What really characterises a ski resort? Winter sports enthusiasts ask themselves this question every year. After all, they not only value the perfect view of majestic peaks, but also perfectly groomed slopes and first-class après-ski offers. This is what provides ski enthusiasts with unforgettable experiences on and off the slopes in winter. SnowTrex now reveals exactly where the best ski resorts in the Alps with the best value for money can be found in 2024/2025 in a large top 50 ranking.
Skiing is more than just carving down kilometres of slopes. A perfect ski trip requires the right mix of adventure, comfort and fun. That’s why the current ranking takes into account all the aspects that make for a successful ski holiday in the mountains: the local snow conditions, the number of pistes and lifts, the prices for ski passes and overnight stays, as well as for lunch and the odd après-ski beer. Together with the guest ratings and popularity on social media, this list provides a guide to finding the best ski resort – according to your own ideas and needs. Depending on your preference, you can either view the ranking as a whole or focus on individual categories.
France leads the ranking: Les 3 Vallées is the favourite for the 2024/2025 ski season
In the 2024/25 ski season, the French mega ski resort Les 3 Vallées is the undisputed favourite. The average visitor rating of 4.6 stars reflects the impressions of winter guests. What’s more, winter sports fans can explore a whole 600 kilometres of pistes here, so beginners and pros alike will not miss out. However, it is not just the size and variety that catapults Les 3 Vallées into first place. With an average of almost eight metres of fresh snow per year, the ski resort is a true winter paradise. This combination of first-class pistes and fantastic ratings makes Les 3 Vallées an unbeatable highlight in every ski season.
Visitor favourites, après-ski & snow safety: The highlights at a glance
So the No. 1 in the SnowTrex ranking is a real dream for every skier! But what exactly makes a ski resort a top ski resort for winter sports enthusiasts? This is exactly what the following overview shows, as it offers both experienced skiers and beginners comprehensive insights and important data for planning an unforgettable skiing holiday.
Guaranteed snow: fun in the snow is guaranteed here
Climate change is a key challenge for winter sports and the livelihoods of people in the Alps. In the mountains today, this is unfortunately reflected in a lack of or less snowfall. For skiers in particular, who expect natural snow on the piste and snow-covered landscapes, snow reliability is therefore of great importance and depends primarily on the altitude. Historical snowfall data from recent years also provides a good indication of snow reliability in the current season.
In the latest SnowTrex ranking, the French ski resort of Chamonix boasts the best combination of impressive snowfall and optimal altitude. Ski enthusiasts can expect an average of more than 13 metres of fresh snow per year. Together with a mountain station at an altitude of 3,275 metres, this ski resort is considered an exceptionally snow-sure destination.
Ski resorts such as the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser – Brixental and the South Tyrol ski region with their state-of-the-art snow cannons show that you don’t always need natural fresh snow for fantastic skiing fun. This means that over 80 per cent of the 270 kilometres of pistes around the Wilder Kaiser can be covered with snow and opened for skiing within three days in wintry outdoor temperatures. The same applies to the almost 1,300 kilometres of pistes in the South Tyrolean ski areas, where as much as 90 percent of the slopes can be covered with artificial snow!
Les 3 Vallées scores with its large lift capacity
The actual time spent on the slopes is a key criterion for many people on a skiing holiday. When choosing a ski resort, it is therefore important to avoid long waiting times at the lifts. After all, you want to be back at the top of the mountain as quickly as possible after your descent. Especially for parents travelling with small children, long and frequent queues can quickly become a stress factor. An extensive range of ski lifts – whether T-bar lifts, chairlifts or gondola lifts – helps you get to your destination quickly.
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With an incredible 284,833 people transported per hour, Les 3 Vallées has the highest lift capacity in the SnowTrex ranking. With an extensive ski area with 600 kilometres of pistes, this transport capacity is indispensable. A total of 156 lifts are available to skiers and snowboarders here.
The best ski resorts for beginners
Big and small successes on the piste are the be-all and end-all of a successful ski trip, especially for beginners. So it makes sense to always plan your days in the snow with your own skills and the difficulty level of the slopes in mind. The following ski resorts offer ideal conditions.
Les 3 Vallées has a total of 312 beginner-friendly downhill kilometres in the form of blue and green pistes. Beginners will find plenty of space here to master their first turns in a safe and relaxed manner. With 32 ski schools on site, there is also a huge range of opportunities to learn to ski from real professionals.
The French-Swiss resort of Les Portes du Soleil hasa similarly strong programme for beginners of all ages. Winter sports newcomers are supported by 31 ski schools so that nothing stands in the way of their first turns on a snowboard or skis. With 310 kilometres of pistes in the green and blue categories, Les Portes du Soleil has a similarly large selection of beginner-friendly slopes as Les 3 Vallées.
