Skiing Holidays- Where to Go for the Best? – Skiing Holidays are one of the Most Exciting Holidays done throughout Europe
Skiing is no longer the winter holiday of the privileged classes. It’s an internationally renowned sport that provides as much adrenaline as it does relaxation.
There are ski resorts throughout the world in the 21st century, with great places to find powder notably in Europe and North America, but also Australasia, South America, Asia and even Africa!
If you’ve paid due diligence learning and practicing your skills on dry ski slopes or snow domes and feel you now want to progress to the real deal, there are quite a few options available that are well suited to beginners. Cortina in Italy is one such resort, with an emphasis on providing good and useful resources for beginners.
There are a variety of ski schools and instructors available to help you get your bearings. The nursery slopes and beginner runs in the Socrapes area are immaculately groomed to give you the best possible chance of staying on your feet.
Many instructors work specifically with younger pupils, so are great for giving the kids confidence getting going.
In addition, Cortina has some breathtaking mountainous scenery that can be enjoyed throughout its ski season, which tends to run from November until April.
There are 1,200km of runs available once you graduate from the nursery slopes, with only a handful being particularly complex for more experienced skiers.
Many snow enthusiasts argue that to get the best kind of powder, skiers ought to head for American resorts. The premier ski resort in North America is and always has been, Vail, in the snowy state of Colorado.
Boasting dozens of feet of fresh powder, beautifully groomed slopes and at least 300 days of clear sunshine, it is no wonder that Vail is such a popular skiing holiday destination.
Vail is the kind of resort that makes it easy for family and friends to enjoy their vacation time. With attentive service from staff in hotels, bar, restaurants and shops, the resort has carved a reputation for itself as being friendly and professional enough to encourage top skiers and celebrities to its slopes.
With fast, modern ski lifts, well-organized runs spanning a variety of levels of ability and a variety of ski and snowboard schools, it really is a well run, modern ski resort.
Over half of the ski runs at Vail are tailored to the skills of advanced and expert skiers, so the show-offs in your group can have a great time in any of the three distinct ski areas.
In case the action on the piste isn’t enough to keep you entertained, the shops, spas, activities, festivals and nightlife will certainly pique your interest.
Alongside a reputation for great skiing, some resorts also require a reputation for great partying. Chamonix, located in the French Alps about an hour away from Geneva, is just such a place.
Having enjoyed a long heritage in the snow community since it became a popular ski resort in the early 20th century, Chamonix is still beloved of even 21st century thrill seekers.
Snow sports enthusiasts from around the world journey over to Chamonix in order to ride hard during the day and party hard when the sun goes down. The thrill of taking on the awesome slopes of Mont Blanc is matched by the buzzing nightlife of the area.
With some of the coolest and liveliest restaurants and bars in the alps and a reputation for being the free-riding capital of Europe, Chamonix remains a firm favorite in the European resorts.
Snowboarding enthusiasts agree that St Anton in Austria is the best spot for the ultimate ride. It’s not a place for those not too sure on their feet, as boarders tend to need to be of at least an intermediate level to get the most from the slopes.
However, the 280km of pistes and 180km of marked off-pistes sure give those experienced boarders plenty of freedom to fly.
Whilst freestylers won’t find much beyond the natural phenomenon’s of the slopes, free riders and piste-hungry mile lovers will be in for a treat with the steep areas, pedigree powder and slalom of trees edging the runs. If a day out in St Anton doesn’t quite get the heart pumping enough, the apres-ski facilities sure will.
Although the village of St Anton has a fairly traditional feel to it, the bars and restaurants give way to a party hard atmosphere.
There’s a bar crawl that starts in a mountain top apres ski bar and culminates at the bottom of a ski run. The top quality hotels also attract a wealthier clientele who like to be seen to be enjoying the slopes whilst the fanatics actually get on with it.
The ski resorts in New Zealand offer the best destinations in the southern hemisphere. Despite having smaller resorts, New Zealand offers really magnificent back country skiing conditions.
The altitude and weather conditions help make for fantastic skiing experiences, especially when coupled with the stunning surrounding scenery on both the north and south islands.
The Wanaka area boasts several popular resorts, but perhaps a favorite amongst snow enthusiasts is Cardona. Located across three bowls and having half of all runs suited to intermediate skiers, Cardona offers a little something for everyone.
The well-groomed nursery slopes are great for those finding their feet, whilst the excitement of the steeps will get advanced riders’ blood pumping.
The neighboring Treble Cone and Snow park resorts are great for more experienced enthusiasts and especially aimed at snowboarders with a penchant for shredding, free styling and boarder cross.
The variety of jumps and pipes, along with four terrain parks, really do make Cardona as much of a playground for snowboarders.
Cardona is a resort that is really centered on the slopes, with the hub of activity being on-piste. For nightlife and family days out, a trip to nearby Queens town might be in order, but that helps keep Cardona peaceful and relaxing for those with a focus on making the most of the powder and little else.
