The Paradiski area is huge, and dramatic. Linked to La Plagne in 2003 by the Vanoise Express, it would be impossible for even good skiers staying in Les Arcs to get bored here. After a long morning of ripping around the slopes, we skied through lunch (always a good ploy) before stopping with tired legs for an early afternoon feast at the Folie Douce above Arc 1800, finishing up with 10 minutes of energetic ski-boot dancing before catching the last lift home to the luxury of Bear Lodge.
The French government has been jumpy about letting Brits back in to enjoy their beloved mountains this winter, but now the days are getting longer and sunnier, there has never been a better time to seize the day.
How to do it
Seven nights with VIP Ski (0330 041 5964; vip-chalets.com) at Bear Lodge costs £1,129pp with two sharing. Price excludes flights and transfers but VIP offers three free transfers every Sunday from Geneva Airport. Flights cost from £23 one-way with easyJet (easyjet.com)
France’s Covid rules
All arrivals over 12 must present proof of full vaccination and complete a “sworn statement” (déclaration sur l’honneur) saying they are symptom-free. Unvaccinated children aged 12 to 17 may enter in the company of vaccinated adults with a negative test (LFT 48 hours before or PCR 72 hours before) and a declaration form
14 new ski lodgings in Europe and North America
For full details of entry requirements and in-resort Covid rules for your favourite ski destinations, including the ones below, see telegraph.co.uk/skirules. Refer to gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for further travel information.
Best for family fun
The RockyPop Flaine Hotel, France
This fun-focused hybrid of a four-star hotel and a hostel sits in the centre of Flaine, in the Grand Massif. Children’s areas offer karaoke, table tennis and arcade games. For grown-ups, there’s a cocktail bar, a food court with a sushi bar and a spa by Nuxe with a pool. Accommodation is flexible, with rooms and apartments for everyone from solo travellers to groups of 10.
Book it: From £1,277pp for seven nights’ half board, including flights and transfers with Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk)
Best for adults only
Goldstück, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria
Saalbach heads up the second-largest ski area in Austria, and this season the adults-only Goldstück hotel ups the ante on lodgings. Much is made of its library-cum-cinema with a crackling fire, where reading is carefully curated by a local bookstore. There’s a cocktail bar with an in-house mixologist, and a “grab and stay” kitchen serving favourites from dumplings and pasta to curry and ghoulash. Rooms are boldly decorated, with rain showers and record players, some with outdoor bathtubs and private saunas.
Book it: From £695pp for three nights’ B&B, including flights and car hire with Momentum Ski (momentumski.com)
Best for the environment
Hotel de LEN, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
The new de LEN, meaning “of wood” in the local Ladino dialect, is dedicated to environmentally conscious guests. Wood is the mainstay of construction in this 22-room hotel with balconies offering views of the Dolomite ranges of both Sorapiss and Croda da Lago. There is a spa with an infinity pool, and a restaurant that serves dishes drawing upon high-quality local and sustainable produce, plus a café bar and speakeasy.
