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What Makes Ski Holidays Truly Memorable?
Undiscovered pistes with breathtaking scenery Think back to your favourite ski holiday.
What stands out?
The hidden mountain restaurant you would never have found on your own? The local recommendation that became the highlight of the week? The accommodation provider who helped make everything run smoothly?
Those are often the moments that turn good ski holidays into unforgettable experiences.
Whether you’re planning family ski holidays, a luxury escape with friends or your first European ski adventure, personal service can often make the difference between a good trip and a truly memorable one.
Great Ski Holidays Are About More Than Accommodation
Choosing the right accommodation is only one part of planning successful ski holidays.
Skiers also need to think about ski schools, lift access, equipment hire, childcare options, activities for non-skiers and whether the ski area will suit everyone in the group.
For many people, those decisions can feel overwhelming.
Modern booking platforms make it easy to compare properties and prices, but they cannot always provide the local insight that helps visitors make the most of their time in the mountains.
That’s where personal service still matters.
Julie – Chalet le Pery – Grand Massif 
It’s a family affair – Alpine 365, La Plagne 
Julie & Rich from the Lovely Chalet Company in La Plagne Why Independent Operators Are Perfectly Placed to Deliver Exceptional Ski Chalet Holidays
Many of the most memorable ski chalet holidays are delivered by independent operators who combine comfortable accommodation with genuine local expertise. Their knowledge of the resort, personal recommendations and commitment to guest experience often create the moments that travellers remember long after the snow has melted.
They know which slopes are best after fresh snowfall, where to find quieter beginner areas, which restaurants consistently deliver a great experience and how to avoid some of the common mistakes first-time visitors make.
A simple recommendation will save hours of research and help guests enjoy a smoother, more rewarding holiday from the moment they arrive.
Why Personal Service Still Matters
Often travellers make bookings without ever speaking to the people behind the accommodation. This works for a short city break or booking a room in a hotel chain.
But skiing remains one of the few holidays where local expertise can significantly improve the experience.
European Ski Holidays Through Local Eyes
For many North American visitors, European ski holidays offer an experience that feels very different from skiing at home.
The combination of historic Alpine villages, extensive lift networks, mountain restaurants and local culture all contribute to a different style of holiday.
A European ski holiday needs careful planning, especially if you are unfamiliar with ski areas, accommodation types, transfers etc. Having direct access to someone who knows the destination can make decisions much easier.
Direct Communication Benefits Everyone
Many skiers value the opportunity to communicate directly with accommodation providers before booking.
It allows them to ask questions, discuss specific requirements and gain insights that aren’t always available through standard booking systems.
For accommodation providers, direct communication creates an opportunity to better understand their guests and offer more personalised recommendations.
The result is often a better experience for everyone involved.
Where to go for ski hire 
Where’s a good mountain restaurant? 
Where to eat local Connecting Skiers With Local Experts
For more than 25 years, Chalets Direct has helped skiers find and compare ski holidays across Europe. We connect travellers directly with accommodation providers who know their resorts inside out. They can help guests make informed decisions about their holiday which makes the booking process easier.
Whether you’re looking for a luxury ski holiday, apartment, catered ski chalet holidays or family-run hotel, direct communication allows you to benefit from local expertise before your holiday even begins.
This helps you find accommodation that genuinely suits your needs and allows providers to showcase the experience and local knowledge that make them unique. The Solutions Room goes a step further, allowing travellers to describe their ideal ski holiday and receive responses from accommodation providers who match their requirements.
The Holidays We Remember Most
The best ski holidays are rarely defined by a single factor.
The holidays that stay with us longest are often shaped by the people we meet, the recommendations we receive and the experiences we might otherwise have missed.
Where you can enjoy the view 
Where to find the best pastries 
The best picnic spots Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of booking ski holidays directly with accommodation providers?Booking directly allows you to ask questions, receive personalised recommendations and benefit from local knowledge before your holiday begins.
Are family ski holidays easier to plan with local advice?Yes. Local accommodation providers can often recommend suitable ski schools, childcare options, beginner areas and family-friendly activities within their resort.oliday.
Why are European ski holidays popular with North American skiers?European ski holidays combine extensive ski areas, mountain dining and cultural experiences that many visitors find very different from North American ski resorts.
Does Chalets Direct only feature chalets?No. Chalets Direct includes a wide range of ski accommodation, including chalets, apartments, catered properties and hotels in ski resorts across Europe and beyond.
Looking for ski holidays with a personal touch? Browse hundreds of chalets, apartments and hotels on Chalets Direct and communicate directly with accommodation providers who know their resorts inside out.
