Niseko is the most famous ski resort in Japan, known for having tons of light powder snow, spectacular backcountry, and a large number of foreigners who in recent decades have been responsible for popularizing the resort area with the skiing/snowboarding community outside of Japan. 

Niseko is synonymous with powder snow, and the resort area is said to have the best powder snow in the world. Courtesy of constant storm cycles from Siberia, Niseko is  No. 2 snowiest resort in the world.  It has an average of more than 15 meters every year turning the fields and forests into a winter wonderland.

The resort is suited to skiers and boarders of all ability levels as skiing & snowboarding is undoubtedly the biggest attraction here in winter. There are a large variety of groomed runs that are ideal for beginners and intermediates. Niseko also has great off-piste skiing. The slackcountry and backcountry options are also very impressive, and thankfully both off-piste and out of bounds riding is permitted.

Niseko is very accessible and welcoming to foreign visitors, which they keep busy with plenty of vast, long ski runs, endless snow, and a growing number of after-ski activities. It caters really well to international tourists, and. communication is much easier for English-speaking travelers than at any other ski resort in Japan. English is spoken by most of the staff at the accommodation and restaurants, signage around the resort is in both English and Japanese, and restaurants have English menus.

Deer Valley Resort is considered by the locals to be the "nicest" of the three local ski havens. This is mostly because of the resort's impeccably groomed runs and their diversity of skill levels. It’s located in the iconic mountain town of Park City, Utah, and was originally built on the promise of glittering ore. Though its real fortune lies in the pristine snow-covered mountains that surround it.

As one of the top ski resorts in the United States, the Deer Valley Resort offers its visitors a one-of-a-kind experience with numerous outdoor and indoor activities, restaurants, and lodging with upscale amenities. The resort was even a ski venue during the 2002 Winter Olympics and consistently hosts international ski competitions. It also sets itself apart from the other ski resorts in the area by catering to an upscale clientele and limiting ticket sales per day to create an atmosphere of exclusivity.

It’s the type of resort with something to offer everyone except snowboarders. The Deer Valley Ski Resort in Park City Utah is a ski resort in the truest sense because snowboarding isn’t just frowned upon, it’s prohibited. For some skiers, the ban on snowboarders is a major allure of the Deer Valley Resort. A fact skiers seem to love, as they are free to traverse a trail without being cut off or hitting carved snow.

The service is a stand-out feature at the Deer Valley Resort. All the staff is taught the philosophy that the service has to be exceptional. The resort is consistently recognized as the best in the industry for lodging, dining, guest service, and mountain grooming. With over 2,000 acres of varied terrain spread over six mountains, there is something for every skier.

Val Thorens is Europe's highest ski resort village & part of the world's largest interconnected ski area, the Three Valleys. Situated at the head of the Vallée des Belleville above Les-Menuires, Val Thorens shares a local lift pass with adjacent Orelle & has 99% of its terrain over 2,000m elevation.

The ideal playground for mountain lovers, the ski area lets you enjoy exceptional views and literally ski above the clouds. With the resort at 2,300m and skiing way up to 3,230m, Val Thorens is hard to beat when it comes to great snow conditions. It is set in a high alpine bowl surrounded by mountains and glaciers as far as you can see. You’ll have direct access to 600km of piste, the largest linked ski area in the world. Powderhounds would surely rate them 5 out of 5 for each ability category, but without trees to provide vision and shelter on the worst days, a perfect score is impossible. However, the combination of quality snow, lifts, grooming, pitch & length is outstanding. The resort does not offer any cross-country skiing. The nearest loops are about a 20-minute drive down the valley, between Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville.

Val Thorens is more animated than many of its French counterparts with a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants, and a vibrant post-skiing scene. It may still largely consist of apartment buildings, but has moved steadily upmarket in recent years and now offers a wide range of luxury accommodation including five 5-star hotels.

With stacks of awards to its name, Whistler ski resort is in a class of its own and without doubt one of the greatest ski destinations in the world. The resort is massive and offers amazing terrain diversity and a very efficient lift system. However, Whistler Canada is so much more than just skiing and snowboarding and a Whistler ski holiday can also include an abundance of off-slope activities. The pedestrian-only Whistler Village is full of restaurants, bars, and plenty of shops to delight any shopaholic.

The Whistler skiing and snowboarding terrain vary incredibly from gentle slopes and wide groomed cruisers to tree skiing, steep alpine bowls, couloirs, and terrain parks. No other resort offers so much variety. All the terrain inside the 8,171-acre boundary is patrolled so you can ski anywhere you like. Whistler Resort is suitable for all types of skiers and snowboarders, from beginners to extreme riders who want more action.

