It’s the picture-postcard perfect Christmas we would all love to experience. So, why not kill two birds with one stone, spend your Christmas in a snow-covered resort with twinkling lights, sleigh bells ringing and ski at the same time? Sounds idyllic to me, its perfect for families the children will love it and happy children mean happy parents, utterly romantic for couples and great fun for groups of friends.
Best for Families
Wengen Switzerland
It is a beautiful village where the streets are highly decorated promoting the festive period and the atmosphere is one of excitement. On Christmas Eve you can join in the fun of steaming hot chocolate and homemade doughnuts, ideal for families as the village is car free with wonderful play areas and gentle slopes. There is wonderful toboggan runs the whole family can enjoy with plenty of other activities such as outdoor skating and curling. The resort is 1,275m in the Jungfrau region its slopes are 945m to 2,970m with 213km of pistes served by 45 lifts.
Beitostolen Norway
Is another great resort for families, beginners and teenagers offering a range of extra activities to keep the youngsters happy. It’s totally unspoilt with superb views of the Jotunheimen National Park and a backdrop of the Bitihorn Mountain. The restaurants, bars and shops are just a few minutes walk from all the accommodation. There are 21 pistes and two which are floodlit for night time skiing, with gentle slopes and a ski school, it’s great for beginners. Young teenagers will love trying snowmobiling on a track, sliding down the slopes on an inflatable boat, husky sledging and with an impressive network of 300km of cross-country trails to explore. The resort is 900m with slopes at 700m to 1,107m and 20km of pistes all served by 9 lifts.
Best for groups of friends
Ischgl Austria
This is the resort for people who love to ski and love the nightlife even more; it’s perfect for intermediate levels of skiers with high-quality snow and superb parties that are famous in this old farming village. Christmas here is wonderful with carols in the village during the festive period. A gondola opened in 2014 which feeds into a network of lifts that runs to the Swiss border and the village of Samnaun is a treat and worth a visit. With 238km of terrain in Ischgl and slopes of 1,400m to 2,870m served by 45 lifts, intermediate skiers will have a great time here and enjoy the lively après ski.
Best for luxury
Megève France
A Swarovski Christmas tree will dazzle you in the cobbled street town square which is surrounded by fabulous boutiques, bars, restaurants and hotels. Everything here screams glitz and glamour with twinkling lights for as far as the eye can see. Michelin star restaurants, Mountain spas and magnificent views of Mont Blanc add to the sophistication of this wonderful ski resort. If you want the best Christmas ever than this is where you need to head to, nearby is Chamonix and Verbier and don’t be surprised if you bump into some famous faces. The resort is 1,100m with a fabulous 325km of pistes with slopes at 850m to 2,335m served by a staggering 88 lifts. This resort is suitable for all but mainly couples and groups wanting that touch of luxury.
Best for getting away from it all
Obergurgl Austria
One of the highest ski resorts in Europe at 1,930m near to Innsbruck, it is famous for Austria’s most snow sure ski villages its popular with families who return time and time again. A traditional village which doesn’t get busy its ideal for beginners and intermediates with gentle slopes and a family friendly locals its perfect for the Christmas getaway. Après ski is traditional at the mountain restaurants with cosy fires and a warm atmosphere, it’s laid back and relaxed if you want a wild night out this is not for you. The resort is at 1,930m with slopes at 1,795m to 3,080m and pistes of 110km all served by 24 lifts, a quiet and peaceful Christmas awaits you here.
Best for the expert skiers
Monterosa Ski Italy
This resort is superb for the avid expert skier who wants nothing more than to hit the slopes and challenge themselves. It’s an unspoilt village which divides Italy from Switzerland at the base of the Monterosa Massif. Wonderful off-piste options which the experts love and challenging runs for intermediates. The picturesque village of Champoluc is typically Italian with a relaxing atmosphere and some great bars and restaurants. The focus here is skiing and is ideal for the ski junkies who love the exhilaration of the snow; the resort is at 1,200m to 1,640m with 73km of pistes, the slopes are at 1,200m to 3,275m served by 45 lifts.
Best for the idyllic Christmas
Zermatt Switzerland
The magnificent Matterhorn dominates the skyline and is the backdrop to charming narrow streets and traditional chalets. At Christmas the village is picture perfect with horse-drawn sleighs, warm roasted chestnuts and glühwein market stalls, the shop’s windows twinkle with a stream of festive lights to entice you in, it’s the ideal romantic Christmas scene. Fabulous mountain restaurants with superb views offering mouth-watering cuisine are dotted throughout the resort; however, you will find a smattering of local restaurants to suit your budget, ideal for intermediates with decent long scenic runs and gentle off-piste also offering extensive off-piste and challenging terrain for the experts. The town is spread out however the bus service is efficient so getting around is made easy, the resort is 1,620m with slopes at 1,620m to 3,820m and pistes covering over 200km all served by 35 lifts, a wonderful resort for everyone.
Whatever the type of Christmas getaway you want you are certain to find it. Family orientated holidays, seeing Santa and taking a sleigh ride to fun-filled parties that go on all night to luxurious glamorous breaks, skiing and snowboarding holidays, to getting away from it all breaks, the choice is yours!