BEST FOR COUPLES

Morzine, France

AS a busy Alpine town with a lively spirit, Morzine is steeped in traditional charm with wooden chalets sprinkled across the mountain and value-for-money après-ski. There are runs to suit everyone.

Click here now for amazing offers to Morzine!

Beginners have easy access to nursery slopes close to the centre, while intermediate and advanced skiers use the 650km of piste in the Portes du Soleil with wide-open reds, tree-lined blues and 28 blacks. If that’s not enough, the floodlit area (open until 10pm) offering tubing and jumps for freestyle skiers should keep you entertained.

If it’s a nice day, head to Les Gets to take in the views of Mont Blanc. The scenery across the valley on Tulipe red run down from Ranfolly is the best in the PDS ski area. For a romantic, candlelit dinner try Numero Dix.

The menu depends on what’s in the surrounding woodlands but wild boar and venison are often on the blackboard.

GO: Seven nights’ half-board at the two-star Hotel Le Petit Cheval Blanc costs £489pp, flying from Gatwick on February 5. See firstchoice-ski.co.uk

BEST FOR FAMILIES

La Plagne 1800, France

FOR late-season bargains, La Plagne is the place. Made up of ten purpose-built villages, it offers easy access to the 425km of the Paradiski area. While the lift passes are just as steep as other big French resorts, there is a six-day family pass (two adults and two children for La Plagne and Les Arcs for €799), available from the main Plagne-Centre lift or online at skipass-laplagne.com

There’s now a cable car linking La Plagne to Les Arcs, creating access to long, winding blues and greens through the trees and some steep, fast and icy blacks for the daredevils. There’s off-piste on offer too but go with a guide. There are also flat spots (12 greens) around La Plagne centre which are ideal for beginners.

The après-ski is chilled. La Mine Bar is most popular with seasonaires thanks to the live music. But if you want to hit the town go to Belle Plagne, where the atmosphere is slightly livelier. The cable car to Bellecote runs until 12.45am but, if you miss it, taxis are available. La Tête Inn is a great bar with old milk churns for seats, while Saloon bar keeps its swinging doors open and people dancing until 4am. Many bars also run a courtesy bus back to La Plagne 1800.

GO: Iglu Ski offers seven nights’ self-catering at Les Chalets Edelweiss apartments from £290pp with flights from Bristol to Grenoble and transfers on February 5. Call 0208 5446035 or visit igluski.com

BEST FOR SNOWBOARDING

Mayrhofen, Austria

HEADLINERS The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim are among the live acts and DJs taking to the stage at Snowbombing, Mayrhofen’s biggest music festival, in April – keeping up the resort’s reputation for full-throttle nightlife. If you want to dance all night, go down the main Penken lift that runs from the centre of town and head to the Ice Bar. It booms with pop and claims to sell more Grolsch beer than any other bar in Europe.

Want incredible offers to Morzine? Click here now...

The outdoor Nikki’s Schirmbar on Ahornstrasse blasts out music from 3.30pm. Prepare to get dragged on to the tables as soon as you arrive. Mayrhofen also has a family-friendly reputation, with nursery slopes and a children’s ski school.

There are wide, gentle blues, a mix of steep and steady reds and, for the brave, the Harakiri black run – the steepest black in Austria, with a 78% incline. From the Penken gondola access the Burton Funpark, a well-linked collection of mountains with quarter and half pipes, a boardercross course and multiples of kickers. If you’ve still got fuel to burn after a day bombing around the 101km on offer with a Zillertal Superski seven-day lift pass (€193), check out the giant icicles and fresh powder runs on Hintertux Glacier a few kilometres away. It may be colder than the main Penken and Ahorn areas but it has the best ski conditions.

GO: Pick up value-for-money packages for groups at snowcoach.co.uk with ferry crossings and coach transfers. Group leaders get free ski and boot hire and if there are more than nine of you, one guest goes free. Six nights catered at Club Chalet St Lukas costs from £498 including coach from Watford, London, Dover or Thurrock and ferry to Calais. Call 01727 866177 or visit snowcoach.co.uk

BEST FOR LAST MINUTE BARGAINS

Bankso, Bulgaria

THANKS to its modern lifts and 65km of marked pistes, Bankso is Bulgaria’s hottest ski resort. The slopes are suited to intermediates and beginners with a mix of reds, blues and one black – but expert skiers can try the nearby resort of Shiligarnika for more challeng-ing slopes. This eight-year-old resort is very popular, with hour-long peak-season lift queues. But it’s worth the wait because the price of everything here is dirt cheap. Eat pasta, kebabs and pizza with wine/beer at Nadia’s for under £10 a head. The average beer costs £1 and even a peak-season, six-day, adult lift pass is just £133.

The après-ski in this rustic town is a combination of late-night discos and traditional “mehana” establishments. For a lively post-piste drink go to Harry’s Bar just 150m from the main lift. For a quiet drink and bowling pop into Hotel Strazhite. Or try Amnesia for all-night partying.

GO: Pay £356 for a week’s half-board at the four-star Hotel Bankso, with sauna and indoor pool. Price includes flight from Heathrow on February 5. To book call 0845 520 1260 or visit balkanholidays.co.uk

BEST FOR BEGINNERS

Pas da La Casa, Andorra

ANDORRA is bang in the middle of the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Known as a cheap, boozy destination for young, party-loving skiers and boarders, the modern resort of Pas de la Casa lives up to the reputation. It’s in the Grandvalira ski area, the largest in the Pyrenees, with 192km of terrain for all levels of skier. Almost everything is duty-free here, with beer costing just €1.20 a pint.

Paddy’s offers cheap drinks, hearty food and partying until 4am. There’s a Crazy Hour from 4pm-5pm when drinks are the cheapest in town. It also offers live sports coverage on giant screens. For lunch or dinner head to La Borda just below the shopping centre. During the day sit on the sun terrace and enjoy the view. Don’t expect chocolate box chalet accommodation at this resort but there is guaranteed great skiing and all-night partying that won’t leave you skint.

GO: Six nights at the self-catering Fontera Blanca Studios, flying from Gatwick on February 6, costs £389pp. A Learn To Ski/ Board Pack, including a six-day lift pass, ski and boot hire and five days’ tuition (3hrs per day) costs £210 and is for complete beginners only. Call 0208 780 4481 or visit inghams.co.uk