Appreciate it very much! Personal experience, so reflects my biases - in other words, fun atmosphere, great food and beverage, and high quality terrain and infrastructure.
Lech and St. Anton are in the same ski resort, so I wouldn't split them. I have been skiing in around 70 resorts in all the alps, including all the 5 mentioned. I focus more on ski experience than on luxury, restaurants and apres ski. This is my list: 1) Espace Killy (Val d'Isere / Tignes) 2) Trois Vallees (Courchevel / Meribel / Valthorens / Le Menuires) 3) Matterhorn Ski Paradise (Zermatt / Cervinia) 4) Arlberg (St.Anton / Lech) 5) Ski Circus (Saalbach / Leogang / Fieberbrunn) Special mentions: Alpe d'Huez, Verbier (but I have never been there), Cortina d'Ampezzo, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, Solden/Obergurgl Unfortunately (I have been growing there and they have a special place in my heart) Corvara and Sella Ronda region are now really overcrowded
@@brendanwalsh826 Chamonix is excellent if you are an excellent skier and you want to get a guide for the Vallée Blanche. But if is just a family trip, I would stay elsewhere in the valley, like Les Houches.
@@brendanwalsh826 Hi! Chamonix is a beatiful little town with a lot of variety. If you mainly ski in the piste the system kan be a bit frustrating since it is compiled of several smaller one that doesnt't connect with lifts. So it will be a lot of ski busses. The offpist/back country is really good. Although i requires a lot of experiences. I would also consider Val Thorens. The village isn't exactly beautiful but every single hotel is a ski-in-ski-out. Also the skiing - 3 valles - is VERY good and convinient. Also off piste is easy accecible an not too advanced/dangerous.
J'adore la France. Et la Suisse. En fait, Val d'Isère, les Trois Vallées et Zermatt étaient les prochaines destinations sur ma liste. Les calculs me donnent l'air partial. Peut-être que les données sont vraies. Mais je ferai aussi une vidéo de ski pour ces superbes stations.
Dude, I live in Kitzbuehel and have been to most Austrian Ski Resorts, your analysis is absolutely spot on and your comments about AI top 10 videos is correct. Next time you’re in Kitzbuehel, look me up and I’ll hook you up to some insider places to eat and drink.
You're on, my friend! Appreciate the invite and the kind comment. I began my ski journey as a 4-year-old Rote Teufel. Going back is always nostalgic, and so much has changed too. Appreciate the insider track on more places to eat and drink - always a priority. Kitz sets the bar very high.
German here. Austria is nice. But Switzerland and France have the most breathtaking ski resorts, by far. The most incredible nature, the longest descents and the best food.
Die andere Seite ist immer grüner. Very hard to beat Trois Vallée, the Berner Oberland, and Val d'Isere. In fact scenery alone, I can absolutely see the position. They all ranked very highly. And while I adore fondue, raclette, and Ovomaltine, I find the overall value in Vorarlberg, Triol, and the Dolomites difficult to beat. What are your top 5 in France and Switzerland?
Great video. Enjoyed it a lot. And you’re right about the AI ones! However. Excluding the likes of 3 valleys. Zermatt. Les arcs. Val D. Etc. having been to nearly all of the ones in the list. Plus my list. I can’t quite agree with the choices. But it’s subjective of course.
Agree! In the end I prioritized the criteria I value most. 3 Valley is vast and amazing - solid aprés too. Zermatt is fine, but too many narrow ski paths (my best days are always on the Cervinia side). As to Val d'Isere - some of the best off-piste skiing of my life, and great parties (but the traffic, the lovely prison architecture of Tignes, and the stingy real-estate management companies ... to find any charm, I stay in Le Fornet).
BTW - shameless plug, but I provide trip planning consulting services if you want assistance. www.eatdrinkfun.com/customadventures . Just helped a group organize a week in Italy. Cheers!
@@eatdrinkfun Now I know where to go! And will certainly shout out for guidance when defining where and when to go... Seen most of your mountain reviews, awsome work. Hope we can organiza a group in a near future.
As an expert from squaw Valley, I’ve spent the last seven seasons, going to Europe as well, and the number one thing I find hard to understand(especially without a topo map) is how each mountains slopes are situated according to the sun, combination of elevation that makes them snow-sure. Also, what the off piste terrain really has to offer.
