Widest choice of ski holidays from 60+ tour operators
#1 UK Ski Travel Agency
Impartial Expert Advice
Flights
Transfers
Accommodation

Which is the best of the top 10 biggest ski areas in the World?

British skiers and snowboarders are lucky to have such a magnificent mix of ski areas on their doorstep throughout Europe. When choosing a ski holiday you can choose a ski destination that has access to multiple ski resorts, giving you extensive skiing possibilities during your week in the mountains. Take a look at the largest ski areas in the World and pick your favourite!

Snowboarding

Les 3 Vallées, France

 600km of linked piste — So much skiing you could never be bored even after several visits.

Les 3 Vallees ski area is 'The' British favourite. From East to West the three main resorts are Courchevel (1760m) in the St Bon Tarantaise Vallée, Méribel (1450m) in Les Allues Vallée, and Val Thorens (2300m) in St Martin de Belleville Vallée.

Courchevel 1850, note the resort is named 1850 to compete with Val d'Isére and is actually at 1760m, is glamorous and expensive. It's mainly 4/5 * hotels and some sensational chalets. If you try some of the lower resorts like 1550 or 1650 then you can get a reasonably priced holiday but the mountain restaurants are still going to rip an ever expanding hole in your wallet. Stay as far away as possible during the 1st week of January which is the Russian New Year. This place is good for couples on a special holiday.

Méribel is huge and has countless British run chalets. If you don't like the French or French food then this is the place for you. It might as well be Méribel-on-Thames. Very convenient for the ski access but quite low at 1450m and prone to slush late in the season. This place is best for a large group or family who want a chalet to themselves.

Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe and competes with Tignes and Flaine for the not very coveted title of the ugliest resort in the world. However, we love it. The aprésphere is amongst the best in France. It gets loads of Dutch and Scandis and these guys love to party. This place is great for keen skiers and partiers alike.

We like - The touring, the aprés ski in VT, and the restaurants in Courchevel.

We don't like - The Britishness and lack of ski in/ski out in Méribel, the complete absence of decent and reasonably priced mountain huts for lunch. The restaurants are mainly huge self-serve, characterless places.

Top Tip - Pack your lunch and picnic.

View ski deals to Les 3 Vallées

Val Thorens

Val Thorens

Espace Killy, France

 300km of piste — Great nightlife in Val d'Isére and the most consistent snow in Europe above Tignes.

Named after the famed French skier Jean-Claude Killy who grew up there, this area has the best snow record in France. The two main resorts are Val d'Isére (1850m) with the Pissaillas Glacier and Tignes (2100m) with the Grande Motte Glacier.

Val d'Isére is a mix of chalets and hotels and is very British. The nightlife here rocks and the range of restaurants is excellent but expensive. This is a steep ski area with not a lot for beginners. This place is great for small groups out to party and ski hard.

Tignes is pretty ghastly to look at but you get the convenience of easy access to the slopes. Le Lac is where all the British chalets are and not much happens here. Further up at Val Claret you have all the pokey apartments the French like and the nightlife here is much better. This resort is the best in Europe for early and late-season skiing.

We like - The steep slopes, the Folie Douce aprés ski, and the extensive off-piste. We don't like - The ugliness of Tignes, the lack of good restaurants on the mountain, the long transfer as it's right at the end of the Vallée de la Tarentaise.

Top Tip – Don’t miss the last chairlift back to Tignes if you are in Folie Douce for apres. Otherwise, you will need to ski down to La Daille and wait for an (irregular) bus or get a taxi back to Tignes.

View ski deals to Espace Killy

Val d'Isere

The Iglu Ski team in Val d'Isere

Paradiski, France

 425km of piste — Convenient and extensive skiing in a modern setting and great access by snow train.

The Paradiski area in the combination of La Plagne and Les Arcs are joined by the 200 capacity double-decker Vanoise Express cable car. The two ski areas are large enough for a week’s skiing on their own. Neither of these ski areas will ever be known for the beauty of their villages, they are purpose-built and some of those buildings were built in the heyday of the concrete '70s. However, the benefit of purpose-built is convenience. If you want ski-in ski-out then this is probably where you'll be recommended. Much of the accommodation is also cheap which attracts families and young adults. Both areas have modern lift systems and this means very few queues.

This area attracts a lot of French holidaymakers because of the self-catered apartments that abound. There are some luxury apartments, especially in the newest Village of 1950 in Les Arcs, but the majority are pretty pokey and the facilities are basic. Both resorts offer very high skiing and this means the season starts early and ends late.

We like - The tree runs down to Peisey Vallandry in Les Arcs are steep and beautiful. The variety of areas in La Plagne. Scotty’s Bar in La Plagne.

I don't like – Flat spots, fairly quiet nightlife, lack of charm, unchallenging pistes in La Plagne.

Top tip - There is a backcountry run from the Aiguille Rouge above Les Arcs down to Vilaroger called the Valley of the Kings. Get a guide.

View ski deals to Paradiski

La Plagne

La Plagne

Portes du Soleil, France

 650km of piste — Great for all-day touring to numerous resorts in two countries.

