Pack your skis and get yourself to one of these favourite winter resorts

Northern Italy 

Flying to Milan is a great option if you want to access some excellent ski resorts around Northern Italy. In case you are looking for an authentic Italian atmosphere, your best bet is the smallish resort of Montecampione. The resort is quite calm and relaxed, so perfect if you want to avoid touristy hustle and bustle. One of the benefits of Montecampione is its close proximity to Milan, by car the journey only takes about 90 minutes.

For stunning views and excellent, high-altitude skiing try Alagna. The resort is built around the second highest peak in Europe, and it is perfect for adventurous types. In addition to challenging freerides the resort offers a lot of other outdoorsy pursuits from trekking to fishing. The ski village is also worth seeing, it is a UNESCO world heritage site dotted with historic buildings.

Near Innsbruck

Innsbruck in Austria is the first choice for many ski enthusiasts and no wonder! One of the best resorts in the world Stubai Glacier is perfect for all winter sport fans. The total ski area is almost 1,500 hectares with over 100 kilometres of pistes. There are options to suit all levels of skiers, from kids to the very experienced. Even the after ski is fabulous, with lots of restaurants and bars serving you that perfect cup of glühwein. 

For breathtaking mountain views and tons of activities, you should choose Bergeralm. In addition to great slopes, it offers a variety of other outdoors sports such as snow shoeing or paragliding to try out. Bergeralm is also perfect if you are travelling with children. There is a dedicated area just for kids, as well as a good quality ski school.

Near Salzburg

Kitzbühel is the undeniable king of resorts near Salzburg in Austria. With over 230 kilometres of downhill slopes and an impressive number of cross-country tracks you are sure to fit in even during the high season. Kitzbühel provides the perfect well-rounded holiday experience, too. The event calendar is packed with activities from concerts to Polo matches. In addition, there is shopping, restaurants and even spa treatments to keep you entertained. 

Obertauern offers a more sports focused approach and is perfect for those wanting to try new things. There are good slopes for all experience levels, as well as a huge array of other winter sports. You could for example challenge yourself with a session of snow biking, ice climbing or snow-shoe trekking. To give your muscles some special care afterwards, try their mountain yoga!

Near Zürich 

You can reach some epic ski spots by flying to Zürich. If you are a serious ski enthusiast, head out to Grindelwald and Wengen. The area has several amazing snow-covered mountains with hundreds of kilometres of perfect slopes. The area is also known to host many winter sports events. So, to give you an extra boost of motivation, you could see some professionals in action too. 

Just a short, one hour drive away from Zürich is the picturesque Andermatt resort. It has the largest ski area in Central Switzerland, and it is a great choice if you want to do more than downhill skiing. There are well maintained cross-country tracks and even a skating rink. The area also has some very esteemed restaurants to fuel with some local dishes after a day out.

Near Geneva

For a combination of skiing and extraordinarily stunning views, try Le Grand Bornand about an hour away from the Swiss Geneva. The resort offers truly remarkable aesthetic experiences, with some of the slopes running through thick fir forests. The historic village is wonderfully preserved with picture post card houses. Le Grand Bornand is also perfect if you are a gourmand, there are many high-quality restaurants nearby, including several Michelin starred eateries. 

If you are holidaying as a family, your best pick is Morzine. It has good slopes for beginners and intermediary skiers, and a snow park for children. The resort also makes sure everyone in the family will be entertained. There is a swimming centre, skating rinks and sledging slopes, for example. The less sporty ones can enjoy shopping or spa treatments. The resort also has an exceptionally high number of after-ski spots from chilled-out wine bars to live music venues.