Long-time visitors like Towey will be glad to know that while the East Village is mid-transformation, the rest of Deer Valley remains familiar. You can still expect meticulously groomed runs, excellent crowd management, and the resort’s signature skier-only experience. Even as the resort scales to thousands of new acres, staff remain highly visible across all terrain—nearly everywhere you look, you’ll find ski patrol or mountain hosts appearing as guardian angels in their signature green jackets.

Still, what Deer Valley is best known for is its fresh corduroy—and from the chairlift, it felt like every conversation either drifted to this year’s new East Village development or circled back to the lack of snow. On average, Utah gets roughly 300 inches of snowfall per year; this season delivered closer to 160 inches, one of the lowest totals in 25 years.

It’s increasingly unpredictable winters like this one that has led Deer Valley to invest heavily in snowmaking. The expansion adds over 1,200 new snow guns, 350,000 feet of new pipe, three new pump houses, and a 10-million-gallon snowmaking pond to the resort, making it “one of the largest and most modern snowmaking systems in North America,” Brett Hawksford, the resort’s senior snowmaking senior manager, said in a conversation with Visit Utah.

“Here at Deer Valley, we are known for our grooming, and snowmaking is in the background of that,” he added. “Without the snowmaking, the grooming won’t be able to do as good a job.”

Chasing more snow in the Wasatch Range of Heber Valley, a quick drive from the new entrance

Heber Valley, Utah Tourism

If anything, this winter underlined how important it is for ski resorts to pad their core snow‑dependent offerings with year‑round amenities and activities that take visitors beyond the slopes. Local outfitters like Wasatch Excursions offer guided snowmobile tours, private group adventures, and guided off‑trail rides—all experiences that can supplement lift‑based skiing. And at nearby hotels, like the Pendry Park City or St. Regis Deer Valley, guest can sign up for guided astronomy outings, winter hikes with experts, or snowmobile trips at higher elevations that promise more consistent snow. And there’s always nearby Park City, whose bustling downtown scene is under a 10-minute drive away from Snow Park Lodge.

If you’ve skied in Utah before, you know its mountains are compact, accessible, and impossible to outgrow. I just returned from a trip to Park City and Deer Valley during a warmer-than-usual spell that might have worried some, but on the ground, the story was a bit different. Higher elevations held onto surprisingly decent snow, the terrain skied beautifully, and the usual midwinter lift lines felt refreshingly short. In other words, this “slow snow year” brought me one unexpected perk: more room to explore.

But what sets Utah apart is more than just its powder. Within an hour of Salt Lake City International Airport (which is easy to navigate and quite pretty), the Wasatch Range packs an extraordinary mix of resorts into a tight corridor boasting family-friendly runs, challenging steeps, tree skiing, and high-alpine valleys that reward early starts and strong legs. And, of course, there are fantastic lodging options and après-ski hot spots nearby.

Excitingly, Utah’s ski areas are also evolving: Deer Valley is in the midst of a history-making expansion, set to double its terrain; Sundance Mountain Resort is entering a new era with the opening of The Inn at Sundance; and Park City just debuted its Sunrise Gondola, a high-speed 10-person lift at Canyons Village, nearly doubling uphill capacity and streamlining access to improved beginner terrain.

To help navigate the new and the long-beloved, we put together a guide to the best ski resorts in Utah, with tips and tricks on how to book the winter escape of your dreams. Read on to learn how to navigate each resort like a local.

Deer Valley is a skier-only experience

Courtesy Park City Mountain Resort

Deer Valley

As the 2025–2026 ski season hits its stride, Deer Valley in Park City is one of our best places to go this year for good reason—namely, remaining a high-altitude ski-only sanctuary of Olympic pedigree after receiving a massive, modern-day facelift. The resort’s DNA goes back to 1981, and is inextricably linked to the late Stein Eriksen—the dashing Norwegian “Godfather of Freestyle” who took Giant Slalom Olympic gold in 1952. Eriksen served as Director of Skiing here for over 35 years, and his legacy still permeates the award-winning ski school, widely regarded as the gold standard for American instruction (as a snowboarder, I took great advantage of it, and wholeheartedly agree). Either way, there’s such varied terrain to ski here for all kinds of riders—whether that be icy, exhilarating moguls for the experts or nice, long greens for beginners looking to practice while catching some stellar views on the way down.

