October 15, 2019

Top 5 Ski Locations In Europe

top 5 Ski Locations In Europe For 2019/20

As it comes to the time of year where Winter hits Europe, it is now the perfect time to be booking a ski holiday. Whether you have never touched the slopes or visit every year, there is something for everyone, with many different locations to choose from. The problem is which locations are the best for skiing, here are my Top 5 ski locations in Europe.

courchevel, France

Courchevel is the biggest and best known of the Les Trois Vallées (Three Valleys), a group of interlinked ski resorts. This resort has so much to offer, with 150km of its own mountainous runs that can be accessed by the resorts 60 lifts. Not to mention the surrounding ski runs that are connected, bringing you to a total of 600km of ski runs, that’s a lot of places to ski. With 4 glaciers, 10 summits, and heights of over 2,500 meters, you can’t ask for much more for the perfect ski resort. Whether you are a complete novice or an expert, there is something for everyone, with a quarter of all the ski runs at the resort been for beginners and a third for intermediates.

how To Get To Courchevel

There are several airports that are all a similar distance away from the resort. Depending on your location and day of departure one airport might be more suited for your travel. Once you have landed at the airport you will need to travel between 2 to 3 hours depending on which airport you choose. The quickest and best way to do this is hire a car. Don’t worry we have your ski car hire covered, with ski racks, snow chains and GPS all available to make your travel as smooth as possible. If you fly to any of these airports, get in contact with us to discuss the best options for your needs.

Geneva Airport (149km) – 3 hours
Lyon Airport (187km) – 3 hours
Chambery Airport (110km) – 2 hours
Grenoble Airport (174km) – 2 hours

zermatt, Switzerland

Want to go even higher? Zermatt is home to a ski run with altitudes of 3900 meters, making it Switzerland’s largest vertical drop. The scenic backdrop of the iconic Matterhorn that can be seen from most of the 350km alpine system makes this a favourite for many top skiers. Zermatt is renowned for it’s long runs, some are so long that they finish in the village, meaning you can ski home! There is a range of slopes at different skill levels to suit everyone. One for the more experienced skiers is to take the newly reopened, Matterhorn Glacier Ride all the way up to nearly 3900 meters. To make this trail network even safer and more accessible you can download a free app which gives you live updates of all the information you will need.

how To Get To Zermatt

Like with many ski resorts, due to their isolated location there is a long travel after your flight. There are several options of varying distances, below are all the ones in the surrounding area, so you can decide which is best for you. As you will be travelling anywhere between 1 hour and 4 hours, the best method of transportation is by having your own car. This allows you to travel at your own pace and gives you the freedom to stop off at any points of interests. We offer ski car hire at most airports, if you need to hire a car get in touch with our team who will make sure you have everything you need for your skiing holiday. Please be aware that Zermatt itself is a car free zone and the town is served by trains every 20 minutes from Täsch or by electric taxis.
Bern Airport (126km) – 2 ½ hours
Geneva Airport (230km) – 2 ½ hours
Basel Airport (232km) – 3 ½ hours
Zurich Airport (229km) – 3 ½ hours
Milan-Malpensa Airport (192km) – 3 hours

val D’isere, France

Due to its location, you can be sure Val d’Isere will be open well into May and some areas are even open until July. With the lowest slopes at 1,550 meters, and the highest reaching over 3,400 meters, you are guaranteed to have lots of snow. Here you can try over 300km of slopes that can be reached by over 150 ski lifts. Val d’Isere is home to an Olympic triple gold medal winner, Jean-Claude Killy, Espace Killy is even named for him. The slopes are suited to all skiers including covered magic carpet lifts for kids and some of the best instructors in the industry. Val d’Isere itself is car-free and known for its high-quality restaurants and welcoming après-ski events.

how To Get To Val D’isere

There are a few options when travelling to Val d’Isere, however some are less suitable. For example, although Chambery and Grenoble Airport are closer, finding flights and ones that are reasonably priced is a lot harder. Also, options for car hire are limited at these locations. However, the other 2 airports are slightly further but as they are bigger airports you can hire a car with all your ski car hire needs. That includes a ski rack, snow chains and a GPS to help you find your way there. Once you arrive at the resort there is a free shuttle service that takes you to all the main lifts.
Chambery Airport (144km) – 2 hours
Geneva International Airport (222km) – 2 ½ hours
Grenoble Isere Airport (217km) – 2 ½ hours
Lyon St. Exupery Airport (221km) – 2 ½ hours

cortina D’ampezzo, Italy

Once home to the Winter Olympics, all the way back in 1956, Cortina d’Ampezzo is still a superb ski resort. At the resort you will find shops and entertainment venues that you can make use of in between time on the slopes. Let’s not forget that the main purpose is to be skiing and with Olympic standard slopes with high altitude snowfields it’s hard to do anything but ski. Even if you’re a beginner or intermediate there is plenty of snow for you to enjoy. Unlike other resorts, Cortina d’Ampezzo, comes with cross-country ski trails with scenic views, a bobsled run, and an Olympic rink for ice skaters. There really isn’t much more you can ask for.

how To Get To Cortina D’ampezzo

Cortina d’Ampezzo can be best reached by one of the nearest airports. Despite the distance from the airport to the resort been marginally closer than others on this list, you are still looking at a minimum travel time of just under 2 hours. Things to be aware of are that some of the airports below are in Austria and if you wish to hire a car you will need to contact us to arrange cross border car hire. Other than that, if you would like a car, contact us today so we can arrange stress free ski car hire, with everything you need for the perfect ski holiday.

Canova di Treviso airport (136km) – 1 ½ hours
Venice Marco Polo airport (148km) – 2 hours
Innsbruck airport (164km) – 2 hours
Klagenfurt airport (228km) – 3 hours
Verona airport (265km) – 3 hours

chamonix, France

Chamonix can be found on Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, that stands at 4,807 meters high. The altitude of the glaciers and the mountain itself cool the surrounding area preserving the snow. This means you will find some of the best and most long-lasting snow conditions in the alps here. Chamonix is best known for hosting the first Winter Olympics. Since it’s original fame, people still visit year after year to tackle some of the worlds most challenging terrain. There is a good mix of slopes for everyone, at Grands Montets, you can ski the slope with the world’s greatest height differential. Whereas, at Domaine Skiable des Planards or La Vormaine areas, beginners and families can make use of the great learning facilities.

how To Get To Chamonix

Chamonix is one of the easiest resorts to get to on this list. Nevertheless, you will still need to find a method of transportation once you land. We think hiring a car and exploring the beautiful surrounding areas is the best way to do it, but that choice is up to you. If you decide to opt for car hire, get in touch with our team who can discuss your requirements and make sure you have everything you need when going on a ski holiday. This could be snow chains, a GPS or ski racks.
Geneva Airport (101km) – 1 hour
Chambery Airport (142km) – 1 ½ hours
Lyon St Exupery Airport (220km) – 2 hours
Grenoble-Isere Airport (220km) – 2 hours

contact Us For Your Ski Car Hire

If you are looking to go on holiday to one of the locations above or any other location for that matter, we have your car hire covered. We offer Ski car hire with optional extras that include everything you could need for skiing such as:
– 4×4’s
– Winter Tyres
– Ski Rack
– GPS
– Snow Chains
Not all of these services are available at every airport, for this reason we recommend that you contact our team to find the best deal for you. You can contact us via call, email or by using the live chat function.

For more fantastic articles on Travelling in Europe, check out our friends at bookmarktravel.com – Travel Directory.