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20 best resorts in Europe

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
16 but whaaat, no Chamonix or Davos? St Anton only #5, Lech 7....... and Gstaad is #1..... Laughing Laughing
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0/20 for me!! Suprised Cortina is the only Dolomite Resort in the list??
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I guess Alta Badia have put most of their promotional efforts in to attracting the summer cycling community in recent years rather than wintersports enthusiasts, which could explain why none of those villages were mentioned.
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interesting article, not sure how much research went into it

it says " Where to stay: Of the 50 five-star hotels in France, nine of them are here (Courchevel )"

"50 five star hotels in France, " ??

Surely in France, there must be hundreds of five star hotels
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0/20

I ski more along the lines of Top 20 budget resorts!
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10/20

Makes sense for the US market.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
PeakyB wrote:
@BobinCH, great list but the Condé Nast one was Europe only. I think we need to put them straight.
Any substitutes for Jackson Hole and Niseko? snowHead


Serre Chevalier / La Grave
Courmayeur/Hellbronner
PdS
Davos/Klosters
Flims/Lax
La Plagne/Les Arcs
Val d’Anniviers
Grindelwald / Wengen / Murren
Crans Montana
Villars / Les Diablerets
Dolomites / Tirol / other Austria (I don’t know)?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
13/20, and I’m happy to stick to the Ski Circus, in preference to all 13.
Laurent Vanat’s annual “International Report on Snow and Mountain Tourism” contains far more interesting information.
https://www.vanat.ch/international-report-on-snow-mountain-tourism


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Fri 20-12-19 14:21; edited 1 time in total
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According to TripAdvisor there are 93 5* Hotels in the french alps so 50 in french ski resorts is more plausible. There are about 90 in Paris alone.

I've only been to 5 out of the 20. Now I tend to stick here or others covered by my pass.
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Silly list, but...15
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While I don't think this is a particularly good list, it's an almost impossible question to answer, as there are so many factors to consider, and people will have different preferences. Some will prefer pretty villages, others unbothered by ugly purpose-build resorts. Some look for quiet places away from the crowds, others prefer big domains which tend to be more crowded. What level of skiing? Extensive piste skiing for all levels, or something more challenging for off-piste lovers? Is budget a consideration? Easy access to the slopes, i.e. lots of ski-in/out accomodation? etc. Just impossible IMO to make any sort of objective ranking. If the writer has said: these are our criteria for ranking the resorts, and assigned some sort of score to each, then fine, but otherwise it just looks like a random list of famous resorts in some sort of order. As others have pointed out, it's also odd that they group Les Arcs and La Plagne together when the other big French domaines are split up. If anything I'd argue that Les Arcs and La Plagne are more separate than Tignes/VdI or the 3Vs.

For what it's worth, I think Tignes ranks way too low relatively to the other big French resorts on there, but then I'm a big Tignes fan, because it has more of what I look for in a resort than most, which brings me back to my original point.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I think the list doesn't quite know whether it's talking about resorts or ski areas?

The title says 'best resorts' in which case separating Morzine and Avoriaz makes sense - but then it does talk a lot about terrain a lot too, in which case grouping La Plagne/Les Arcs together also makes sense. But really the list should do one or the another, not a mix of both.
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16 for me. Not been to Gstaad, Andermatt, St Moritz or Megeve...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
My favourite resort's are never in favourite resort lists.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Well it appears to be Americans rating European resorts which they've possibly never been to.

Perhaps we should publish a ranking of north American resorts.