The best ski area for advanced skiers
The 4 Vallées ski region in Switzerland is a dream destination for experienced skiers and snowboarders. Of the total of 412 kilometres of pistes, a full quarter (103 km) are black pistes. The largest ski area in Switzerland also boasts a difference in altitude of 2,509 metres, ensuring adrenaline-fuelled fun in the snow. 4 Vallées is therefore extremely popular with experts and freeriders. Long, tree-free descents with wonderfully deep powder snow invite you to put your skills to the test time and again. So it’s no wonder that the premier class of the freeride scene returns to the canton of Valais every year with the Freeride World Tour and that 4 Vallées is among the top 10 in our ranking in this category.
Accommodation, ski pass, catering: Berchtesgaden impresses with the best value for money
Ski holidays in the Alps don’t have to be expensive if winter sports enthusiasts factor in the key costs. These include accommodation, meals, the ski pass and après-ski parties after a day’s skiing. It is therefore worth taking a look at the average prices of the individual ski resorts in advance.
The SnowTrex ranking shows that Berchtesgaden in Bavaria offers the best value for money. Here, a holiday flat for two people and seven days costs an average of 864 euros and is therefore an ideal destination for self-caterers. For a double room in a hotel including breakfast, the average price in Berchtesgaden is just under 1,081 euros per week. The ski pass for six days is also the most affordable here at 200 euros. It should also be noted that the ski resort on the Austrian border is one of the smallest in this ranking with 40 kilometres of pistes.
The Italian ski resort of Via Lattea can be a real alternative for those who want to have a lot of skiing fun for little money. Here, snow fans pay an average of 1,218 euros for a holiday flat for a week. Another plus: you can get straight onto your skis from most flats and spend the day in a skiing paradise with 400 kilometres of pistes. A holiday flat is often even cheaper if more than two people are travelling together.
The highest accommodation costs for holiday flats can be found in the Matterhorn Ski Paradise ski resort. In the fashionable ski resort in the Swiss canton of Valais, the average cost of a holiday flat is 3,877 euros for two people and seven days. The ski resort of Corviglia, also a destination in Switzerland, has the most expensive hotel rooms on average. Here, couples currently pay an average of 4,078 euros for a week.
Price-conscious skiers who want to save money when booking their ski holiday should take note of a real top tip. At SnowTrex, the ski pass is always included in the accommodation offer, so a ski holiday for two people over seven nights is available from just 600 euros!
The cheapest après-ski beer can be found in Germany
Germany also lives up to its reputation as a beer nation when it comes to après-ski. Party enthusiasts on the slopes in Oberstaufen can get half a litre of the hearty après-ski drink for just 4.50 euros. In Berchtesgaden, the price is currently 4.60 euros. For comparison: the most expensive beer in our ranking is available for 10 euros in Arosa-Lenzerheide in Switzerland.
Winter sports enthusiasts enjoy the cheapest lunch in Oberstaufen
Hearty cheese spaetzle, a savoury schnitzel or sweet yeast dumplings: after a morning in the snow, every skier deserves a culinary break at one of the romantic huts. On average, three ski resorts offer the best value for money for a main course at lunchtime. In the German Oberstaufen and the Italian ski resorts of Livigno and Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta, a main course in a hut costs around 15 euros. This is a great way to recharge your batteries for the next round on the piste.
Ski guests in Swiss ski resorts such as Matterhorn Ski Paradise or Davos Klosters Mountains, on the other hand, should be prepared for a different price range, as a main course at lunchtime can cost well over 30 euros here.
The visitors’ favourite: Val Gardena
Social media and online reviews make it relatively easy for winter sports enthusiasts to get a good impression of their holiday destination in advance. This creates a new dimension of transparency and increases the anticipation of the upcoming ski holiday.
The Italian Val Gardena enjoys the greatest popularity among ski fans with over 117,000 followers on Instagram and an almost perfect visitor rating of 4.8 stars on Google. However, the biggest “influencer” among ski resorts in the Alps is the French resort of Chamonix with an impressive 225,000 followers. Among the German ski resorts, Ski Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal is at the top of the social media favourites with just under 110,000 followers.
SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental impresses with après-ski & gastronomy
Whether it’s après-ski fun or culinary delights in the restaurant: a hearty stop-off after the piste tour is an integral part of many skiers’ skiing holidays.
And the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental ski area is the winner in this category. With 32 bars, it has the most après-ski venues, which also have the best catering rating with 4.6 out of 5 stars. So if good food and a varied après-ski offer are important to you, you will be particularly happy around the Wilder Kaiser.
For winter sports enthusiasts who attach particular importance to the quality of après-ski, other ski resorts in the Alps are also excellent places to go. A total of two ski resorts have received the top rating of 4.8 stars on Google for their party offerings. With 22 bars, the Austrian Silvretta Montafon not only offers quality, but also a broad programme of evening entertainment. The Swiss Silvretta Montafon has a smaller selection of 13 bars. But the après-ski there is no less lively!
