It would seem that every nation has their own problems when it comes to snowboarding and skiing holidays according to a survey which has been carried out by a major winter sport insurer. It would seem that British skiers, especially men, have a habit of showing off on the piste, so it is not just on the beach after all! The Italians are, well just Italians, and they do everything at breakneck speed including skiing and boarding. The French simply overestimate their own abilities whilst the Spanish don’t believe in lessons! Unsurprisingly it is after lunch when most accidents occur, alcohol has to play its part but this is when most people are getting tired, particularly after a long lazy lunch on the terrace. The biggest cause of accidents is people pushing themselves beyond their ability because of jealousy of others’ expertise on the slopes.

However it is the Germans that, it would seem, cause the biggest problem, they do not have any awareness of who is around them and perhaps they believe that the slopes are for them alone. Another area where our German friends have won is the battle for the beach bed! Thanks to Thomas Cook, tourists from the fatherland will no longer need to lay out their towels at 5am to secure a prime spot by the resort pool; they simply have the option to pay €3 per day when they book their ski holiday.

While skiing in North America might not seem very economically friendly in these post depression times at first glance, look closer and you’ll find that it’s more affordable than expected. This is largely thanks to ski holiday operators who offer excellent value ski deals including flights and transfers. And for those who do brave the transatlantic flight, America’s fabled empty, wide open, tree-lined corduroy slopes await. Combine this with reliable snow, non-existent lift queues, and excellent ski tuition, consistently high levels of service and dining both on and off the mountain and you’ll soon forget any jet-lag.

North America has so many ski resorts to choose from it could be eco friendly California, deep snow of Utah, luxury Colorado, beautiful Alberta in Canada, or for the truly dedicated skier, British Columbia. Kicking Horse, Big White, Fernie, Revelstoke, Red, these names will send ripples of excitement through any ski fan, bringing to mind visions of long virgin powder runs, snowcat skiing, heliskiing and ‘ski safari’ road trips, it all awaits you in North America.

Never dismiss a ski holiday in Scotland as a sort of second class skiing adventure, because it isn’t. You will find stunning scenery, areas of untouched snow, heart-pounding ascents and exhilarating descents; you will find that a ski touring is undeniably one of the ultimate mountain adventures on offer both abroad and here in the UK. In common with any off piste style of skiing you will need to be a competent skier and you should be physically fit, ski touring is a pursuit available to many snow sport fans.

Ski touring can be arranged through your ski holiday specialist and there are many places both here in Scotland in the Cairngorms from an Aviemore base. Alpine touring and safaris during the winter season including popular itineraries such as the Haute Route. Ski deals can be a short one or two day excursion to the more popular safari style of hopping from resort to resort.

Rivalling Bansko and Borovets for the title of most modern ski resort in Bulgaria, Pamporovo is one of the largest ski resorts in the country, easily comparing to any of the other resorts scattered throughout Europe. Nestled in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains on the slopes of the very peak where the mythical character Orpheus lived, this is considered the premier ski resort in the country, and one of the southernmost ski resorts in the whole of Europe. Only 240 kilometres out from the capital of Sofia and 85 kilometres out from Plovdiv, this is the perfect place for a winter ski trip, regardless of the duration.

Pamporovo is considered to be one of the sunniest ski resorts in the Balkans, with around 120 sunny days during the ski season. The unique atmosphere from the Aegean Sea climate combines with the air currents to create a ski season that starts in mid December and lasts until mid to late April. There are a variety of runs ranging from beginner slopes to the Giant Slalom run, perfect for experts. There are well over 100 ski instructors located in Pamporovo, with plenty of nightlife and shopping. There are accommodation and restaurants available throughout the season, although given the popularity of the ski resort it is a good idea to book your trip at least six months in advance. And while skiing is the main reason for the resort’s popularity, the summer months offer a variety of hiking and backpacking opportunities as well, so no matter what time of year you decide to come there will be plenty of things to see and do.

