Destinations
We would rather cover a small number of places properly than list every resort in the Alps. Researched from official tourist offices, lift companies and transport operators. Every guide lists its sources and the date we last checked it.
Grand Massif
Five resorts on one lift system between Geneva and Chamonix, from old valley villages to a 1960s resort on the snow.
Modernist ski resortFlaine
Marcel Breuer's car-free 1960s resort in a high bowl, with the Grand Massif's highest skiing on the doorstep.
1,600 m
Historic villageSamoëns
A medieval market town with a stonemasons' past, a botanical garden and two gondolas into the Grand Massif.
700 m
Family villageMorillon
The Giffre valley's quiet one: a gondola from the village to Les Esserts, family skiing, and a lake with a beach in summer.
700 m
Village resortLes Carroz
A Haute-Savoie village with a gondola from its square, free beginner areas, and Geneva about 50 minutes away by car.
1,140 m
Summer and hikingSixt-Fer-à-Cheval
The head of the Giffre valley: the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval, the Cascade du Rouget and the largest nature reserve in Haute-Savoie.
760 m
Three Valleys
Seven resorts across three valleys above Moûtiers, linked by lifts over the ridges, from a spa town at 600 m to Val Thorens at 2,300 m.
Forest villageLa Tania
A car-free village in the forest at 1,400 m, with a gondola into Courchevel's ski area and the rest of Les 3 Vallées.
1,400 m
Purpose-built resortLes Menuires
A 1960s resort at 1,850 m in the Belleville valley, with apartments on the piste and lifts to Méribel, Val Thorens and the rest of Les 3 Vallées.
1,850 m
Old villageSaint-Martin-de-Belleville
The old village of the Belleville valley: a baroque church, 22 hamlets, and two lifts up to the Col de Tougnète and the rest of Les 3 Vallées.
1,450 m
Val Gardena
Three Ladin villages in a Dolomites valley, on one ski area with the Seceda, the Alpe di Siusi and the Sellaronda round the Sella group.
Val Gardena villageOrtisei
The main village of Val Gardena, at 1,236 m, with cable cars to the Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi and the Dolomiti Superski pass.
1,236 m
Val Gardena villageSelva di Val Gardena
The highest village in Val Gardena, at 1,563 m, below the Sella massif and the usual Val Gardena start for the Sellaronda.
1,563 m
Alta Badia
Five Ladin villages under the Sella in South Tyrol, on one ski area of mostly blue and red runs, with the Sellaronda passing through Corvara and Colfosco.
Alta Badia villageCorvara
Alta Badia's main ski village, at 1,568 m below the Sella massif, on the Sellaronda and with two gondolas from the village.
1,568 m
Alta Badia villageSan Cassiano
A smaller Alta Badia village at 1,537 m, under the Lavarela and Conturines, with the Piz Sorega gondola into the ski area and the Lagazuoi run coming back to the lifts nearby.
1,537 m
Alta Badia villageColfosco
An Alta Badia village at 1,645 m below the Passo Gardena, on the Sellaronda with its own lifts to the pass and to Corvara.
1,645 m
Portes du Soleil
Twelve French and Swiss resorts on one lift pass, from Morzine and Avoriaz round to Champéry and Châtel.
Village on a colLes Gets
A chalet village at 1,172 m, linked to Morzine on skis and into the Portes du Soleil, with one of Europe's big bike parks in summer.
1,172 m
Border villageChâtel
A farming village in the Abondance valley, on the Franco-Swiss border, with lifts into Switzerland and round the Portes du Soleil.
Swiss border villageMorgins
A Valais village at 1,350 m on the French border, with a 10-seat gondola from the centre and lifts across to Châtel.
1,350 m
Swiss Portes du SoleilChampéry
A Valais village at 1,050 m in the Val d'Illiez, with a cable car from the village to the Portes du Soleil.
1,050 m
Valley villageMontriond
A Vallée d'Aulps village by Lac de Montriond, with the Ardent gondola up to Les Lindarets and the Avoriaz side of the Portes du Soleil.