Interesting. I find using Google Maps helpful with the topo feature enabled. All the ski resorts show up - red dotted lines are the lifts. But you won't glean much information re: snow surety. In general, the best indicator is elevation. Villages that begin above 1200m are going to be more snow sure. And if a resort has glaciers, you know you can get high enough in early and late months to still enjoy (Sölden, Hintertux, Stubai, Kitzsteinhorn, Tignes, L'Alpe d'Huez, Zermatt, Saas-Fee. As for off-piste, I find it wonderful in Austria, France and Switzerland. You can ski right next to the groomed piste or head out over the edge. Best to go with a guide or a local. In Italy it's more complicated (some recent controversy with people going off piste beyond their ability without a guide - in the Dolomites it's technically not allowed unless you have a guide, though lightly enforced). Just accept that the powder found in N. America and Japan does not exist in Europe. You may have some big snow days (mid-thigh level), but the consistency and weight of the snow is very different. If you're an extreme skier - Chamonix and Verbier are made for you. But if you just like getting some fresh, the resorts mentioned above in AT, FR, and CH will make you happy.
We spent 2 months in the Dolomites (Dolomiti Superski) last year. It wasn't enough. It's just so massive - 1200km of groomed slopes. 12 valleys. The sun. The snow. The wine. The views. It will never, ever get old. Season pass was about 950 Euros. Go for it, and spend a week with Tim at @inspireditaly on a ski safari - mountaintop to mountaintop, hut to hut tour with fresh tracks every morning. Check out episode 9 on the EDF Podcast.
Nice video. I'd say Lech and St Anton are two different villages, but is just one ski area though, as they inter-connect and you ski the same piste. And like wise, base yourself in Fieberbrunn, get the right ski pass; and you can ski both Saalbach and Kitzbuhel during the same holiday.
I know St Anton, Lech, Oberlech and Zurs well, and I agree with the general drift of your assessment, although personally I would put St Anton up first in pride and place, all day every day. But what about Chamonix?
Hey thanks! I get a lot of push-back on not including French or Swiss resorts in the top 5. Trust me, both F and CH have exceptional ski resorts - but I have my personal preference, and value and convenience play a significant role in my grading scheme. It is super hard to find nature as beautiful as it is in Chamonix, Val d'Isere, the Berner Oberland, or the Engadin. Please go ski them if you have the opportunity. But sometimes these resorts F and CH resorts lack charm (Tignes), convenience (the whole French real estate intermediary thing if you rent an apartment vs. Austria, Germany, and Italy), and value/infrastructure (why must one take three to four button lifts/tow bars to traverse the resort from Verbier to Thyon - your Swiss, you're rich, please spend some cash and build a modern chair lift). As you can see, not everyone agrees! The bottom line is that if you ski in Europe, you'll eat exceptionally well, drink amazing stuff, and ski a lot more terrain that is arguably a lot prettier and more dramatic than in the majority of N. America - for a fraction of the price.
@@eatdrinkfun Thanks for replying mate. I'm Australian, not American, so my perspective is different. As far as I'm concerned St Anton is first and top of the list any day of the week, but personally I am primarily concerned with the actual skiing: the height and steepness of the mountains, the diversity, breadth and variety of the terrain, and the depth of the snow. Everything else is icing on the cake, although the apres scene is a close second, and I'm sure we will both agree that you can't beat St Anton for that. I've skied in the French Alps and Pyrenees, and seen the Swiss side of Avoriaz, though nothing more, but though I've always been curious about Chamonix, I've never gotten there yet. That's why I was asking. So that was the gist of my question: how do you rate the actual _skiing_ at Chamonix, NOT considering drink, food, fun, luxury or value? To put you in the picture, I don't care for luxury in any way shape or form, and used to habitually camp in a tent in the snow.
