We asked you to send us your top skiing tips for the chance to win an amazing holiday for two in Saas Fee, Switzerland, worth £3,500 with Inghams. We received sack loads of responses telling us all about your favourite places, from little-known ski spots, restaurants with views, the creamiest hot chocolate to the most memorable (or not) après-ski nights. And you've skied all over the world, from France to Japan, Canada to Slovakia and everywhere in between. Here is the winning entry and our selection of the best of the rest.
1. The winner: High Tatras, Slovakia
Posted by Peter Clarkson
With budgets pinching more than the edge in the October air, it may be time to consider a trip beyond the usual Alpine haunts. The High Tatras mountains in Slovakia, a compact range rising out of a plateau, are served by an excellent light railway, allowing you to stay in one of many little towns at the mountains' feet, and cheaply move with ease between a variety of pistes.
Mixing with vodka-soused Russians happy to ski or simply launch themselves bodily down the slopes, you will have to keep your wits about you if you stick to the long pistes of Strbske Pleso, or the more demanding, if shorter, runs of Tatranska Lomnica. Filling up on hearty sausage and bean stew in one of the numerous chatas or mountain huts on the slopes, you may then need a jolt from a Turkish-style coffee thick with grounds and black as the night in this Unesco-protected and largely unspoiled region.
Not for nothing are these and the neighbouring valleys known as the "Slovak Paradise". Forget centimetres - you might well end up wading chest-deep through the fresh snowfall of a morning, to dodge the few adventurous Germans you'll find on the wealth of off-piste runs.
Getting there is as much an adventure as staying - easily reached by overnight trains from France, you'll change in Kosice, transferring to the electric railway to Stary Smokovec.
France
2. La Grave
Posted by Jonathan Pughe
It's not the most glamourous ski resort in France. It's not the most beautiful. It's not very easy to get to. And the lifts don't open very often. But when they do, there is no better place to ski. The mountain, La Meije, has everything including a vertical drop of nearly 2,500 metres. And you probably won't see more than 50 people all day long. You'll need a guide and you certainly need to be fit but there can be very few more rewarding skiing experiences in Europe. We stayed at Hotel Edelweiss, where everything from the welcoming bar to the hearty food and lip smackingly good wine list is excellent.
3. Barèges
Posted by Zosia Kmietowicz
My favourite resort is Barèges in the French Pyrenees. It is little known by the big tour operators and the companies that do serve the resort offer a level of flexibility that is rarely found. We were picked up from Pau airport and looked after all week by fantastic personnel from the unaptly named PMT (Pyrenean Mountain Tours), with ski touring and games for the children thrown in. The best thing about Barèges is it's unpretentious. Locals come in daily to ski and there's vast amounts of skiing to be had in the two linked resorts of Barèges and La Mongie. What could be better than hearing the whoop of children (and adults) as they navigate the bumps through the woods that border the pistes or the sight of the huskies at Le Leinz which also boasts a fantastic restaurant. Then there's the spa in Barèges itself, a welcome soak at the end of the day with adults and children in one big pool.
4. Sainte Foy
Posted by William Ric
I would highly recommend Sainte Foy in the French Alps. It is a perfect small-sized resort, not far from Val d'Isère. It's where the ski instructors from the nearby big resorts come to off-piste. You can get a weekly ski pass that also lets you ski in the main resorts - ideal if you don't like staying in the homogenised centres. Thanks to strict planning all the buildings are low level in the traditional chalet style. It's very quiet at night but only about 20 minutes from Val if you fancy a social centre. Best restaurant is La Bergerie, by the main lift station - perfect for a special dinner with a menu of Savoyard specialities.
5. Budget stay in Serre Chevalier
Posted by Sarah Skelton
A great budget hotel in Serre Chevalier is La Maison du Bez. The average weekly price is €450 per person for half-board and the food is excellent. The decor is cozy alpine shabby-chic and could easily feature in Sawday's Special Places to Stay; it has an alpine bohemian feel. They also have apartments to rent in the building next door, which are equally elegant and comfortable.
6. The Wall, Avoriaz
Louise Doherty
I never really came up against anything that truly challenged me until my first trip to Avoriaz last March, when we discovered La Chavanette, known as Le Mur Suisse, the Swiss Wall... or just The Wall. It's so terrifyingly steep that you can't even see beyond the first 20 metres. It's classed as an "orange" run, which essentially means it's unclassifiable... worse than a black. The top of the run is so steep and narrow that skiers carve moguls the size of cars as they turn, to try and stop themselves tumbling into oblivion. The only sound from the top of the run is grating, scraping ice on skis. Or so I hear. I stayed in the cosy restaurant at the top of the Wall, furiously drinking vin chaud to work up the courage to go down, but never quite managed it. It didn't matter because from where I sat, perched between France and Switzerland, the views were amazing. Also, there was a real community feel as skiers and boarders of all nationalities huddled round, debating whether to go down and egging each other on. It was like hovering at the entrance to the scariest theme park ride in the world.
