Chamonix at Mont-Blanc, France has been a refuge of Europeans seeking an escape to a place where beauty and solitude prevail in a picturesque mountain village for over 350 years. Alpine skiing began in earnest in the shadow of Mont-Blanc in the late 19th century. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc has an unreal vertical drop of 9,209 feet and has one of the world's longest runs (Vallée Blanche) at 13.7 miles. The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 at the village at Chamonix which now offers multiple distinct ski areas spread about its valley providing over 30,000 skiable acres, 140 kilometres of trails and massive amounts of off-piste terrain. Chamonix has grown to become the most famous ski area in all of France and a prominent meeting place for skiers from all over the world. The area is famous for its prolific slopes and deep powder. Among the favorite areas spread around the valley are Grands-Montets, a snowboarders paradise with a natural half-pipe and snowboard funpark; Aiguille du Midi with its stunning views of the Swiss, Italian and French Alps from its 3,842 metre peak; Le-Brevent, considered to have the best groomed trails in the valley; Valle Blanche known around the world due to the famous glacier, Mer-De-Glace; Les Houches and its seemingly endless trail system and prolific snow making ability; Le Tour and La Flegere with their generous collections of beginner and intermediate trails. The nearby Courmayer ski area, actually across the Italian border, offers helicopter skiing. The main ski areas in the Chamonix valley are serviced by a series of more 100 lifts including cable cars and various other high speed chairs and pulls. Often it’s iconic off-piste Vallee Blanche that makes for the most unforgettable memories of Chamonix. The main attraction is a famous 17 km descent on a glacier, the Mer-de-Glace. The ride isn’t just exciting, it’s truly an adventure. Skiing on the glacier through forests of towering ice, surreal fields of massive boulders and valleys with enough accumulated snow to form bridges over the deep crevasses defines what a trip to ski Chamonix is all about. Many visitors to Chamonix align themselves with a guide to make the most of their time in the mountains. It’s almost mandatory to have one if you want to tackle Valle Blanche. The town of Chamonix has a rich and diverse history and an architectural heritage that supports its storied past. The Chamonix ski resort has partnered with nearby Courmayer (Italy) and Verbier (Switzerland) to provide an incredible selection of mountains and terrain. A rail system and buses link the various ski resorts spread throughout the valley and with those nearby in Italy and Switzerland. Accommodations from apartments and chalets to 4 star hotels are available in the valley. Restaurants, bars, cafes and clubs to appeal to every skier proliferate. Cross Country skiing tours are also popular with visitor to Chamonix. Outside magazine said Chamonix in the best place in Europefor lift-accessed steeps. Your dream ski adventure in the French Alps is as close to being fulfilled as adding a trip to Chamonix at Mont-Blanc to your list. Winter sports in this famous region are everything you have fantasized about. Start working on the execution of your plan so that you can check this one off your list soon.

Zermatt, Switzerland is famed as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps and is known throughout the world for its skiing, especially Triftji for its moguls. Zermatt holds the world's second biggest lift-served vertical drop and the high altitude results in consistent skiing continuously throughout the summer. The Sunnegga Paradise is accessed via a funicular railway, followed by a gondola to Blauherd and finally a cable car onwards to the Rothorn (3,103m) above. The topography of the mountain and the valley tends to keep the Rothorn clear and sunny, even when Zermatt is submerged in cloud. From Blauherd there is a gondola down to Gant, and from there a connecting cablecar goes to Hohtälli. This cable car and the newer 4-seat chairlift Sunnegga-Findeln-Breitboden provide connections between Sunnegga and Gornergrat. With few steep slopes, this mountain is often used to train younger skiers. The Gornergrat is served by the Gornergratbahn railway, a 29 minute ride to the Gornergrat peak (3,089 m), via Riffelalp, Rotenboden and Riffelberg, (with limited stops at Findelbach and Landtunnel just above the town). At the summit, the hotel and restaurant have been refurbished and accommodate a shopping centre. A cable car heads up from Hohtälli to the Rote Nase (3,247 m). This final lift serves a freeride area but can be unreliable as this mountainside requires good snow cover to be skiable. The lifts in this area generally open for the season in late February or early March, cablecar is now permanently closed, with no replacement lift planned. A new slope leading back from Hohtälli to Kellensee just under the Gornergrat replaced this lift to maintain the link from the Rothorn to Gornergrat. Near the southern end of Zermatt, the Matterhorn Express gondola transports passengers up to the interchange station at Furi. From here there is access to the Schwarzsee via a gondola to the right, a cable car that leads on to the Trockener Steg midstation (and then on to the Klein Matterhorn), and a new gondola, opened on 18 December 2006, links Furi to Riffelberg on the Gornergrat mountain. This lift addresses one of the most persistent criticisms of Zermatt: that it is very difficult to ski the two sides of the valley without a tiresome trek through the village between the Gornergratbahn and the Matterhorn Express at opposite ends of the town. Testa Grigia at the top of the Theodulpass serves as a connection to the Italian ski-resorts of Cervinia and Valtournenche. From the Swiss side it is only reachable by skilift, but from the Italian side by a chairlift and by a cablecar. There are customs offices here as well as a small alpine museum. Zermatt is marketed as an all year skiing resort, with summer skiing limited to the Theodulgletscher behind the Klein Matterhorn. Whilst strictly true, during the off season in May and June there will only tend to be one or two runs open, and the main glacier area does not open until July.

