It is hard not to love a country—Austria, Switzerland—where the hopes and dreams of its people rest on the shoulders of its best skiers. One jaunt is all you’ll need to see that the mountains have shaped virtually all aspects of life in the Alps, and that skiing is the anchor of everything. With once in a lifetime snowfall hitting this winter, and the Euro faltering, there’s never been a better time to ski the old continent. Choose wisely for your first skiing trip: these resorts offer quality tuition and confidence-boosting slopes.

Cervinia, Italy

1
www.flickr.com

Chamonix–Mont Blanc, France

Head to Cervinia for an excellent holiday at a reasonable price, head to Courchevel for designer ski wear or rent a luxury ski chalet in Zermatt with The Luxury Chalet Comany. Head to Chamonix for world class winter rock climbing, Cortina d’Ampezzo for 5* hotels or Courmayeur for quiet but classic alpine vibes.
Head to Kitzbühel for world famour real estate, head to Val d’Isère for busy apres ski or Lech Zürs for back-country skiing like no other.
2
www.flickr.com

Zermatt, Switzerland

3
www.flickr.com

Courchevel, France

4
www.flickr.com

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

5
www.flickr.com

Courmayeur, Italy

6
www.flickr.com

Kitzbühel, Austria

7
www.flickr.com

Val d’Isère, France

8
www.flickr.com

Lech Zürs am Alberg, Austria

9
www.flickr.com

St. Moritz, Switzerland

10
www.flickr.com