Italy
7. A tasty tip on Chiesa
Posted by Thomas Winter
Chiesa is a lovely small resort with comforting runs and a nice cozy feel to it. This may be down to the local speciality (pizzoccheri) served in the various restaurants and cafes that adorn the mountain. This is a stupendously heavy dish of buckwheat pasta, cabbage and cheese (possibly some potatoes), which sounds and, to be honest, looks pretty unappetising, but which transforms into food perfection as you eat mouthful after mouthful. It gives you enough calorific energy to scale K2 in an afternoon. So dense is this repast, however, that an hour or so of inaction is inevitable after consumption. Being forced to sit in the mountain sunshine, soaking up the view, the serenity and the calories offered a blissful moment of calm.
8. Hot chocolate in Courmayeur
Posted by Ollie Loach
La Maison Vieille in Courmayeur is, unsurprisingly given the name, a beautiful stone walled rustic restaurant/cafe with phenomenal views to Mont Blanc. Thick, proper Italian hot chocolate makes this the pick of the bunch in a resort with more mountain restaurants than lifts.
9. Macugnaga
Posted by Heather Atkinson
Without doubt one of the best-kept secrets in skiing is Macugnaga in the Italian Alps. At the foot of the Monte Rosa, Europe's second highest mountain and only Himalayan-type mountain, nestles this small resort. It is just over the Monte Moro pass from Saas Fee, but is inaccessible from Switzerland except on foot in the summer. It is at the end of a long winding valley from Turin or Milan airports and is probably the most picturesque resort in Europe. Being remote, it isn't part of a huge ski system but none the less has enough runs for a good week for all but the most advanced skier. Most of the hotels are run by locals and the food is traditional Italian mountain food - wholesome, delicious and lots of it! The wine is excellent and cheap and, thanks to being off the beaten track, prices are among the best in Europe. The icing on the cake is the Monte Rosa at sunrise. Get up in time to see the first rays touch the side of the Monte Rosa and you'll see where it gets its name. It doesn't matter how many times you've seen it, it's always stunning.
Austria
10. Take the train to St Anton
Posted by Chris White
St Anton was once a resort that was dominated by its railway station and train track accommodation, while village life was marooned on the opposite side of the valley from its main slopes and lifts. Not anymore. Now the old station is a pamper-paradise with indoor and outdoor swimming in a series of slate and stainless steel bubbling pools. But the train is still the only way to arrive in town. It glides coolly into the side of the valley and you emerge from the new station still in the heart of the town. Value-seekers can fly with Ryanair to Friedrichshafen. From here, Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains skirt the frozen Lake Constance and within two hours, you can be walking down St Anton's cobbled main street. The train can be booked through DB's London office or on its English website. Trains run frequently and regularly - even when the roads are struggling on transfer day.
11. Après-ski in Obergurgl
Posted byKen Potter
After a great day on the slopes, the twice-weekly Nederhutte experience is one not to be missed. The tip is to send someone to occupy your table at 3pm because by 4.30pm you'll have difficulty getting through the door, this really is a buzzing venue. The owner plays live music in two sessions. There are literally hundreds in there and you will be dancing on the tables playing air guitars. The atmosphere really is electric for everyone from six to 60 – we saw 60-year-old farmers dancing on the tables. Finding your skis and skiing down the mountain is a challenge but it is floodlit.
12. Top lunch spot in Zell Am See
Posted by Elliott Justice
If you fancy a spot of lunch on the mountain, try the Pinzgauer Hütte for beautiful scenery and a novel transfer back to the slopes. Take the gondola to the top of the Schmittenhöhe and ski down the backside until you reach a small three-man lift on the left. Near the entrance to the lift lies a cat track that disappears off into the woods with no signage other than a warning picture of a skidoo. We would never have gone down this trail if we weren't with a local. Follow the trail for about half a mile through gladed scenery until the trees open out to the Pinzgauer Hütte. The crystal clear view from here includes the valley below and the huge Kitzsteinhorn glacier. The most amazing and fun thing about this wonderful eatery is the novel way in which you return to the slopes. Once there are enough people waiting to leave, the old man, who appears to be the owner, will pull out a long rope with bars attached to it, hook it to the back of his skidoo and literally drag you in tow, all the way back to the piste. Amazing experience!
