Top 5 resorts for weekend ski breaks
Article updated every 6 months. Last updated: 14th November 2007
Author: Sean Newsom (Travel expert) Ask me a question.
More about Sean Newsom
Sean Newsom loves skiing so much that he has made it his job, writing for The Sunday Times as their ski editor. He is also founder of welove2ski.com, the UK's leading specialist ski website.
"Skiing fast in the sunshine with your friends is one of the purest and brightest pleasures I know," he says. "Absolutely everyone should give it a go. If it were up to me they'd be giving ski and snowboard holidays away on the National Health. It would improve Britain's winter well-being in an instant!"
Close
If you fancy a couple of days away, there are plenty of ski resorts that aren't too far away.
Here's our top five picks of the best ski resorts for weekend breaks...
The resort of Courmayeur is home to some good skiing, but the real point of coming here for a weekend is to relax - soaking up the stupendous views of Mont Blanc, spending a few idle hours in the shops, and enjoying the laid-back but excellent mountain restaurants.
Read more about Courmayeur
Chamonix is only an hour from Geneva airport, and yet it's as Alpine as they come. What's more, it is a resort that will suit just about everyone for a two or three night break, from party animals to hairy-chested mountain experts.
Read more about Chamonix
Davos is the rarest of things - a proper, working town which just so happens to sit at the foot of some top-notch slopes. The World Economic Forum is held here each year, and it hosts many other conferences besides - but at the weekend the hotels are half empty, which means it's a good place to target for last-minute accommodation.
Read more about Davos
Engelberg is where the city slickers of Luzern come out to play, so for a small town it has an impressive range of bars. It has impressive ski slopes, too: this is where you'll find the Laub, which in the right conditions is probably the longest unbroken powder run in the Alps.
Read more about Engelberg
It's the resort that fashion forgot - set in a high, north-facing bowl above the town of Aosta and full of rather dated apartment blocks from the 1960s and 70s. The architecture may be a little dingy, but the skiing and snowboarding, on piste, is of the highest quality, and is just the right size for a high-speed weekend or three-day break.
Read more about Pila
Who do we recommend?
With so many companies to choose from, we have researched the market to find those with a wide range of choice as well as some that are more specialist. Browse our list below to find the right company for you, then click through to their web site for more information and how to book. It couldn't be easier!
Further guides on ski holidays