If you are a ski bunny but circumstances mean that you don’t have a group to go with this year, or if you simply prefer heading off for the slopes without the hassle of trying to organise other people and their chalet preferences, après ski needs and demands for night skiing and special snowboarding conditions, then there are other options.
Solo ski holidays for independent travellers are a great way to get your fix of the slopes without having to faff around with travelling companions.
Solo ski holidays come in all shapes and sizes; whether you’re a serious skier wanting to spend all day every day on the slopes, or you are really just going for the après ski and the winter tan, then you will find plenty of holiday options, at a range of budgets.
Best Solo Ski Holidays for Beginners
If the thought of falling flat on your face in front of a group of your nearest and dearest leaves you cold and you would rather take those first tentative steps on a solo ski holiday then there are plenty of resorts that have excellent nursery slopes, good snow records and properly organised ski schools.
Soldeu, Andorra has excellent snow and sunshine records and a ski school that is regarded as one of the best in Europe. Alpe d’Huez in France has plenty of beginner runs, as well as its own snowmaking facilities so you are always going to get good conditions here, even if there is not much natural snowfall.
Vemdalen in Sweden is a relatively small resort, but one that is perfect for first time skiers who want to avoid the intimidation of the larger resorts. It also has an award winning ski school.
Best Solo Ski Holidays For Après Ski
Solo ski holidays for independent travellers don’t have to be all about the slopes and can be an excellent opportunity for meeting new people and getting to know all the activities the resorts have to offer.
Val d’Isere in France has a great reputation for après ski and is something of an Ibiza of the ski world – dance on the tables at Folie Douce Après ski, head to Face for a late night cocktail and then stumble out of Dick’s Tea Bar at dawn.
Pas de la Casa in Adorra has a Costa Brava in the mountains type vibe with cheap booze and plenty of bars. Meribel in France is choc full of celebs, with glamorous hang outs to match the clientele and Jackson Hole is the home of extreme skiing and reputedly the location of the best Après ski bars in the USA – the Mangy Moose.
Best Solo Ski Holidays For Advanced Skiers
For no nonsense skiers who have put enough time and enough into refining their art that they don’t need to be waiting around for everyone else to keep up, there are plenty of resorts with excellent slopes for advanced skiers.
Courchevel is one of the world’s top ski resorts and has more than 600km of pistes, with steep couloirs to challenge even the most skilful of skiers.
Banff in Canada has a huge variety of pistes and some deep powder bowls; and St Anton in Austria has some fantastic off piste terrain to explore for more adventurous skiers.
About the Author
This was a guest post by John for Meribel ski holidays company Alpine Action who offer Meribel & La Tania Chalets for skiiers.