The 15 best lesser-known ski resorts to try this winter
The French don’t call British skiers “Le Rosbif” for nothing. When it comes to ski holidays, just like our roast dinners, we know what we like. For a long time, that has involved choosing the same ski resorts year in and year out. But after a wallet-squeezing couple of years, increasingly unpredictable snow conditions and a desire to avoid long lift queues, skiers are looking for alternative resorts away from the tried-and-tested favourites.
Research released by Club Med shows that more than half (55 per cent) of Britons are reconsidering their choice of destination. It’s a pattern backed up by many tour operators, who report a surge in bookings to the likes of Italy and Scandinavia, as skiers seek reliable snow, value for money and fewer crowds. An increasing number of customers are requesting more cultural experiences and adventures on their holidays too.
In response, this winter, Crystal Ski Holidays has introduced a host of new countries to its portfolio, including Spain and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The changes reflect a desire to suit all customer needs and to offer budget-friendly options, says Scott Britton, head of commercial at the UK’s leading ski operator.
“Value for money is more important than ever before,” he says. “We’ve introduced Bulgaria, Andorra, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. All demonstrate really good value for money in terms of the holiday package prices and the cost of lift passes, which helps skiers and snowboarders get out to the slopes without breaking the bank. They all are also beginner-friendly destinations and so are great options for those new to skiing.”
Ski Solutions is selling 70 per cent more ski holidays in Norway this year than last, with Trysil and Geilo the most popular destinations.
“Clients are aware of the ,high quality and value for money in Norwegian resorts,” says Paul Russell of Ski Solutions. “Particularly for families where lift pass, rental and lesson costs are lower.”
At the other end of the financial scale, Italy is upping its game with the opening of new luxury hotels and chalets in response to demand, which Rupert Longsdon, CEO of the Oxford Ski Company, says has been very well received. “We’re now suddenly seeing the quality of properties usually reserved for top-end Swiss and French resorts on the slopes of resorts across Italy – which is very exciting and adds a whole new region for those looking for the ultimate in luxury.”
The knock-on effects of the pandemic continue to influence holiday choices too, with many skiers still eager to tick off bucket-list destinations that were inaccessible for over three years.
Rupert Hatfield, Canada and USA product manager of Ski Safari, says skiers are dreaming big. “We’re seeing more demand than ever for big ski trips. Whether that’s to bucket-list destinations like Japan, multi-resort ski safaris with city and sightseeing add-ons, or simply splashing out on high-end, luxury hotels.”
So, if you’re tempted to ditch the old favourite and try something new, here’s our pick of 15 resorts which offer a great fresh perspective on your annual ski holiday.
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1. Best for après-ski: Schladming-Dachstein, Austria
Alternative to Ischgl, Austria
Schladming-Dachstein is home to one of the largest bars in the Alps and the scene of legendary night skiing races (next hosted on January 23, 2024). Après starts with live bands in the mountain huts spread over Schladming’s 167km of pistes and often ends in the Hohenhaus Tenne, the enormous bar beside the Planai base station that turns into a nightclub as the evening wears on.
The medieval town has a pedestrianised centre and plenty of shopping, and thanks to regular ski racing there has been heavy investment in the resort’s lift network, with a massive proportion of heated and covered chairlifts allowing skiers to travel in comfort and style. Schladming-Dachstein is also part of the Ski Amadé, which offers a hearty 760km of pistes.
Book it
Sunweb (020 3170 8206; sunweb.co.uk) offers the Hotel Schladmingerhof from £928, including a lift pass.
2. Best for opulent glamour: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Alternative to Courchevel, France
Set among the jagged peaks of the Dolomites, Cortina is one of the oldest and chicest ski resorts in Italy. Cobbled streets and gourmet restaurants are the order of the day in this upmarket destination that centres around a bell tower and designer shops.
The skiing is excellent and, unlike the French Les Trois Vallées, uncrowded. Cortina’s 120km of pistes are spread across three distinct ski areas – Faloria-Cristallo, Tofana-Socrepes and Cinque Torri-Lagazuoi – and are most suited to intermediates and experts. The off-piste is also noteworthy. Plan your trip with our Cortina d’Ampezzo ski guide.
Book it
Oxford Ski (01865 817420; oxfordski.com) offers the LV01 Dolce Vita luxury chalet, sleeping eight adults and four children, from €42,500 (£35,400) total.
