Austria
Mayrhofen
Mayrhofen is still one of Austria's best-loved resorts, in spite of a reputation as a budget base for beginners. In recent years, a number of new lifts have been built to link the outlying ski areas, and the whole area is now marketed as Ski Zillertal 3000.
Ski area:
Altitude: 630m-2,250m.
45 lifts in Mayrhofen, 148 in Ski Zillertal 3000.
143km pistes in Mayrhofen, 462km in Ski Zillertal 3000.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £106.
Equipment hire: £26-£97.
Ski school: (24 hours) £77.
Kindergarten (5 days): £90.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £4.
Small beer: £1.50.
Dinner for two with wine: £38.
Where to book:
Equity Ski (01273 298298, equityski.co.uk). From £516 at Chalet Wegscheider, including insurance, lift pass and equipment hire.
Söll
Söll is the hub of one of Austria's largest ski networks, the SkiWelt, which is a circuit of nine resorts and 250km of mainly intermediate pistes. There have been major improvements to both the lift system and hotels.
Ski area:
Altitude: 622m-1,829m.
12 lifts in Söll, 93 in SkiWelt.
43km of piste in Söll, 250km in SkiWelt.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £83-£98.
Equipment hire: £57-£92.
Ski school (20 hours): £76.
Kindergarten: (5 days): £158.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £4.
Small beer: £1.30.
Dinner for two with wine: £40.
Where to book:
Crystal (0870 1606040, crystalski.co.uk). From £339 B&B at Hotel Schönblick.
France
Les Arcs
This purpose-built resort in the French Tarentaise has consistently embraced innovations. Now, it is soaring to even greater heights thanks to a new village, La Daille d'Arc 2000, built by Canadian developer Intrawest. Next winter (2003/4) sees the opening of a £10m cable-car link to La Plagne, which will create one of the biggest ski circuits in Europe.
Ski area:
Altitude: 850m-3,226m.
62 lifts.
200km of piste.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £112.
Equipment hire: £50-£80.
Ski school (18 hours): £73.
Kindergarten (6 days): £110.
Small beer: £1.65.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £5.50.
Dinner for two with wine: £38.
Where to book:
Erna Low (020-7584 2841, ernalow.co.uk). From £668 for a two-room cabin apartment at MGM Les Alpages de Chantel, including ferry crossings.
Courchevel
Courchevel is made up of four separate villages at different altitudes, with glittering Courchevel 1850 the loftiest in both altitude and price. If designer ski suits and fur coats are not for you, then stay in Courchevel 1650, where you can sample the same skiing for less.
Ski area:
Altitude: 1,300m-3,300m.
200 lifts in Trois Vallées.
600km of piste in Trois Vallées.
The extras
6-day lift pass: £127.
Equipment hire: £62-£92.
Ski school (10 hours): £95.
Kindergarten (6 days): £150.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £9.20.
Small beer: £3.30.
Dinner for two with wine: £33-£40.
Where to book:
Le Ski (0870 7544444, leski.com). From £509 at Chalet Les Carlines.
Italy
Courmayeur
Courmayeur is a delightful old village on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc tunnel. The cobblestone alleyways are full of restaurants, bars and boutiques which are equally important as the skiing. The main ski area is best suited to intermediates, but a cable-car from the hamlet of Entrèves accesses the Vallée Blanche and other challenging off-piste.
Ski area:
Altitude: 1,700m-2,624m.
20 lifts.
100km of piste.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £100-£111.
Equipment hire: £49-£77.
Ski school (15 hours): £90.
Kindergarten (5 days): £118.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £5.30.
Small beer: £2.
Dinner for two with wine: £34.
Where to book:
Momentum Ski (020-7371 9111, momentum.uk.com). From £375 room-only at Pensione Busa including flights and car hire.
Switzerland
Flims
Flims is the main resort of the Alpenarena, one of the largest ski circuits in Switzerland, and still largely unknown to British skiers. The village is connected by lifts and free ski bus to the neighbouring resorts of Laax and Falera. Flims is a good choice for families, with three theme-park nursery areas and some gentle slopes higher up the mountain.
Ski area:
Altitude: 1,100m-3,018m.
19 lifts in Alpenarena.
220km of piste in Alpenarena.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £134.
Equipment hire: £103.
Ski school (18 hours): £147.
Kindergarten (5 days): £158.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £6.
Small beer: £2.
Dinner for two with wine: £29.
Where to book: Powder Byrne (020-8246 5300, powderbyrne.com). From £853 at Hotel Waldeck.