As we continue to watch the match, Borwick explains that polo has had periods of peaks and troughs throughout time, popular in the 80s, then again in the early 2000s. He believes we’re now witnessing another revival, which he hopes will lend to a deeper understanding of the sport on a global scale (according to Swiss tourist accommodation statistics, American overnight guests in St. Moritz over the month of January surged from 6,931 in 2023 to 9,810 in 2025). Upon spotting Gstaad Guy in the crowd, I realize it helps, of course, that the event is a content creation jackpot.

Polo is considered the oldest ball-playing sport in the world, with origins in ancient Persia. Reto Gaudenzi, a Swiss hotelier, first put the game on ice in 1985.

Tony Ramirez

I ask a woman from France seated next to me, who has been coming to the tournament for a handful of years now, why this extravagantly niche game resonates today. She explains to me that snow polo is less insular than other polo events she’s been to, where one must know who’s who. Tickets to major matches at the prestigious Argentine Open, for example, sell out hours after release, while smaller events, like the Polo Hamptons, enforce a 900-guest cap, designed to encourage networking.

Snow polo may not be as widely known, but that’s precisely what makes it less exclusive. There’s still room for hardcore and non-hardcore fans alike, from ages sixteen to 85, including a fair share of billionaires, but also average people like moi. This first Friday, for instance, is free to the public. And while a good chunk of spectators do, in fact, take private planes, the train is also very popular, even among the jet set.

“It’s the largest concentration of Birkins you’ll ever see on the Landequart line,” my French seatmate jokes.

Whether it’s for the fashion, the postcard scenery, or a genuine love for the sport, it’s clear that people are here for a good time. By late afternoon, clusters of puffer coats are bouncing up and down on elevated surfaces—aprés ski style—to DJs spinning Fisher’s “Losing It.” Later that night, the tech CEOs, Swiss bankers, private jet owners (and maybe even a few polo players), will pour into Dracula, a Gunter Sachs-founded nightclub that runs on an elusive, lifetime membership.

As the snowfall starts to accumulate, scoring becomes increasingly difficult. But Flexjet steals the final chukka, thanks to Stirling. They outscore Mackage two goals to one, earning their place in tomorrow’s semi-finals—though the opposing team’s fans don’t seem too fazed by the outcome. Before the players even have a chance to exit the field, the crowd is already making their way to the VIP tent for bumps of lunchtime caviar.

Why I keep coming back:

There are plenty of beautiful places to stay in Vail, and every season seems to bring a splashy new boutique or a freshly renovated lodge promising something shinier. And yet I keep rebooking this one because nowhere else makes a ski weekend feel this effortless or special.

What keeps me loyal isn’t one grand gesture—it’s the slow accumulation of small, deeply specific ones. During one trip, for example, we arrived after turndown had been completed and found the usual chocolates on our pillowcase, plus two handmade, mitten-shaped dog treats, neatly wrapped, for our pups. Not store-bought bones or some generic pet amenity, but something that looked like a pastry chef had a little fun in the kitchen making (and which our dogs were beyond stoked about).

I adore how intuitive the service is, even if it’s small things, like waking up to find the water reservoir of the coffee pot has been pre-filled and our ski boots have been warmed. Sometimes, though, it’s almost spooky. On our last visit, while in the dining room, I shivered (it was unseasonably cold, and I hadn’t brought the right layers) and suddenly the server arrived with a cashmere blanket to drape around my shoulders.

And while nothing has ever been bad, the resort consistently looks for ways to level up, whether that’s partnering with Michelin-recognized Tavernetta or switching the welcome cocktail to include local spirits. The ski concierge at the base probably best exemplifies this always-improving ethos: What used to be a perfectly pleasant setup—lockers and a crock pot of chili—has more recently transformed into a luxe après lounge with fantastic bites (ranging from breakfast burritos and empanadas to Honey Stinger energy stroopwafels and organic fruit snacks) and hot drinks. It’s now a place where we want to linger instead of bolting for the village.

To sum it up, it feels like the hotel is constantly asking, How do we make this day just a little better? and then actually doing it.

Since her clients typically save such a significant amount of money by staying at two- and three-star hotels throughout the week, there’s often room left in their budgets to splurge a bit. Lindenmeyr encourages them to push their flight back a day, book a five-star hotel in their airport city, and take advantage of pre-flight spa treatments, great dining, and local entertainment. If you’re flying out of Zurich, for example, she recommends staying the night at the 600-year-old Storchen Zurich, which lies along the Limmat River and offers a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Leave your ski equipment at home—with one exception

At European resorts specifically, renting a week’s worth of gear is often cheaper (and easier) than checking your skis and boot bags onto international flights. In Lindenmeyr’s experience, seven-day rentals in Europe average around $230 for skis, boots, and poles. In fact, throughout her 30 years of trip planning throughout Europe, she hasn’t once found it necessary to tell her clients to bring their own gear. Lindenmeyr notes one exception: Ski equipment goes for free if you fly Swiss or United.

