The most obvious place in Spain for skiing is the Pyrenees, the mountain range that spans the border with France.  Many holiday makers will head to the Pyrenees if they want a skiing holiday.  Other options include the Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain, which in spite of its southern location has the longest winter season, totalling almost 5 months.  The city of Madrid is close to several ski resorts and La Rioja near the north is also home to a few ski resorts. 

The ski resorts offer all the facilities that you would expect, including skiing lessons for beginners and hire of ski equipment.  Most people choose to rent an apartment and go self-catering but all the resorts boast excellent hotels to suit all budgets.  The restaurants represent most of the world’s cuisines and there are other options for an evening out, such as cinemas and nightclubs.

Spain offers good value for money when it comes to ski deals as it is one of the cheapest places in Europe for holiday makers.  Finding cheap flights is easy as there are several budget airlines which fly to most of the main cities in Spain.  If you are prepared to shop around for your skiing holiday then you should be able to find an inexpensive skiing holiday for the whole family.

One of the most snow-sure resorts in the country is the enchantingly named Obergurgl, which also happens to be Austria’s highest at 1930 metres. If you’d like access to a lively nightlife after your day’s skiing, you’d be hard-pressed to beat Kitzbuhel. This resort has exceptionally varied and, it has to be said, challenging terrain, with plenty of adrenaline-charged moguls and off-piste skiing (the snow does tend to get a little patchy at lower altitudes here, though).  A similarly exciting resort can be found in St Anton, which hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships in 2001. You’ll get some of the most breathtaking off-piste skiing in the country here, along with plenty of Austrian après-ski.  At the super-sophisticated (and very expensive) end of the spectrum, Lech and Zurs are widely recognised as the most exclusive ski venues in Austria, with exquisite hotel accommodation, beautifully scenic village settings and superb eateries to round the day off.

Ski accommodation in Austria is generally of a very good standard indeed, but bear in mind that a skiing holiday can work out cheaper than self-catering here – food and wine are usually included in the package price.

Your specific needs will determine whether you should go with a catered ski chalet or a self-catered chalet, do you want to be pampered with cordon bleu food or are you happy with self catering? Location and convenience are two huge factors when it comes to an overall satisfying experience. If you are unsure of where to go, you should consider the French Alps. La Plagne is one of the best locations because of how accessible it is to everything you need for an invigorating ski experience. The good news is that there are nice locations that suit both needs. From a catered ski chalet to a self-catered chalet, your stay in La Plagne is one that will go at your pace.

No matter what you want from your winter adventure choose a ski chalet with all the comforts that you expect for your skiing getaway, and you’ll never want to go anywhere else on your skiing holiday!

There are ski schools and fully trained instructors for the novice skier and small slopes for when they have built up their confidence a little; there are also many high altitude runs and off piste trails for the expert skier. There are even areas dedicated to snowboarders and tobogganing for those wanting something a little different.

Non-skiers can also enjoy a ski holiday with their loved ones, and activities such as hot air ballooning and archery are amongst the many experiences one can have while the rest of the group is out on the slopes.

Ski deals are easily found when searching the internet or using the teletext services available. For a family orientated ski holiday France can offer some of the most perfect resorts, or for those wanting something a little more upmarket resorts such as Chamonix, with its chic boutiques, ensure that every need can be catered for.

With the help of low budget airlines, skiing holidays in France are becoming more and more affordable and more and more popular. Once thought of as holidays for the elite, ski holidays are now something everyone can enjoy. With packages often including meals and ski passes for the lifts, there is no reason one needs to over spend once there.

It takes about four hours to fly to Sophia Airport and the transfer time is around ninety minutes, but the roads and the way drivers behave is certainly unnerving, especially if you are sitting in the front seat of a minibus.

There are a number of hotels and villas providing basic accommodation but the ski schools are excellent and the main hotels have their own. Private ski tuition can be had very cheaply and equipment is cheap to hire. Ski passes can be bought as part of holiday packages, or you can buy one on arrival.

There are various evening entertainments from functions in hotels to ski contests, ski racing by professionals, ice skating, swimming in hotel pools, music, or enjoying a fondue night at a small restaurant.

Borovets also has a ski school for the little ones and tiny tots can be seen in long lines, using ski sticks one day, then a single ski, and finally putting it all together, as well as enjoying snowball fights and riding on sleds.

This is an excellent resort for a budget ski holiday. There are no frills but you will pay less than half what a holiday in the Alps would cost. 

Alta, a classic powder ski run runs over challenging terrain and offers marvellous views. Alta is a wonderful starting place for beginners and equally good for experienced skiers.

Beaver Mountain, a family run resort since 1939 with well-maintained ski slopes and a north-eastern exposure, offers opportunities for all.