If skiing the Alps has been a long time dream then visiting Kitzbühel should be at the top of your vacation wish list. One of the top holiday destinations in Austria, Kitzbühel is a quaint town along the Kitzbühel Ache River in Tyrol. It features over 100 miles of powdery slopes and 55 lifts and gondolas designed to take you all over the Alps. Snowboarders and skiers will both appreciate the dedicated DC Snow Park in Hanglalm for boarders. There’s also plenty of tree runs in the backcountry terrain of Kitzbüheler Horn. As is the case with many ski towns these days, Kitzbühel has quite a few high-end spas and fine dining options including three Michelin-starred restaurants Outside magazine said Kitzbühel in the best place in Europe for watching ski races. Beyond the winter months, Kitzbühel still has loads of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. There are 29 lifts and cable cars available during the summer to take visitors up the mountain. Once on the mountain, it’s easy to hike between cable cars to go up higher. It’s worth going up the mountain just to take in the views and regardless of skill level there’s definitely a path or two even beginner hikers would be comfortable traversing. For those more advanced, there are climbing trips available to Wilder Kaiser Mountain and the Hohe Tauern glaciers. Beyond the mountain activities, there are plenty of places to swim and golf. The town has the following festivals & events: New Year’s Fireworks and Ski Show – January Hahnenkamm Race – January International Cordial Cup – May Valartis Bank Snow Polo World Cup – January Kitzbühel Alpenrallye – May/June Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU Championship – June Kitzbühel Golf Festival – June/July KitzAlpBike – June/July Tour of Austria – July Steinbach Boogie Woogie & Blues Festival – July Kitzbühel Tennis Tournament BET-AT-HOME Cup – July Annual Fair of Stadtmusik in Kitzbühel – August Advent in the Mountains – November/December

The village of Engelberg is the foremost and largest ski resort in Central Switzerland’s Urner Alps Mountains. The main ski area of Engelberg, Titlis, the highest elevation resort in Switzerland, is famous for its off-piste terrain attracting advanced skiers from throughout the world. The area is known for dependable and prolific snow collection with a typical season lasting from early October to the end of May. Engelberg hosts a round of the annual Ski Jumping World Cup held under the auspices of the International Ski Federation. Snowboarders are welcome at Engelberg with special accommodations provided at the ski areas. For those seeking a less-challenging environment the Brunni ski area on the opposite side of the valley offers somewhat friendlier slopes in the way of beginner and intermediate terrain. Opportunities for snowshoeing, cross country skiing and sledding are also available in Engelberg. Nearby is a special SnowXPark on Lake Trubsee where specially modified motorcycles provide a thrilling ride. Engelberg is easily accessed from Zurich and Lucerne. The Luzern-Stans-Engleberg Railway disembarks passengers at the base of the 800 year old village where a rotating gondola whisks skiers to the top of Mt. Titlis, at over 3,000 metres elevation. Visitors might consider spending a night or two in the Igloo Village Ice Hotel in their unique accommodations. The city centre is pedestrian only and provides a charming collection of cafes, shops and après-ski spots for relaxing. All desired services, equipment rentals and ski schools can be found in the village and on the slopes. A nearly 1,000 year old Benedictine Monastery is among the treasures found in the village of Engelberg. Your dream of skiing on some of the most demanding slopes in Switzerland can be fulfilled by visiting Engelberg and its ski resorts in Central Switzerland. Include this trip on your list and start working on the details today. Make sure you allow for time to explore the village and its fascinating array of activities.