Methodology
For the ranking, 50 popular ski resorts in the Alps were selected that have enjoyed a good reputation among winter sports enthusiasts for years. However, skiers and snowboarders don’t just appreciate the fantastic pistes here – after all, the perfect trip depends on the overall package of adventure, comfort and fun on and off the slopes. That’s why our selection of the best ski resorts takes into account a variety of factors in the categories “skiing”, “cost”, “catering” and “popularity”.
In order to be able to compare the individual values of all the ski resorts surveyed, the results were standardised on a point scale from 0 to 100. The ski resort with the best or most favourable result in the respective factor received a score of 100, while the ski resort with the worst or most expensive result received a score of 0. All other ski resorts were measured against these extreme values for each factor and thus ranked. As the most important aspect in the evaluation of a ski resort is the skiing itself, the factors from the categories “cost”, “gastronomy” and “popularity” were only included in the calculation with 20 per cent.
The data was collected between September and October 2024.
Skiing
The most important aspect when choosing a ski resort is the quality of the skiing experience itself. For this reason, this analysis placed particular emphasis on relevant factors such as snowfall, the total number of pistes and the total capacity of the lifts.
Snow reliability
Sufficient snow is the basis for a successful skiing holiday. Based on the highest point and historical data, a forecast for snow reliability can be made.
Highest point: The higher the altitude of the ski resort, the higher the probability that there will be enough snow in the main season. Source: SnowTrex
Snowfall in the valley resort: Average annual snowfall, calculated from the available snowfall data for the last five seasons (19/20, 20/21, 21/22, 22/23, 23/24). The figures refer to the respective valley resort in the vicinity of the ski area. Source: SnowTrex
Capacity
Total number of lifts: The more lifts available, the better guests can spread out on the individual slopes. This leads to more time on the slopes, an overall smoother skiing experience and makes skiing safer and more enjoyable. The figure refers to surface lifts, chairlifts and gondola lifts. Only the total number of lifts was included in the ranking. Source: SnowTrex
Transport capacity per hour: The more visitors can be transported per hour, the more relaxed the skiing experience. The figures refer to the official data of the individual ski resorts.
Number of ski schools: Whether you are a beginner or an advanced skier, a ski school helps you to develop and improve your skills. Source: Google Maps
Ski slopes
Total kilometres of slopes : The more kilometres of slopes a ski resort has to offer, the more skiing fun and variety it guarantees. In addition, the pistes were rated according to their level of difficulty (blue and/or green, red, black). This primarily helps beginners and advanced skiers to find the right ski area for them. Only the total number of kilometres of slopes was included in the ranking. Source: SnowTrex
Blue & green pistes: These types of pistes are particularly flat and correspondingly easy to ski, making them perfect for anyone who wants to gain their first experience on skis or a snowboard. Note: The distinction between green and blue slopes is only found in France. Source: SnowTrex
Red slopes: Offer more incline and can feature different terrain and obstacles to make the skiing experience more interesting. Source: SnowTrex
Black runs: Often consist of steep slopes, narrow passages and challenging terrain, making them a challenge even for experienced winter sports enthusiasts. Source: SnowTrex
Altitude difference: The greater the altitude difference, the longer a descent can be and the more challenges and different types of terrain skiers can expect. Source: SnowTrex
Costs
Holiday flat: A skiing holiday will be difficult without suitable accommodation on site. The prices listed here refer to a holiday flat within a radius of five kilometres for seven nights and two people. The data refers to the average price, recorded via Booking.com.
Hotel: The average prices quoted here refer to a hotel with breakfast for two people within a five-kilometre radius of the ski resort during the high season (end of December to February). The survey was carried out by aggregating the average price via Booking.com.
Ski pass: No ski fun without a ski pass. The costs refer to a ski pass for 6 days in the high season; online and early booking discounts were not taken into account. If no main season price could be determined, the price for 6 days from 26/12/2024 was used. Source: the respective ski resort
Beer price: Nobody should suffer from thirst during après-ski. The information is taken from local bar menus and refers to 0.5 litres of the respective drink. Source: Google
Lunch: Prices for winter 2024 or later. The prices refer to the average value for main courses, taken from menus of local ski huts. Source: Google Maps
Gastronomy
Bars: Number of local bars. The bigger the selection, the more offers for every après-ski type. Source: Google Maps
Gastronomy rating: The information refers to the average visitor rating of the gastronomic offer of the respective ski resort on TripAdvisor.
Popularity
Instagram followers: The number of followers of the official Instagram account of the ski resort gives an impression of how popular it is with winter sports enthusiasts. Status of the data collection: 15/10/2024
Ski resort rating: Feedback from other skiers is worth its weight in gold. Especially when it comes to the quality of a ski resort, reviews show how other ski fans rate a particular destination. Source: Google
Après-ski rating: The best ski resorts also offer a great time away from the slopes with après-ski. The average visitor rating shows where you can expect to have a particularly good time in the evening. Source: Google
For reasons of transparency, SnowTrex has also decided to publish the raw ranking data. The data sets can be found here.