Utilize your Epic and Ikon Passes—but only if it makes sense

If you’re a US skier, you’ve probably already heard of the Epic and Ikon Passes—season passes to over 40 ski resorts around the world. Both passes offer seven-day access to several European resorts each season, and the Ikon Pass has even more options across Europe. However, it’s important to note that many Epic and Ikon Pass-friendly resorts are some of the most expensive ski destinations in Europe, which can often offset the savings you gain from using either pass—even when you choose an affordable hotel.

There are, however, a few hotels that are affordable and close to Epic and Ikon Pass resorts, and we rounded up a few below.

Fun fact: Many of the ski and snowboard movies you’ve seen have been filmed in British Columbia—and for good reason. The Pacific Ranges (of the Coast Mountains) and the Kootenay Rockies (of the Canadian Rockies) act like a perfect, high-altitude catcher’s glove for the wet storms generated over the northern Pacific Ocean, which translates to massive amounts of powder across an incredible variety of terrain. That makes Canada’s westernmost province a skier’s paradise, with adrenaline-spiking high alpine bowls, majestic forest glades, and cruise-y groomers where you can fine-tune your carves. Add in the legendary Powder Highway—a nearly 700-mile circular loop that connects 8 ski resorts—and famous mountains like Whistler Blackcomb and Revelstoke, and it’s no surprise that snow fiends across the world have BC on their bucket lists.

But despite the incredible conditions, ski resorts in BC often see far fewer visitors than you would expect. That often translates to short lift lines and wide open runs where you can lean into your turns and spray snow to your heart’s content. And while some are a bit more remote, most resorts in the area offer top-notch options for accommodations, spas, and après vibes. If you’re ready to experience it all, read on for our guide to the best ski resorts in British Columbia.

The ski village at dusk in summer at Whistler Blackcomb, the largest ski resort in North America

AscentXmedia

Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb is not just a ski resort; it’s a sort of alpine universe unto itself. It is the largest resort in North America, boasting 8,171 acres of skiable terrain. Connecting two massive mountains via the record-breaking Peak 2 Peak Gondola, the scale here is staggering. It offers everything from high-alpine glacial bowls and razor-edge chutes to tree runs and terrain parks. The village pulses with a ton of energy, and the restaurant and après scene are also top-notch. But it’s the sheer quality and variety of the hills (20% beginner, 55% intermediate, and 25% advanced/expert, with 5,280 feet of vertical drop), backed by some of the best lift infrastructure on the continent, that make this resort one of the best on the planet.

Whistler is also an epicenter for heli-skiing, with three operations in the area. The largest is Whistler Heli-Skiing, which turns 45 years old this season. It has a massive tenure of 432,000 acres and offers a Dawn Patrol program that gets you first tracks at the resort on days when weather keeps the choppers grounded. There’s also Phantom Heli-Ski, and the newly relaunched Coast Range Heli-Ski, both with their own specialties and offering more than 200,000 acres each.

The French alps are home to some of the best skiing in Europe—and the glitziest resorts. This winter, it’s easier than ever for travelers to access the region’s charming towns and scenic mountainscapes via high-speed rail.

Earlier this year, Eurostar announced that Eurostar Snow would be returning for the 2025-2026 winter season with convenient weekend departures from major cities like London and Amsterdam. A sustainable and immersive alternative to flying, the special winter routes offer stunning alpine views and seamless connections. Here’s what to know before you book.

Courchevel is approximately a 30-minute drive from the Moûtiers train station.

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The routes

Eurostar Snow journeys from London St Pancras International to Bourg-Saint-Maurice first travel to the charming French city of Lille, where passengers can then make a simple transfer to the French Alps. On its way to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, which acts as the gateway to resorts including Tignes and Val-d’Isère, the train stops at Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne, and Landry. Each stop acts as a gateway to resorts via a drive that’s considerably shorter than airport transfers tend to be. Hop off at Albertville for the likes of Megève and La Giettaz, check into one of Courchevel’s fanciest hotels from Moûtiers, or see what Montchavin has to offer from Landry.