3. Best for off-beat charm: La Toussuire, France
Alternative to Morzine, France
Set on a sunny plateau at 1,750m, La Toussuire sits centrally in the Les Sybelles ski area. While little known on the British market, this area is the fourth largest in France, with 310km of slopes and the highest point a decent 2,620m. There are five other neighbouring villages in the area – Le Corbier, Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves, Les Bottières and Saint-Colomban des Villards – around which to plan each day’s skiing.
With a car-free main street, La Toussuire is great for families, too – there are two easy beginner slopes and magic carpets beside the village. Like the Portes du Soleil, the majority of Les Sybelles’ slopes are intermediate (217km) on wide, open mountainsides, with 71.3km for beginners and a dash (21.7km) for experts.
Book it
Peak Retreats (023 9283 9310; peakretreats.co.uk) offers a two-bedroom self-catered apartment in L’Alpaga, La Toussuire from £283, based on five sharing, including Eurotunnel crossing.
4. Best for expert off-piste: Engelberg, Switzerland
Alternative to Chamonix, France
With its towering jagged peaks, twelfth-Century Benedictine Monastery, grand hotels, one of the longest ski seasons in Switzerland (October until May) and one of the biggest runs in the world (2,000m vertical), Engelberg gives Chamonix quite a run for its money.
While the mighty Titlis, at 3,238m, doesn’t quite rival the Aiguille du Midi (3,842m), Engelberg’s “Big Five” off-piste runs are legendary and a must-do for all self-respecting freeride skiers and snowboarders. It’s as easy to reach as Chamonix, too, just over an hour away from Zurich and one hour 40 minutes from Basel. Reliable Swiss trains take skiers directly into the village, where most accommodation is within easy walking distance.
There is limited skiing for intermediates but Engelberg has two areas for children and beginners: Schmugglis Winterland at Trübsee, and Globi’s Winterland in Brunni.
Book it
Inghams (01483 944479; inghams.co.uk) offers Hotel Terrace from £1,249.
5. Best for half-term skiing: Baqueira-Beret, Spain
Alternative to Cervinia, Italy
A favourite resort of the Spanish Royal Family, Baqueira-Beret is set high in Catalonia in the Spanish Pyrenees, offering skiing with an authentic Spanish-French flavour. Sitting at 1,500m in the Aran Valley, the majority of its 160km of pistes are blues and reds, much like (smaller) Cervinia, and the transfer time is short if you fly into Toulouse, making it ideal for families.
As a bonus, Spanish children don’t take a school break in February, so it’s the perfect spot for uncrowded half-term skiing – especially since the mountains bask in one daily hour of sunshine more than the Alps at the same time of year.
Book it
Iglu Ski (020 3993 5315; igluski.com) offers the Hotel Montarto from £881.
6. Best for bargain first turns: Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
Alternative to Bansko, Bulgaria
Slovenia’s number one resort, close to the borders of Italy and Austria, has, for the past couple of years, been named one of the top 10 destinations for a budget-friendly family ski holiday by the Post Office Travel Money Ski Resort Report, produced in partnership with Crystal Ski Holidays.
Because of its proximity to the better-known ski destinations of Italy and Austria, the scenery and architecture in Kranjska Gora features rustic wooden huts and Alpine-friendly chocolate-box churches set among wooded hills. Your money goes further in Slovenia, too, with high-quality accommodation that is better value than in its neighbouring counterparts.
The resort sits at 807m, with skiing up to 1,282m over 20km of pistes – more than enough for first turns, especially as half of these runs are wide, gentle blues. There is also a brilliant kids area that includes a magic carpet and mini slalom course.
Unlike Bankso, the après vibe is quieter and more family orientated, with ice skating, a festive market and torchlit sledging. Cuisine has Austrian and Italian influences.
Book it
Heidi (0117 457 6000; heidi.com) offers seven nights at the Berghi Hotel and Apartments, self-catering, from £799.
7. Best for powder snow: Warth-Schröcken, Austria
Alternative to St Anton, Austria
These two north-facing villages are the least known in Austria’s giant Arlberg ski area. While they were linked with Lech and St Anton in 2013 and 2016 respectively, they remain off the beaten track to most who ski and stay in the more popular areas.
