Everyone has always known that Val d’Isère is a top French ski resort, with its great piste map of befuddling squiggles. The lowest terrain is at an altitude of 1,550 meters, and the highest reaches 3,450 meters, which helps keep the season open into May. You can usually be sure of skiing on the Glacier du Pisaillas into June or July.

The huge and often snow-sure 24,710 acres of off-piste terrain at Val draws the international freeride community, who travel here a year. A storied ski icon can be created by combining piste-side partying at the original Folie Douce with trendy nightclubs, ultra-luxurious chalets, and hotels. The Val-d'Isère expert Hip Hideouts is introducing two new homes, Chalet Loup and Cala Slopeside, on a B&B basis, shaking up the typical catered chalet formula and allowing visitors the freedom to explore the resort's bars and restaurants each evening.

There's terrain for all skill levels, including slopes for children and beginners. Youngsters can ride covered magic-carpet lifts to gentle downhill slopes, and ski instruction here is among the best.

Country: France

Website: www.valdisere.com

It should be clear from the sheer number of international ski events held there that St. Moritz offers world-class skiing. There were Winter Olympics held here in 1928 and 1948, and the Olympic ski jump frequently hosts contests.

There is a lot of ski terrain available to non-Olympians as well. With more than 20 lift options, St. Moritz offers slopes and pistes for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities. The resort is renowned for its long intermediate runs and another great intermediate terrain. The 2,486-meter village of Corviglia, which is accessible from the town by the Corviglia Funicular, has trails with breathtaking Alpine views that rise over St. Moritz.

One of Europe's first winter resorts—or even the first, according to some—St. Moritz continues to draw affluent visitors and exudes a definite air of elegance. Ice skating, tobogganing, Nordic skiing, bobsledding, and kite skiing are just a few of the activities available alongside skiing.

Country: Switzerland

Website: www.stmoritz.com

The largest ski domain in Europe is made up of the numerous connected ski areas known as Les Trois Vallées (Three Valleys), the largest and most well-known of which is Courchevel. The 60 lifts that Courchevel has on-site provide access to 150 kilometers of alpine routes in addition to 600 kilometers of interconnecting ski runs and four glaciers. The region is divided into ten summits, all of which are higher than 2,500 meters.

In addition to receiving four meters of snowfall per year, the resorts also utilize cutting-edge grooming to keep their runs in peak condition.

Although Courchevel is a favorite of experts for its superb off-piste terrain, tree skiing, couloirs, and mogul-studded steeps, each of Courchevel's five separate villages has good terrain for beginners and intermediates; about one-fourth of Courchevel's pistes are for beginners and one-third for intermediates.

Country: France

Website: courchevel.com

In addition to being among the top ski resorts in Europe, Zermatt has also been rated the top ski resort in Switzerland. Long runs are popular in Zermatt, some of which end in the village; you can practically ski home. The world's highest 3S cableway, the Matterhorn Glacier Ride, launched for the 2019 ski season and can transport 2,000 skiers per hour to the glacier. The glacier, which is 3,883 meters above sea level, allows skiing all year long.

It has also been named one of the most opulent ski resorts, one of the best places to travel by rail, and one of the most stunning places in all of Europe by European Best Destinations.

With 360 kilometers of skiable terrain, the snowsports destination of Zermatt atop the Matterhorn draws skiers, socialites, and alpinists from all over the world.

The settlement located at the base of the Matterhorn is encircled by stunning alpine scenery. At 1,620 meters (the height of the train station), covered in snow, it resembles a scene from a fantasy. Its skiing chances are essentially endless with lines ranging from 1,620 to 3,883 meters and crossing back and forth to Italy.

Country: Switzerland

Website: www.zermatt.ch

The Cinque Torri, five craggy peaks high in the Italian Dolomites, offers the upscale town of Cortina D'Ampezzo both a stunning backdrop and exceptional skiing.

The most popular mountain resort in Italy is Cortina d'Ampezzo, sometimes known as Cortina. It offers an all-encompassing experience, including lunch at quaint mountain huts while skiing on nicely groomed slopes surrounded by the stunning Dolomites.

The Dolomites' granite amphitheater encircles Cortina d'Ampezzo, enveloping visitors in the epitome of Italian dolce vita. You'll discover yourself in a glitzy bubble where 75 miles of flat, picturesque slopes improve everyone's skiing, mountain restaurants are situated for the best possible sunbathing, and there are just as many things to do off the slopes as there are on them.