Brighton is an excellent area for family ski vacations; the resort has been providing perfect ski slopes for over 70 years in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Deer Valley resort is a new location offering classic service. The landscape is full of lodges and rest spots as well as ten restaurants covering the mountainside.

Soldier Hollow is a cross-country ski resort offering cross country and snowshoe experiences for beginners, professional and family parties. It is situated in some of Utah’s most breathtaking scenery.

Solitude Nordic Centre looks like is comes straight out of an Alpine fairytale; here they offer classic and skating trails for all levels of experience.

Ruby Inn provides an open access ski trail centre. The courses run from right outside the lodge front doors and meander their way around the contours of Bryce Canyon.

The Skiing

Bosnia: OK, the skiing opportunities may not be as widely available as they are in France but they are still pretty decent. Jahorina is especially good for families as it has a nursery slope with a rope lift to hold onto which is ideal for small children can manage. Stick to the main slopes though if you are skiing without a guide as not all of the mountains have been cleared of potential land mines.

France: You know what you are getting with France – espiecally the French Alps. We thought Les Gets was great for beginners and families (they also have a few ‘magic carpets’ to help save parents arms from dragging really quite heavy boys up the slopes)

Skiing Lifts

Bosnia: Not as flash as the French ones but they do the job.

France: Some of the newer French ski lifts are not only covered but have heating!

Ski lessons

Bosnia: Learning to ski in Bosnia is definitely cheaper than learning in France – so much so that one-on-one lessons can very easily be within your budget.

France: The ski schools are brilliant if spendy and attract the top instructors.

Accommodation

Bosnia: Very good standard, all the mod cons, plenty of living space. Family friendly and not too expensive either. Can get some good hotel and transfer bargains with your ski deals too.

France: You get what you pay for – the more budget you have, the better accommodation you will get.

Weekend deals are naturally confined to Europe and are split between some of the best resorts in France, Switzerland, or Italy. With Geneva and Sion airports being the closest to the Alpine region, you can usually be only one hour away from the resort and that weekend skiing experience.

Chamonix is only an hour from Geneva airport and your ski holiday specialist will find you lots of modestly priced accommodation with short stay bookings accepted as the norm. The terrain is varied and boasts fabulous views of peaks and glaciers incorporating the Mont Blanc Massif.

Crans-Montana in Switzerland is a wonderful sporting village and one of the top European golf tournaments take place here, knotty in the winter of course. Home of previous world downhill competitions, you can ski the course; Crans-Montana is very easy to get to either from Sion or Geneva airports. This is a wonderful sunny skiing area with excellent accommodation for weekends.

Davos is a huge ski area which is shared with Klosters, just down the valley, with some excellent long runs of up to eight miles. Easy to get to from Zurich airport and plenty of weekend rooms available.

Courmayeur is one of delightful Italy’s car free ski resorts, with fabulous pasta as only the Italians can make it, stylish shops, and lively friendly bars. The resort has a smallish ski area best for intermediates and advanced skiers but only 90 minutes from Geneva airport.

When you are getting organised for your ski trip you’ll need to invest in some new clothes to get the best out of the holiday. Its always best to wear a few layers of clothes when you’re skiing or snowboarding as you will soon get very cold. A thermal under layer is also recommended. Wearing brighter coloured outer layers enables other skier’s and snowboarders to pick you out quicker from the snow making collisions less likely. Do not wear jeans as once wet they will become heavy, stiff and very uncomfy to wear and will more than likely cause chafing to your legs.

The binding is released by pressing down the release clip at the back, usually done with a ski pole. The ski binding will release when pressure is exerted by the weight of a falling skier, this pressure can be adjusted according to the weight of the skier and their skiing ability.

A very important addition to the ski binding is the brake which prevents the ski from sliding down the hill when released from the boot, which could cause a serious accident to anyone below. When a ski boot is put in the ski binding, the brake pivots under the downward pressure and runs parallel with the ski allowing free movement. When the boot comes out of the ski, the brakes spring out perpendicular to the ski and stops the ski from sliding.

Cross country or Nordic ski bindings work in an entirely different way as the object of the cross country ski is to walk by pushing the foot forwards and the heel is allowed to raise form the ski, the toe reaming secured to the ski. With cross country skis and bindings it is possible to walk up hill with skis and it is a form of movement that has been used by alpine and Scandinavian armies since before World War 2. The name derives from cross country racing which in essence that is one third up, one third down, and one third flat. The name distinguishes it from other types of ski races and competition such as downhill racing, or slalom racing.

Whichever style of skiing holiday you decide upon when you embark on your winter sports holiday, and many people partake in both forms of skiing, your winter sports holiday company will arrange for you to rent both alpine and Nordic skiing equipment, all you have to do is enjoy it.