Portes du Soleil is a collection of 13 linked resorts that straddle the French-Swiss border near Geneva. The main resorts for Brits are Morzine, Avoriaz and Les Gets. The touring here is first class and you can visit several charming little villages like Morgins in Switzerland, to sample world-class Chocolate Chaud for morning tea. I have never seen so many top-quality mountain huts and terrace bars in any other area. Every day can be a gastronomic journey covering hundreds of km and experiencing a huge variety of terrain and stunning views as far as Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva.

The only problem with this area is the height. When the snow is good in peak season it can't be beaten but by the third week of March, the afternoons can be heavy skiing so afternoons can be spent on sunny decks absorbing rays and drinking the legendary Mutzig beer.

We like - The short transfer from Geneva, the enormous range of terrain and the late-night bars in Morzine

I don't like - The aprés ski-in Morzine is a little tame and links over to Avoriaz take 30 minutes in the morning

Top tip - The Lindarets tree runs include 'The Stash', there is nothing else like this in Europe and it rocks! Try the tartiflette crêpe in Les Marmottes in Lindarets. It is gastronomic perfection.

View ski deals to Portes de Soleil

Avoriaz

Avoriaz

Skiwelt, Austria

 284km of linked piste — Fun and cheap.

SkiWelt area is low but has a great snow record and one of the most comprehensive snow cannon coverage in Europe. Soll is the number one destination Brits because of the wild aprés ski and the well-priced hotels. This area has a lot of fantastic views of the Wilderkaiser mountains and you can do a bit of touring. We like going to Austria because of the fun Tyrolean atmosphere and proper villages, with this area delivering on both fronts. I guarantee you will have more fun in Austria than in France but the resorts just aren't as convenient. Soll only has one cable car out of town and it gets busy. Other resorts in the ski area include Brixen im Thale, Going, Hopfgarten, Itter, Kelchsau, Scheffau and Westendorf.

We like - The party with the ever-friendly Austrians who speak perfect English.

We don't like - The lift queues.

Top tip - If you are staying in Soll then take the free local bus for 7 minutes down to Ellmau and catch the Gondola there that rarely has any queues.

 Ellmau

Ellmau 

Arlberg, Austria

 305km of piste — For the hard skiers and even harder partiers.

The Arlberg area combines the resorts of St. Anton, St. Christoph, Lech, and Zurs. St. Anton's ski area is quite challenging and the home runs are so narrow they get bumped up in the afternoon. As much as we love this resort I can't recommend it to beginners. Since 2016 the new Flexenbahn cable between Zurs and Stuben has closed the link between this area and opened up 305km of linked pistes, creating Austria’s largest ski area.

They claim to be the oldest in the world and the locals even claim that alpine skiing, as we know it, was invented in the area. In the old days, the villages of Lech and Zurs were cut off in Winter and they had to climb the Valluga and ski down to St. Anton. It was too steep for telemarking so they locked their boots in at the heel and alpine skiing was born — or so the story goes.

St. Anton is a fantastic party town. The aprés ski at the Mooserwirt and Krazy Kangaruh bars is justifiably legendary. Lech is the posh and dignified part of the area. The piste grooming in Lech is second to none in Europe and will make even the timidest skier feel like a racer. This is the area for piste cruisers and beginners.

We like - The aprés ski in St. Anton and 'The Beach' on the Rendl side of the valley that overlooks the terrain park.

We don't like - The icy bumpy runs that take you home in the afternoons.

Top tip - Get a guide and do the Valluga run down to Zurs from St. Anton. A world-renowned classic.

View ski deals to Arlberg

St Anton

St Anton 

The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Italy/Switzerland

 350km of piste — Glamorous and stunning.

This area is very much a tale of two countries. Zermatt on the Swiss side is gorgeous, glamorous, has coolly efficient lift systems, challenging skiing, and is astronomically expensive. The Italian Cervinia side is a jumble of cobbled streets, cheap cafés offering great food, ugly yet friendly hotels, cheerful locals, and typical Italian lift queues. If you are precious about the graphics on the tops of your skis then don't queue with Italians.

No matter where you are in either of these resorts your vision will be filled with the Matterhorn. It is the most iconic mountain in the world. All the best mountain restaurants in Zermatt face the Matterhorn and you will find it hard to tear your eyes away even when eating. The hotels in Zermatt are beautiful in a classic 19th century way and the town is car-free so you will see loads of horse-drawn carriages dropping off well-heeled nouveau rich and Europe's aristocracy at the grand entrances. Be careful not to miss the last lift back to Cervinia in the afternoon as one of our staff did. It cost him 400 Swiss Francs for one night’s stay in Zermatt. The way back to Cervinia takes you up to the highest lift in Europe at 3900m which can be very cold and windy and it takes ages to ski back down so they close the last lift at just after 4pm.

The Cervinia side is known for its cruisy red runs that are up to 22 km long. It's great for looking good and the mountain restaurants serve authentically made pasta at reasonable prices. We prefer to stay in Cervinia because it's cheaper but if we could afford the best hotels and the best mountain restaurants then we'd ski in Zermatt every single year.