Paradiski
Les Arcs and La Plagne, joined across the Tarentaise valley by the Vanoise Express, with smaller villages on both sides.
Forest resortPeisey-Vallandry
A cluster of villages above the Tarentaise valley, between Les Arcs and La Plagne, with the Vanoise Express linking the two halves of Paradiski.
1,600 m
Two-level villageMontchavin–Les Coches
An old Savoyard village and a purpose-built resort above it, on the La Plagne side of Paradiski, a short way from the Vanoise Express.
1,250 m
Valley villageChampagny-en-Vanoise
An old village of hamlets on the southern side of La Plagne, joined to the ski area by gondola, with the Champagny-le-Haut valley and the Vanoise National Park behind it.
1,250 m
Les Arcs hamletsVillaroger
A commune of old hamlets at the foot of Les Arcs, where the Aiguille Rouge run ends and a gondola climbs back into the ski area.
1,080 m
Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine
Alpe d'Huez and four smaller villages around it in the Grandes Rousses, linked by lifts up to the Pic Blanc at 3,330 m.
Cable-car villageVaujany
An old village at 1,250 m in the Grandes Rousses, with a cable car from its centre into the Alpe d'Huez ski area.
1,250 m
Gondola gatewayOz-en-Oisans
A commune of 11 hamlets and a ski station, Oz 3300, at 1,350 m, with gondolas into the Alpe d'Huez ski area.
1,350 m
Family ski stationAuris-en-Oisans
A south-facing ski station at 1,600 m with its own 19 runs and a chairlift link into the Alpe d'Huez ski area.
1,600 m
Arlberg
Ski Arlberg: Lech Zürs, St. Anton, St. Christoph, Stuben and Warth-Schröcken on one lift pass, joined by the Flexenbahn and the Auenfeldjet.
Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn
The Skicircus: Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang and Fieberbrunn on one lift pass, across the Salzburg–Tyrol border.
Glemmtal villageHinterglemm
The upper village of the Glemm valley, with its own lifts into the 270 km Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn.
Skicircus villageLeogang
A Pinzgau village at 788 m whose Asitz and Steinberg lifts climb into the 270 km Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn.
788 m
Skicircus, Tyrol sideFieberbrunn
The largest village in Tyrol's Pillerseetal, at 790 m, with its own lifts into the 270 km Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn.
790 m
4 Vallées
Five resorts on one ski area in the Valais, with 410 km of pistes and a top at 3,330 m on Mont-Fort.
Ski resort, ValaisNendaz
The village at the heart of the 4 Vallées, with a free funicular up to the Tracouet gondola and lifts across the ski area.
1,365 m
Ski resort, ValaisVeysonnaz
A small Valais village above the Rhône valley, with its own gondola into the 4 Vallées and slopes that run on to Thyon and Mont-Fort.
1,230 m
Ski resort, ValaisLa Tzoumaz
A quiet Valais village in the 4 Vallées, with a cable car up to Savoleyres and a planned link to Verbier.
More destinations
Ötztal villageObergurgl
A village at 1,930 m at the head of the Ötztal, sharing 112 km of pistes with Hochgurgl, a separate ski area from Sölden.
1,930 m
Ötztal hotel villageHochgurgl
A small hotel settlement at 2,150 m on the slopes of the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area, one gondola ride from Obergurgl.
2,150 m
Serre Chevalier villageLe Monêtier-les-Bains
A Roman village with hot springs, and one of the four sectors of the Serre Chevalier ski area.
Matterhorn villageCervinia
The Italian side of the Matterhorn ski area: a resort at 2,000 m with runs across the border into Zermatt.
2,000 m
Gondola villageVenosc
A village in the Vénéon valley, eight minutes from the Les 2 Alpes ski area by gondola.
Zillertal, TyrolZell am Ziller
The Zillertal village where the Zillertal Arena starts, a ski area separate from Mayrhofen's.
575 m