by Felix Milns
Fancy a trip to the Alps this winter? Europe's top resorts are gearing up for another five months of frenzied partying and fun on the slopes.
Discover where to find the most powder, the best mountain lunch, and the best après-ski, as well as advice on where to take the kids. Ratings for kids' amenities and snow quality are on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). A la saison!
Val d'Isère, France
The Crown Prince of European skiing, Val oozes ski and sex appeal
http://www.valdisere.com/
Best for: intermediate and adventurous by day, wild by night
Kids: 4
Cost: £££££
Snow: 5
Linked with Tignes in the adjoining valley, Val is one of the biggest and highest ski areas in the world; offering the intermediate skier endless miles of sculpted cruising, and the expert an incredible variety of hardcore runs and lift-accessed off-piste. It is also a good place to learn, with a great variety of English-speaking guides and instructors, though it is not as focused on beginners as some other resorts. The car-free village has a great ambience and it is almost as well known for its booming nightlife as its mountains; sleep comes at a premium here. Though expensive for families, the resort has an impressive "children's village" and many of the tour operators have good childcare facilities.
Méribel, France
The heart of the three valleys, the soul of England abroad
www.meribel.net/welcome.htm
Kids: 4
Cost: £££££
Snow: 4 The epicentre of the biggest lift-linked ski area in the world, Méribel is paradise found for mileage-proud intermediates. Experts have couloirs, cliffs and bumps in every valley. Though expensive for families, it's a good place to learn, has specialist English-speaking ski instructors and most of the tour operators offer their own childcare facilities. The lift system is state of the art and the piste-grooming second to none, enabling you to cover large distances in your skiing day. Méribel itself is a charming chalet-style village with a nice atmosphere, but the satellite resorts are a bit soulless. Val Thorens is better for snow, Courchevel is more chic and French, Les Menuires cheaper, but none are as well positioned. Don't expect to speak much French, most people you meet will be Brits... Les Arcs, France
This season's hottest property, a paradox of purpose-built sophistication
www.lesarcs.com/gb/ Best for: mixed ability groups and families, dinner party one-upmanship
Kids: 5
Cost: ££££
Snow: 4 Don't miss Les Arcs 1950, the first Intrawest-designed, purpose-built, French-Canadian style village in Europe. If that wasn't reason enough to visit, there is also a cable car linking the resort to La Plagne, simultaneously creating one of the largest ski areas in the world. Experts and intermediates will have a field day exploring the area and beginners get good snow on the high nursery slopes, with a new children's area at 1800, complete with magic carpet lifts and sledging tracks. For party-goers, 1800 is best for nightlife. Serre Chevalier, France
Charming old French ambience, a resort you can snuggle up to
www.serre-chevalier.com Best for: families on a budget looking for something a bit different
Kids: 5
Cost: £££
Snow: 3 Renowned in France but somewhat overlooked by foreigners, this is a beautiful tree-lined ski area that links a series of atmospheric age-old, stone-built villages. French holidays aside, the slopes are less crowded than France's stellar resorts and every category of skier is well catered for. The off-piste is abundant, intermediates get a great sense of travel, and beginners are well looked after, as long as you avoid the ESF ski school; this is, sadly, largely true throughout France, as they do not seem to care about the people they teach. The nightlife is quieter, hence its appeal for families. There are some marvelous restaurants and the tour operators have good childcare facilities. Verbier, Switzerland
Stylish, vibrant and cosmopolitan, Verbier nights are legendary and the heights extensive and challenging
http://www.verbier.ch/flash/en/index.cfm Best for: the European party crowd, off-piste wannabes and aficionados
Kids: 3
Cost: ££££
Snow: 3
The views from the top are stunning; good skiers who are prepared to hire a guide will love it here and there is also great instruction available for those wishing to venture off-piste for the first time. Intermediates who love to cover ground may come across heavy queues over the sprawling terrain, although both the lift system and piste grooming have improved of late. Progression is the problem for beginners as, after conquering the nursery slopes, gentle blues are a couple of tricky runs away. However, families get a good reduction on lift passes.
Zermatt, Switzerland
Home of the Matterhorn, great slopes and the world's best mountain restaurants
http://www.zermatt.ch/index.e.html
Best for: strong skiers and long-lunch lovers
Kids: 2
Cost: £££££
Snow: 4
This is not a place for beginners. The sculpted high-mountain terrain is an incredible playground for intermediate and advanced skiers, with endless stretches of winding runs, acres of mogul fields and bounteous off-piste. That said, it's expensive and the lift system still needs improving, although giant strides have been taken in recent years to eliminate major bottlenecks. These, however, are minor drawbacks when you consider all that Zermatt has to offer. Life in the resort is lively and varied and the food up the mountain is second to none. King of them all is the Zum See restaurant - do not leave without sampling its bounty.
Selva, Italy
Uniquely scenic, think gentle cruising and fabulous long lunches
http://www.valgardena.it/
Kids: 5
Cost: £££
Snow: 4 Set against the stunning majesty of the Dolomites, Selva is the perfect gateway into the Sella Ronda circuit, which loops around the Gruppo Sella, a spectacular limestone massif unlike any other mountain range. Runs are typically quite short and Selva rewards a laid-back approach. There is not much here to test the expert, but the nursery slopes come highly recommended and there are great, scenic pistes to step up to. The ski school is good, if erratic, and English is not widely spoken. Tour operators have good childcare facilities, however. Being Italy, a long lunch is essential and most of the mountain restaurants are very welcoming and offer excellent food for a reasonable price.
St Anton, Austria
Home to Europe's craziest après-ski scene and fabulous slopes for adventurous souls
http://www.stantonaustria.com/
Best for: party girls and powder hounds
Kids: 2
Cost: ££££
Snow: 4
Good skiers and boarders are spoilt for choice here; one of the reasons why so many bronzed and toned ski bums choose to make it their winter home. The other reason? Nightlife. In the Moosewirt, St Anton has the best après-ski bar in the Alps; from 3pm the huge terrace is packed with people dancing on tables, swigging from giant steins and manically waving their hands in the air. It is not ideal for beginners; most of the slopes are testing, particularly on a hangover, although the toddler slopes and kids' facilities are much better since the 2001 World Ski Championships.
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