Green, blue, red and black; there's a slope to suit everyone's ability level and they're all the same, right? Kind of, is the answer. They may be the same colour but they're not necessarily the same gradient.
Head to France and a blue run there may actually be more like a red run in another country. Each slope has its own topography, scenery and unique feel too. Some may be a technical challenge that will push your ability, some you may never want to end. We'll tell you how each country stacks up and what you can expect...
Home to two excellent ski areas, one of which plays host to European and World Cup races, Andorra skiing holidays deliver more than you probably thought.
Beginners, improvers and families should head to the 63km of well-manicured slopes of Arinsal in the Vallnord ski area. It's a natural bowl with some steeper slopes, but mainly the runs funnel gently back to the ski base where you'll find bars, restaurants and even a crèche. The scenery is picturesque as the runs are tree-lined which also provides a safe learning environment for newbies.
The 210km Grandvalira ski area suits every ability level, wallet size and party type. There's everything from dedicated beginner and kiddie areas to large snow parks for freestyling and mile after mile of cruisy blue and red runs. There are challenging sections too. Head over to Grau Roig in between Soldeu, El Tarter and Pas de la Casa for some excellent freeriding.
Andorra has something to suit all levels but is particularly good for improvers and those who love scenic, cruisy skiing, excellent après and virtually tax-free prices!
Wherever you go in Austria, skiing is going to be picturesque and accessible for all. Many resorts have massive amounts of runs like St Antonwith over 300km of intermediate-friendly slopes and Mayrhofen with 500+km of rolling mountains and parks ideal for boarders.
The latter has two mountains to suit different abilities. Beginners start on Ahorn mountain while the more experienced hit the Penken mountain where the slopes get steeper yet still wide and open.
The majority of Austria suits those that like to cruise and not have too much challenging terrain but very scenic views. For those looking to push themselves, head to St Antonas the area is so vast, you won't be short of challenging terrain. For the powder hounds and off-piste lovers, there's nearly 200km of controlled off-piste to enjoy without the need for a guide of avalanche gear.
Wherever you go, you'll always be met by friendly locals, beautiful scenery, good-for-the-soul food and super-fun après ja!
The sheer size and variety of ski areas means that skiing in France has it all. If you're a beginner, you'll love Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes for super-wide runs and sunny, south-facing slopes ideal for learning on.
Intermediates are completely spoilt here. Every resort we do caters perfectly for those who love to cruise endless pistes but have the odd challenging run to test their skills. The most notable are Tignes and Val d'Isère in the 300km (aptly named)Tignes - Val d'Isère area with two glaciers and some excellent reds around the 'Eye of the Needle' and Tovière mountain.
The Three Valleys is one of the biggest and most well-known ski areas in the world with 600km of runs. The resorts of Les Menuires and Val Thorens sit on the southern end of the area and offer up the best off-piste and freeriding around. Head out on guided tours of the glacier with the Maurienne valley as your views to discover the treats of the area.
For equally impressive viewsLa Plagne also has a glacier and Mont Blanc firmly in sight. The 425km playground suits all but the mile-hungry skiers and boarders will be most happy here. Try the run from the glacier of neighbouring Les Arcs all the way down to the world's largest cable car -the double-decker Vanoise Express. It's a real leg burner!
Val di Fassa in the Dolomites in Italy is not only part of the largest ski area in the world with over 1200km of glorious pistes, it's arguably in the most beautiful ski area in the world too. It's an intermediate's paradise where the red runs are more like tricky blues so the whole area is very accessible to most skiers and snowboarders. Meanwhile, Alta Badia has some of the most picturesque views with the towering red rock as your backdrop every day.
Beginners should head to Livigno as the runs are lovely and wide with trees once you get closer to the resort. That' not to say the more experienced shouldn't go here, on the contrary. Livigno has some of the best freeriding and snowparks in Europe.
The 400km Milky Way crosses the border in to France and has a wonderful rolling feel. Ideal for intermediates, you can cover more miles than you think in a day as it's such a cruisy area. The world cup run in Sestrière is a must try. See if you can do it without stopping! Meanwhile, neighbouring Sauze d'Oulx has mostly red runs so intermediates and boarders will be kept very happy. Try the run all the way from the top of Col Basset right down to the Jouvenceaux Sportinia lift. You can stop at the Neilson Chalet Hotel Edelweiss for an espresso while you're there!
There are so many resorts to choose from and you should definitely not just stick to one resort, so it's a good old fashioned case of trial and error.
Remember, better a bad day on the slopes than a good day in the office.
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