Winter Breaks

Each winter skiers and snowboarders are faced the options of deciding which ski resort to go, where they will have a good time and guarantee snow.  We have found eight destinations in Europe and America that will give you a winter break to remember. The is the slow, busy, traditional, modern and old depending on your taste and how you want to spend your winter break.

Nestled on the border between France and Spain, Andorra is an excellent ski destination, whether you are a pro or a first-timer, party animal or just want to take it easy on the slopes.  Whatever you want from your ski holiday, you’ll find it in Andorra.

FREESTYLE SNOWBOARDING CAMP WHISTLER, CANADA
If you want to ramp up your tricks and nail some extreme moves in one week, Core Snowboard Camps in Whistler are a pretty slick bet.  The Nintendo Terrain Park offers six parks of different levels, a superpipe and a snowcross track, and if that tops, hip jumps, spines, rails and fun boxes are your bag, Core's pro snowboarder coaches will show you the ropes. Groups are no bigger than four, and instructors use video analysis - as well as a degree of good-natured ribbing to show you the way.

Alta Badia is known for its food and as much as a skiing destination. The ski resort forms part of the South Tyrol Dolomiti Superski ski region but in addition to its skiing reputation the valley has taken the combination of skiing and food to the next level making it a must visit winter destination. The Alta Badia valley is made of six picturesque alpine villages: Corvana (1550m), Colfosco (1650m), LaVilla (1430m), San Cassiano (1540m), Badia (1320m) and La Val (1350m).

Italy’s most northernly region, South Tyrol (also known as Sudtirol) is one of the country’s most enticing area for winter sports fans.  Its home to the world’s largest fully interconnected ski area, the Dolomiti Superski (1200km) and the world’s second largest interconnected ski area around the Sella Ronda (500km), skiers and boarders can feel that they can ski forever from one cosy village to another, always with the spectacular pale limestone and sedimentary rock cliff formation of the Dolomites towering dramatically above.

A ski break in Les Contamines-Montjoie is a road less travelled by popular winter holiday operators and skiers alike.  I have to admit it is a break on the quiet side unlike the après-ski resorts around Mont Blanc i.e. Chamonix but don’t let this put you off.  Les Contamines has its own charm, first it has the white stuff in abundance along with its 120km of serene piste and rolling hills of untouched powder.  Little known of this charming resort even though it is only an hour’s drive from Geneva, the Swiss capital to Mont Blanc.

Andalucia is one of those destinations that fits the bill what ever the time of year or Season. In recent years Andalucia has become a major attraction for those in Europe and the rest of the world. The number of tourist facilities, being close to North Africa it has a wonderful climate.

Innsbruck is unlike any other European cities, located deep in the Inn valley it is encircled by soring, jagged mountains. The city sits on the banks of the Inn River, which flows from the Switz Alps and into the Danube.  Behind the quaint, colourfully painted houses that line the cobbled streets stand the Alps offering a captivating backdrop.

Austria is well-known as a skiing destination but not a lot is known about the ski resort of Ischgl in tyrol.  Tyrol is a lovely mountainous are in the western parts of Austria near the Alps and bordering with Italy, Germany and Switzerland.  In the spring and summer months it offers an excellent landscape for hiking and mountain biking.  But come winter, the area is changed, drawing a different set of trill seekers (the snow worshipers).

Ischgl is also known for its free open air concerts, which have featured headline acts like Elton John, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart and Tina Turner; attracting over 20, 000 people. The concerts are staged as part of its opening weekends late November, so you never know who you will see from one season to the next.

Forget the rivers of Venice, the city of Paris and Germany and go somewhere where the temperature forces you to be closer to each other. Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland offers this unique experience with their Glass Igloos rooms and other ice experiences.  The Kakslauttanen Hotel in Saariselka, Lapland, has crafted deluxe, window-roofed igloos in which couples can fall asleep or in love beneath the Northern Lights.