Top 5 Glacier resorts
Zermatt
Nearest airport: Geneva
Transfer time: 3hrs
It’s often said that everyone should ski Zermatt at least once, and it’s true to say that this epic resort has something for everyone, and serves as a prime location for many experts and ski-touring fans to find their happy place. Surrounded by peaks above 4,000m, the car-free town is lively and effortlessly photogenic. Satisfyingly snow-sure, with good natural cover from early December and the glacier for year-round skiing. A spectacular new gondola lift to Klein Matterhorn at nearly 4,000m, opens for the 2018/19 season.
Tignes
Nearest airport: Chambery
Transfer time: 2hrs 15 mins
Tignes is a skier’s ski resort, with fantastic snow cover, perfect for keen intermediates and experts, plus good off-slope amenities and a lively après scene. It’s linked with its pretty and iconic neighbour Val d’Isère to form the huge Espace Killy ski area, offering 300km of pistes and some superb powder terrain. Tignes offers more skiing in winter and in summer than pretty well anywhere else - thanks to the Grande Motte glacier, 3,456m at its highest point.
Arc 2000
Nearest airport: Chambery
Transfer time: 2hrs 15 mins
Highest of the six villages that make up Les Arcs ski resort – and linked via the Vanoise Express with La Plagne to form the vast Paradiski area, one of the world’s biggest at 425km. It’s a compact village, but with great access to the rest of the resort, which has a wonderful variety of terrain, from cruisy blues to steep blacks. Snow reliability is good, with plenty of runs over 2,000m and loads of snowmaking. Après is quieter up here – but a short gondola ride will take you to the vibrant après scene of Arc 1950.
Val Thorens
Nearest airport: Chambery
Transfer time: 2hrs 15 mins
Perched at the dizzy height of 2,300m, purpose-built Val Thorens in the vast Three Valleys ski area is the highest resort in Europe. Properly ski-in/ski-out, its own 150km of slopes have guaranteed snow cover from November to May, and it offers plenty for beginners and experts alike. On a clear day the views from VT are stupendous. Also take advantage of the activities on offer in resort such as yoga on the snow and a ride down Europe's longest toboggan run. Plus, foodies will be in heaven here with a Michelin starred restaurant just down the valley in Les Menuires.
Cervinia
Nearest airport: Turin
Transfer time: 1hr 45 mins
Sitting in the shadow of the towering Matterhorn, Cervinia's lofty location – 2,050m in the village and 3,480m at the top lift – virtually guarantees great snow from November to May. On a bluebird day, Italy’s most snow-sure resort is a joy for beginners and intermediates: its 150km of runs are mostly blue and light-red, so experts are better off heading up and over the Swiss border to Zermatt, though the high-altitude link is somewhat exposed. The après scene is liveliest at the weekends.
Non-glacier but high/snow-sure
Ischgl
Nearest airport: Innsbruck
Transfer time: 1hr 30mins
High, snow-sure slopes - in part thanks to some highly sophisticated snowmaking - an excellent lift system and one of the best party scenes in the Alps, make the Austrian resort of Ischgl a great choice for a full-on ski holiday. With 240km of pistes, the huge high ski area is the largest in the Eastern Alps. The skiing here is excellent. Even the nursery slopes are at altitude, ensuring you're learning on good quality snow, but Ischgl prides itself as much on its parties as its pistes.
Obergurgl
Nearest airport: Innsbruck
Transfer time: 1hr 30mins
One of Austria's highest ski resorts, based at 1,930m, is historically snow-sure throughout the season. Its welcoming alpine atmosphere attracts a loyal and cosmopolitan following. Obergurgl's own ski area is quite small, but is lift-linked with the even higher-altitude neighbouring resort of Hochgurgl, making more than enough pistes to keep most visitors happy.
Sestriere
Nearest airport: Turin
Transfer time: 1hr 45mins
Founded in the 1930s by the founder of Fiat for his workers, the Italian resort of Sestriere was one of the world's first purpose-designed ski resorts. It is the highest and most snow-sure resort in the huge Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski domain which straddles the Italian-French border and stretches across 400km, and is a great choice for beginners and keen intermediates. Après is low-key during the week, but when Friday comes day-trippers and weekenders from Turin pour into the resort.
St Anton
Nearest airport: Innsbruck
Transfer time: 1hr 15mins
Simply, one of the world's most famous ski resorts. Located in Austria’s Arlberg region, St Anton is renowned both for its hedonistic après ski scene and superb ski terrain, offering some of the most challenging intermediate and advanced ski slopes in the Alps. It has 340km of slopes, as well as a remarkable 200km of off-piste itineraries and masses of challenging freeride terrain. It’s an attractive, pedestrianised town and is home to the legendary Mooserwirt and Krazy Kanguruh bars.
Verbier
Nearest airport: Geneva
Transfer time: 2hrs
Verbier in the Swiss Alps is one of the world's most prestigious mountain resorts and a fashionable destination for well-heeled weekenders who come for the great après and excellent restaurants as much as for the superb ski area. The principal resort in the extensive 4 Valleys ski domain, with 400km of runs, it’s best suited to advanced skiers and boarders and is renowned for its lift-served off-piste and freeride terrain. The nightlife is not to be missed with something everyone can enjoy from slopeside après to luxury hotel bars.
Explore these, and many more resorts at inghams.co.uk