We like - The stunning beauty of the Matterhorn just can't be beaten and where better to view it than in one of the best mountain restaurants in the world in Zermatt.

We don't like - The prices on the Swiss side

Top tip - Save your pennies and splurge on lunch at either Chez Vrony or Zum See (that's if you can get a table).

View ski deals to Zermatt / View ski deals to Cervinia

 

Milky Way, Italy/France

 400km of piste — Cheap and cheerful

There are five main villages in the impressive Milky Way ski area that bridges the Italian and French border. Sauze d'Oulx is the most popular with the Brits. It is cheap and cheerful and has loads of bars among its ancient cobbled streets. It can get pretty rowdy here and is best enjoyed but young partiers. Sestriere is the highest of the resorts and hosted the Olympics in the '90s but it is a purpose-built resort of very little character and no charm at all.

On the French side, you have Montgenevre which is very pretty and is where the first French Ski School started. It also hosted the 1st ever International Ski Race in 1907. In those days skiing was just developing and they stopped using a technique called the 'Brianconnais Stop'. This means just falling over. We highly recommend it for those who have tired of the ugly mega-resorts of France but still want a large high ski area with the good things about France like the food and wine. You can also walk into Italy (2km) at night for a spot of pasta and Chianti.

We like - The short transfer from Turin and the fun atmosphere.

We don't like - The remaining drag lifts and the poor links between the resorts. You really need to plan your day to make the most of this area.

Top tip - Stay in Montgenevre and do the nighttime Skidoo trip to a mountain restaurant, it's a great night out.

View ski deals to the Milky Way

 Milky Way

Montgenevre

Sella Ronda, Italy

1220km of piste — Beautiful vistas and easy cruisy skiing.

The claim of 1220km of piste is a little misleading. On the Super Dolomiti ski pass, you can ski at a lot of resorts, but it's not practical to visit some of them from your base resort if you are on the Sella Ronda circuit, as they are not all linked. Selva is the most popular resort because it is well linked and offers the best access to the most skiing. Cortina is probably the most famous resort on the Super Dolomiti but it is not linked to any other resort.

The views of the Dolomites have been described as more interesting and striking than those of the Alps. They tend to have sharp features and very steep rocky crags at the top. Skiing here is very laid back. The Italians are even considering banning off-piste skiing here. Apparently, they don't like rescuing skiers in trouble if it's not near a good restaurant.

We love the views here but the skiing is not steep enough for very advanced skiers who like a challenge. Come for the beauty, the well-priced food, and the charming villages, but don't expect any excitement.

We like - The views take your breath away, maybe even challenging Zermatt. There is a pink light to the alpenglow on the mountains here.

We don't like - The Italian attitude to off-piste skiing.

Top tip - Most skiers do the excellent Sella Ronda route anti-clockwise for better views. We much prefer clockwise as it takes in the few challenging steep black runs on the circuit.

View deals to Sella Ronda

Sella Ronda

Cortina

 

Chamonix, France

762km of piste — The most challenging skiing in Europe and a Mecca for experts.

The km of piste is deceptive and maybe a bit of marketing. Most people only ever ski the Brévent-Flégère area straight out of town, Le Tour at the end of the Valley and Grand Montets (the best area). This is around 300km of piste. This town is a proper town first and a ski resort second, however, it is one of the worlds extreme skiing Meccas. The town is under the imposing Mont Blanc and your lift pass covers the cable car up to the Aiguille du Midi. Even if you don't want to do the all-day backcountry tour called the Vallée Blanche it's worth going up to see the view across the whole Alps. The Vallée Blanche has many routes and you only need to be an intermediate of four or more weeks skiing to do the easiest route, though you must take a guide.

The local area of Brévent-Flégère is good for one or two days skiing but most of the time I head to Grand Montets which is 20 mins by bus towards Argentiere. This ski area is big, high, and steep. One of the best of its kind anywhere. There is another little treasure at the end of the Valley just before the Mont Blanc tunnel that takes you to Italy. La Tour is usually frequented by beginners as the front area is really easy and cruisy, I use it on bad weather days. On the backside of the mountain, there are countless tree runs that lead down to a cute little train station. At the end of the day catch the train back into Chamonix, it's free with your lift pass.

We like - The super challenging steepness you can find in Grand Montets, it's a thrill.

We don't like - No one really likes catching a bus in the morning, but it's worth it.

View ski deals to Chamonix

Chamonix

Chamonix

So which is the best then?

You can't really fault Les 3 Vallées. Yes, there are too many Brits in Méribel. Yes, it's pretty ugly up in Val Thorens when the weather comes in. Yes, Courchevel is expensive and full of Russians in the first week of January. However, the variety that's on offer in all these resorts and the unbelievable range of well-linked pistes just isn't comparable to anywhere else. The only problem is disappointment at the next ski area you go to. I don't know how many times I've heard the words, 'we skied in the Three Valleys last year and want something similar', sorry folks but there isn't anywhere similar.

For the best ski deals from the UK's largest ski travel agency, sign up to our newsletter here.