Named after the French Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy, who dominated the sport in the late 1960s and was a triple champion, winning all three events at the 1968 Olympics as well as the first two world cup titles in 1967 and 1968, Espace Killy is a renowned area to take your ski holiday. Espace Killy is made up of the two French resorts of Val d’Isère and Tignes and comprises 50 Black runs, 92 Red Runs, 122 Blue Runs, and 44 Green Runs; there is 300 kilometres of downhill pistes with 44 Km cross country trails more than enough for every level of skier.

Val d’Isère ranks alongside St Moritz, Stowe and Cortina in the famous names of skiing category. However it is also in the world top ten for ‘ski area size’ as well as name-fame, sharing the huge Espace Killy with neighbouring Tignes. Add to that world class lift infrastructure and a vast array of après ski activity and you have the archetypal world-class resort. ‘Val’ is very popular with the British, and has spawned purpose-built developments at out-of-town La Daille, which boasts an ultra-modern funicular, and le Fornet. Most of the men’s downhill events were staged here for the ’92 Albertville Olympics and the European leg of the World Cup season generally starts here in the first half of December.

Tignes shares the huge and wonderful Espace Killy with Val d’Isère, but the underground funicular accessed Grand Motte glacier officially belongs to Tignes. The glacier no longer offers skiing 365 days a year, but it is open for a total for nearly 10 months. For eight months a vertical drop of 1400 metres is maintained, with the aid of snow-making if necessary. The resort has five different base areas, the main one being Val Clartet with Le Lac and Le Lavachet nearby. Lower down the mountain is Les Boisses and a renovated old village Les Brevieres, at the lowest point in the system at 1550 metres.

The Espace Killy is a great place to take a skiing holiday with plenty of good restaurants, apartments, and chalets as well as top class French hotels. Night life is epitomised by the famous Dick’s Tea Bar at Val, now also to be found in Meribel, along with other like places where you can party until the early hours!

In the debate on whether France or Italy has the best skiing, Mont Blanc sits as an impartial judge between the two countries. If nothing else, as the highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc does appear to have a distinct ambience on either side of its summit.

The Chamonix Valley in France has historical significance in the sport of skiing for being the first host of the Winter Olympics in 1924. The six ski areas in the Vallée Blanche offer different skiing experiences for every level of skier or snowboarder.

The people living and visiting Chamonix are an important part of the resort as is its traditional ski resort charm. Chamonix caters to a wide range of visitors where people on a budget can enjoy themselves as much as any jet setter. Seeing brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Chanel, and Swarovski are common along with bargain-store fashion.

Over in Italy, ‘easy going’ is a term that describes the atmosphere on the Italian side of Mont Blanc with regards to its resorts and après ski. Courmayeur in the Val d’Osta is a small but picturesque, traditional skiing village with more than sixty miles of trails.

Courmayeur itself has a traffic-free village centre but is accessible from the slopes via cable car. It does not matter if personal tastes run from chic to casual; Courmayeur never loses its friendly, welcoming, laid-back charm.

Regardless of which side of Mont Blanc is picked for a ski holiday, the ability to ski in both France and Italy on the same holiday can be done with ease.

If you totally adore skiing then you are probably one of those people who wish it were winter all year round. There are places at such high altitudes that they are still cold enough to ski, snowboard, and snow hike even in the middle of the summer.

The Tyrol Mountains in Austria between Innsbruck and Salzburg offers all year skiing. The Otztaler Alps and Kaunertal Valley provide both outstanding snowy peaked mountain views and plenty of skiing any time of the year. Other possibilities exist in Europe on the glaciers around Zell am See and the villages around Mount Dachstein are a popular draw.

Zermatt in Switzerland and Tignes in France are other well-known locations for glacial runs during the summer months. Tignes is a snowboarder’s paradise with over 20 km of area to glide over. Zermatt is a more traditional ski destination with ski lifts and views of the Matterhorn.

Year round skiers in Canada head for the Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia as a classic site for winter sports with summer weather.  Across the border Oregon is favoured by American ski enthusiasts; Mount Hood is one of the guaranteed places for summer sun and winter sports. 