It's just a bit of fun really. The results are meaningless.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Bragging rights for some Yank with more $$$$$ than sense????
However, I will counter that by saying: I've never disliked any ski resort (except maybe Valmeinier, although I'd give that a second chance if budget was right) but the one's I love and have suited me best are not necessarily other's choices. It is a very personal and subjective thing.
I've skied in 8 of the 20 incidentally.
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Just 12 but some very good resorts missing. Also seems odd that you’d classify some of those resorts aS being separate as in essence they’re part of the same ski areas and often skied in a week together. CN could try harder I think.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Yellow Snow, I love valmeinier.... empty pistes, good off piste, high, decent snow, fast lifts, no Brits, and no champagne bar's full of w£nkers....what's not to like?
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17 for me. All 3 of those not visited are in CH - Gstaad, St Moritz and Andermatt.
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Condé Nast saying that St.Anton is better than Lech....hilarious Toofy Grin
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8/20 for me, but that's not staying in all of them.
Stayed in Val Thorens and Meribel, but also skied Courcheval. Stayed in Tignes, but also skied Val D, like wise stayed in La Plagne and skied a day in Les Arcs.
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As it’s Condé Nast, shouldn’t it be combined with another thread? 20 best ski resorts to be seen in full makeup?
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@Orange200, they’re both a nasty con.
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11/20 here. And@PeakyB, I don't think this survey was influenced by us NA folks. There just aren't very many that ski in Europe, and some of the listed areas (e.g. Andermatt) are almost totally unknown over here.

And what sort of person is a reader of CN anyway? I only know about it because it was the best of the terrible choices where I got my hair cut, when I had hair.

And although the survey covered only Europe, since it came up: any discussion of the best ski area on Earth must include Jackson Hole. Its St. Anton, both on- and off-piste, minus the crowds.

Fire away!
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Darlings, nobody cares about your CN skiresort visits
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@Langerzug, over 30 snowheads cared enough to post comments on the subject....as usual, you cared enough to issue two of your tired, snarky condescensions. What purpose is served by your postings?
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
9/20. I’ve never skied in Switzerland.

I don’t think I’d fancy Gstaad or St Moritz but I’d love to go to Verbier.

It’s weird I’ve never been to the Portes du Soleil, I’m not sure why. I do think I’d enjoy it, especially Morzine.

I wouldn’t have put Zell in the top 20. It’s beautiful but the skiing is average and there’s no apres.

Saalbach should have been in the top 10 and so should Ischgl.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
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I can claim 11 (11 & 1/2 having just been to Cervinia, where I so nearly skied into Zermatt only the links were always closed! But that's another story!)

I've skied the White Highlands, which includes Gstaad, but seriously that as No, 1??? & St Moritz as No.2???, also Megeve doesn't deserve the top 20, & I'd rather ski Kronplatz than Cortina any day (I can almost claim Cortina as did the hidden valley where you have access to Cortina slopes IIRC)

Putting Val D, Tignes & the Portes du Soleil & 3 valleys resorts in separately is entirely misleading too, same for Lech/St.Anton

Can only conclude the list was compiled according to bribe size or possibly someone with far more money than sense who spends an hour in the morning & another in the afternoon skiing & the rest of the time pub/cafe/restaurant hopping!

Utter tosh! Toofy Grin
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
17 but some only for a day or less. Wouldnt be my top 20. Where is Glencoe and Yad Moss Laughing
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

http://youtube.com/v/jE0u4pcZpTU?t=59

12/20

The price of a week in the Gstaad Palace is about the same as the charter of a 100ft yacht in Monte Carlo.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
My 13 year old daughter is going on a school trip to Gstaad in February (€1200 all inclusive).

Do you think I should get her hair and full mani/pedi done before she goes?
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14/20 from the original list..

Gstaad - really?

I'd add in Silvretta-Montefon as well as a few in Italy.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I am not sure that this kind of rankings means anything. I don't know "best ski resorts" as such... Some resorts meet some skiers needs. It will all depend on what you are looking for : atmosphere, night life, piste skiing, off-piste, activities, and so on.
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HoneyBunny wrote:
9/20.

I wouldn’t have put Zell in the top 20. It’s beautiful but the skiing is average and there’s no apres.

Saalbach should have been in the top 10 and so should Ischgl.


Agree - those two resorts must have the best lift systems in the Alps; anyone disagree? Zell is very pretty, but very limited skiing compared with Saalbach just next door (yes it's sort of linked now).
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JimSearle wrote:
@Yellow Snow, I love valmeinier.... empty pistes, good off piste, high, decent snow, fast lifts, no Brits, and no champagne bar's full of w£nkers....what's not to like?


I found the place a bit soul-less, cant give any more reason than that, it was just a sense we got there.
. I liked Valloire though.
Id still go back to give it another try.
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