Cruising Resorts
+ Confidence building runs
+ Usually well prepared pistes
+ Good for touring a large area
– Similar graded runs can be indistinguishable
– Not all resort areas are accessible on the easier runs
– The best runs can be busy with ski schools

You’re on holiday. You enjoy the mountains and you enjoy long cruising runs. Great for working on technique or just having a blast. The following resorts have a high proportion of intermediate cruising runs that should keep you happy – either side of good lunch stop of course:

Large lift-linked cruising areas include Flaine, Megève and Morzine (France)

Mid-sized cruising lift-linked areas include La Clusaz, Isola 2000 (France), Grindelwald (Switzerland) and Kitzbühel (Austria)

Hardcore Resorts
+ More pisted black runs than most
+ Large areas with a lot of ground to cover
+ Extensive off piste opportunities
– Snow conditions can restrict off piste access
– In perfect conditions, all the locals will be there
– Not ideal for mixed ability groups

You may be on a short break but you want to cover the whole area and like a challenge. These resorts all cover a large area and also offer some steep and challenging terrain both on piste and, with a guide, off piste. After all, you can have a rest when you get back home can’t you?

Large sized lift-linked hardcore areas with an above average proportion of black pistes include Alpe d’Huez, Flaine (France) and Davos (Switzerland).

Hardcore resorts worthy of their cult status for on and off piste challenges include Chamonix (France) and Verbier (Switzerland).