Courchevel is a ski resort located in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées (Three Valleys), which also includes Méribel and Val Thorens, and bills itself as the largest linked ski area in the world. Courchevel is the most eastern resort of the Three Valleys, the biggest connected ski area in the world. It is renowned for its excellent lift system which is virtually queue free, even at the busiest of times. The UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph named Courchevel in 2008 the "best ski resort in Europe, if you can afford it". Although Courchevel consists of 4 satellite villages (Courchevel Le Praz, Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 and Courchevel 1850) it is most famous for its highest resort, the exclusive village of Courchevel 1850. Courchevel 1850 has 11 hotels with a 5 star ranking. In 2011 France introduced a very prestigious 6th star ranking for hotels, named "palaces". The palace 6th star ranking is only awarded to the most prestigious, exclusive and luxurious hotels in France. No more than 8 hotels in France have been crowned with this rating. Two of those 8 hotels are in Courchevel 1850's tree lined Jardin Alpin area. No other ski resorts in France have hotels with the palace ranking. Courchevel is also known for its fine dining. It's the ski resort with the most Michelin starred restaurants. A total of 7 restaurants share 11 Michelin stars, including 4 restaurants which have been awarded 2 Michelin stars, including Le Chabichou. It also hosts a variety of luxury shops includingLouis Vuitton, Hermes, Valentino, Prada, Cartier, Fendi, Dior and Chanel. Courchevel is known to be an expensive resort. One of the reasons for this is are the high prices of residential and commercial property. Courchevel 1850 is the 6th most expensive place in the world with average square meter prices of 27.000 euros per square meter of property. It leaves cities like Hong Kong, Cannes and Tokyo behind. Within the Tarentaise Valley you find the biggest concentration of world-class ski resorts in the world. Most well known neighbour systems are Paradiski (Les Arcs, La Plagne) and Espace Killy (Val d'Isère and Tignes). A weekly lift ticket in Courchevel/Les Trois Vallées gives you a choice to ski one day in each of the other two systems mentioned. There were once plans to interlink all systems and resorts to create the - by far - largest ski area in the world. However that vision was ended with the creation of the Vanoise National Park. Since 1973, it has been possible to ski the interlinked valleys using a single ski pass. Thus, Les Trois Vallées is the largest ski area in the world which is connected solely by ski lifts and slopes. It has more than 600 km (370 mi) of ski slopes, resulting in 18.5 km² of groomed runs. In addition, there are 120 km for cross-country skiing. Les Trois Vallées has 183 ski lifts, which can transport 260,000 skiers per hour. Other equipment owned by the operating companies include 1,920 snow cannons and 76 piste bashers. Employees in the area include 424 ski patrollers and 1,500 ski instructors. As implied by its name, the area originally consisted of three valleys: Saint-Bon, Allues, and Belleville. The skiing area has since been extended into a 'fourth' valley, the Maurienne valley. It is adjacent to Val Thorens, but can also be accessed using a long gondola lift from Orelle. The Courchevel valley also includes the town of La Tania, built as competitors accommodation for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. Le Praz hosted the Olympic ski jumping and Nordic combined competitions for those games took place at Tremplin du Praz in Le Praz. There was a ski Jump in Courchevel 1850 on the snowfront however it was removed recently due to safety precautions.

Just 5 kilometres across the border from Italy, is located the famous French ski resort, Val-D’Isere. When combined with nearby Tignes the result is the world famous “L’Espace Killy” ski area referred to by many as “the most beautiful ski area in the world”. The combined ski areas offer upwards of 150 named runs, 44 km of cross country skiing, 2 snowboard terrain parks and over 90 lifts, funiculars and gondolas. The famous “Funival” funicular railway accesses the top of Rocher de Bellvarde after travelling underground through rock blasted away to provide the routing. 2 glaciers are included in the skiable terrain and the off-piste skiing is what brings many visitors to Val-D’Isere back again and again. The combined resorts are named for the famous French skier, Jean Claude Killy, since he grew up in Val-D’Isere. Val-D’Isere and Tignes are where the 1992 Winter Olympics were held, the site of numerous World Cup races and has been the location of the World Ski Championships. The quaint Tyrollean Village was originally founded as a place of refuge in summertime and has been mentioned in historical records back to the time of the Romans. The 20thcentury brought the rise in popularity of Alpine skiing and the development of Val D”Isere as a desirable place to visit by skiers from the world over. Today the town is ripe with accommodations for skiers and offers a vibrant nightlife in addition to great restaurants and cafes to suit every taste. Ski schools and ski guides are among the offerings of the various operators that proliferate in Val-D’Isere. Ski guides are recommended for those endeavoring to ski off marked trails. Val-D’Isere is best reached from Geneva, Switzerland by car or bus or from the French cities of Lyon or Chambery. Rail service to the nearby town of Bourg-St. Maurice puts travelers just 30 km from Val-D’Isere with connections from London, England. Consider adding a trip to Val-D’ISere in Southeastern France as your next dream ski vacation. Crossing this adventure off your list will put you in the company of many accomplished skiers from around the world.

