beating powderGourmet East Asian cuisine

Japanese Top Resort

Sno Idea?

There's no doubt the most popular country for British skiers is still France, but Austria is fast catching up the king of winter destinations. Thanks to slightly lower prices and now legendary Austrian après ski scene, the biggest and best such as St Anton and Mayrhofen are now just as popular as French giants Val d'Isere and Meribel and their close second tier neighbours Val Thorens, La Plagne, Tignes and Courchevel.

The winners in recent winters have been the Italian destinations, with their relaxed, family friendly atmosphere and focus on great food and having fun. If France is about the "ski", then Italy is definitely about the "holiday" and our repeat bookings of top Italian ski resorts Sestriere, Courmayeur and Sauze d'Oulx bear testament.

Looking for an ambiance that's a cut above? You'll find superb luxury hotels & chalets in all the great resorts, but the poshest, like Verbier, Courchevel & Zermatt are where to enjoy the most refined après ski & boutique shopping in the alps.

For huge mileage, or to be sure of terrain for all abilities in your party, look at the true mega-ski-areas like the Three Valleys (the world's biggest linked ski domain) or Espace Killy and their equivalents in Switzerland (4 Valleys), Italy (the Milky Way and Dolomiti Superski) and Austria (the Arlberg Ski Circus, Ski Welt, Zillertal Superski area and Europa ski region). It's also worth checking out the other French favourites of Paradiski and Portes du Soleil as they're vast and slightly cheaper than Les Trois Vallees et al.

Ski Resort Reviews

87 reviews

"I’m 72 and have been going to Tignes for 16 or 17 years now. I would recommend it ..." J. B.

74 reviews

"I'm just writing in to say what an awesome time we had in Val d'Isere and thanks fo..." Matt Burgon

54 reviews

"I really like Courchevel. I prefer it to Meribel, the runs around Courchevel are be..." Iain Hogg

49 reviews

"We love St Anton, it’s our favourite location, we’ve returned a few times and hav..." Beth Fitzgerald

48 reviews

"The domain is second to none and I’d highly recommend it! We skied the whole 3 Va..." Jane Phillips

42 reviews

"Mayrhofen is a great place, in fact I’ve just got back from a skiing holiday somew..." Carl Norman

38 reviews

"We had an amazing week in Meribel last January. The snow was terrific and we loved ..." Kat O'Connor

20 reviews

"As a small village in the heart of the Valais Canton, south-west Switzerland, Verbi..." Benedict S

19 reviews

"It’s an acquired taste (Avoriaz is purpose built) but I definitely prefer the area..." Roger Benfield

18 reviews

"Zermatt is a lovely town, stunning. We were total beginners and we learnt to ski he..." Lindy

18 reviews

"I’d been to Andorra before but not Soldeu – it’s brilliant. Andorra is value for..." Ross Campbell

15 reviews

"If you’re renting in Morzine, you can ski out in 2 directions. We’ve always had t..." Rob and Jackie

13 reviews

"Loved the skiing here, the village is very pretty and typically Austrian and the ap..." Mrs Allibone

11 reviews

"I’d been walking in Cervinia in the summertime and always wanted to go back in the..." Leslie Webb

10 reviews

"Kitzbühel is one of my favourite resorts, I like the town being traditional and Au..." Michael Norton

9 reviews

"Whistler is brilliant, I had never been there before this holiday but now I really ..." Jenna

8 reviews

"Livigno is a delightful place, an absolute gem. I can’t find a reason why someone ..." K.L.

7 reviews

"The landscape is mindblowing - we had two days of sunshine when the scenery was abs..." David Duncan

5 reviews

"Grindelwald is a really special place with so much mountaineering history, it’s th..." Lucy B

5 reviews

"We hadn’t been to Yllas before and were seeing Finland for the first time – there..." Richard Hampshire

5 reviews

"Would certainly go to Ischgl again. The après ski is very good, very friendly an..." Mrs Galliford

4 reviews

"Our holiday was absolutely brilliant; myself and my sons thoroughly enjoyed it and ..." Adam Souness

4 reviews

"The fact that Murren is car free makes it very peaceful. It’s a very traditional v..." Celestria Hales

4 reviews

"We’ve been to La Thuile a few times now. It’s a good, big area with lots of runs,..." Anon

4 reviews

"The best thing about Courmayeur is the off piste skiing. They’ve just opened a mas..." Peter Davidson

Ski Resorts FAQ:

A village/town located by a ski area, set up with the facilities needed for a ski holiday - including accommodation, shops, restaurants, bars and access to the mountain.