@@GwirCethI wish I could give you more recent advice, mate, but it's been quite a long time since I was last in Chamonix. I helped a client a few years ago who was dead-set on spending Christmas there in a chalet. Chalet was fantastic but the weather did not cooperate at all for them that December - a bit of a let down with only one run operating (but full price). It sounds like you are a serious skier - and because of that I think you would probably get a lot out of Chamonix. It is a great place for skiers who like black pistes, steeps, and off-piste skiing. The 22km long Vallée Blanche is an iconic glacier run that we should do before all of Europe's glaciers are gone. Take a guide. I have not done it yet, but it's on my bucket list. If you like steeps and black slopes, you should love the Grand Montets area. Chamonix attracts the hard core and the mountaineers. It has only 80 slopes and 120km of groomed terrain. If I were generally recommending a resort that has more breadth and diversity, decent powder, good intermediate touring, then I would suggest Megève. Apologies that I'm not a better Chamonix resource for you. For that, I'm not sure you'll find anyone better than Charlie Boscoe (he's a Kiwi and he literally wrote a book about Chamonix, updated in 2022) - www.charlieboscoe.com/about
@@eatdrinkfun You had me at "black pistes, steeps and off-piste skiing". That's exactly what I'm looking for, and that's the sort of stuff I've always associated with Chamonix, it's got that reputation, ey. When I was a skibum living in a dogbox I used to have a picture on my wall of Corbett's Couloir in Jackson Hole, and that's another one that I want to get to one day. In recent years I've been skiing in Japan, and I absolutely love the country, the people, the culture, and the language; and the powder, of course; but I find the lack of high mountains and steep terrain to be mildly disappointing. At this point in time we're slowly working our way around the Japanese resorts that sound the most attractive on paper, and it's enjoyable. But so far I haven't seen anything that can hold a candle to the European Alps in terms of actual proper steep mountainous terrain. I'll check out that Kiwi bloke and his book. A tour combining Chamonix and St Anton is on the cards sometime in the near future. Thanks for that mate.
A challenge for snowboarders in the Alps is the flats, especially for beginners. There are areas where you just have to know you must keep up your speed - because there's as a slight flat or uphill portion ahead. But I ski with snowboarders all the time (sometimes I give 'em a short tow), but once you know where the flats are, you're generally fine.
Good job and video. But sorry, in my mind, the name of the video is not enough correct. I think the name "My Favorite Top 5 Best Ski Resorts in Europe" would be much more correct for it.
@@eatdrinkfun cost and snow consistency. basically if you spend $10K+ for a family vacation for four and go across the atlantic where is the best chance of finding snow and great weather and which month
@@PTI_USA Short answer: (1) Dolomites or (2) Austria. Both offer great value, the ability to ski at altitude, and world-class piste preparation. Climate is becoming a factor more each year. February is usually great, but this past February was warm everywhere in the Alps. March and April were epic though. I personally love skiing in March because it's still cold, snow is generally great, high season is over (practically zero lift lines and cheaper lodging), and the days are longer (aprés in the sun until 6pm). Hotels in the Dolomites often offer deals in March - pay for 6, stay 7 nights. Also ski school for kids are very, very affordable and high quality in both IT and AT - but compared to North America, all the ski schools are super affordable. Ping me directly if you are considering a trip. I offer "custom adventures" trip planning to the Alps, and I always start with a free consultation to determine whether I'm a good fit for your needs. info @ eatdrinkfun dot com.
Even though it's part of the same field, we thought Lech was very limited compared to the St Anton side, skiing wise. Zers was better too. Restaurants also. Half board is easier though, less mucking around trying to book meals.
Half board is a great relaxing option, especially if you've got kids in tow. There are some true restaurant gems in Lech - happy to share (and a super video idea - thanks!). I also put a premium on being in the "middle" of the Arlberg network - so you can go ski Warth-Schrocken one day, St. Anton the next, and Lech and Zürs another - everything is within reach. Plus, a glass of sparkling wine and that Lange Zug first thing in the morning ... paradise.
Over the years have been to Lech, St Anton (& Zurs), Corvara (via Arabba which has better terrain), Soelden (your honorable mention) plus a few more, and enjoyed all of them. For the average punter planning a couple of weeks from Australia to Europe you have to be lucky to get conditions allowing off-piste powdery heaven, and I am very jealous of some of the video. Kitzbuhel sounds lovely but too risky. But... now have to plan for Saalbach.
For the locations in this video check out (1) Stanton Park in St. Anton (Rendl mountain station) - www.stantonamarlberg.com/en/winter/outdoor/freestyle-ski-snowboard - and (2) over 19 different snow and fun parks across the Dolomiti Superski - www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Plan-ski-holiday/Snowpark . BUT, for what many think is the best park for snowboarders in Europe, get to Laax (connected with Flims Falera) in Switzerland - ride "the Beast" , the biggest pipe on the continent - www.flimslaax.com/en/outdoor-activities/ski-resort/freestyle-ski For casual slopes, it's Alta Badia all day long. Though the Arlberg has equally chill groomers that go on for days. Normal to spend 20 minutes cruising on long windy runs from top to bottom without needing a lift.