Verbier is a village located in south-western Switzerland and is one of the largest holiday resort and ski areas in the Swiss Alps. It's recognized as one of the premiere "off-piste" locations in the world. Many top skiers have settled in the Verbier area in order to take advantage of the steep slopes, varied conditions and resort culture. Outside magazine said Chamonix in the best place in Europe for nightlife. Verbier’s ski domain ranges from 1500m (the town itself) to 3330m (Mont Fort). From which the view extends to the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. It is part of the "Four Valleys" ski area, which includes the ski resorts of Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz, and Thyon with a total of 410 km marked runs. The ski area is divided into four sectors: Les Ruinettes, Les Savoleyres, Bruson. Verbier forms the western section of the 4 Valleys ski area. A common ski pass allows to tour all the way from Verbier to La Tzoumaz, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, to Les Masses and back. The Verbier section of the 4 Valleys ski area has lifts made by Leitner, CWA, Poma and Garaventa AG; they are operated by Téléverbier SA. Most lifts were constructed during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s (decade). In Verbier alone, there are 35 lifts (within the Verbier, Savoleyeres/La Tzoumaz and Bruson sector). A standard Verbier pass gives access to this entire sector, 33 standard ski runs, two snowparks, one "Jardin de Neige" (a relatively flat area that is used for small children learning to ski), four cross-country pistes and two walking areas. Verbier is renowned for its off-piste and 'semi' off-piste opportunities. These include the itineraries: Vallon D'Arby, Tortin, Gentianes, Mont Fort, Mont Gelé and other notable off piste 'runs' such as the Backside of Mt Fort, Stairway to Heaven, Highway to Heaven, Rocky Garden, Col des Mines, Couloir des Dix, Fontanet and Creblet. Verbier is one of only a few resorts to have a mountain, Mt Gele, with no pistes coming down it. Off-piste skiing can be lethal due to the risk of avalanches, crevasses, dead-end runs in front of steep rockfaces, etc. Only those with a strong knowledge of Alpine conditions and of the local terrain or those skiing with a real expert (ski instructor or mountain guide with the right certifications and training) should go on these runs. Almost every year, there are fatalities off-piste, often involving highly skilled skiers who either ignored warnings or did not understand the dangers. Verbier is located in the municipality of Bagnes, in the Swiss canton of Valais. The village lies on a south oriented terrace at around 1,500 metres facing the Grand Combin massif. The terrace lies on the east side of the Val de Bagnes, a valley located south of Martigny.