Our ski specialists can help you decide! Get in touch by phone or online enquiry and we’d be happy to hear about your requirements and suggest the perfect resort for you.

If we had to pick just one all-rounder it would have to be Val d’Isère in France, but there are nine other smashing places to ski listed in our top 10 ski resorts.

Soldeu & El Tarter, Solden, Bansko, and Bohinj are excellent value ski resorts, with incredibly good value food and drinks, modestly-priced accommodation and very reasonable lift passes.

St Moritz, Courchevel, Zermatt, Aspen and Verbier are some of the shiniest resorts on the planet offering 5-star luxury. Our luxury ski resorts page gives more information, and shows the holidays available to these exclusive destinations.

Cortina, Zermatt, St Moritz and Kitzbuhel are some of our favourite resorts to enjoy with your beloved – all have stunning scenery, romantic hotels and excellent restaurants not to mention world class skiing. Check out our top 10 romantic resorts list for some more recommendations.

All of these resorts have high altitude slopes and glaciers, making for some excellent skiing conditions late into the season.

Chamonix just about pips Switzerland’s Verbier to the post in the best off-piste skiing department with its ‘Vallée Blanche’. Discover more top ski resorts for off piste skiing.

Zermatt, Megeve, St Moritz and Kitzbuhel are the ones best-known for their good looks, with their picturesque ancient churches, chocolate-box chalets and resplendent views of snow-clad mountain peaks. Our prettiest ski resorts page has the full list of the top 10.

Flaine, Avoriaz, Jackson Hole, Zermatt and Saas Fee are a handful of the resorts taking steps to reduce their energy usage and carbon-emissions with initiatives like car-free roads, biofuel heating systems and hydroelectric ski lifts. Read more about green ski resorts.

Ski destinations with a short flight and short transfer are Morzine, Avoriaz, Flaine, Chamonix, Kitzbuhel, Zell am See and Courmayeur. Ski destinations that are quickest to get to by car from London are Les Gets, Avoriaz, Megeve, Chamonix, Alpe d’Huez,Morzine, and Courmayeur.

Shops (including rental shops), bars, cafes, restaurants, accommodations (chalets, hotels, chalet hotels, apartments), leisure centres (often with pool and spa facilities), cinema (in larger resorts), bowling alley (in larger resorts), ice rink, childcare facilities, ski schools, tourist information centre, medical clinic, parking area and ski lifts (chairlifts, gondolas, cable cars and drag lifts).

St Moritz in Switzerland is where winter sport tourism first took hold. The resort’s Hotel Kulm dates back to 1864. Rumour has it that St Moritz was the first place in the Alps to have flushing toilets and electric street lamps.

Whistler-Blackcomb in Canada is the biggest single ski resort in the world, covering around 8000 acres. In Europe, there are vast ski areas that can be accessed by one ski pass but consist of several resorts, such as The Three Valleys (Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Meribel and Courchevel) and the Portes du Soleil (Morzine, Avoriaz, Les Gets, Chatel, Morgins and Champery).

Many ski resorts in the Alps are car free, including Flaine, Avoriaz, Zermatt, Saas Fee, Val Thorens and Valmorel, Takle a look at our eco-friendly ski resorts page containing information on other planet-friendly measures being taken by ski resorts.

The only ski resorts to now allow snowboarding are Deer Valley in Utah, Alta in Utah and Mad River Glen in Vermont.

Switzerland is a long-standing favourite for the royals, who have been known to holiday in Klosters, Davos, St Moritz, Villars and Verbier. They’ve also been spotted in Courchevel, France and Lech in Austria.

Top 10 Best Ski Resorts in the World

Resort Country Best features Holidays from
Val d'Isere France Attractive, high altitude resort, snow sure Espace Killy ski area, awesome après ski £377
Zermatt Switzerland Gorgeous Swiss village, Matterhorn views, Europe’s highest ski area £869
Meribel France World’s biggest ski area, charming chalet resort, lively après ski, great for families £251
St Anton Austria Legendary off piste & après ski, huge Arlberg ski area, snow sure £538
Whistler Canada World class resort all-round, huge ski area, lively town, amazing hotels £993
Verbier Switzerland Luxury resort, wild après ski, incredible off-piste
Kitzbuhel Austria Stunning mountain town, historic ski resort, luxury hotels £875
Courchevel France Luxury ski resort, biggest ski area in the world, charming villages £435
Mayrhofen Austria Laid back mountain town, festival host, varied skiing £518
Chamonix France Classic mountain town, Mont Blanc views, varied ski areas £208

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