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Top European ski resorts 2026
Over 1,000 holidaymakers rate ski runs, après ski, resort charm and more at their favourite ski locations
Chamonix Mont-Blanc and Livigno were the most popular ski resorts with visitors in our survey.
Skiers told us that Chamonix in France has the full package. It's lively, family-friendly and picturesque, with access to a big ski area for all abilities.
Livigno in Italy, meanwhile, was praised for its great value. Its duty-free status means you don't pay any VAT on goods, and you'll notice the savings in restaurants and bars or when refuelling your hire car.
However, our list includes many great European ski resorts to suit different tastes and budgets.
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Survey conducted in August-September 2025 based on responses from 1,040 members of the public who have been on 1,885 skiing holidays in the past three years. Trips were a mixture of packages and non-packages. Sample sizes in brackets. 'n/a' indicates we didn't receive enough responses to report on a company in that category. Customer score based on satisfaction and whether members would recommend. *This is a range of approximate prices and could change. The price is dependent on the date, demand, and how far you book in advance.
We've named the best ski holiday companies for the first time for the 2026 season - find out the Which? Recommended Providers in our ski providers guide.
Where to visit
The favourite all-rounder: Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France, 87%
Nestled deep in a valley at the foot of Europe's highest peak - and just 62 miles from Geneva airport - is Chamonix, a vibrant ski resort that's one of France's oldest. In our survey, 21% of holidaymakers chose Chamonix for its attractiveness. It was described as having 'breathtaking views' and a 'very serene' environment to help you feel miles away from the everyday. Some of its runs wind through paths of snow-covered trees that can help improve visibility on bad-weather days. Off the slopes, it was deemed 'charming' with 'an authentic village atmosphere'.
As well as being beautiful, Chamonix provides all the amenities you should need for your ski holiday. You'll likely notice the high capacity and speed of its cable cars and gondolas that whisk you up high quickly. Its 172 km of carved-out pistes have so much to offer everyone from beginners to experts, our survey respondents found, including famous off-piste challenges. Or you can buy a pass for more than 400 km, where you can ski into Italy and Switzerland (after taking the free ski bus).
When you're not skiing, you can visit an ice cave, enjoy a swim and sauna at the sports complex, or go ice skating.
Find out how to get comprehensive and fairly priced cover for your next mountain adventure in our guide to the best ski insurance.
For outstanding value: Livigno, Italy, 87%
Famous for its historical tax-free status, which means those apres-ski beers are around €4 (about £3.50) - Livigno is a bustling resort with 115km of pistes. Almost a quarter of visitors in our survey said that the main reason they chose it was due to it being good value for money. While its ski pass doesn't feel cheap at €362 (about £318) for a week in peak season, you'll likely spend less on other things during your holiday.
Holidaymakers enjoyed Livigno's friendly town, modern ski lifts and lively apres-ski, and it received four and five-star ratings across all categories we surveyed. Skiers told us there are varied slopes for all abilities, and one customer noted that the blue runs were wide enough that they didn't have to worry about colliding with others. The resort is also undergoing big upgrades in preparation for hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics.
There is a downside. Given its remote location, it'll take you around three hours to get there from the nearest airport (Innsbruck).
It's also worth considering skiing in Bulgaria if you want a budget break. We didn't get enough responses in our survey to score the Bulgarian resorts, but they are generally considered the cheapest in Europe. However, they are better suited for beginners and intermediate skiers with smaller ski areas (75km or less) and shorter seasons due to their lower altitudes and warmer climates.
Find a ski holiday to Livigno with Which? Recommended Provider Inghams.
For all abilities and extra activities: Alpe D'Huez, France, 86%
Alpe D'Huez is known for its high number of sunny, bluebird days with snow-sure conditions thanks to its elevation. The resort, 90 minutes from Grenoble airport or two hours from Lyon or Chambery, sits at 1,860m and the famous Pic Blanc summit at 3,330m with incredible panoramic views. From here, you can ski down one of the world's longest black runs at 16km, but the resort also has a huge number of blue and red runs for easier cruising.