Switzerland
13. Bruson
Rory Creedon
Vernier is nice, Siviez is great, but in that epic area of the Four Valleys, Switzerland, there is one resort where those who are really in the know go: Bruson. Best of all the easiest way to get there is by train. Book your Eurostar to Paris early and it will cost you around £50 return, the journey to Geneva another £50, and the last leg to La Chable will cost you £20. In peak season, this is much cheaper and greener than flying - and best of all more glamorous. Stop for lunch in Paris, take in the sights of Lake Leman. When you arrive in Le Châble, there is a simple choice, turn left for Verbier and turn right for Bruson. I respect your decision to turn left - Verbier is young, hip, busy, fun, while Bruson is quiet, traditional, small, rustic and has far fewer amenities. However, once you are ensconced in your £1,500 a week apartment 100m from Verbier's Place Centrale, if you look out of your window one evening and you see delicate flakes of snow falling from the grey clouds, forget trying to get up into the Verbier Valley the next day. Instead, hire some fat skis and take the cable car down to Le Châble from Medran. Once there, catch the bus to Bruson. Having endured two of the slowest (and coldest) chairlifts known to modern man, you will arrive at a plethora of easily accessible and relatively safe off-piste runs. You might see one or two other people there, and you will ski in untracked power all day long. Stop for a croute in a mountain hut and ski all the way to Le Châble in the afternoon, over fields and down mountain paths. You will return happy and exhausted.
14. Château-d'Oex
Posted by Edwina Meek
Go during the hot air ballooning festival in mid January. It really is magical, hundreds of multi-coloured balloons high above the mountains. The skiing is fantastic, too. Taking a beautiful wooden-pannelled carriage to Gstaad only takes about 20 minutes and the scenery is outstanding. The skiing is extensive and the slopes were all but empty in early January. Wonderful scenery, fantastic mountainside restaurants and (if you have the inclination) a trip in a hot air balloon over it all, makes Château-d'Oex very special!
US
15. Grand Targhee Resort in Wyoming
Posted by Michael Mueller
Located within the Caribou/Tarhgee National Forest, Targhee is dedicated to fantastic, uncluttered old-school skiing. It combines an annual average of 500 inches of world-class powder, genuine "old west" charm, marvellous off-the-beaten-tracks and non-existent lift lines, with easy accessibility from the nearby, but much flashier Jackson Hole. Mostly locals come here to the snowier, western side of the Teton range, for unlimited elbow room and spectacular powder. Among Targhee's 2,000 pristine, mostly off-piste acres, there are easy groomers from top to bottom. But the best runs include untracked double blacks, vast meadows and glades, and more than 1,000 acres of back country cat skiing powder, along with incredible unspoiled views and bluebird skies. The base is a compact "western" version of an alpine village offering everything from equipment rentals, buffalo wings, local micro brews to live music at the very laid back Trap Bar. Getting there: Several major airlines make daily stops in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Rent a car or SUV and drive west for approximately 1.5 hours over the Teton Pass to Driggs, Wyoming, and follow the signs.
16. Backcountry in Idaho
Posted by Seonaid Cook
Sun Valley Trekking run hut-to-hut (in fact, yurt-to-yurt) backcountry ski trips in Idaho. Stunning mountain ranges, a chance to escape the usual resort-based clichés and the possibility of bumping into one of the incredibly famous (seasonal) residents add an extra dimension to a trip. To relax afterwards, soak tired thighs in one of the natural thermal springs at the roadside then drink a schooner (very large beer to you and me) at Grumpy's in Ketchum.
Canada
17. Red Mountain run
Posted by Adam Rostom
This medium-sized conical hill is a rollercoaster ride of a mountain. From the top you've got 200m of open powder before you hit the tree line. After frantically zigzagging through the trees, you arrive at the first rock band; what most normal people call a cliff. After 5-10m of air, you thud back on to the ground for the next batch of trees and then the second rock band. More air, more trees and you find yourself at the bottom, whooping like an idiot for no bigger reason than pure exhilaration and cursing the rickety lift for its slowness. All you want to do is go again. The run is called Powderfields and is near a sleepy little BC town called Rossland. It's the best place in the world.
18. Tree-skiing in Whistler-Blackcomb
Posted by James Robinson
Take the Jersey Cream Lift, and head from there past the Rendezvous restaurant, heading back towards the top of the Excelerator chair. The runs divide around a tree island, known to the locals as Backpacker Trees. You need to straight-line it towards a large sign, down and up a short gully - keep pointing it - and then you'll be in a small but perfectly formed section of rolling terrain, with small drop-offs and sweeping banks, perfect for introducing new people to the joys of tree-skiing in the Coastal Range. Watch out for the local instructors though, they head here first too!