Verbier
Over the past seven years, Verbier has rebuilt its lift system, dispensed with its notorious queues and reasserted its position as one of the top half-dozen resorts in the world for both skiers and snowboarders. It is part of the giant Four Valleys ski area.
Ski area:
Altitude: 1,500m-3,330m.
95 lifts in Four Valleys.
410km of piste in Four Valleys.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £133.
Equipment hire: £100.
Ski school (15 hours): £76-£87.
Kindergarten (6 days): £149.
Spaghetti Bolognaise: £10.
Small beer: £1.60.
Dinner for two with wine: £65.
Where to book:
Total Ski (08701 633633, skitotal.com). From £549 at Chalet Savolèyres.
Canada
Banff/Lake Louise
Banff/Lake Louise is still the most popular destination in Canada for British skiers, largely based on price. In the Banff National Park, it comprises three separate ski areas. Lake Louise and Sunshine Village have the most challenging slopes, while Ski Banff@Norquay is Banff's local hill.
Ski area:
Altitude: 1,662m-2,637m.
29 lifts in area.
7,558 acres of trails in area.
The extras
6-day lift pass: £156.
Equipment hire: £48-£59.
Ski school (24 hours): £126.
Kindergarten (6 days): £126.
Burger: £3.75.
Small beer: £1.36.
Dinner for two with wine: £32.
Where to book:
Ski Safari (01273 223680, skisafari.com). From £710 room only at Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, including flights and transfers.
Whistler
Over the past 15 years, Whistler has established a reputation as the world capital of skiing and snowboarding. Its twin mountains provide arguably the longest vertical drop on the continent, as well as a variety of pistes, powder bowls and couloirs.
Ski area:
Altitude: 675m-2,284m.
32 lifts.
7,071 acres of trails.
The extras
6-day lift pass: £109-£156.
Equipment hire: £54-£110.
Ski school (12 hours): £148.
Kindergarten (6 days): £239.
Burger: £3.50.
Small beer: £1.26.
Dinner for two with wine: £35.
Where to book:
Ski The American Dream (020-8552 1201, skidream.com). From £825 in a superior loft suite at Whistler Village Inn & Suites, not including meals.
US
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole in Wyoming is a cult resort for powderhounds, and also one of the world's most expensive. The skiing takes place on steep and exciting slopes above Teton Village, a 20-minute drive from the airport and the attractive town of Jackson.
Ski area:
Altitude: 1,924m-3,186m.
11 lifts.
2,500 acres of trails.
The extras
6-day lift pass: £160-£220.
Equipment hire: £80.
Ski school (18 hours): £130.
Kindergarten (6 days): £320.
Burger: £5.70.
Small beer: £1.40.
Dinner for two with wine: £53.
Where to book:
Ski Independence (0870 5550555, ski-independence.co.uk). From £650 B&B at the Parkway Inn.
Scandinavia
Levi, Finland
Levi, in Finnish Lapland, is in the Arctic Circle, and, therefore, in one of the most snowsure positions. The ski area is mainly intermediate, and it also has excellent nursery slopes. Non-skiing activities include reindeer- and dog-sledding.
Ski area:
Altitude: 203m-720m.
19 lifts.
40km of piste.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £79.
Equipment hire: £43-£78.
Ski school (7 hours): £90.
Kindergarten (6 days): £197.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £6.50.
Small beer: £2.
Dinner for two with wine: £66.
Where to book:
Inghams (020-8780 4433, inghams.co.uk). From £285 self-catering in a three-roomed log cabin. £14.10 daily half-board supplement.
Andorra
Soldeu
Soldeu is linked by lift with the duty-free border town of Pas de la Casa. Of all the resorts in the principality, these two share the best skiing, but you need separate lift passes for each resort.
Ski area:
Altitude: 1,800m-2,560m.
29 lifts.
86km of piste.
The extras:
6-day lift pass: £83.
Equipment hire: £46.
Ski school (15 hours): £58.
Kindergarten (6 days not including lunch): £53.
Spaghetti bolognaise: £5.
Small beer: £2.
Dinner for two with wine: £33.
Where to book:
Panorama (0870 7505060, panoramaholidays.co.uk). From £279 self-catering at the Sandy IV apartments in a studio for four.
· The holiday package prices given here are per person for January low season, and include flights, transfers, and half-board accommodation unless stated otherwise. Kindergarten prices include lunch unless stated otherwise.
· Felice Hardy is joint editor of The Good Skiing & Snowboarding Guide 2003 (Which? Books), priced £15.99.
