Switzerland’s Best Ski Resort 2023
Continuing with the success of winning awards in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, Verbier has been voted Switzerland’s Best Ski Resort 2023 for the fifth time in six years during the World Ski Awards 2023.
France
France
Bid to decarbonise transport options to the Alps
Building on the successful innovation of the launch of a “ski train” service, with the chartering of trains from London and Paris to the French Alps, Travelski – a subsidiary of Compagnie des Alpes – has launched a European request for bids to offer its customers a recurring low-carbon transport service by train from France, the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium (from Paris, London, Amsterdam and Brussels) to the French Alps over the three-year period from 2024 to 2027. Other routes from Spain are also envisaged.
La Plagne Your Trip: French resort revealed best for beginners
Picking the right ski resort can often be tedious and difficult but that doesn’t make it any less important – especially for beginners new to the realm of snow sports. One of Europe’s leading holiday operators, Sunweb, has analysed the number of green and blue runs in 16 of Europe’s top ski destinations revealing the best location for fledgling skiers, with La Plagne emerging as the most beginner-friendly resort, with a total of 79 green and blue runs, allowing new winter sports enthusiasts to make the most out of the trip.
Pierre & Vacances expand destinations offering Sunday to Sunday Travel
Pierre & Vacances has introduced a new range of Sunday-to-Sunday options for the upcoming ski season. Recognising the additional stresses often associated with changeover day, the leading provider of self-catered accommodation across Europe hopes that bringing greater flexibility to everyone’s favourite alpine fix will bring a host of additional benefits.
Peak Retreats offers new En-Route Escapes experience for ski clients
Peak Retreats, the French Alps ski specialist, is offering a new concept to help its clients break up their self-drive journeys to and from the French Alps. Adding to their range of en-route hotels, the ‘en-route escapes’ concept allows skiers to explore more of France on their way to or from their ski holiday.
Discover new resorts across the Alps with flexiski this winter
As well as offering favourites such as Avoriaz, Tignes, Val Thorens and St. Anton, flexiski have added some fabulous new resorts such as Andermatt and Crans Montana in Switzerland and Alpe d’Huez in France with three-night breaks available from £320pp.
Arc 1950 celebrates 20th birthday with programme of winter events
PHOTO © Andy Parant
Some 20 years ago a new mountain village concept was born, pioneering and innovative. An entirely pedestrian resort, ski-in-ski-out, with only the swish of skis on snow to break the silence. This was the visionary gamble of Canadian promoter “Intrawest” renowned for its Whistler and Mont Tremblant projects.
Take Your Skiing to New Heights with Exclusive ESF Masterclasses
©Sylvain Aymoz14122141
Méribel ESF has announced a series of exclusive ESF Masterclasses to help take your skiing to new heights. ESF Masterclasses are designed to cater to all skill levels from a basic skier eager to improve to an expert skier intent on reaching new objectives. Masterclasses will run weekly for four weeks from Sunday, 7 January 2024.
Ride the new Les Glaciers Gondola in La Plagne
Once the final skiers left the mountain last April, the famous Bellecôte Gondola was dismantled, and the 102 cabins went up for auction. These vintage bubbles, dating from 1973, had a starting price of €500 / £430 each and sold in just one-and-a-half-hours.
New survey shows UK Snowsports market will grow by 14% in 2023/24
A new survey by ski chalet specialist Le Ski predicts that the UK snowsports market will grow by 14% in winter 2023/24. The survey was conducted by YouGov for Le Ski during August 2023 and showed that 1.12 million British skiers and snowboarders took to the slopes last winter.
New Unforgettable Experiences for the 23/24 Ski Season
As the 23/24 ski season approaches, winter sports enthusiasts can look forward to an array of exciting new offerings and innovative enhancements at top resorts around the world.
From expanded skiable acreage and state-of-the-art technology to luxurious accommodations and breathtaking amenities, these resorts are raising the bar to provide unforgettable experiences for guests. Here are plenty of reasons to book a snow trip this winter.
New hotel offerings for 2023 in Val d’Isère
Travellers looking for luxurious accommodation options in Val d’Isère need look no further, as the mesmerising alpine destination has announced an array of exciting new accommodation offerings for the second half of 2023.
Peak Retreats wins Best Ski Operator at Telegraph Travel Awards 2023
Ben Ross, Head of Travel @ Telegraph with Alison Willis from Peak Retreats. ©BenLis
Peak Retreats was named Best Ski Operator at the Telegraph Travel Awards on 11 July 2023. The Telegraph Travel Awards have been running since 1998, with the last taking place in 2019, when Peak Retreats also triumphed. The annual awards are decided by votes from Telegraph readers, with over 27,000 readers voting this year for their favourite destinations, airlines and travel companies.
Three French resorts announce plans to open glaciers for skiing and snowboarding during the summer
The French resort of Tignes has announced that it plans to open for summer skiing and boarding from 17 June to 23 July, 2023.
The Les 2 Alpes glacier. PHOTO: Luka Leroy
The five-week season target is a far cry from the past when the French resort was able to open for snow sports 365 days a year.
Great spring skiing and snowboarding conditions leads to late surge in bookings
Ongoing snowfall in the French Alps is leading to a late surge in bookings for the rest of the season, according to UK tour operators.
After a spell of dry weather, there have been recent heavy snowfalls across many resorts in the western Alps, especially France, providing a good base for the next few weeks and going into Easter. The snow has followed by blue skies and spring-like temperatures, creating ideal conditions for many French resorts.
Music and film fans invited to Val d’Isère for spring festival of cultural events
Val d’Isère in France is hosting some cultural events on the slopes this spring.
Running from the 6 – 9 March is ‘Classicaval’ which returns for the second time this season. The music ‘tells a story of passion in an exceptional mountain setting’.
Chamonix-Mont Blanc’s spring ski touring event returns and is open to everybody from beginner to expert
‘La Trace des Grands’, Chamonix-Mont Blanc’s International Ski Mountaineering and Freeride Event, returns to the French resort for the second time on the 4-5 March 2023.
Conceived and organised by the Outdoor Legacy Association, this year’s event has three races to choose from following a route above the Argentière basin at the Grands Montets. The courses have been designed to cater for everyone from beginner to expert and allows public access at various strategic points, to create a festival atmosphere.
Flaine hosts British Schoolgirls Races
The British Schoolgirls Races (30 & 31 Jan 2023) returned to Flaine after a three-year absence for its 62nd event.
Two competitors battle it out during the British Schoolgirls Races.
The competition, organised by the Ladies Ski Club, attracted 143 girls from 26 schools who competed over two days in excellent conditions in front of a large crowd of spectators including teachers, parents, coaches and a guest appearance by former British Racer and Olympian Chemmy Alcott.
Three new properties available in Les Gets with Chalets1066
The Les Gets accommodation specialist Chalets1066 has added three new properties to its large portfolio in the French resort. All three are newly-built with two stand-alone chalets and one duplex apartment in a brand new building.
Four Seasons Megève offers once in a lifetime experience to skiers and snowboarders
The Four Seasons Megève Collection is offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience, staying at one of the most impressive suites in the Alps.
The Idéal Suite, sitting on top of the slopes at 1850m, offers incredible views of Mont Blanc and is only accessible by a 15-minute cable car ride.