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Skiers
come in all shapes, sizes and abilities. Luckily, so do the resorts
that make up the vast ski areas of the American Rockies and the
French Alps. Want to ski from daylight to midnight? No problem.
Or shop till you drop? You can wipe out your credit card limit
without carving a single turn. How about a different outdoor activity
for every day of the week? It’s a no-brainer when you plan a trip
to either the Rockies or the Alps.
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France
is home to the most extensive ski area in the world. And here
in the mountains in Savoy, you’ll find none of the attitude of
the city: locals enjoy life and welcome visitors. In the vast
Rockies, you’ll find the rough image of the Old West softened
by the comforts of the present. A holiday here may mean a transatlantic
flight, but once you’re on the ground, you’ll be won over by the
timbered mining towns, the extensive skiing and casual friendly
style the Yanks are famous for.
The
French Alps
The
French Alps have a lot to offer skiers, no matter what their preference.
In spite of their reputation as high-ended resorts for the chic
and well-to-do, the French Alps are surprisingly versatile and
affordable. Some resorts, like Courchevel and Méribel, do cater
to the “in” crowd, but many, including Les Arcs and Les Menuires,
are family and budget oriented. Still others, like Val d’Isère
and Tignes, cater to both daredevils and leisure skiers.
Three Valleys
Courchevel,
Méribel and Les Menuires make up the main resorts of the Three
Valleys. Billed as the largest interconnected ski area in the
world, the Three Valleys is comprised of five resorts all connected
by an amazing network of aerial and ground lifts.
Occupying
center stage is Courchevel. Known as a Mecca for the well-heeled
and beautiful, Courchevel is made up of four villages, each known
by its altitude in meters. The chic head for 1850 for its great
restaurants, sparkling aprés-ski and shopping. The other areas
attract less worldly folks with more affordable prices and casual
atmosphere.
Charm
and accessibility are the attractions of Méribel, the heart of
the three valleys. One of the French Alps’ oldest resorts, Méribel
is the showcase of French-built convenience. Unlike their European
neighbors, who converted farming villages into ski resorts, the
French built their resorts with skiing in mind. Although early
construction often sacrificed charm for convenience, builders
have since modeled newer buildings after the Savoy tradition of
wood and stone chalets. Shops and ski lifts are built around hotels
for easy access by skiers.
Les
Menuires is perched on the eastern end of the valleys. With its
neighbor, Val Thorens, Les Menuires offers it visitors the highest
skiing in Europe. Both offer great facilities for children, budget-minded
skiers and those who like orderly, well-planned resorts.
Les Arcs
Les
Arcs draws everyone from certified loonies in search of the ultimate
vertical to families looking for a relaxing vacation. The apartment
complexes may seem featureless when compared to other resorts,
but the views of Mont Blanc from their sunny balconies are incomparable.
The ski school is the major attraction, offering classes for all
ability, from those who don’t know pole from piste to those seeking
to refine their ski ballet performance.
Val d’Isère and Tignes
Val
d’Isère and Tignes, the resorts of the vast l’Espace Killy, have
reputations as being for expert skiers, but that shouldn’t faze
less experienced skiers from testing their skills there. One third
of the 120 lifts in l’Espace Killy serve beginners’ slopes – that’s
an area of slopes as large as many American resorts. Named after
Jean-Claude Killy, the superstar who dominated the 1968 Olympics,
l’Espace Killy was the site of the most popular men’s events of
the 1992 Olympics – downhill, giant slalom and super G races.
Val
d’Isère is at once one of the area’s oldest ski towns and its
most contemporary. Skiers can admire its 11th-century church before
hopping aboard the Funival, a space-age funicular that whisks
skiers 3,400 feet from la Daille to Bellevard in under four minutes.
Its
neighbor, Tignes, rests on a sunny plateau above. Its glacier,
the Grand Motte, reaches 3,656 meters at its highest point, allowing
Tignes to offer year-round skiing.
Chamonix
As
ski resorts go, Chamonix is more a city than a village, so you’ll
find plenty to do both on and off the slopes. During the day,
you can test your edges on such mind-boggling slopes as the Vallée
Blanche, or push the edge of your credit limit in the shops that
crowd the busy shopping district.
In
addition to appealing to those who want plenty of activities to
fill their day, Chamonix also attracts the adventurous types.
You’ll see them in the late afternoon, with skis slung over their
shoulders and icicles melting from their beards, looking for a
drink and someone to listen to their tales of immortality.
Megève
From
its quiet city square, dominated by a green bronze bell tower,
to its farmhouses turned hotels, Megève offers alpine charm with
a distinct French flavor. Although only 40 minutes from Chamonix,
Megève is light years from the sporty crowd. The skiing is a world
away too; rather than crevasses, the only dangerous thing you’ll
find yourselves sinking into is one too many glasses of wine at
the end of the day.
You’ll
often find the Paris jet set here, showing off the latest designer
ski wear that’s never been further than the Hérmes shop on the
town square. But don’t be fooled by the laid-back attitude; Megève’s
slopes hold their own against the other resorts that share the
Mont Blanc.