Love Ischgl. I've gone and not even skied - just après. If only the town were cuter and had more to offer. Unfortunately, Zermatt is not what it once was. Reinvestment is seriously needed. But when you have that view and people come no matter what ... why invest?
Super list. Love them all. But why don't the kind people of Verbier build some chair lifts to traverse the domain? Taking three to four button bars (some of the longest of my lift) seems a bit cheap and obnoxious. Some of the best fresh pow skiing I've ever done in Europe, though.
That visit was at Residence Ciasa Crazzolara in La Villa. Easy 5 minute walk to the lift. Very nice modern alpine apartments. Lovely family-owned place. www.crazzolara.it/en/
@@brendanwalsh826 I have not skied Chamonix personally, but I have close friends who have. It has serious historical cachet, but it's most appropriate for alpinists and off-piste adventure seekers. Good nightlife, and I ate one of the best meals of my life there (** Michelin), but that was summer. Chamonix is the gateway to the Vallée Blanche - legendary, and I hope to do it one day (with a guide). For a "normal" resort within the Chamonix valley, you'll find easy and intermediate pistes in Le Tour, Le Praz, Les Houches. So the starting question is how do you want to ski - off piste with a guide? An incredible ski tour? Then Chamonix is for you.
I learned that from Eugen Scalet - chef of the MooserWirt. He's seen quite a bit in 40+ years of après. Podcast interview here: www.eatdrinkfun.com/podcast/edf/4/eugen-scalet
subbed and i’m only a minute into the video. the fact you actually used your own experience to make this video says enough for me. i’ve wasted so much time on those AI videos
Three best locations , better than all these , are missing first, Wengen , Mürren, Grindelwald. Huge beautiful, offers everything. All under the 2km ore over one mile high vertical Eiger north face. Snow security 100% . Getting everywhere by train . While relaxing and being in aw of the vista. Second Oberengadin ,Switzerland , which includes St Moritz, Silvaplana, the beautiful lakes and the side valley of up to the Diavolezza Glacier, 4 connected regions with the most beautiful landscapes , a lot of snow and very sunny. Best of all and most beautiful Zermat. Simply the epitomy of all. Period. And:- The Mont Blanc region in France
Trains from Zurich or Innsbruck to St Anton. Or Innsbruck or Salzburg to Kitzbuhel or Fieberbrunn. (Train stations all near the centre of town. Oëbb app useful for trains in Austria.)
1. For the Arlberg and Tirol, trains and private transfers (bus, minivan). For Lech and St. Anton, consider the Arlberg Express - arlbergexpress.com/en/. For Saalbach, train to Zell am See. For Kitzbühel, the train goes right to the Hahnenkamm. www.oebb.at/en/ 2. For the Dolomites, best to start landing in Venice and take a private transfer (~€350 - €400). Use Taxi Badia taxibadia.it/en/taxi-badia.php or Taxi Alta Badia www.taxialtabadia.org/en/ . Trains will take much longer and you'll end up taking a bus from Bunico/Bruneck anyway. For the next few years there will be major construction on the Brenner Pass, so landing in Innsbruck (closest biggish airport to the dolomites) will be challenging.
There is no doubt Europe has it all over the US when it comes to value(cheaper) and vastly better après ski. However, it doesn't come close to western US when it comes to pow, specially big pow. Bigger terrain is not necessarily better, except in Europe where the higher population is more concentrated and THEY BELIEVE bigger IS better.
Can't beat North American and Japanese pow. It's no contest. But I think Europe holds all the other aces. Which makes it an easy decision for us - (1) pow? or (2) half price for fast/small/no lines, more and modern lift infrastructure, delicious cuisine, awesome affordable slope-side lodging, and epic après parties?
Switzerland is so beautiful and iconic. If it were only a beauty contest, several CH resorts could make an argument for #1. But I think the ROI (value) and infrastructure in Austria and Italy are just very hard to beat.
@@adrianburgler7774 Switzerland is sheer beauty.... and saldy you pay for that. but it does have great skiing with good infrastructure. if you puts price into the comparison, yes it gets blown out ouf the water. Verbier is suburb skiing, but cost is outrageous. i wanted some rib fillet steak, in Verbs this March, it was costing me $170/kg in my money with exchange rate when at home its more like $50/kg. bit of an issue that.
