The 7 best places in Europe to ski

When the snow clouds gather and the magical flakes begin to drift down, skiers everywhere feel their hearts leap with excitement – it's the start of ski season. Whether it's your fiftieth season or your first time near the slopes, or even if you don't plan to ski at all, the allure of Europe's mountains is undeniable. This season, explore our range of cheap ski holidays to experience this enchantment without straining your budget.

1. The French Alps
2. The Austrian Alps
3. The Swiss Alps
4. The Italian Dolomites
5. Andorra
6. The Spanish Pyrenees
7. Bulgaria

The continent is covered in great, skiable terrain, so let us break down the best spots for you. You’ll find five-star spa stays, well-groomed pistes and beginner-friendly terrain, as well as challenging off-piste experiences and budget bars. We’ve gathered the best places in Europe to ski for every budget.

1. The French Alps

The French Alps are often cited one of the best places in Europe to ski. This region has it all – expansive resorts, tricky pistes, beginner-friendly slopes and an infamous party scene (they basically invented apres-ski). You’ll find family-focused resorts, spa hotels and places hosting world-famous DJs throughout the season (December – early April).

Late December has a festive buzz, while January is quieter and very snow sure; February is popular with families and mid-March promises bright, blue skies. The best thing is the sheer amount of choice – sprawling interconnected resorts, dozens of ski lifts and a real variety of runs. Some of the most popular choices are Chamonix, Tignes, Val d’Isère and the legendary Les 3 Vallèes, boasting 180 lifts and 600 km of skiing on 330 marked pistes.

2. The Austrian Alps

From the snowy slopes perched above Innsbruck to the breath-taking expanse of Arlberg – the Austrian Alps are a dream. In Arlberg, one pass grants you access to a network of 88 lifts and around 10 ski villages, including the lively apres-ski centre St Anton. You can stay in the Oetztal valley, home to Obergurgl, Hochgurgl and Sölden, with 90 miles of trails and three towering peaks reaching over 10,000 feet.

Fly directly to Innsbruck and get day-trip access to the big resorts nearby or ski the smaller, local slopes accessed via a free ski bus. Serious powderhounds make a beeline for the Stubai Glacier for challenging bowls, chutes and a six-mile-long run. Cross-country skiers will find their heaven in Seefeld, while snowboarders should head to Ischgl and Mayrhofen.

3. The Swiss Alps

Ski holidays in Switzerland are a cut above. The food, the hotels and the spas are luxurious, and the slopes no less so, with the transport running as smoothly as a Swiss watch. All this comes with an expected price tag but if you’re looking for an elevated escape, the Swiss Alps should be your top choice. There are dozens of resorts to choose from; the most popular are Zermatt, Grindelwald, Verbier and St Mortiz.

While here, spot the iconic silhouette of the Matterhorn above Zermatt’s quaint chalets. There’s plenty to occupy non-skiers (or give your legs a day off), including slope-side Champagne bars in Zermatt, world-class spas in Gstaad, the Titlis glacier cave in Engelberg, sleigh-riding in St. Moritz and some breath-taking mountain train rides.

4. The Italian Dolomites

There are dozens of reasons to add the Dolomites to your skiing bucket list, including the cuisine (Austrian meets Italian), the friendly atmosphere and the quaint rifugi or mountain huts that speckle the ski areas. The biggest reasons though, are the spectacular, jagged peaks, the unbeatable sunshine hours and the snow security (thanks to 1100 km of piste being covered by snowmaking machinery).

The Dolomiti Superski region is a big draw, combining 15 resorts, including the famous Cortina d’Ampezzo area, and 1200 km of top-quality slopes in one ski pass. The Sellaronda has to be skied to be believed. This spectacular network of cable cars, ski lifts and slopes in the Sella Massif area and promises a unique over endless craggy peak-tops, rich forests and glistening white pistes.

5. Andorra

For some reason, people always forget that this petite country is one of the best skiing places in Europe, especially on a budget. What Andorra lacks in square metres – with just two major ski areas – it makes up for in snow quality, lack of crowds and top ski schools.

Grandvalira is made up of the Pas de la Casa, Graun Roig, Soldeu, El Tarter, Canillo and Encamp resorts, and Vallnord comprises Pal, Arinsal and Arcalis; the total area of the two is 300 km, featuring snow-sure, groomed slopes and exciting off-piste terrain. The season runs from December to April and you can even heli-ski here. The apres-ski atmosphere is friendly and lively and you can also go duty free shopping and dip in a thermal bath while visiting.

6. The Spanish Pyrenees

Forget sand and sangria, the snow-covered slopes of the Spanish Pyrenees are some of the best places in Europe to ski. The resorts are less crowded than France and, with a long season, low prices and lots of sunshine, what’s not to like? Baqueira-Beret, popular with the Spanish royal family, is the largest ski area in Spain with 4700 other-worldly acres, boasting six peaks and 33 lifts, and yet you’ll never queue here.

La Molina is good for beginners and kids, with over half of the 68 slopes designated greens and blues. Escape the crowds entirely at Boí Taüll, home to the highest skiable point in the Pyrenees and a healthy helping of blacks and reds, or head to Espot Esqui in the Aigüestortes National Park, for unrivalled stargazing après ski.

7. Bulgaria

Bulgaria, with its budget-friendly resorts, decent snowfall and World Cup-standard pistes, has stolen the hearts of European powder-seekers. The country boasts 37 mountains and regularly sees temperatures of -5C, but it also stays sunny, with the season stretching from mid-December to March with little rain.

There are family friendly resorts like Pamporovo, home to 36 km of pistes, or petite Uzana with just 3 km but very budget gear-rental prices. Bansko is the most popular, hosting world-class competitions on its 18 pistes and boasting slopes reaching 2600 m. It’s still not expensive – one-day lift passes are less than £40. Borovets is another favourite, offering 58 km of ski trails, a ski school and luxury ski-in hotels, not to mention late-night skiing and a great party atmosphere.