The resort got a five-star rating for the quality of its runs in our survey. One skier told us: 'The sheer variety of slopes was a real winner. We had all skill levels with us, and everyone found something they loved.’ Another said the nursery slopes were perfect for the little ones, and a third found the wide pistes helped them feel confident on the slopes. A six-day lift pass also gets you access to Les Deux Alpes, which is accessible by ski bus in a few hours.
Like to take a break from the slopes? Holidaymakers were pleased with the extra activities on offer, from ice skating and snowmobiling to horse-drawn sleigh rides - plus plenty of bars to enjoy après ski, too.
For snowsure conditions and a village feel: Val d'Isère, France, 86%
The combination of its high altitude and north-facing slopes makes Val d'Isère one of the most snow-sure resorts in Europe, with the season often lasting from late November through May. The wider ski area - Espace Killy - links with Tignes, giving you a total of 300 km of slopes to explore, including on the Pisaillas Glacier. One traveller described the skiing as 'world-class' with the bonus of ‘efficient lifts’.
Whereas Tignes is known for its functional feel with towering mid-20th century concrete buildings, Val d'Isère has much more traditional Savoyard architecture. Alhough it has a village charm and feels quiet outside when the lifts stop, visitors told us it's easy to find spirited après ski.
These perks come at a cost. It's a pricey resort, with a week's lift pass costing €450 (about £395) for the 2025-2026 peak season. Plus, due to its high location, your transfer will be at least two to three hours from airports such as Chambery, Grenoble, Lyon or Geneva. Or Bourg-St-Maurice train station is about 40 to 60 minutes away.
For a big ski area with advanced terrain: St. Anton Am Arlberg, Austria, 85%
A quarter of St. Anton's holidaymakers in our survey chose it primarily because of its large ski area. It's a gateway to Austria's largest interconnected ski area with 305km of pistes and reliable snow across a long season. But it's better suited to competent skiers. As one traveller explained: 'St Anton is amazing for serious skiers [and] the off-piste is unreal.' There are 200 km of unpisted routes, plus lots of ungroomed pistes with mogul fields and challenging descents.
When the lifts close, it's a great place for a party, and the après ski was described as 'wild'. The festivities are mostly located on the slopes above the village, which means it's calmer down in the village centre when you've had enough. Here, it has kept its distinctly alpine character with Tyrolean architecture.
It takes around an hour and a half from Innsbruck airport, or - like a lot of Austrian ski resorts - it has its own train station with connections to Innsbruck, Vienna and Zurich.
For a beautiful resort: St. Moritz, Switzerland, 83%
When we asked visitors their main reason for choosing St. Moritz, three in 10 said it was because of how attractive the Swiss resort is. It has three main areas - Dorf is the upper village with plenty of chic shops, bars and restaurants and panoramic views across a frozen lake in the valley. The area of Bad is quieter; it sits closer to the lake and is known for its array of spa hotels. Celerina village, however, is slightly further from the main hustle and bustle with a more traditional feel.
As well as being 'absolutely gorgeous', St. Moritz was described as 'brimming with life' with plenty of restaurants and bars on the slopes to huts in the village, and the après ski is known for being sophisticated rather than wild. There are a lot of other activities on offer too, such as night sledging, a public pool and spa, and, for the thrill-seekers, a historic skeleton track.
In terms of skiing, there are more than 350 km of runs in the entire region, and it went above and beyond one holidaymaker's expectations, who praised the 'pristine slopes, varied terrain,and breathtaking Alpine views'. There are options for all abilities with dedicated beginner areas, plenty of blue and red runs, and long off-piste routes.
But like a lot of Swiss resorts, visitors told us it's expensive. The price of the lift pass, which starts from CHF 320 (aboutb£301), can increase to as much as CHF 520 (£490) when there's high demand or when you book at the last minute. Plus, it's worth noting that transfer times from Zurich or Milan airports take at least three hours. Or there's a train station.
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