Europe’s Ski Resorts

With the ski season upon us and the snow forecast for Europe looking good over the next few weeks, we thought we would take a look at some of the popular ski resorts in Europe that our customers are currently flying out to.

Kitzbühel

Kitzbühel in Austria has been described as the one of the best ski resort in the world and it seems to be very popular with our customers too. Kitzbühel is a place of contrasts, where rustic Tyrolean guesthouses and elegant hotels meet international designer boutiques all surrounded by breath-taking pistes. Each January the world’s finest skiers gather in this beautiful medieval town to take on the hairiest and most prestigious downhill race on the World Cup circuit on the Hahnenkamm mountain. And with 53 cable cars and lifts, 170 kilometres of perfectly groomed slopes with varying degrees of difficulty and 155 days of snow security it makes Kitzbühel the perfect destination for any ski holiday.

Val Thorens

Val Thorens in France is the highest altitude resort in Europe and the highest point in the giant Troi Vallées ski area that also includes Courchevel and Meribel. It is the largest ski area in the world with over 600 kilometres of runs. Val Thorens offers magnificent mountain views as it is situated in a vast natural valley overlooked by six glaciers including the spectacular Glacier de Péclet. Val Thorens is an attractive sophisticated resort with a terrain that will suit everybody from beginner to expert and its high altitude means that doorstep skiing is guaranteed as snow cover is possible from November to May.

Alpe d’Huez

Another very popular destination with our customers is Alpe d’Huez in the Alps. Nicknamed ‘Island in the Sun’ it is well known for its sunny climate as the village sits on a south facing plateau at 1860 metres. The ski area called ‘Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski, now fifth largest in France links up to the resort villages of Auris-en-Oisans, Huez, Ozen-Oisans, Vaujany, Villard-Reculas, La Garde and Le Freney. The terrain is perfect for beginners, intermediates and experts and you will find the Sarenees ski run, the longest ski run in the Europe at 16 kilometres which joins Pic Blanc to the Sarenne gorge. Alpe d’Huez is a thriving year round resort with plenty of bars and restaurants providing a variety of venues for some après ski.

Gröden/Val Gardena

Gröden/Val Gardena is a valley in the stunning Dolomites of Northern Italy. Not only popular with our customers but it is a real paradise for all winter sports enthusiasts. Gröden/Val Gardena is part of the world’s biggest association of ski resorts, the Dolomiti SuperSki and offers a total of more than 1,200 kilometres of piste across 12 resorts. With exceptional panorama, sunny slopes and gentle white slopes it is ideal for old and young and is very popular amongst families. Once called ‘Forestum at Gredine’, Val Gardena used to be a valley of farmers and woodcarvers so also offers many historical and cultural attractions too.

Saalbach Hinterglemm

Saalbach Hinterglemm in Austria is another well-visited destination amongst our customers. The Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn is the hot spot of the Austrian alps and is one of the best integrated ski areas in Europe with direct access to 200 kilometres of downhill skiing. With ski lifts from all the village centres it is extremely easy to get around and there is something here for everyone with a wide range of runs, extensive off-piste skiing and a good snow record. The ice bars outside the hotels are very popular and the après ski is lively but unpretentious.

So if you are jetting off to the slopes in the next few weeks, don’t struggle with skis, snowboards and all the extra luggage. Be met by one of our I Love meet and greet drivers directly outside the airport terminal building on both departure and arrival, ensuring a more relaxed start and end to your ski holiday.


By Sarah Anglim at 13 Jan 2016

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