Picking the best ski resorts is hard! The perfect drop of snow or the people you are with can make all the difference. We tried to be as fair as possible… but wow these are tough choices!
The resort town of Banff is in the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage Site. Expect some of the best snow and a huge ski area. Banff is famous for its wildlife. Bighorns, wolves and Elk can all be seen in winter. The bears will sadly have gone to sleep, but there is still so much to find. While in Bamff, you can’t fail to enjoy the scenery, the views incredible. With low light pollution, you can also enjoy stargazing year-round.
Grandvalira is a group of ski resorts in Andorra. With over 65 peaks above 2000m, great snow is guaranteed. Boasting 128 slopes, that and 210km of skiable terrain, it is almost impossible to get bored. Andorra is also set up to ski, level of instruction is very high and you never need to travel far to find a slope. There is a range of other activities, so such as dog sledding and snowshoeing to keep the kids busy. Best of all, it is only a short flight away.
Sugarloaf in Maine has the highest skiable peaks on the East Coast. With a huge skiable area, it has something for all levels of skier. As it takes a little longer to get to than some areas, the ski lifts are rarely as busy as some other resorts. Sugarloaf is all about the skiing though and you will be hard-pressed to find better slopes. You can also combine Sugarloaf with a trip to Boston or New York.
Jasper is just 20 mins from Marmot Basin, the main ski area. With loads 25km of trails all served by state of the art lifts, you are sure to have great skiing. This being Canada, the wildlife is also one of the key attractions. Whether enjoyed as part of a safari or seen while visiting the glaziers, frozen waterfalls or even dog sledding, you can be sure you will see something magical.
West of Turin in the Savoy Alps, the town of Sestriere is one of Italy’s oldest ski resorts. In 2006 the Winter Olympics were held here with downhill; freestyle, slalom, and giant slalom competitions were held here. This improved the facilities and positioned Sestriere as one of the top resorts in Europe. With something for everyone, the resort has many trails suitable for various abilities. It also has bobsledding, ice-skating, and dog sledding.
Tucked away in the Brenta Dolomites, just north of Verona, Madonna do Campiglio has some of the best trails in Italy. The ski lifts start in the centre of town and take skiers up to over 150km of trails. Being a little harder to get to and less well known than some other resorts makes Madonna di Campiglio slightly quieter and perfect for school trips. There is good variety on the slopes as well as a snow park, cross country, snowshoeing and lots of mountaineering options.
Situated on the plateau between the Brenta Dolomites and the Paganella massif in Northern Italy. Paganella provides some breath-taking scenery, lifts that leave directly from the village and over 50km of trails. With very modern equipment and a broad spectrum of trails, and a sports centre with floodlit slopes, Paganella is very much suited to trips with children.