The first chair of the day, the 8.30am, the cable car, the silence of the cabin, the skis on the rack, the guide who knows the mountain, and the view of the untouched powder that has fallen overnight (the 45 cm, the lightest, the February cold), is the reason the winter skiing holiday exists. European skiing is the best in the world: the 60% of the global ski resorts, the Alps (the France, the Austria, the Switzerland, the Italy, the largest linked ski area in the world), the Pyrenees, the Dolomites, and the skiing that ranges from the nursery slope to the most extreme off-piste in the world. Here are the best locations.

Best European Locations for a Winter Skiing Holiday

• The essential ski resorts: The Val d’Isère-Tignes, the France, the best all-round skiing: the 300 km of the pistes (the Espace Killy, the Jean-Claude Killy, the 1968 Olympic triple-gold medallist), the high-altitude (the 1,550–3,450 metres, the snow-sure, the December to the May), the best intermediate skiing in Europe, and the essential Val d’Isère experience: the La Folie Douce at the end of the day (the on-piste après-ski bar, the DJ, the table-dancing, the 3pm, the cider and the chips, and the best après-ski in the Alps). The essential Val d’Isère accommodation: the La Mourra Hotel (the 5-star, the ski-in/ski-out, and the best hotel in the Val d’Isère. ~€800/night in the peak). The budget: the UCPA hostel (the package, the accommodation, the meals, the lift pass, the equipment, and the lessons, the all-in, the €900/week, and the best-value ski holiday in the Alps). The Verbier, the Switzerland, the best off-piste: the “4 Vallées” (the 410 km of the pistes, the highest lift to the 3,330 metres, the Mont Fort, the 360-degree view of the Matterhorn, the Mont Blanc, the Grand Combin, and the best off-piste skiing in Europe. The essential Verbier experience: the Tortin couloir (the black, the bump, and the most photographed extreme descent in the Alps. The essential: the guide for the off-piste, the €300–400/day for the group of the 6, and the essential investment for the Verbier). ~€300/night for the ski-in/ski-out. France | Switzerland
• The best-value skiing, the Italy and the Austria: The Sellaronda, the Dolomites (the Italy): the 40 km of the ski circuit around the Sella massif, the 4 valleys, the best ski tour in the world, the 1 day, the spectacular Dolomite views (the pink at the sunset, the enrosadira), and the lunch at the Rifugio (the pasta, the €15, and the best-value ski lunch in the Alps). The essential Dolomites ski holiday: the Val Gardena, the 3 villages (the Ortisei, the Santa Cristina, the Selva), the Sellaronda is the accessible from the each, and the best hotel: the Hotel Acadia in the Selva (the 4-star, the ski-in/ski-out, the spa, and the €200/night for the half-board in the January. The best value in the Dolomites). The Mayrhofen, the Austria, the best nightlife: the Zillertal valley, the 500 km of the pistes on the single lift pass, the Penken, the Harakiri (the steepest groomed piste in the Austria, the 78% gradient, the 1,500 metres, and the essential claim the right), the après-ski at the Ice Bar (the ice-sculpture, the €10 for the cocktail, and the best après-ski in the Austria), and the accommodation: the Gasthof (the Tyrolean guesthouse, the breakfast, the €80/night, the best value in the Alps)