@@jimbosaul3996 Well maybe eating Steak in a restaurant on the slopes is ill-advised, especially in places like Verbier that cater the high class. Of course, everything in Switzerland is expensive compared to most of Europe, but there are cheap options and then there's unnecessary money wasting.
interesting list. always gonna be subjective. i do think probs Trois Vallee should be in there. Courchevel is outstanding, both skiing, food and vibe. and the vast skiing of Trios Vallee is unparalleled ! its mind boggling in size. Verbier worth thinking about with its 4 Vallee partners. tho expensive. but cant me too much more than Lech !! plenty in Austria to choose from. you probs got the best. not sure if you've been to the Ski Armade, or whether it would warrant a thought for top 5. huge size, 26 resorts, diversity of food, villages and slopes. some north facing. anyway fun to do a list like this. lucky you having 4 decades skiing there.
There are so many great resorts - trying to isolate 5 is always going to leave out some great ones. Trois Vallee is legendary and the skiing is epic - DEFINITELY GO! - but prices for lodging, food, and beverages are very high for lower quality than Austria and Italy. If you rent an apartment in France, you often do it through a third party real estate firm. Unfortunately, that bureaucracy and distance from the owner presents challenges (e.g., the boot heater in our chalet would not work for three days, among other issues that nobody seemed willing or able to fix). Loved Verbier, great skiing, but unfortunately they've underinvested in lifts - one must take 3 T-bars to traverse the resort; no way around it. Just build some chair lifts. Also love Flachau and Wagrain - Ski Amade arguably could have made this list. Anyway, glad you liked the video! Love to hear if there is specific content you'd like to see. I need to get more stuff out that and I want to prioritize.
Lol! In fact, I once visited Ischgl and never even got to the pistes. We started at the Kuhstall. Then Trofana. Then Schatzi. My friend and I ended up in some place the name of which I can't recall. At 6am we were kindly asked to leave. The parking attendant woke us up at 9:00 so that we could pay for our space for the day. I love Ischgl. :-) And the smuggler's run - always a highlight.
Dont get offended, but u sure with this nonsense? 1) lech and st anton is one ski area interconnected, you put them 2,1 as two resorts really?😂 2) Saalbach in top 5? Do u know issue with saalbach is that is in low altitude, so forget about long nice season.. otherwise is good.. 3) Corvara- really? Just laughing The fact that u pick three resorts from Austria and divided them into 4, and made them top5 means u have absolutely no clue what u r talkin about.. Last but not the least: have you ever skied in Swiis or France? Seriously i am in doubt.. For anyone who has skied all mentioned resorts and more- this list is just a joke!! Dont tell me please u r from USA, that would make more sense.. U stated for over 4 decades you are skiing Europe resorts. Sorry, i dont buy it. It seems that you just have been in the resorts listed and named them top 5 in Europe. Sorry sir, but as a ski instructor skiing all Europe for 20 years- this is just a joke……
Kalimera, kalimera! No offense taken - everyone has their preferences. You can see where my personal loyalties lie (Lech for quiet luxury, St. Anton for hard skiing and parties - once disconnected parts of the Arlberg, now connected). I totally understand why many folks are mystified that F and CH don't appear in my list. Both countries host truly world-class and stunning resorts, obviously, but in my analysis the Austrians and Italians deserve to dominate the top 5 - the value to luxury ratio, breadth and diversity of terrain, beauty and charm, more modern ski infrastructure, convenience, etc. Absolutely true: it is super hard to find nature as beautiful as it is in Chamonix, Val d'Isere, 3 Vallée, the Berner Oberland, or the Engadin. Please, please everyone ski them if you have the opportunity. But while Val d'Isere is paradise, Tignes looks like a Soviet prison. And I find the whole French real estate agency intermediary thing inconvenient and often poorly managed if you rent a chalet or apartment (also poor value), especially compared to Austria, Germany, and Italy. Regarding infrastructure, why must one take three to four button lifts/tow bars to traverse the resort from Verbier to Thyon - you're Swiss, you're rich, please spend some cash and build a modern chair lift this century. As you can see, not everyone agrees! But regardless of what you think of this list, the absolute bottom line is that if you ski in Europe, you'll eat exceptionally well, drink amazing beverages, and ski a lot more terrain with epic verticals that offer much prettier and more dramatic views (IMHO) than in the majority of N. America - all for a fraction of the price. The point: ski in Europe. Eat well. Drink better. Always have fun.
