Europe's top ski resorts
Whether you want steep and deep skiing, or easy and cheap, whether you're looking for lots of off-piste action or après-ski, we've got the top European ski resort for you.
Best for beginners
Don't go wasting your money on an expensive lift pass and pricey ski hire in one of Europe's large, snazzy resorts if this is your first attempt at a winter sports holiday. Instead, go for one of the smaller, lesser known resorts where prices are much lower. Try Kranjska in Slovenia or the Bulgarian resort of Bansko.
Best for après-ski
If your idea of going off-piste is sloping to the nearest bar, the mega French Val d'Isere won't disappoint. The Austrians also know how to throw a good party, so head to Ischgl or Saalbach-Hinterglemm if you're an intermediate skier. For more experienced skiers who also like to party hard, St Anton is the place.
Best for intermediates
Of all the European ski resorts, purpose-built La Plagne is definitely one of the ugliest resorts but it is also the biggest, boasting 425kms of skiing when combined with neighbouring Les Arcs, with which it shares a lift pass. With so many runs to choose from, all of which are easily accessible from the slope-side accommodation, there's no danger you'll get bored.
Best for poseurs
Cortina is one of Italy's most fashionable ski resorts, think fur coats and mobile phones surgically attached to earlobes, but you simply must stay in the Rosa Alpina dahrling. Or book a room at the super-stylish Byblos in the French resort of Courchevel, which has its own cable car that whisks guests straight up the mountain, where you might spot Posh and Becks. Prefer to hang out with movie stars and royals? Go to Gstaad in Switzerland.
Best for gourmets
Food lovers who end up in the Swiss resort of Zermatt will think they've died and gone to ski heaven. With no fewer than 46 mountain restaurants to choose from, there's no danger you'll go hungry. Take your pick from large self-service cafeterias on the mountainside to cute, authentic-Swiss restaurants tucked away in villages lower down the slopes, many of which have awesome views of the Matterhorn. The skiing is pretty good too, so you'll be able to burn off those excess calories.
Best for alpine charm
If it's a chocolate box fantasy you're after, you should look to Austria, which boasts the most picturesque villages in Europe. Alpbach is a real winter wonderland, with a charming village centre and some good skiing for beginners and intermediates. Italian ski resorts are not without their visual attractions and Selva, in the Dolomites, is especially enchanting.
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