The Best Ski Resorts For Christmas
There's so much to love about spending Christmas on the slopes. So where are the best ski resorts for Christmas?
Christmas skiing is always a winner. Whether you want to escape the awkward small talk with your extended family members or give your kids the white Christmas you've always dreamed of, skiing over the festive period is pretty awesome.
Here at flexiski, we specialise in the tailor-made so, we'd recommend a Sunday to Thursday or Thursday to Thursday ski break. This should work best as they fit really well with Christmas being on a Wednesday - you don't want to be flying out on Christmas Eve or rushing back to make your New Year's plans. The good news is our Christmas dates are flexible if you're only looking for a few nights away.
With that in mind, here's a rundown of a few of the best ski resorts for Christmas and what your Christmas Day could look like.
Is there the same Christmas spirit as home?
What could be more Christmas-y than a town covered in snow? The decorations are in abundance throughout each resort and you'll find Christmas markets and 30-foot trees in abundance. Chalets and hotels will be dressed to the nines and the occupants are sure to be in festively high spirits. Trust us, Christmas spirit certainly endures in the mountains.
Are the lifts open on Christmas day?
Of course! The skiing is the best thing about being in the mountains for Christmas. Imagine wolfing down a delicious breakfast before heading to the slopes for a Christmas ski day spent flying down the pistes in a state of 'I can't believe this is happening' euphoria.
What about my family?
If you're one of the lucky few who actually enjoys your extended family, then you're more than welcome to bring them all along. However, it's probably slightly more likely to be an excellent excuse to escape aunt Sheila's inevitable lip-smacker of a greeting. Chalet's are a perfect choice for families and friends alike but, if you can't bring everyone along, there's always Skype if you're feeling guilty.
Will it snow for Christmas?
Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' is the all time best selling single worldwide, shifting over an estimated 50 million copies. It's pretty obvious that we all love the idea of snow while Santa's in town. With England having an outside chance at best of the fluffy stuff falling, why not head to the mountains for that yearned for snowy fix.
An average Christmas at home involves:
- Endless veg prep for the family hoards. Don't you have better things to do than peel and chop 50 carrots and parsnips?
- Cross-hatching the bottom of a bag of sprouts you'll overcook and everyone will hate anyway.
- Playing Tetris trying to fit seven trays of food into a two shelf oven.
- Spending the day fretting over the state of your turkey.
- Three hours of scrubbing dirty dishes.
- Aunt Mabel having a sob on the stairs after too much sherry.
- Finding the soggy broccoli in the microwave four hours after the end of the meal.
- A Terry's chocolate orange you'll get two pieces of, a pack of tiny screwdrivers you'll never be able to find when there's a tiny screw you need to unscrew, and a cupboard full of useless gifts you'll never look at again after Boxing Day.
- Uncle Tony being outspokenly miffed about his mattress in the hall when Aunt Mabel got the spare bed.
*You do the maths*
An average Christmas in the mountains involves:
- A delicious breakfast waiting for you when you make your way downstairs.
- A full day on the slopes, skiing at Christmas through snowy bliss with the only worry on your mind being where to find the first mulled wine.
- Christmas markets to explore, festive bars to frequent, and funny Christmas jumpers to spot.
- A glass of fizz and canapés back at the chalet, followed by a full-on Christmas spread, cooked and cleaned up for you by the chalet chefs whilst you relax by the fire with a nice glass of wine.
- Having a few meaningful gifts to open from the close tribe you have around you. There's only a so much space left after you've packed your ski clothes.
- The choice to head into town to celebrate in style or relax in the quiet of your accommodation with a board game or two.
- Going to bed without a worry about mess or a thought about repurposing the turkey for everyone tomorrow.
What are the best ski resorts for Christmas?
Below are a few itineraries for what you can expect to get up to on Christmas day in each resort where we operate a chalet. Meaning, you'll have Christmas dinner cooked and cleaned up for you, you simply get to eat it. So without further ado, I present our chalets: Chalet des Cascades - Les Arc 2000, Amalien Haus and the Little Haus - St Anton and The Loft at 272 - Chamonix.
Les Arcs
8am: Wake up in the middle of the mountains at the award-winning Chalet des Cascades, with slopes from the front, back, and side doors. Enjoy a morning swim before breakfast or a cup of hot chocolate on the terrace whilst admiring the views.
9am: Indulge in a cooked breakfast by the roaring fire.
10am: Pick up your toasty ski boots from the boot warmers and explore the many tree-lined runs on your doorstep.
1pm: Enjoy a lazy mountain lunch and the first Vin Chaud of the day.
5pm: Embark on a leisurely ski back to the chalet and reward yourself on arrival with a sauna session and a drink around the fire pit as you watch the last of the skiers whizz past.
7pm: It's bubbly time! Enjoy your golden nectar with a selection of tasty canapés.
8pm: Enjoy a chef-cooked full Christmas spread including juicy meats, crispy spuds, and perfectly prepared sprouts.
9pm: Continue the festivities with some mince pies around the fire. It's time to crack out the board games or head to the snug for a Die Hard viewing session.
St Anton
8am: Drag yourself out of bed for breakfast, having sampled the delights of a European Christmas Eve the previous night.
9am: A restorative bacon sarnie and a few cups of coffee late and you'll be out on the deserted slopes, hunting for powder stashes and snowboarding Father Christmases.
1pm: Take your time over lunch at somewhere spectacular like the Hospiz Alm in St Christoph.
3pm: It's time for après ski - what St Anton is famed for. The music, beer steins, and table dancing won't stop for Christmas Day.
6pm: Whether you're in for a chalet Christmas spread or you're heading back out for your evening meal, you'll want to get out of those ski boots.
10pm: The party continues after dinner... if you didn't have too much champagne on the slopes earlier today, that is.
Chamonix
9am: Continental breakfast or fry-up? It is Christmas, after all.
10am: Grab your skis, hop on the bus and head to Les Houches. The perfect tree-lined ski setting for Christmas Day.
1pm: Feeling adventurous? Snow show to a fondue lunch in an igloo full of sheepskin-covered ice sofas.
5pm: Post-ski, the Christmas market's buzzing with Vin Chaud and artisan gifts.
7pm: Enjoy pre-dinner fizz and canapés - it's time to swap Christmas gifts.
8pm: The evening meal's a full spread of Christmas classics and you won't have to step foot in the kitchen.
10pm: Head out for a Christmas party. Chambre Neuf, just downstairs, will be in full swing.
If you're umming and ahhing, give our ski specialists a call on 01962 587777 to find out what might be possible.