The skiing is well suited to intermediates but experts would be foolish to overlook the powder: this side of the Arlberg receives the most snow in the Alps. Warth-Schröcken are tricky to reach – Zurich is two hours away, Friedrichshafen two hours and 15 minutes – but so are their better-known counterparts, and they’re worth the trip. Warth, the bigger village, has a good choice of upmarket lodgings.
Book it
Snow Wise (020 3397 8450; snow-wise.com) offers seven nights at the Hotel Walserhof from £1,895.
8. Best for beginners: Geilo, Norway
Alternative to La Plagne, France
One of Norway’s oldest ski resorts, Geilo is home to uncrowded, pristine slopes and is sandwiched between two national parks blanketed by awe-inspiring scenery. Thanks to its northerly latitude, Geilo offers consistent snow conditions all season from December to May, despite its altitude of 800m – 1,000m lower than La Plagne.
Like its French counterpart, Geilo has a reputation for offering masses of family-friendly activities from dog sledding to ski-doo driving, fat biking and ice fishing. There are 40km of downhill slopes, and 220km the cross-country skiing area is worth a try, too. The downside? A long transfer. Bergen and Oslo airports are both more than three hours away by car – though that’s arguably no worse than the Tarentaise valley on a Saturday. The upside, however, is you can also go by train.
Book it
Ski Solutions (020 3553 7131; skisolutions.com) offers seven nights at Vestlia Resort from £1,395.
9. Best for steep skiing: Big Sky, Montana
Alternative to Jackson Hole, Wyoming
This is a serious skier’s resort, with an abundance of powder (more than 10 metres per season) and two of the steepest inbound runs in the United States – Big and Little Couloir – served by the Lone Peak tram, which has been updated for this winter. Much like Corbett’s Couloir in Jackson Hole, Big Couloir is tightly patrolled – you can’t ski it alone and only two skiers are allowed to drop into its 60-degree entry point every 15 minutes.
That aside, Montana is cowboy country, and on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park, making this unique ski resort a once-in-a-lifetime visit for adventurous skiers and lovers of Westerns.
Book it
Ski Safari (01273 257278; skisafari.com) offers 10 nights at the four-star Summit at Big Sky from £4,599.
10. Best for snow-sure slopes: Serre Chevalier, France
Alternative to Saas-Fee, Switzerland
Some 80 per cent of this resort’s north-facing slopes sit above 2,000m, giving Serre Chevalier in the Southern French Alps a long, snow-sure season. The resort is often overlooked, since the valley and its villages sit at lower altitudes, between 1,200m (Briançon) and 1,500m (Le Monêtier). However, the treeline here extends up to 2,200m, offering some great skiing during bad weather days. While it’s not glacial, Serre Chevalier is known for good conditions until the close of the season and, with more than 250km of slopes, it’s also more than double the size of Saas-Fee.
Parts of the main resort areas are modern, but, like its Swiss comparable, there are some older sections that offer plenty of character, including the Unesco-protected fortifications of Briançon – the highest town in France. Skiers in Serre Chevalier also benefit from a 25 per cent discount on a day ticket in nearby La Grave. Plan your trip with our Serre Chevalier ski guide.
Book it
Erna Low (020 3011 1222; ernalow.co.uk) offers a one-bedroom, self-catering apartment at Residence Crystal Lodge for £659, including flights, based on four people sharing.
11. Best for family ski trips: Obergurgl, Austria
Alternative to La Rosière, France
With Austria’s wallet-friendly prices, snow-sure slopes and warm welcomes, Obergurgl is a solid option for families who usually head to France. With Easter falling late in 2025, its altitude (the resort sits at 1,800m, with a top ski-area height of 3,082m) makes for good late-season skiing.
There are 110km of pistes, which is just a few less than La Rosière’s 154km, though the majority of runs are blues and reds, with excellent ski schools for kids. As a result, the off-piste runs for powder-hungry mums and dads are barely touched.
Obergurgl has accommodation to suit families on all budgets, too, from five-star hotels to self-catering apartments, and much of it is ski-in/ski-out – a prerequisite for families. Off-snow entertainment includes ice skating, curling, horse riding and indoor golf (head to Hotel Rimi to experience Europe’s largest indoor golf facility). Plan your trip with our Obergurgl ski guide.