Sankt Anton am Arlberg, commonly referred to as St. Anton, is a village and ski resort in Tyrol, western Austria. It is situated at 1,304 metres (4,278 ft) above sea level in the Tyrolean Alps, with Aerial tramways and chairlifts up to 2,811 metres (9,222 ft). St. Anton is frequently listed as one of the world's top skiing resorts both in terms of skiing available and aprés-ski entertainment. Outside magazine said Chamonix in the best place in Europe for après ski. Skiing has a long history in St. Anton: ski instructors from the area emigrated to America in the 1930s, helping to popularise the sport. St. Anton was the host of the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2001. St. Anton is part of the Arlberg area of ski resorts—a region that includes 82 cable cars and ski lifts, 260 km (160 mi) of groomed pistes and 184 km (114 mi) of deep-snow runs, all of which are covered under one liftpass. On the western edge of village is the "Galzigbahn" which has been replaced by a Funitel gondola. The new gondola also includes a first-ever "Ferris wheel": enabling passengers to board the gondolas on ground level, then rotating the gondolas up to the main high-speed cables. The Funitel accesses the Galzig slopes and connects to Schindler and Valluga peaks. On the eastern edge of town, the Nassereinbahn rises to the Nasserein area with connections to the Kapall peak. The Kapall, Valluga, and Schindler peaks provide skiers with close to 1,500 vertical metres skiing (4,920 ft). Slope-side après-ski bars can be found on the Steissbachtal trail just above St. Anton. The groomed runs in the region cater to all levels; 36% are for beginners (blue), 42% for intermediate skiiers (red) and 22% are for the more advanced (black). There are also 184 km (114 mi) of deep snow runs in the area. The view over the Galzig as seen from the Kapall. Expert terrain includes less-frequently groomed ski routes such as Schindlerkar and Mattun, and the backside of Valluga (2,811 metres or 9,222 feet) down to Zürs, which is for experts only if accompanied by a guide. There are also a large number of off-piste routes in the area that experts can explore with the help of a guide. Other ski areas are Lech, Stuben and St. Christoph, a hamlet where in the 14th century the shepherd Heinrich Findelkind built a hospice as a shelter for travellers crossing the Arlberg pass to the Vorarlberg province. It is also a popular summer resort among trekkers and mountaineers.

La Grave is a small ski resort in the French Alps in southeastern France and is dominated by La Meije (3982 m). The area is famously unpisted and although patrolled, has no formal avalanche control. The area is dangerous to ski unless supported by a guide, including much glacier travel at the very top. Unsurprisingly, La Grave is a mecca for off-piste and extreme skiers, offering some of the most exciting and challenging lift-served terrain in the world. The vertical drop totals 2,150 metres, although it is possible to ski below the resort to the road and increase the vertical descent to 2,300 metres. Outside magazine said Chamonix in the best place in Europe for ski mountaineering. Mechanical access to the mountain is limited to a closed, two-stage, pulse gondola system. The first lift starts at 1,450 metres, runs through one intermediate station (known as P1 at 1,800 metres) then terminates at Peyrou d'Amont (2,400 metres). The second stage of the gondola runs directly from Peyrou d'Amont to the Col des Ruillans (3,200 metres). The top of the gondola then allows access to button lift (which is the world's only fully suspended surface lift) to reach the top of the Girose Glacier (3550m). The Girose Glacier can also be reached from the resort of Les Deux Alpes on the other side, although this entails a one to two kilometre walk (between certain hours transport across is provided). There are two main routes of descent available, with many offshoots and couloirs available. To the skiers right of the gondola station at the Col des Ruillans are 'Les Vallons de La Meije', a variation of which leads to the infamous Trifides couloirs, and ultimately to the valley bottom and the Romanche River. Skiers can also make leftwards traverses to return to Peyrou d'Amont or P1 to avoid skiing the lower section which can be rocky or even grassy meadows in poor snow conditions. To the skier's left from the Col des Ruillans is known as the Chancel route (also accessible from the Girose Glacier) which leads to several couloirs (the Banane, Patou, Couloir du Lac) around the Lac de Puyvachier and the Refuge Evariste Chancel. Below this point skiers can either traverse right to return to P1 or descend directly to the valley floor and village of Les Fréaux via the steep Fréaux Couloir, the entrance to which is easily confused with the top of an icefall so should be treated with care. Alternative descents include various routes to the south of the highest point of the lifts (the Dome de Lauze, at the top of the T-bar) in the Vallon du Diable. These lead to the picturesque village of St Christophe en Oisans from which alternative transport must be arranged in order to return to La Grave or to join the Deux Alpes lift system and return via the top of the Girose Glacier. There are several direct routes from the top of the Girose Glacier to the valley such as Chirouse and Orcières; these involve complex routefinding and sometimes abseils. Other classic routes are the Pan du Rideau and Y-Couloir, reached via a short walk from the top of the first T-bar; they involve a steep ski down onto the Glacier du Rateau then rejoin the Vallons de La Meije. As a testimony to the extremely perilous nature of the topography, even some of the most accomplished exponents of the off-piste sport have perished at La Grave. Perhaps most noteworthy, in April 2006 Doug Coombs died while trying to save a friend in the Couloir de Polichinelle. There are restaurants at Peyrou d'Amont and the Col des Ruillans, and food is served at the atmospheric Refuge Evariste Chancel. Beds at both the Refuge and in a sleeping space in the Col des Ruillans restaurant are available for overnight hire by prior arrangement.