A ski vacation is no doubt one of the best ways to spend your winter holidays in Europe. With most cities turning slushy and cold from the snow and rain and with businesses closing their doors, the ideal getaway is to head to the mountains where you can stay at a cozy ski resort, be active out on the ski slopes, and enjoy sipping warm cocoa afterward.
Here are the five best places in Europe for a ski vacation that are guaranteed to give you the finest experiences you have ever dreamed of!
1. Chamonix, France
Located in the Rhone-Alpes region in southeastern France, Chamonix hosted the very first 1924 Winter Olympics. The resort is perched at the foot of Mont Blanc, the largest mountain in Western Europe.
Don’t miss seeing Mer de Glace, one of continental Europe’s largest glaciers that you can also ski on. You can access it via the Montenvers rack railway with a station that offers a scenic view of the glacier.
Be sure to ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car, the world’s highest cable car that reaches a breathtaking height of 12,500 feet!
2. Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
The town of Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Southern Dolomitic Alps is located in the region of Veneto in Northern Italy. Snuggled amid the Dolomites in an alpine valley, the town offers a prime winter sports location.
It is not even a surprise that it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and different movie shoots and world cup events. The town was also the location of most scenes in The Pink Panther, the 1963 classic, and one of the popular ski scenes from For Your Eyes Only, a James Bond thriller.
Cortina d’Ampezzo also attracts the aristocracy of Europe and the upper class.
3. Jungfrau Region, Switzerland
With its name which means virgin or maiden in German, the Jungfrau is among the primary summits in the Bernese Alps. The region can be found at the center of the cantons of Valais in Switzerland and Bern.
The mountain region creates a colossal wall around Bernese Oberland that most people consider to be one of the Swiss Alps’ most iconic views.
The area has become one of the most visited Alps locations during the early 20th century after the Jungfraujoch railway was constructed. This railway is Europe’s highest station at 11,332 feet above sea level.
4. Portes du Soleil, Switzerland/France
Portes du Soleil is the collection of over a dozen medium and small-sized resorts that are just a two-hour drive from Geneva. You can buy a regional lift pass that will give you access to more than 200 lifts, which makes it one of the world’s biggest ski areas.
There is more than 650km of trails for skiing spread over 14 valleys in the area that spans approximately 400 square miles. You can find 12 resorts here, five of which are Swiss and seven French.
5. The Arlberg, Austria
“The Arlberg” is an Austrian mountain range located between the towns of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Five scenic towns make up the mountain range and are sustained and mainly exist thanks to ski tourism. The resorts are St. Christoph, Stuben, Zurs, Lech, and St. Anton.
For your ultimate ski vacation, these European destinations are guaranteed to fill your eyes and satiate your adventurous spirit!