Book it
Ski Line (020 8313 3999; skiline.co.uk) offers seven nights at the Hotel Edelweiss & Gurgl from £1,519.
12. Best for a snow-sure stay: Gausta, Norway
Alternative to Hemesdal, Norway
Gausta was little known until recently, but it has now exploded onto the British ski scene and is offered by a number of mainstream operators. Its larger and more well-known cousin, Hemesdal, may be one of Scandinavia’s highest resorts at 1,450m, but Gausta reaches 1,880m, giving the area a decent 1,650m vertical drop. Thanks to its northerly latitude, conditions are reliable all season (December to May), too, with an average 2.5m of snowfall each winter and cold temperatures that help to preserve it.
Yes, Gausta has just 35km of pistes (9km fewer than Hemesdal’s 44km), but they are well maintained and blissfully quiet. It also has a unique selling point: Gausta was once used as a military base by Nato agents during the Cold War, and skiers can access the Gaustatoppen mountain area through heavy steel doors marked “top secret” before taking a funicular to the summit.
Book it
Crystal Ski Holidays (020 8610 3213; crystalski.co.uk) offers seven nights at Gaustablikk Mountain Resort for £858, including breakfast.
13. Best for chic short breaks: Courmayeur, Italy
Alternative to Megève, France
Located on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, this resort was once a popular weekend destination, but has been overtaken in recent years by the ultra-convenient Megève, which surged in popularity following its appearance on Emily in Paris. The transfer from Geneva, at 90 minutes, is a little longer than its French counterpart’s 75, but Courmayeur has the same seductive car-free town feel, with cobbled streets laden with chic après skiers, celebrities, and superb dining spots.
The ski area at 100km, is modest, but there are plenty of off-snow activities for weekenders. Plus, Courmayeur’s altitude (the slopes are between 1,210m and 2,755m) means reliable snow. Being set in Italy, rather than France, heli-skiing is permitted on this side of Mont Blanc, too. Plan your trip with our Courmayeur ski guide.
Book it
Momentum Experiences (020 7371 9111; momentumxp.co.uk) offers four nights at Hotel Bouton d’Or for £685, including breakfast, flights and transfers.
14. Best for piste mileage: Selva, Val Gardena, Italy
Alternative to Méribel, France
The Sella Ronda circuit in Italy’s Unesco-protected Dolomites is considered one of the world’s greatest ski routes, with 27km of pistes that take around six hours to complete.
Selva is one of three good-sized resorts in Val Gardena (with 175km of pistes) that sits in the expansive 1,200km Dolomiti Superski area. Confused? Don’t be, just be reassured that there is life beyond Méribel and France’s mega Three Valleys – and it comes with fine pasta, pizza and aperitivo. Belissimo!
Close to the border with Austria, of which it was a part of for many years, Selva retains a Tyrolean charm and German is still widely spoken here. It offers some challenging slopes of its own, but the Sella Ronda circuit also takes in the four Ladin valleys of Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, Arabba and Alta Badia – and the latter is known for its exquisite cuisine, too.
Book it
Skiworld (0330 102 8004; skiworld.co.uk) offers seven nights at Eden Selva Hotel for £2,868, including breakfast.
15. Best for backdoor access to the 4 Vallées: Nendaz, Switzerland
Alternative to Verbier, Switzerland
Despite being a major, modern resort, Nendaz is nowhere near as famous among Britons as its glitzy high-profile neighbour, Verbier. Yet it shares the same 410km-stretch of 4 Vallées and possibly superior views of the Rhone valley.
There are a lot of self-catering apartments here, too, making Nendaz a cheaper option than Verbier, and its shared ski area with Veysonnaz is a more family-friendly option than its hard-core neighbour.
The Nendaz Printse lift pass offers access to more than 200km of slopes, many of which are north-facing, and some of the area’s outstanding itineraries comprise marked and controlled off-piste routes, including the legendary Tortin, which is considered to be one of the most challenging in the area. Also good: 4 Vallées passes and upgrades are available, too.
Book it
Sno (020 7770 6888; sno.co.uk) offers seven nights, half-board, at Hotel Nendaz 4 Vallées & Spa for £1,579, based on two sharing, including flights and transfers.
Unless stated otherwise prices are per person, for a week’s stay, half board, including flights and transfers, based on two sharing.
This article was first published in December 2023, and has been revised and updated.
