How to find the best ski resort for your ski holiday
Every week during the season, we transport skiers to over a dozen ski resorts, and we are often asked which is the best.
It’s never an easy question to answer, so we chatted with Will Micklethwait, the editor of the independent ski resort review website, WhatSkiResort.com
“It’s the wrong question to ask,” he said. “The right question is: what is the right ski resort for you?”
The ‘Perfect’ Ski Resort doesn’t exist!
“There’s no such thing as a perfect ski resort,” he explains. “They all have strengths and weaknesses. But some of the strengths and weaknesses won’t be relevant for you. For instance, a ski resort might have brilliant late season snow conditions, but that’s irrelevant if you’re going there at the start of the ski season. Similarly, another ski resort might have outstanding off-piste skiing but a family with children learning to ski will want to know about its slopes for beginners.”
Tignes has fabulous freeride but its free nursery slopes are of more interest to beginners. Photo © andyparant.com.
So how exactly does WhatSkiResort.com help skiers decide which is the best ski resort is best for their ski holiday?
Find Your Best Ski Resort
“We have a widget called Find Your Best Ski Resort.” Will says. “All you have to do is select your three most important criteria from a menu. If you think early season snow, intermediate-level skiing, and apres-ski/nightlife are the most important, you’ll get very different recommendations from someone who prioritises ski resort charm, short transfers and value for money.” You can then see what prices Ben’s Bus offers on our Prices page.
Recommended Ski Resorts
“Secondly, we do recommend ski resorts for different type of skiers on different types of ski holidays. For instance, we have articles on the best ski resorts for family half-term ski holidays and for Easter ski holidays.” You can see where Ben’s Bus travel to on our Ski Resorts page.
Snow-Sure Ski Resorts and Big Ski Areas
“Thirdly, we know that skiers from the UK often have two overriding concerns which are reliable snow and a large ski area. So WhatSkiResort.com has a ‘Snow-sure ski resorts’ section which includes only resorts with reliable snow, and a ‘Ski resorts with big ski areas’ section which includes only ski resorts with very large ski areas.”
Val Thorens is snow-sure and has a huge ski area, but you also need to know the disadvantages of staying there. Photo © T.Loubere_OT Val Thorens.
Independent Ski Resort Reviews
“Lastly, we always recommend that skiers read an independent review of a ski resort before they book a holiday there. Unlike a tour operator’s brochure or an official tourist board website, an independent ski resort review should tell you the downsides of going to a particular resort as well as the upsides. WhatSkiResort.com has independent reviews of all the top ski resorts in the Alps and each one highlights not just the pros but also the cons. And we always end the review by suggesting similar ski resorts that you should also consider to broaden your choice.”
The Ben’s Bus Verdict
So does Ben’s Bus always agree with WhatSkiResort.com opinions about ski resorts?
No, not always. Of course we believe the transfer time from your preferred airport is a big factor – but we would say that! We run transfers from 3 different airports. But even when we disagree, we think WhatSkiResort gives useful information that can help you decide where you should go on your ski holiday. And that’s the important thing.
See WhatSkiResort.com Independent Ski Resort Reviews.
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