For travelers departing from the Netherlands or Belgium, the snow train also operates direct routes from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels, and Antwerp to Chambéry, Albertville, Moûtiers, Aime-La-Plagne, Landry, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice—no transfers required.

How much does it cost?

One-way fares start from £99 (around $130).

How long does it take?

The journey from London to Bourg-Saint-Maurice takes just under 8 hours, while the train from Amsterdam takes 7 hours to get to Albertville and 9 hours to Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Departures from Brussels offer the shortest route, taking five hours to get to Albertville and 6.5 hours to Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Eurostar trains whisk skiers to an array of French stations that act as gateways to popular ski resorts.

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Eurostar Snow services run every weekend from Saturday, December 20, 2025 to Sunday, April 5, 2026. The train is also an excellent option for winter travelers bringing their own gear; each passenger is entitled to two suitcases, one piece of hand luggage, plus skis or a snowboard at no extra cost.

This story was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK.

Skiing abroad has always been appealing, but it hasn’t always felt easy. Lift tickets can be expensive, resort systems unfamiliar, and the logistics are enough to give even seasoned travelers pause. In recent years, though, multi-resort pass networks have simplified the equation, making overseas ski trips far easier to fold into a single winter rather than treating them as standalone splurges.

Epic and Ikon—season passes operated by Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company, respectively—grant skiers and riders access to dozens of resorts over the course of a season. What began as a way to streamline skiing in North America has expanded well beyond it. Today, both passes include a growing roster of international destinations across Europe, Japan, and the Southern Hemisphere. Epic has leaned into marquee European resorts and interconnected ski domains. At the same time, Ikon has focused on destinations known for snow reliability, distinctive local culture, and terrain that complements its North American lineup.

That access, however, comes with nuance. Not every international partner offers the same experience, and a resort being “on the pass” doesn’t automatically make it the best choice for a long-haul trip. The strongest Epic and Ikon resorts abroad are those where the skiing, aprés-ski offerings, and hotel choices justify a trip abroad. Here are six Epic or Ikon pass resorts overseas to plan a trip around.

With more than 8,000 acres of terrain and a deep roster of hotels, restaurants, and bars surrounding an accessible village, Whistler Blackcomb handles big crowds without feeling chaotic.

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Whistler Blackcomb

Country: Canada
Pass: Epic Pass

​With more than 8,000 acres spread across two mountains, Whistler Blackcomb offers variety that few resorts in the world can match. Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb ski differently enough to let skiers tailor each day to conditions—Blackcomb’s steeper terrain, glaciers, and wind-protected trees tend to excel during storms, while Whistler’s expansive alpine bowls and long groomers come into their own when the weather clears. The Peak 2 Peak Gondola makes moving between the two seamless, linking the mountains at high elevation so skiers can switch terrain without dropping back to the village. All of that terrain feeds directly into Whistler Village, so it’s easy to ski hard, drop your gear, and be at dinner or après within minutes. With a deep roster of hotels, restaurants, and bars packed into a pedestrian core, the village handles big crowds without feeling chaotic.

Les Trois Vallées is the world’s largest interconnected ski mountain, spread across three main zones: Val Thorens, Méribel, and Courchevel.

Les 3 Vallées

Les 3 Vallées

Country: France
Pass: Epic

When they finally set off, everything aligned. There was fresh snow, no illnesses, no frantic airport moments. “It really felt like the stars finally aligned to make this trip happen,” she says. “There was snow, no one got sick, and we had zero travel mishaps getting there, which honestly felt like a small miracle with kids.”

The route

The family flew into Geneva and arranged a private transfer into Méribel. Choosing not to rent a car created a mild learning curve, but the simplicity was worth it. Their apartment was ski in and ski out, walkable to the lifts and had a pool and hot tub where the girls could unwind after long days on the mountain. Erin grew especially grateful for the washer and dryer, which kept gear rotations manageable in a way that hotels rarely allow.

The rhythm of a ski day

When the kids were in ski school, the shape of the day was unmistakable. The girls would start class at 9.30 a.m. and finish at 5 p.m. Erin and Jeremy would carve out adult skiing time and then reconnect after class for a final run back to their apartment. In the evenings, the hot tub and pool became their family decompression zone.

A few times, they arranged half days so the girls could join them in the afternoon. The kids loved these windows of freedom, especially because Méribel has several kid-focused runs with rolling hills, little tunnels, and forest detours. They were proud to guide their parents toward favorite features they had discovered with their instructors.