The
Rockies
For
snow-loving families, a winter getaway in the North American Rocky
Mountains is a peak experience. Big dumps of powdery white snow,
Victorian gingerbread houses, icy branches glistening in the moonlight,
sleigh rides and sledding, hot chocolate by a cozy, log fire –
ain’t winter grand? Of the dozens of American ski resorts that
dot the American West, many are within easy reach of European
travelers, allowing families to enjoy the beauty and outdoor thrills,
as well as the family camaraderie, that accompany such a truly
American destination.
Options
for cold-weather retreats in the United States are varied. The
ones listed here – Aspen, Snowmass, Telluride, Steamboat Springs
and Summit County, Colorado – are top choices based on fun family
activities, ease of access, spectacular scenery and excellent
lodging at moderate prices.
Aspen
Forget
what you know about Aspen. Despite its press as a glittering destination
for celebrities, this resort is a very real town, nestled among
some of the most beautiful natural scenery and interesting Victorian
architecture to be found anywhere. Perhaps the most surprising
fact about Aspen is that it can be very affordable: Families will
find a full range of accommodations, from decadent luxury to the
simply comfortable.
Come
to ski and your family will discover four world-class mountains,
over 4,100 acres of skiable terrain for every level of skier.
Aspen Mountain and Aspen Highlands are renowned for expert and
intermediate variety while Buttermilk is an entire mountain created
just for beginners and intermediates. Snowboarders are welcome
to enjoy wide-open runs and challenging mogul fields on three
of the four ski mountains.
Families
that enjoy the outdoors will discover miles of groomed cross-country
trails, dog sledding, guided snowshoe tours, snowmobiling, even
hot-air ballooning. Want more at the end of the day? You’ve come
to the right place: remarkable restaurants, endless shopping,
fascinating art galleries, book stores and coffee shops galore,
a winter concert series, and late night entertainment that goes
on and on. And hey! Is that Sharon Stone at the next table?
Snowmass
One
great resort that tops the charts and guarantees to keep the kids
entertained on and off the slopes is Snowmass, Colorado. Located
12 miles outside of Aspen, Snowmass is four times as large as
its more famous neighbor and features more accessible terrain.
Trails along four of Snowmass’ five mountains wind down to a common
base area, thus lessening families’ fear of getting lost or separated
on the slopes.
Snowmass,
the largest of the four area mountains with more than 3,010 acres
of skiing and snowboarding terrain, is a favorite among families
for its diverse terrain, breathtaking views and easy access to
the slopes (95 percent of accommodations are ski-in/ski-out).
Snowmass offers the greatest diversity of terrain among the four
mountains, with hundreds of acres of beginner trails, steep and
deep, wide open cruisers, endless moguls, terrain parks, halfpipes
and more.
Telluride
A
century ago, outlaws on the run found Telluride’s box canyon a
deadly dead-end. Today’s skiers see the same towering peaks as
the beginning of a great holiday. Surrounded by the greatest concentration
of 14,000-foot peaks in North America, Telluride is known far
and wide as the piece of the Rockies with unmatched scenery and
fantastic skiing terrain. The eight city blocks of brick hotels
and clapboard storefronts look just as they did in the 1880s,
reminiscent of the rough-and-tumble mining town it once was. Victorian
homes in vivid colors line the streets of this designated National
Historic District, reflecting the town’s authentic charm.
Telluride
serves both beginner and expert skiers well. Two high-speed lifts
devoted solely to beginners give skiers access to some of the
best blue-slope skiing in the West. And although 50 percent of
the mountain is designated intermediate, there’s plenty of steep
moguls for experts and lots of the deepest, driest powder for
everyone. For board fiends, the Air Garden snowboard park is the
largest in the Rockies.
Steamboat Springs
Don’t
be fooled by the casual, family-friendly attitude that pervades
Steamboat Springs. That friendliness is just the tip of the iceberg
that makes this Rocky Mountain resort tops with American and European
skiers alike. The true magic of Steamboat Mountain lies off the
trails in the deep, virgin powder that collects among the stands
of aspens and evergreens. And this just isn’t any run-of-the-mill
snow: Since the average snow has only 10% moisture content, skiers
enjoy the unique thrills of skiing the area’s famous champagne
powder.
But
we were talking about kids, right? And Steamboat seems to have
been built to take care of tykes, both small and large. Tiny schussers
have a western-themed kids-only zone with teepees, a log cabin
playhouse and terrain park. “Magic carpets” (flat escalators that
kids step on to move them up a small hill) and kids-only lifts
are found at the mega-sized Kids Vacation Center. Kids 12 and
under ski free, while teens ski for reduced rates. There’s also
child and infant care and a variety of half and full-day learn-to-ski
programs.
Summit County
Families
that live to hit the ski slopes will find a lot to like in Colorado’s
Summit County. Less than two hours from Denver by car, “The Summit”
boasts a concentrated grouping of four resorts. Even though the
resorts each boast their own personality and strengths, they are
easily combined during a week’s ski trip, thanks to easily navigated
roads and a free transit system.
Breckenridge
is a restored mining town that welcomes beginners and challenges
experts. Nearby, modern Keystone boasts a new snowboard park and
night skiing for families on more than a dozen lighted trails.
On Copper Mountain, which many consider to be the best-designed
ski areas in the United States, you can easily find trails suited
to your skiing ability thanks to an award-winning trail system.
And the lifts at Arapahoe Basin, (which is often called A-Basin
by nickname-happy Americans) whisk you to trails that reach 13,050
feet, making this the highest ski area in the United States.
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