The Jetsetters Journal

Pick a month

When to go: 17 places, month by monthThe whole year at a glanceWinter sun, month by monthYour year, plotted: pick your months

At their best in November

Europe

Asia

Indian Ocean and Africa

Middle East and the Americas

Ski

Spa

Every hotel we shortlist170 hotels, one listFilter by place, by what each hotel is best for, and by the judges behind it.Browse all hotels

How the Shortlists work · How we choose

Business class

Further up

Points and cards

Business class to

All flight guides and the upgrade ladderBusiness class by destination

Worth it once

The splurges worth it once, priced.

What each really costs, split per person where that is how people pay, and how to try it first.

See all 28

Stay

Fly

Go further

Be there

Celebrate

Watches

Journeys

Winter

Zermatt at night below the Matterhorn, one of the best ski resorts in Europe

Ski

The best ski resorts in Europe, and where to stay

The best ski resorts in Europe for a luxury trip, plus Japan: what each one is like, the numbers that matter, and the hotels we rate there.

Research-basedEvery fact sourcedChecked 27 October 2026

Oleg Demakov, Unsplash

The quick answer: pick by what you want

The biggest ski area, the grandest hotelsCourchevelFranceThe Matterhorn, and no carsZermattSwitzerlandHigh, wide and snow-sureVal d'IsèreFrance
Skiers on groomed pistes above CourchevelSnow-covered peaks of Les 3 ValléesResort01

The biggest ski area, the grandest hotels

Courchevel

France

Courchevel sits in Les 3 Vallées, whose seven linked resorts call themselves the largest ski area in the world: 600 km of connected slopes and 169 lifts, topping out at 3,230 metres. Four of our ski-in/ski-out hotels are in Courchevel 1850, and our Courchevel guide covers nine.

  • Big mileage
  • Palace hotels
  • Fine dining
Ski area
600 km
Lifts
169
Top
3,230 m
Where to stay
Season4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027
SourcesLes 3 Vallées press office: in figuresCourchevel: lifts and season
The best hotels in Courchevel →

Photos: Slim MARS, Unsplash; Piotr Figlarz, Unsplash. These show the resort, not a hotel.

The Matterhorn above Zermatt in winterZermatt's chalets under snowResort02

The Matterhorn, and no cars

Zermatt

Switzerland

Zermatt has been car-free since 1961: you park in Täsch and take the shuttle train in, and the village runs on electric buses and horse-drawn carriages. Its ski area reaches 3,899 metres, the highest in Europe, with 200 km of pistes at the foot of the Matterhorn.

  • The view
  • A proper village
  • High snow
Ski area
200 km
Top
3,899 m
Car-free since
1961
Where to stay
SourcesSnowtrex: car-free ski resorts

Photos: Nils Leonhardt, Unsplash; Krzysztof Kowalik, Unsplash. These show the resort, not a hotel.

Peaks above Val d'Isère under fresh snowDeep snow on the slopes at Val d'IsèreResort03

High, wide and snow-sure

Val d'Isère

France

Val d'Isère shares its ski area with Tignes: 300 km over 155 runs, between 1,550 and 3,450 metres. That height is what counts early and late in the season.

  • Strong skiers
  • Early and late season
  • High skiing
Ski area
300 km
Runs
155
Top
3,450 m
Where to stay
SourcesFrance.fr: Espace Killy, Tignes and Val d'Isère

Photos: Ryan Klaus, Unsplash. These show the resort, not a hotel.

Lech's snowy village and slopesSnow-covered slopes above OberlechResort04

Austria, linked by the Arlberg

Lech

Austria

Lech sits at 1,444 metres in Ski Arlberg, 302 km of runs in all, with Zürs higher up at 1,717 metres. Our two hotels here, Burg Vital Resort in Oberlech and Almhof Schneider in Lech, are both ski-in/ski-out.

  • Families
  • Linked skiing
  • Ski-in hotels
Ski Arlberg
302 km
Village
1,444 m
Zürs
1,717 m
Where to stay
SourcesLech Zürs in numbers, 2026

Photos: Tino Rischawy, Unsplash; Tobias Marks, Unsplash. These show the resort, not a hotel.

The Dolomites above the Alpe di Siusi in winterA piste on the Alpe di SiusiResort05

The Dolomites, on one pass

Alpe di Siusi

Italy

The Alpe di Siusi is part of Dolomiti Superski, one pass for 12 ski areas and 1,200 km of slopes. Our hotel there, COMO Alpina Dolomites, sits at about 1,800 metres on the plateau.

  • Scenery
  • One pass, many areas
  • Italy
One pass
1,200 km
Areas
12
Our hotel
1,800 m
Where to stay
SourcesAlpe di Siusi: Dolomiti Superski

Photos: COMO Alpina Dolomites. These show the resort, not a hotel.

Snow-covered trees and slopes in NisekoA piste at Hanazono, NisekoResort06

Powder, a long way from the Alps

Niseko

Japan

If you are going further, Niseko on Hokkaido is the Japanese resort with the luxury hotels. Our two ski-in/ski-out picks there are Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve at the foot of Mount Niseko Annupuri, and Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono at the quieter end of Niseko United.

  • Powder
  • Japan
  • A once-in-a-lifetime trip
Island
Hokkaido
Our hotels
2
Both
Ski-in
Where to stay

Photos: Marek Okon, Unsplash; Excellent moniteur de ski, CC BY-SA 4.0. These show the resort, not a hotel.

Also on our ski in, ski out list: Megève, Crans-Montana, Ischgl, Fiss. See all 15 hotels.

Next on this page: hotel guides for St Moritz, Zermatt, Verbier and Val d'Isère, when to ski month by month, and Japan. They join as their hotels' photos arrive.

Our ski guides

Ski in, ski out hotels15 hotels where the skis go on outside the doorThe best hotels in CourchevelNine palace and boutique hotels, piste by pisteCatered ski chaletsFor a group, with real prices

Best ski resorts in Europe: questions people ask

What are the best ski resorts in Europe for a luxury trip?

For the biggest ski area and the grandest hotels, Courchevel in Les 3 Vallées. For the Matterhorn and a car-free village, Zermatt. For high, snow-sure skiing, Val d'Isère. For linked skiing in Austria, Lech in Ski Arlberg. For the Dolomites on one pass, the Alpe di Siusi.

Which is the largest ski area in Europe?

Les 3 Vallées, which includes Courchevel, describes itself as the largest ski area in the world, with 600 km of connected slopes and 169 lifts. Dolomiti Superski covers more, 1,200 km, but across 12 separate areas on one pass rather than one connected network.

Which ski resort is highest?

Of the resorts here, Zermatt's ski area reaches highest, at 3,899 metres. Val d'Isère and Tignes top out at 3,450 metres and Les 3 Vallées at 3,230.

Is Zermatt really car-free?

Yes, since 1961. You drive to Täsch and take the shuttle train into the village, where electric buses and horse-drawn carriages do the rest.

When does the ski season start?

Courchevel's lifts run from 4 December 2026 to 18 April 2027. Higher resorts such as Val d'Isère and Zermatt usually open and close later; check each resort's own dates before you book.