Some of the most memorable moments came from the unplanned ones. Early in the week, they stumbled upon a small snowmobile area where children could ride kid-sized snowmobiles around a short track. “The kids had an absolute blast and it only cost about ten dollars,” Erin says. “I swear, this would never happen in the US. It would be insanely expensive, require forty-three waivers, and need reservations weeks in advance. Watching them try to maneuver those tiny machines was the comic relief we didn’t know we needed.”

They also found a sledding slope with a conveyor belt, which allowed the girls to run laps while Erin and Jeremy drank cappuccinos at a cafe at the bottom. The simplicity of it, especially in contrast to the structure of ski school, made it all the more delightful.

Ski school in France

If you ask the adults, the girls’ ski school was extraordinary value. “Cost wise it was essentially the same price to enroll the kids in a full week of ski school versus one full day lesson at a big resort in the US, so it felt like a no-brainer for us,” Erin says.

If you ask the kids, they will offer a very different review.

“They’re strong skiers so our goal was really just to let them hang out with other kids while we enjoyed some kid-free ski time,” Erin explains. “Instead, we accidentally signed them up for what felt like a very serious, very structured ski school.”

Entering The Cornice, a pizzeria that is the only restaurant still open in Kirkwood Mountain Resort’s village at 8 p.m. on a Friday night in mid-March, is like slipping through a portal to an earlier era, one before hot honey and figs were toppings. The pitchers of beer, serviceable pies, parents ignoring kids, kids ignoring parents, and Foosball all jibe with what I’ve always heard about the resort: It’s got a throwback, no-frills ethos, like Utah’s Alta or New Mexico’s Taos. At a time when resorts are adding ski butlers, pop-up Veuve Clicquot bars, and $35 poke bowls, the atmosphere is refreshingly unpretentious.

The base-area parking lot I walk through the next morning reminds me of the resort parking lots of my youth. Which is to say, it feels a lot like tailgating. People have set up folding chairs and are sipping coffee and Monster Energy drinks as they gear up. Mediocre classic rock, like bad movies on planes, is better at altitude, and as we queue up at the Solitude lift, everyone—whether 7 years old or 70—is feeling the playlist, which is heavy on the Steve Miller Band and Bad Company. The vibes are great all day long: Alex and I ski the trails off the village lifts before heading to the west-facing backside, where the afternoon sun has softened the snow. We lap the aptly named Happiness Is run before being seduced by the scent of burgers wafting from the Sunset Grill.

Of all the Tahoe resorts, Kirkwood is the most isolated. There’s only one way in and out: State Route 88, formerly the main Gold Rush route and Mormon Emigrant Trail. If it dumps, this two-lane road closes. You do have to work a little harder to get to Kirkwood, and once you’re there, skiing is all there is to do. This dynamic has helped keep the resort a bit of a secret. By 4 p.m. the mountain and the village are quiet. We make the five-minute drive to the restaurant at Caples Lake Resort, which opened in 1939 at the site of a former trading post. It’s cozy, with a big stone fireplace and views over the frozen lake. The food is so tasty and the atmosphere so inviting that we come back the next evening on our way out of town.

There’s something joyful and optimistic about crossing into a different state: “The People of Indiana Welcome You!” “Welcome to Maine, the Way Life Should Be.” Crossing state lines on skis is an even bigger rush. Heavenly Mountain Resort, which overlooks the southeastern corner of Lake Tahoe, is the only American ski resort that straddles two states. I spend a good chunk of my morning, embarrassingly, taking videos of myself skiing past the “Welcome to California” sign, with its bright yellow poppies, and the Nevada one, with its pensive forty-niner. Heavenly is massive, with base areas in each state and 4,800 skiable acres. On Ridgerun, a wide intermediate trail with unobstructed views of the lake, I have the distinct feeling that if I keep going, I’ll eventually swan-dive into the water. Palisades has stunning views, but Heavenly’s are next-level.

The resort gondola drops us in the lakefront town of South Lake Tahoe, California. A mere block away, on the other side of Stateline Avenue, is the town of Stateline, Nevada, with its string of high-rise casinos. It’s wild to see the stark difference between what are essentially two sides of the same town, and even more so to see a Harrah’s and a Bally’s against such a pristine natural backdrop. For many, skiing all day and gambling all night is a winning combo, but I’m happy to head to the Desolation Hotel, on the California side, a design-forward, sustainably built boutique property that seems novel for Tahoe, where nondescript rental condos rule the day.