| The right ski jacket, the cool scarf and all were the | | | | winter sports activities on offer, and is one of the |
| easy options, but choosing the right ski resort can be | | | | most popular resorts in the French resort category. |
| difficult to negotiate, and is costly if you get it | | | | For those wanting off-trail and snowboarding as well |
| wrong. Packed lifts and falsely-advertised difficulty | | | | as the piste slopes, this is an excellent destination. |
| levels can be a pain, as well as misleading quotes for | | | | Furthermore many people visit Chamonix for its |
| distances and the quality of the après. Take a look | | | | snowmobiling, ice climbing and other activities. Après |
| at this guide and find the ski resort that suits you | | | | in Chamonix is renowned for its all-round quality, |
| down to the boots: | | | | whether it be a bar, restaurant or even a casino |
| Lech, Austria: Probably the most opulent resort in | | | | you're after. |
| Austria, Lech offers its snow-sure slopes in {a very | | | | Engelberg, Switzerland: If you're tired of the unfulfilled |
| particular brand of Alpine luxury}. It is well within | | | | promises of intermediate resorts offering 'something |
| striking distance of the tougher St Anton slopes for | | | | for the expert', then take yourself off to Engelberg |
| those who have been fortunate enough to have | | | | and take the plunge. With the second most |
| many a season under their belts, and its standard of | | | | snow-secure rating in Switzerland and great lifts it |
| hotels is high enough to ensure the utmost comfort | | | | opens well, and at the Titlis peak (3,020m) you can |
| and the best après atmosphere. Frequented as | | | | decide for yourself when you see the black slopes of |
| much for its affluent lifestyle as for its variety of | | | | the untracked Laub whether or not you've bitten off |
| slopes and location, sunny Lech is by far and away | | | | more than you can chew. The resort offers great |
| your best choice if your ski holiday means splashing | | | | snowboard parks, plateaux for skaters and pristine |
| out. | | | | landscapes to draw in the spinally-challenged. |
| Pal, Andorra: For those wanting something a little | | | | Bressanone (Brixen), Italy: If you want a healthy |
| more reminiscent of the untouched and wild feel, the | | | | measure of culture to go along with your crisp |
| small Catalan village of Pal and its pistes is a great | | | | slopes, look no further than Brixen, a kind of wintry |
| Andorran ski destination. The wooded slopes and | | | | hub situated in beautiful South Tirol. As a major |
| picturesque heights make for a breathtaking day's | | | | mountain city throughout history, the cultural |
| skiing. For the expert there might not be quite so | | | | smorgasbord translates into fantastic architecture, art |
| much here, but the reds from the summit are steep | | | | and fantastic retail therapy and dining opportunities. |
| enough for the practised intermediate, while there | | | | For those who tire quickly of the skiing and still want |
| are also enough gentle slopes for beginners to get a | | | | their days bursting with exciting activities, Brixen has |
| feel for things just by the base lodge. | | | | everything to offer. |
| Chamonix, France: Ensconced high in the Alps and | | | | Remember: Women's clothing such as ski jacket, hat, |
| watermarked by the looming edifice of Mont Blanc is | | | | gloves, hotels, slopes, lifts, après - this checklist |
| Chamonix, an resort with an incredible variety of | | | | should ensure your skiing holiday is one to remember. |