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The Lowdown on Ski Touring and Split Boarding
Ever wondered what it all means? Backcountry, ski touring etc? 45 Degrees North, based in Morzine, explain it all for you!
What is ski touring?
Get off the beaten track with a local guide and discover a different way to see the mountains. Stop at one of the many refuges in the hills, often only accessible to backcountry skiers and run by mountaineers, trail runners and people that are passionate about the mountains. There might not be a menu but quite often you’ll get a hearty meal, a mug of something warming and if you’re lucky maybe a local brew made with one of the high altitude flowers like Genepi.
Essentially its a way to explore the mountains in winter, getting to places that are either less accessible by chairlifts or where there are no lifts at all. Also known as ski mountaineering, ski touring is a growing sport in Morzine, where the European Championships were held in 2007.
A lot of the Morzine locals will spend their winter mainly ski touring and splitboarding so you don’t need to go far in town to find all the gear and expertise you need.
Can I ski-tour in Morzine?
Yes, there are lots of places to explore and unless you take a chairlift its all free of charge!
Morzine’s top 3 backcountry ski areas:
- The Vallee de la Manche – this is a perfect place to explore with lots of pure backcountry and no ski lifts for miles. You can either ski tour up from the bottom or drop over the back from Avoriaz into a beautiful powder field taking you all the way to the bus stop back to town.
- Encrenaz – this beautiful area is situated around the back of Mont Chery. Catch the first lift over and then tour up a variety of different slopes to suit all abilities of ski touring.
- Porte du Soleil – There is some amazing touring just off the top of the lifts in Porte du Soleil. Taking a chairlift up the slopes and then heading away from the people, means you have all the fun with less effort, my kind of touring.
Morzine is a great place to explore the off piste and Some of the Morzine locals will head out in snow shoes and take their dogs for a walk, usually they have the mountain to themselves.
How do I start?
If you’re an intermediate skier or snowboarder and looking for some fresh powder, a different way to explore the mountains and a new challenge, head to the backcountry. Depending where you’re going you’ll need the right equipment and its always a highly recommended to get some tips from one of our partners like New Generation Ski and Snowboard school’s Backcountry Skills lessons, Alpine Ski School’s Off-Piste and Backcountry Guiding or one of the other schools in Morzine.
Beacons or transceivers, ski probes and shovels are just some of the items you’ll need to bring with you when ski-touring:
It can be a beautiful and serene way to explore the mountains and with a little preparation, a lesson in avalanche safety and a guide to take you to some of the best spots, you’ll soon find out why the sport is growing so quickly.
Disclaimer: while every effort is made to give you all the advice you need to get started we strongly suggest that anyone new to the area and backcountry skiing or snowboarding should take a qualified guide with them.
45 Degrees North have 2 great chalets in Morzine – see them here!
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Aspen for Extremely good ski holidays
Ever watched Aspen Extreme? It's one of the first (and possibly the cheesiest) ski movies ever made – and a particular favourite in CD HQ. Look out for a young Trevor Eve, and an even younger Martin Kemp in the role of the top dog Austrian ski instructor who gets all the business and the girls until two new kids on the block arrive in town.
With first hand experience, Helen of Chalets USA, tells us how it is to ski Aspen now.
Experience how the other half live … if only for a little while.
Arriving in Aspen Snowmass can feel like travelling to a different planet. You pass the private jets at Aspen Pitkin airport, easily viewed from the highway and then see the boutique shops by appointment & you could be forgiven for thinking what am I doing here?
And then, as you get to know the Aspen Snowmass area, you realize Aspen is just really good at looking after its guests & making everything as easy as possible for them. So want to be treated like a queen? Go skiing in Aspen!
Take lift tickets for example – they’re delivered to your accommodation & given to you when you check in. So you can start skiing as soon as you’re ready, without having to queue to pick up your lift passes.
If you rent skis with Chalets USA & Four Mountain Sports, transfer of ski or snowboard gear between the 4 Aspen Mountains is free. If you’re skiing at Snowmass one day and want to ski at Aspen Highlands the next, simply take your equipment to the transfer station & they will deliver it to Aspen Highlands for you, ready for you to pick up the next day. If you don’t rent, you can still use this service for a nominal fee. They will also store your gear if you want to ski the same mountain 2 days running, meaning no carrying skis or snowboards to & from the slopes.
The lodging properties in Aspen Snowmass even make it easy to get from Aspen airport to your accommodation, with many places including airport transfers in their rates. If you can fly into Aspen airport it’s a great idea, as the transfer is only about 15 minutes to Aspen or Snowmass.