Exotic thrill seekers might try South America; Argentina and Chile are countries blessed with all year runs. Cerro Catedral and Las Lenas in Argentina cater for the seasoned traveller. A Chilean summer spent at Ski Portillo will give you chance to indulge your winter obsession as well. Down under, those bored with sun and surf travel to Australia’s Perisher Blue peaks and New Zealanders head to the Coronet Peak.

Many well known ski resorts, particularly in France, Switzerland and Austria, are uncomfortably crowded in the peak season. Although the crowds flock to these resorts for good reasons, such as the quality and range of pistes, their popularity is sometimes counter productive. However, there are times in the ski season when lift queues are minimal, and the prices are lower too. If you don’t have to plan your holiday well in advance, you can usually enjoy crowd free slopes at the beginning of the season in December or at the end in March and April. You won’t know whether there is enough snow until the last minute, so advance booking for these times is risky. Alternatively, the mid-season weeks that don’t coincide with British or European school holidays are always less crowded.

If you don’t have flexibility around the timing of your ski holiday, then you should perhaps look at going to a less well known resort in order to get the most out of your ski pass. Many lesser resorts have improved their facilities in recent years and offer a great skiing experience and excellent value for money also. Some places to look at are in Italy, Andorra and Bulgaria. In Andorra, you’ll find challenging pistes and a range of snow activities in the resorts of Soldeu and Arinsal. In Italy, the inviting mountains of Sauze D’Oulx and Valtournenche make a refreshing change from ‘motorway skiing’.  Bulgaria’s ski resorts are rapidly gaining in popularity, offering great value for money.

Beginning skiers do not need to feel intimidated when more advanced athletes schuss past. Here is a short list of some of the best beginner-friendly ski resorts throughout Europe.

The purpose-built resort of Valmorel in Le Grande Domaine, France, is a relatively quiet area that is just right for beginning and intermediate skiers. Valmorel is also ideal for families. Les Deux Alpes in the southern region of the French Alps is known for their nursery slopes and the variety of difficulty of slopes for all levels of skiers.

In Italy there is Passo Tonale, another purpose-built resort, where the spacious beginner slopes offers a challenge while building confidence. Families and even school groups enjoy the slopes of Passo Tonale.

Beitostolen in Norway is a friendly resort where the slopes are free from heavy crowds. The resort is hailed for its efficient lift system that makes its lifts practically queue free.

Katschberg in Austria is ninety minutes from Salzburg. The resort has ski in/ski out convenience and is highly recommended for beginning and intermediate skiers.

Eschenlohe in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district of Germany is a small resort served by one ski lift. However despite its size and lower altitude compared to other resorts, these factors make Eschenlohe a very good choice for new skiers.

Sitting in the Rhone Valley of Switzerland is the resort of Villars-Gryon. One of the features that beginning skiers will benefit from is the Modern Ski School  that utilises the Gradual Length Method, a technique invented by the late skier and inventor Clif Taylor that trains beginning skiers on ski holidays that gradually increase in length as their skills progress.

Family skiing holidays can be expensive especially as parents have to fit their travel plans into the school holiday schedule. However, choose a resort in Eastern Europe and the family skiing holiday need not break the bank. Skiing in Bulgaria can be done on a budget.

In a recent survey of family-friendly winter sport destinations Bansko was ranked number one. Post Office Travel services compiled the Family Ski Resort Report for winter 2009/2010 which investigated the costs of ski schools, weekly lift passes, equipment hire and living costs in eight ski resorts in Europe and North America.

A family was defined as two adults and two children aged between six and 12. The cheapest resort was Bansko ahead of Ellmau in Austria and Andorras Soldeu. The Bulgarian resort had the cheapest ski hire, lift passes and ski lessons and as Bulgaria still uses its own currency, the lev, food and drink were also much cheaper.

Borovets is also a good choice for a family holiday especially if you have children who are just learning to ski. The ski school is excellent and the ski resort is particularly good for families, beginners and intermediates. The resort is small which makes getting around easy, but it also has many bars, restaurants, shops and market stalls providing plenty to do and see. The resort also has a swimming pool, a bowling alley and children’s clubs with organised activities. The childcare facilities are excellent and there is an overnight crèche for parents who want to enjoy Borovet’s famous nightlife.