Six Amazing Places to Ski This Winter

Some of the world’s best ski resorts are introducing improvements to make sure you and your travel companions have the best time on and off the slopes. Bloomberg asked ski experts and Ski.com executive Dan Sherman about the six best places to ski this winter.

Luxury: Megève, France

This French resort is basically the definition of Old World luxury, writes Bloomberg, and the town is getting a 21st-century update thanks to a $354 million investment. There will now be high-speed gondolas to connect the peaks, “fun zones” for kids, and the largest indoor wellness complex in the Alps.

Can’t get to France? Head to Deer Valley, Utah, where young men will carry your skis to the lift. Still too far for you east coasters? Check out this private mountain in Vermont.

Family: Lech, Austria

This resort consistently ranks among the snowiest places in Europe. There are ski-in, ski-out chalets and lessons for riders as young as three-years-old. There are also new trails for skiers who want a challenge.

Can’t get to Austria? Snowmass has a 25,000-square-foot Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center or Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, has a newly-expanded resort with a “community feel” according to Bloomberg.

Adventure: Taos, New Mexico

Challenging slopes and epic backcountry? Check. If you are more daring than your friends (or less), there is a new gondola that goes to the beginner-friendly zone first. You can also check out Mad River Glen in Vermont, it is the most challenging mountain in New England.

Feeling a European adventure instead? Chamonix, in France, has some of the highest altitudes and steepest gradients in the world.

Powder: Jackson Hole, Wyoming

More powder is coming to this famous resort, thanks to increased snow-making capacities. There are also more chic boutique hotels in town, that Bloomberg says are affordable.

Not feeling like the West? Head to Niseko in Japan, which has legendary powder, or Revelstoke in British Columbia, where you can see more than 50 feet of snow annually, or Gudauri in the country of Georgia, where you can descend 6,000 feet on untracked powder.

Conservative Intermediates: Cortina, Italy

Half the mountain is easy terrain, 35 percent is intermediate, and just 15 percent are considered expert territory, according to Bloomberg.

You can also check out Vermont’s Stowe, or Beaver Creek if you want to head West.

Après-Skiers: Aspen, Colorado

The slopes and the resorts are equally well-known for both classiness and fun. You can also check out St. Anton in Austria, which has been a “global party capital” for decades, or Killington, Vermont, which has live music and the Wobbly Barn Steakhouse.