🇦🇩 ANDORRA
Andorra
A tiny mountain country in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, with good-value skiing at Grandvalira, Pal Arinsal and Ordino Arcalís, plus duty-free shopping.
Skiing✈️ 2h7 nights££
BEST TIMEJAN–MAR
⛷️ HOLIDAY TYPE
Ski holidays
Ski school in the morning, hot chocolate at lunch and snow on the balcony. Here's where to go for a ski holiday, how long you'll need and when the snow is best.
Ski holidays: 16 guides
🇨🇦 CANADA
Banff
Turquoise lakes, glaciers and elk wandering through town in the Canadian Rockies.
Nature & hiking✈️ 10h5 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇧🇬 BULGARIA
Bansko
A cheerful old Bulgarian town at the foot of the Pirin mountains, with cheap skiing, cosy taverns and a gondola straight up to the slopes.
Skiing✈️ 4h7 nights£
BEST TIMEJAN–MAR
🇫🇷 FRANCE
Chamonix
Skiing under Mont Blanc in winter, cable cars and glaciers in summer.
Skiing✈️ 2h7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJAN–MAR, JUL–AUG
🇦🇹 AUSTRIA
Innsbruck
An Alpine city where cable cars from the centre take you up into the snow, with Christmas markets below.
City break✈️ 2h4 to 7 nights££
BEST TIMEJUN–AUG, DEC–FEB
🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND
Interlaken
Mountain trains, glacier views and turquoise lakes in the heart of the Swiss Alps.
Nature & hiking✈️ 2h5 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUN–SEP
🇫🇮 FINLAND
Levi
Finnish Lapland's biggest ski resort, with husky rides, reindeer farms and Santa in the forest at Christmas.
Skiing✈️ 4h4 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–MAR
🇯🇵 JAPAN
Niseko
Hokkaido's best-known ski area, famous for deep, light powder snow, views of the cone-shaped Mount Yotei and steaming hot springs.
Skiing✈️ 12h7 to 10 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–FEB
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Park City
An old silver-mining town in Utah's Wasatch mountains, with two big ski resorts, a lively Main Street and light, dry snow.
Skiing✈️ 11h7 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–MAR
🇳🇿 NEW ZEALAND
Queenstown
Jet boats, a luge with a lake view and Milford Sound up the road.
Adventure✈️ 25h5 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–MAR
🇫🇮 FINLAND
Saariselkä
A tiny village far above the Arctic Circle, with glass igloos, wild fells and some of Finland's best odds of the northern lights.
Nature & hiking✈️ 4h4 to 7 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–MAR
🇦🇹 AUSTRIA
St Anton
A lively Tyrolean village at the heart of the huge Ski Arlberg area, famous for big, challenging slopes and loud après-ski.
Skiing✈️ 2h7 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–MAR
🇫🇷 FRANCE
Val Thorens
The highest ski resort in the Alps, a purpose-built, mostly car-free village at the top of the vast Three Valleys area in Savoie.
Skiing✈️ 2h7 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–APR
🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND
Verbier
A smart chalet village on a sunny balcony in the Swiss Valais, with big views and some of the most famous off-piste skiing in the Alps.
Skiing✈️ 2h7 nights£££
BEST TIMEDEC–MAR
🇨🇦 CANADA
Whistler
Big snowy slopes in winter, lakes and bike trails in summer, two hours from Vancouver.
Skiing✈️ 10h7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUL–AUG, DEC–MAR
🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND
Zermatt
A car-free mountain village under the Matterhorn, with snow almost guaranteed at Christmas.
Skiing✈️ 2h7 nights£££
BEST TIMEJUL–AUG, DEC–MAR
When to go
Where's at its best in each month of the year.
- March
- Andorra, Bansko, Chamonix, Levi, Park City, Queenstown, Saariselkä, St Anton and 4 more
- April
- Val Thorens
- May
- Nowhere here is at its best.
- June
- Banff, Innsbruck, Interlaken
- September
- Banff, Interlaken
- October
- Nowhere here is at its best.
- November
- Nowhere here is at its best.
- December
- Innsbruck, Levi, Niseko, Park City, Queenstown, Saariselkä, St Anton, Val Thorens and 3 more
The short list
- First time on skis: Andorra and Bansko for good-value ski school, or Saariselkä and Levi for gentle slopes in Lapland.
- Big Alpine names: Zermatt, Chamonix, St Anton, Verbier and Val Thorens.
- City plus slopes: Innsbruck, with resorts a short bus ride from town.
- Far away, worth it: Niseko for deep powder, Whistler, Banff, Park City and Queenstown for skiing in July and August.
For more, see all the ski guides above, with the best months for each.
Picking a resort
For beginners and young children, what matters most is a good ski school, easy slopes near the village and a short walk from your room to the lift. Big-name resorts aren't always the best for this. Andorra, Bansko and the Lapland resorts are cheaper and gentler, while high resorts like Val Thorens and Zermatt have the most reliable snow early and late in the season.
When to go
In the Alps and Pyrenees the season runs from about mid December to mid April. January is quiet and cold with good snow, February is busiest because of school holidays across Europe, and March brings longer, sunnier days. In Japan and North America, January and February have the deepest snow. In the southern hemisphere, Queenstown skis from June to September.
How to keep costs down
- Book ski school and lift passes early. Many resorts offer online discounts, and classes fill up in the holidays.
- Hire kit in the resort, or bring your own helmets and goggles.
- Go outside the school holidays if you can. Early January and late March are often much cheaper.
- Look east. Bansko in Bulgaria and Andorra cost far less than the big Alpine resorts.
Ski holidays: common questions
Where is good for a first ski holiday?
Andorra, Bansko, Levi and Saariselkä have gentle slopes and good-value ski schools. In the Alps, Innsbruck and the lower slopes of Zermatt and Val Thorens suit beginners too.
When is the best time to go skiing?
January to March in Europe, North America and Japan. February has the most snow but is busiest. Queenstown in New Zealand skis from June to September.
How long should a ski holiday be?
A week is usual, with five or six days on the slopes. Long-haul trips to Niseko, Whistler or Park City are better as ten days to two weeks.
What age can children start skiing?
Most ski schools take children from about four, and many have snow gardens for three-year-olds. Younger children can join resort nurseries.
From the blog
· Matt
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Rovaniemi, Levi or Saariselkä: which part of Lapland is best?
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