Dining in Aspen town is legendary & the variety of top notch restaurants astounding. You can really spoil yourself by exploring the many independent & celebrity chefs run eating establishments, such as the Chef’s Club in the St Regis. However if you don’t want to break the budget, many Aspen restaurants let you sit & eat at the bar for a lower price & more limited menu, a great way to experience the quality of the food without the hefty price tag. Alternatively walk a couple of streets away from the centre of Aspen and you’ll find some wonderful “locals” restaurants which are very reasonably priced – The Bangkok Happy Bowl is tiny, but has authentic Thai food (& you can get take away or free delivery), or try The Hickory House for wonderful BBQ ribs & more.
Aspen is famous for its nightlife & has a vibrant late-night scene. Spot the celebrities as you watch bands at Belly Up or dance the night away at Bootsy Bellows, owned by David Arquette, Courtney Cox’s ex-husband. Aspen even has the Wheeler opera house performing opera & live theatre, if that’s more your style or you want to treat yourself to a special evening out.
The on mountain restaurants have wonderful & varied food, quite unusual in US ski resorts – Bonnie’s on Ajax for example has been around forever & offers wonderful salads, chilli, apple strudel & to-die-for views from its legendary slope-side deck. Prices are surprisingly kept to a reasonable level on the slopes. When we were last in Aspen we were asking how could this be the case? For many of its on-mountain restaurants, Aspen has decided to deliver good quality food at reasonable prices to ensure guests have a great experience skiing & otherwise. Try the Elk Camp restaurant on Snowmass for example.
Little touches on the slopes make the whole ski experience so enjoyable – tissues at the lifts & sometimes complimentary orange juice or hot chocolate at the top of the lifts to warm you up, just when your hands are feeling chilly.
Aspen is far enough away from any large metropolitan area that it tends not to get the crowds at weekends & I’ve only ever seen lift queues at the start of an epic powder day! Normally slopes are quiet & lift queues rare.
Snowmass in particular has many ski in, ski out properties which again make life easy. Isn’t it wonderful to step out of you apartment or hotel room, click into your skis & go! Crestwood for example is true ski in, ski out right above the base area, making it quick & easy to hop on the slopes.
The modern “Treehouse” kids ski school & childcare centre is perfectly located at the base of the lifts in Snowmass, making it extremely convenient for parents to drop off their children in the morning & go skiing! It also makes it super easy for mum’s and dad’s to check in on their children during the day & maybe grab a bite to eat at lunchtime in the plaza cafes & restaurants nearby.
Snowmass is also home to the “skittles” officially called the “Sky Cab gondola”, which takes both skiers & non-skiers from Snowmass base village to the Snowmass mall area, a little way up the mountain. The skittles (so named because the lift is made up of 3 little gondolas in a row), runs into the evening, again making life easy for guests to access restaurants in either area even if you’re staying at the other.
Talking of ease of getting around, Aspen Snowmass has a wonderful bus system. It’s free & easy to use – the buses are marked with the
destinations they’re going to “Aspen Highlands” mountain or “Snowmass” for example & they run frequently into the evening.
All in all Aspen Snowmass does everything possible to make the skiing & après ski parts of your holiday run like clockwork. Rub shoulders with the rich & famous & live like them too, if only for a little while…!
UFO Boogie from THE FREAKS on Vimeo.
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The best cookery courses for would be chalet hosts – or for anyone!
If you're looking for a chalet host job for the winter you can't go far wrong by taking one of the specific courses aimed at the chalet host job and lifestyle. Whilst giving you the lowdown on preparing a multi-course dinner party each evening, there's also a lot of background information to be learned – from the latest health and safety requirements to table management, cooking at altitude and using local ingredients. What's more many of the companies offering these courses have links with employers – so whilst they can't guarantee you a job they can certainly help you find one. Here's our top picks!
The Ultimate Chalet Host Cookery Course:
Based in beautiful La Rosiere this course is run by established chalet and hotel operator Snowcrazy. There are obvious benefits of doing a course in the Alps. Firstly you're in the mountains – what's not to like? But also you are actually in the environment that you will eventually be working in – chalet kitchens at altitude, which can present a whole lot of unforeseen challenges. The course covers menu planning, keeping to a budget, dealing with special dietary requirements and how to keep guests happy! It may seem that the chalet host job is never ending but working with experienced hosts and chefs you will learn how to maximise your efficiency – and that means more time on the hill. Kitchen time is complemented with time out in the hot tub if you like or the opportunity to hike and explore the local area.
The course is a full week and runs on specific dates throughout the summer and autumn. Take a look at The Ultimate Chalet Host Cookery Course for more details.