Even if you don’t ski, Whistler is a beautiful backdrop for a winter vacation. This resort town has so much more to offer than just world-class slopes. You can find skating at Whistler Village, hop in a tube at the tube park located at the Base II zone of Blackcomb Mountain for more than a dozen fun runs or glide down the same bobsled track used in the 2010 Winter Olympics at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

The town of Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy is rightly known as the "Queen of the Dolomites", and this town in the province of Belluno is beautifully embedded in the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s also renowned for the excellent selection of skiing as well as superb accommodation, bars, restaurants, and shopping.

Cortina d'Ampezzo is one of Italy's most famous and extensive ski resorts, and a paradise for snow sports enthusiasts. A location unrivaled by any other in the Alps, it offers a wide variety of slopes of every level of difficulty, catering to all age groups with something to please everyone. Cortina is part of the Dolomiti Superski area, the world’s largest skiing carousel that links 12 top skiing resorts: just one ski pass gives you access to 450 lifts and 758 miles of pistes and trails.

A common playground for celebrities, the town has maintained its glamour and is now attracting discerning skiers looking to combine breathtaking scenery and Olympic ski runs with luxury hotel stays and a delectable local food scene. Wealthy visitors from Milan and Rome flock here for the weekend, so there’s a really authentic Italian atmosphere. High-end boutiques and bars dot the main street, and a Romanesque bell tower overlooks a cobbled piazza. Take it all in with a leisurely evening stroll or join the locals for laid-back après on a wine bar terrace. And while you’ll see plenty of 5-star hotels with supercars parked outside, there are some great-value family-run places too.

With four ski resorts and expansive terrain to explore on snowshoes or cross-country skis, Aspen Colorado is a major winter outdoor recreation hub. You’d had to be living under a rock not to have heard of the incredible skiing to be had in Aspen Colorado. Aspen Snowmass offers a brilliant all-around ski resort experience with world-class facilities. Aspen receives a lot of publicity for the rich and famous that visit, but the real attraction is the huge amount of terrain available across the four Aspen ski resorts, the light dry Colorado powder, and the consistently great weather.

Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk amount to 5,527 acres, 362 trails, and 41 lifts. And you'll only need one lift ticket to access a world-class mountain destination that caters to all levels of skiers and riders. The trails have a good spread of variety for beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert riders. Aspen boasts plenty of wide-groomed trails, powder bowls, moguls, tree runs, and gated backcountry skiing. And as is typical of Colorado ski resorts, the quality of the powder is usually very good, and with 300 inches of snowfall per season on average, powder days are reasonably common.

Aspen is a historic ski town with a wide variety of accommodation to suit most budgets and tastes. If you want to spend a fortune on lodging in this town you certainly can, but the reality is there are other options for those on a budget. The town of Aspen has hotels, condos, motels, lodges, bed and breakfasts, and plenty of vacation rentals.

Zermatt ski resort in Switzerland is considered by many to be one of the best resorts in Europe, if not the world. With the amazing Matterhorn looming high over the town, Zermatt is certainly one of the most recognizable ski resorts and has that charm that skiers & snowboarders are looking for on a quintessential European ski holiday.

Zermatt is one of only two ski resorts in the world you can ski every day. Take the lifts up to the peaks and enjoy the ski runs on endless slopes set against a spectacular Alpine backdrop. At almost 1300 feet of altitude, Matterhorn ski paradise is the highest winter sports area in the Alps. With its guaranteed snow conditions, the region is one of the best-developed and most expansive ski resorts anywhere in the world and has a unique range of winter activities on offer.

This old mountain village offers a broad range of accommodations. Several wonderful ski in ski out options exist high above the town of Zermatt for a range of budgets including the iconic Kulm Hotel Gornergrat 3100 and on the opposite side of the valley, the more traditional Hotel Schwarzsee. In Zermatt itself, accommodation features many 4 and 5 star hotels where you can splurge and enjoy the gourmet food plus stunning views of the dramatic Matterhorn.

Zermatt can only be reached by train or helicopter. The train is the recommended mode of travel to Zermatt with the journey being one of Europe's best rail trips via the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway. Trains link the airports of Geneva & Zurich to Visp. Search & book all train tickets to Zermatt here. Zermatt’s car-free village, so you’ll be required to park in the down-valley town of Tasch & then complete the short train trip to Zermatt. Once in Zermatt, there are electric taxis to get around.

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