As the nights draw in our thoughts turn to blazing log fires, winter wonderland landscapes and the annual ski holiday. Okay, so ski season isn't officially upon us yet, but it's never too soon to start planning. Particularly if you've never skied before, planning a ski holiday can be nothing short of stressful. It's likely you'll have a hundred and one different questions running through your head, everything from ‘what's the best resort for beginners?' to ‘where should I stay?' We answer a few of them here:
Skiing in Morzine, by Amanda Wilkie
What's the best ski resort for absolute beginners?
There are several ski resorts in Europe that are suitable for complete beginners. However, Les Arcs in France is a particularly good choice, boasting nursery slopes above all its main villages. Arc 1800 is considered to have the best selection of nursery slopes and amenities - such as separate beginners' lifts - help to make the experience a lot more reassuring for first time skiers. The British-run New Generation ski school in Vallandry is a great place to start and group sizes are purposefully small so as to provide more one-on-one tuition.
There are some excellent hotels in France and Les Arcs proves it isn't the exception to the rule with pretty chocolate box hotels, such as Chalet des Neiges and Residence Le Belmont.
What's the best ski resort for children?
If you're planning a family ski break then you can't go wrong with Copper Mountain in Colorado, USA. The flight might be long, but the wealth of activities available to children more than makes up for this. The Belly Button Bakery will care for babies from as young as six weeks, and offer nightly babysitting for parents who want to make the most of the après ski facilities. The childcare facilities are just for babies; however the pizza and Wii package for teens will ensure that your teens don't pull a strop as you leave for the restaurant. On the slopes, separate family ski areas allow your family to ski together.
Families will love the Copper Springs Lodge for the privacy that it offers them. It is located at the base of the main resort in the East Village and each condominium comes with a private hot tub.
What's the best ski resort for après ski?
Nightlife is a great part of the ski experience and Andorra's unique tax status means that alcohol is incredibly cheap to buy in the country. The resort of Pas de la Casa attracts a young and lively crowd, with cheap hotels such as Cristina Hotel starting at just £32.00 a night. In the evenings most people in the resort head to the Kamikaze bar or the Underground for themed parties and live music. There are also pub crawls which take place every night in KSB when revellers drink their way around the Plaza dels Vaquer.
Skiing in Morzine, by Amanda Wilkie
Do you have any other questions about where to go skiing that you'd like answered? Then leave us your questions in the comment box below and we'll do our best to answer them for you! And don't forget to keep an eye out for part two of our ski guide, coming later this week, which provides a checklist to get you from planning and packing to hitting the slopes!