Chalet Savoie Faire training courses:
With over 25 years experience in alpine hospitality, Chalet Savoie Faire's 5 day training course will undoubtedly give you a good preparation for a chalet hosting winter. Run by Nikki Shields, who has worked for and with some of best known ski operators, the course is hands on and covers all aspects of the chalet host role.
Nikki's love and experience of the local area means she can incorporate first-hand knowledge of local, easily-sourced ingredients, and teach you fool-proof recipes that will keep guests happy every week. There's also tips and tricks on presentation, planning, shopping, budgeting and even public speaking!
She also runs courses for those just wishing to learn and enjoy alpine cookery based in her beautiful, rustic chalet close to the 3 Valleys area in France.
The chalet cookery course runs for 5 days – see the website for more details: Chalet Savoie Faire Cookery courses
Orchards School of Cookery:
Orchards has one of the best reputations in the business for producing top notch chalet hosts.Based near Evesham in Worcestershire, the school runs intensive one or two week courses throughout the year and promises to show you how to master the art of being a chalet host. Orchards graduates come out with menu plans, guides, help with writing a CV and much more. There is also interview training and with such an established reputation in the industry, an Orchards' endorsement is often a good pass to interview stages.
The course promises to "boost your confidence, develop your culinary skills and knowledge of cooking and give you the ability and inspiration to create your own masterpieces in the kitchen." They also have tips on dealing with kitchen disasters, such as exploding cakes.
With life in a ski resort very much in focus there is even a training video from Henry's Avalanche Talk to explain to the new seasonnaire the risks of off-piste skiing and avalanche awareness.
For more information see the Orchards School of Cookery website.
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The Lost Art of the Turn
‘Back in the day’ skiers used to look back up the hill admiringly at the men and women who skied with effortless ease through demanding terrain. The one who put in nice rounded carved turns on hard pistes; the bumps skier whose knees moved up and down like pistons, whilst staying in rhythmic control; the powder skier putting in beautiful S’s in fresh snow. These skiers were admired and revered. Many a seasonnaire or regular would want to ski like that. Not only was the skier great to watch but the skier himself (or herself) was loving the sensation of being in harmony with the mountain. He or she was in an almost Zen-like state which was all consuming.Today one can look back up the hill and watch. Hundreds of skiers clattering down the hill at great speed, with the sole intention it would seem of breaking their latest speed record on the iPhone app, barely missing each other and finally skidding to a wild uncoordinated halt at the bottom of the chairlift. Can these skiers be having fun? Can these skiers be approaching that Zen all-consuming experience?So what has changed? Why is the atmosphere on the mountain so different? Sure things move on, of course there is progress, but is it always for the better? Can progress slowly strangle the golden goose that kept skiers coming back for more?The main innovation of course is with the equipment itself. Today you can buy all types of ski: rocker, fat, mid-fat, all terrain, all-mountain, the list goes on. The common denominator is they make all dimensions of the mountain more accessible than ever before. With a lot less experience, the skier can go to places that were inaccessible to all but the very skilful before.At face value this sounds great. We can all ‘ski’ powder, we can all ‘ski’ the piste … and sadly most bumps are flattened by the resort management.However recently there seems to be a few different murmurings within the industry. The consumer is less happy and less satisfied then they used to be. Odd you might think, with all this innovation making it easier? Ski shop owners are beginning to hear the term ‘bored’. There seems to be less of a sense of accomplishment than before. Previously it took skill, time, practice and indeed lessons to master certain terrain. Now that terrain can be charged down quite easily with relatively little experience or effort. Are we getting that same sense of achievement? Are we getting near that deserved well-earned state of Zen? Or are we just in some semi-skilled high speed traffic jam?Has the pendulum begun to swing the other way? By making the mountain more accessible has the ski industry created a fast food fix which is great in the short term but long term ultimately you can only have so much. The clients used to come back time and time again enjoying the process of attempting to reach that skiing Nirvana. Have those days gone? Are they ever going to appreciate what skiing, like good food, is all about? Or is the future just a big Mac and chips? -
Scenes from Winter 2014 – so far!
Our intrepid photographers at CDHQ have been out and about documenting mountain life. Here's a selection of alpine scenes.
Alpine chough – or the choucas – a member of the crow family, which lives and breeds at high altitude.
Powder skiing in the Grand Massif.
Looking down to the Arve valley towards the Megeve ski area.
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30 Seconds of Powder Heaven
Steep enough and deep enough – some previously unseen footage from last season! -
Epic Powder Days!
If you've been watching you'll know that so far winter 2013 has just kept on giving. The first 2 weeks of February in particular saw exceptional snowfall, cold temperatures and even some sunshine. It was a perfect storm in more ways than one.
Lucky CD staffers were there to catch it - see our short edit below!