Andorra
19. Late-season weekend in Arcalis, Andorra
Posted by Alun Evans
Despite now boasting two "super-resorts" and several hundred miles of skiable pistes, Andorra still finds it hard to shake off the "Ibiza in winter" tag. However, my top tip is to leave the main valley resorts of Soldeu and Pas de la Casa to the hordes, and go exploring in the Vallnord. It consists of three resorts, Pal, Arinsal and Arcalis, which all share the same lift pass. While Pal and Arinsal are great for beginners and intermediates, the real jewel in the crown for the more experienced skier is the small resort of Arcalis. Its location, right at the very north-western tip of Andorra, means that the usual weather systems dump their snow here before hitting the rest of the principality. So, the average snow depth is usually double that of the other resorts, and it gets lots of powder. It only has five or six lifts, but each one is modern, fast and very long. This all adds up to lots of skiing on long runs, in some cases from the very top of the resort (2,625m) down to the bottom in one hit. But the real clincher is the late season prices. During the high season, Vallnord can be quite expensive as the northern Spanish take their winter holidays, but in March and April prices plummet. Last April, we found two nights' accommodation in a four-star spa, half board, and a two-day lift pass, for €120 (£95, booked last minute through the resort website). Budget flights go to Barcelona and Girona in Spain, and Toulouse in France. Travel time from either to Vallnord is two to three hours. Car hire: Spanish rates are good, try pepecar.com for deals.
Finland
20. Levi
Posted by Clare Strode
Most skiers will baulk at this one but what Levi lacks in glamour and stunning peaks it more than makes up for with an un-crowded, unpretentious and delightful skiing experience for novices (like me) or those with young families. It's a fantastic place to learn or develop your skiing without the stress of the crowds bearing down on you on the piste. Throw into the mix the Aurora Borealis, the reindeers in the forest (how many people can say they've skied through reindeer poo?) and the chance to take the afternoon off for a bit of husky sledging. I've gone with a few people over the years and despite their initial misgivings the charm of this place wins them over. The nightlife may not compete with the French or Italian resorts, but where else can you indulge in a night-time snowmobile spin through an Arctic forest?
21. Norway
Kongsberg
Posted by Peter Jones
Excellent for beginners on a budget. Fly with Ryanair to Torp (Oslo), then get a train to Kongsberg (always on time, walk-on fare very cheap especially when you are with kids). Stay in the Kongsberg Youth Hostel - excellent facilities and a cooked breakfast. Get a bus to the resort (very quick), and ski on one of the four runs, half pipe, moguls.
UK
22. Glencoe, Scotland
Posted by Janet Crook
Picture Glencoe on a still, clear winter's day, Rannoch Moor spread out below, snow draped elegantly over Buachaille Etive Mòr and the neighbouring Munros. A wee array of green, blue, red and black runs above, rusty uplifts, dilapidated wooden huts, cool music and the coolest instructors to show you how. Me, a 49-year-old beginner, with my ski instructor, a great bit of rough frae Fife: "Aye, that's it, hen, brilliant, like this see – see – so we're dancin' we're no fighting, get it?" I did.
Spain
23. Cerler
Posted by Leon Young
One of the best small Spanish skiing resorts in the Pyrenees is Cerler, near Benasque in the Aragon region. It isn't the grandest but it is the highest and one of the most beautiful. In addition, it is well off the beaten track and rarely busy. The best time for good snow is January and February - snow remains firm and skiable during the sunshine too, so it offers a rare chance to ski in a t-shirt and get a tan. There are fantastic restaurants in Cerler and Benasque itself. Local dishes mostly cater for carnivores - the steaks (chuleton) are unbeatable.
Poland
24. Zakopane
Posted by Nicky Power
Zakopane is the best place for an absolute beginner on a budget to learn to board or ski. It is a stunning historic village, with a real traditional feel. Both food and accommodation are really cheap and the Tatra mountains are simply beautiful. It is perfect for those who want to try snow sports, but do not want to pay a fortune in case they don't like it. You can rent a board for as little as £4 a day. In addition, the beginner slopes offer a pay-as-you-go system, with short runs costing as little as 20p a go. I also had a whole day of one-to-one tuition for less than £30.
Japan
25. Skiing and après-ski in Niseko
Posted by Sam Faulkner
Last year I skied in Niseko, in Hokkaido, Japan - this is skiing unlike anywhere else. The snow is light and deep. You can ski through bamboo and around willow trees in untracked powder day after day. The slopes are not at all crowded but the infrastructure is a little old school. Après-ski is uniquely Japanese: an onsen (fantastically relaxing, traditional Japanese bath) and a bowl of ramen. If you are serious about skiing and want to find somewhere completely different to tracked out slopes of Europe, head east..