The mountains are wonderfully vacant for those anxious to lap the slopes because many Cortina fanatics spend more time shopping, wandering around the opulent Corso Italia promenade, and drinking aperitivos than they do skiing. With its largest investment, the 2.8-mile-long Cortina Skyline gondola, which opened in December 2021 and transports skiers from Tofane, the resort's principal ski slope, to the ruggedly gorgeous Cinque Torri area, the resort is in full clean-up mode for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Continue on from this point to reach the close-by ski resort of Alta Badia, finally traveling more than 30 miles from Cortina over the Dolomiti Superski region to Alpe di Siusi.

Country: Italy

Website: www.dolomitisuperski.com

Chamonix is one of the oldest ski resorts in France – and undoubtedly one of the best ski resorts in Europe. Having hosted the first Winter Olympics in 1924, it’s a town of prestige and heritage.

The ski resort is a magnet for free riders and experienced skiers due to its challenging terrain and remarkable off-piste opportunities. One of Chamonix's six ski regions, Grands Montets, offers slopes with the largest height disparity in the world. World Cup races are held on the Verte piste, 3.5 kilometers of steeps and jump.

Its ski area is spread across five mountains along both sides of the valley, delivering some 100 miles of pistes across a varied yet disparate choice of terrain. The ultimate aim for many visitors is the 1,744 vertical feet cable car ride to the razor-sharp tip of l’Aiguille du Midi (12,605ft) for jaw-dropping views and the 12.5-mile-long Vallée Blanche, the world’s longest off-piste ski route.

Country: France

Website: en.chamonix.com

In the Austrian Alps, close to Innsbruck and Salzburg, the walled village of Kitzbühel is the prettiest and most romantic ski resort. While Kitzbühel is home to upscale hotels and pricy stores similar to those in Cortina or St. Moritz, it also welcomes families and budget tourists with its tiny family-run inns.

The 170 kilometers of skiable pistes in Kitzbühel, as well as the 280 kilometers in the neighboring SkiWelt, served by 90 lifts, offer something for every level of skier.

The infamous Hahnenkamm, the most difficult of all downhill races, is contested here annually on terrain that can be up to 85% vertical in certain areas. The compact Bichlalm region was created specifically for riders and freestylers. The Kitzbühel Alps AllStarCard, which includes nine different ski regions in Austria, connects Kitzbühel with the SkiWelt via bus.

Country: Austria

Website: www.kitzski.at

If you’re looking for a blend of spectacular scenery, and time spent admiring it from sun-drenched terraces, gentle skiing, gastronomic treats, and pampering hotels, head for Val Gardena.

Between the peaks of the Gruppo del Sella, the 160 kilometers of trails and lifts in Val Gardena connect with those in numerous nearby valleys, resulting in over 400 kilometers of interconnected skiing, which also includes the Marmolada Glacier. One of the highest percentages in the Dolomites, about two-thirds of the terrain accessible from Val Gardena is for advanced and expert skiers. But there are still more than 130 kilometers of skiing available for novice and intermediate skiers.

People travel here to ski, particularly on the four routes with average gradients of more than 25% that are utilized for the men's and women's giant slalom and downhill World Championship competitions. Starting from the Dantercepies cable car, the new La Ria route is for specialists only and features inclines as steep as 52%.

Country: Italy

Website: www.valgardena.it

On the sunny Italian side of Mont Blanc, Courmayeur is a popular destination for both serious skiers and unabashed sybarites who prefer to sip Aperol spritzes on terraces during the day and eat fine dining at night.

There is no denying the appeal of skiing on the slopes of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. Take the Funivie Monte Bianco cable car, with or without skis, to the ridgeline for views from the top of Europe. Similar to Courmayeur's extensive off-piste ski terrain, the expert-only pistes from the Arp are unmarked and, when they are open at all, may only be skied with a guide.

Although there are beginner-friendly slopes in the nearby town of Dolonne, experienced skiers are better suited to this area. However, cross-country skiers will adore the 20-kilometer network of routes starting at Val Ferret, near Courmayeur. There isn't much improvement in the area's scenery. Given the clientele, it should come as no surprise that lodging and dining in Courmayeur are expensive.

Country: Italy

Website: www.courmayeur-montblanc.com

The Zugspitze, which rises to a height of 2,962 meters, is the tallest peak in Germany. The picturesque Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, located at its base, adds to Zugspitze's appeal to skiers. A 360-degree panorama that spans up to 250 kilometers and includes mountain summits in four different countries can be seen from the summit, which is now reachable by a new cable car.

You may ski the glacier, which is 2,700 meters above sea level and accessible from the top of the lifts, even when the valley's skies are clouded.

The 40 kilometers of routes in the Garmisch-Classic ski area, interconnected across three mountains (Hausberg, Kreuzeck, and Alpspitze), offer plenty of options for skiers of all skill levels. The renowned Kandahar Downhill and other courses that were used for the 1936 Winter Olympics and subsequent International Alpine Skiing Championships offer significant challenges.

Country: Germany

Website: zugspitze.de