With all that snow, on top of already record snow depths, it means that now, even after a couple of weeks without snow, conditions are still good. Piste skiing in many resorts will stay good up to Easter and beyond – so if you'd like to see what's available for the upcoming holidays have a look at our Easter promotions!
Music is The Fun Lovin' Criminal by Fun Lovin' Criminals – get it here if you have a UK iTunes account! -
Hard Work and Good Results for Honor Clissold
Our favourite young ski racer, Honor Clissold, has had a mixed season so far as she is training hard to consolidate new technical elements into her skiing. This is the last season she will be under the Childrens classification – and in preparation for moving up to Junior level next year Honor has been training with both the Juniors and Children with Team Evolution, the expert coaching team which Honor first joined around 18 months ago. During the summer, with Team Evolution in Chile, Honor had the opportunity to fore-run some FIS races – which went well for her and gave her the chance to experience FIS level racing. So far this season the varying weather and conditions have meant that some of the fixtures she hoped to take part in have been cancelled, and her first races were in Czech Republic at the Nationals in January, quickly followed by the British Schoolgirl Races in Flaine. She performed well in both events – despite falling in the first run of the Flaine GS, she won the second run overall by 3 seconds. In slalom, which she has considered her weaker discipline, she won her age group and was third overall.
Honor is also one of the GB Children’s Ski Team and her next races will be at the English Alpine Races over half-term in Bormio. She continues to work and train hard – and in her time out of skiing she still continues to do a lot of other sports, having represented the North of England in Tetrathlon (running, swimming, shooting and cross country riding), and was part of her school showjumping team which went to Windsor.
In his article Ski Racing is One Brutal Sport, Dr Jim Taylor explains why ski racing is possibly one of the hardest things to do – aside from the physical demands, the psychological toughness required is extreme;
“Alpine ski racing also takes you for a ride on an emotional roller coaster. You can feel inspiration, excitement, joy, and pride one run and then frustration, anger, despair, and disappointment on the next run. Because you care about ski racing so much, you feel these emotions powerfully and frequently.”
Although it may appear pretty glamorous on the outside, ski racing, even as a teenager, requires strong commitment and focus, a rigorous physical programme both on and off snow, and nerves of steel in the gates, as well of course as getting homework done and keeping up with schoolwork.
Here’s a clip of Honi training GS – best of luck for the rest of the season!
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Breckenridge Ski Holidays – Top 5 Things to Love!
We asked Helen of Chalets USA to tell us what's so great about Breckenridge. It didn't take her long to come up with her top 5 reasons to ski there!
1) Ski in, ski out.
There are so many ski in, ski out opportunities in Breckenridge. There are clusters of accommodation around the base at Peak 9 like The Village at Breckenridge, Cedars townhomes & Trails End condos. Then just up the run is Beaver Run Resort right by the base of the Beaver Run superchair. Plus the runs have extended into the town & vice versa along the green Snowflake run to the bottom of the Snowflake chair and all the way into town along the long 4 O'Clock run.2) Historic Mountain Town.
Breckenridge was originally a base camp when gold was discovered along the Blue River in 1859. Nowadays Breckenridge contains over 350 historic structures, making it the largest historic district in the state of Colorado. The Town is a delight to explore with its many boutiques, art galleries, independent coffee shops, bars & restaurants. They even buried all the power lines a few years ago, so the town looks its picturesque best!3) Within reach.
Everything is close by in Breckenridge. The slopes virtually reach the town in many areas unlike many US resorts where the town & ski area is separated & the town is fairly compact. The new gondola has connected the town to Peak 7 & 8, plus there is a great free shuttle bus system to get you from peak to peak & into town if you need it.4) Nightlife
Breckenridge is world famous for its nightlife & you certainly can party into the early hours if you so wish. Breckenridge has a huge variety of dining options to choose from. Try Breck's modern restaurants Ember, Relish or Modis on the main street, which serves an eclectic mix of bistro & asian flavoured fare or try "Steak & Rib" often recommended by locals. On the drinks side there is something for everyone from sports bars to micro breweries to wine tasting. If clubbing is your thing try Cecilias with "hot" DJs & occasionally a live band & a long long 6 hour "happy hour"…
5) The slopes.
Breckenridge is a world famous resort so it goes without saying the skiing / snowboarding is fantastic and Breckenridge has the highest chairlift in North America. Peak 7 and Peak 9 are an intermediate's paradise with run after run of cruisy blues. For more advanced skiers try the wide open bowls off the T-bar or bumps on Peak 8. For those who like to experience rock & cornice drops head to Lake Chutes or to the back of Peak 9 for stunning tree skiing.
