The Best Ski Resorts in Europe for 2027
From the Alps and Dolomites to the Pyrenees and Carpathians, Europe is home to some of the world’s most famous ski destinations. Reliable snowfall, long runs, mountain scenery and lively après-ski all make it a favourite for skiers and snowboarders each winter.
The difficult part is deciding where to go. Some resorts stand out for snow and piste length, while others offer cheaper lift passes, more places to eat and drink, or a quicker journey from the airport.
Following on from last year’s European Ski Index, hoppa has returned for a second year with an updated look at the best ski resorts in Europe for the 2027 season. This year’s research analyses popular destinations across:
- snowfall,
- ski-pass prices,
- piste length,
- restaurants,
- nightlife,
- sunshine,
- airport transfer times,
- global search demand,
revealing the strongest all-round resorts as well as the destinations that stand out for value, snow, dining, après-ski and easy ski transfers.
Which European ski resort is best for your trip?
- Choose Courchevel for the best all-round ski trip and plenty of pistes: The French resort ranks first overall with a score of 7.03/10 and offers 600 km of pistes.
- Choose Tignes for snowfall: The resort records 750 cm of average annual snowfall, the highest in the study.
- Choose Bansko for value and sunshine: An adult day ski pass costs £50.72, the lowest in the main ranking, while the resort also records the most annual sunshine at 3,213 hours.
- Choose Chamonix for dining and nightlife: It has the most listings in both categories, with 263 restaurants and 20 nightlife listings.
- Choose Verbier for a quick airport transfer: The journey from Sion Airport takes just 49 minutes.
- Choose Saint-Lary-Soulan for a lesser-known ski break: It ranks first in the hidden-gem index with a score of 6.25/10.
The best ski resorts in Europe for 2027
1. Courchevel takes first place with a score of 7.03/10
Courchevel is the best ski resort in Europe for 2027, taking first place with an overall score of 7.03/10. The French resort combines 600 km of pistes with 418 cm of average annual snowfall and 2,600 annual sunshine hours, while the journey from the airport takes 93 minutes.
Its 600 km of pistes is the joint-highest figure in the study, giving skiers plenty of ground to cover during a longer break. An adult day ski pass costs £70.33, placing Courchevel above some of the more affordable resorts in the ranking, but its overall score also benefits from 152 restaurant listings and seven nightlife listings.
Courchevel has also built a reputation well beyond skiing. Vogue’s coverage of Moncler’s 2025 show in Courchevel reported that more than 400 guests attended, including Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Adrien Brody and Vincent Cassel. More recently, the Prince and Princess of Wales were reported by Tatler to have taken a ski trip to Courchevel in January 2026, showing just how much the resort continues to attract famous faces.
2. Chamonix ranks second with a score of 6.98/10
Chamonix is one of the best places to ski in Europe, and it is easy to see why the resort remains such a big name in European skiing. Sitting beneath Mont Blanc, it combines 517 cm of average annual snowfall with one of the liveliest off-slope scenes in the study.
In fact, no resort analysed has more places to eat or more nightlife options. Chamonix records 263 restaurant listings and 20 nightlife listings, giving visitors plenty to choose from once the lifts close, whether that means a relaxed dinner or a later night out.
It also works well for a shorter ski break. The transfer from the airport takes 81 minutes, the quickest of the overall top three, while an adult day ski pass costs £63.62.
So, while Chamonix may not offer the sprawling piste network of Courchevel, it makes up for it with heavy snowfall, a busy town and plenty to do beyond skiing.
3. Alpe d’Huez completes an all-French top three with a score of 6.41/10
France takes all three places on the podium, with Alpe d’Huez ranking third at 6.41/10.
For skiers who want plenty of time on the mountain, Alpe d’Huez has a strong mix of space and sunshine. The resort offers 250 km of pistes, alongside 445 cm of average annual snowfall and 2,671 annual sunshine hours – more sunshine than either Courchevel or Chamonix.
It is also the most affordable of the top three when it comes to getting on the slopes. An adult day ski pass costs £56.74, compared with £70.33 in Courchevel and £63.62 in Chamonix.
The resort has a sporting reputation that stretches beyond winter, too. Its famous 21-bend climb has become one of the best-known features of the Tour de France, making Alpe d’Huez a familiar name even among people who have never clipped into a pair of skis.
Tignes is Europe’s snowiest ski resort, with 750 cm of snowfall
Fresh snow can make all the difference to a ski trip, particularly for travellers booking well in advance and hoping for reliable conditions when they arrive.
Tignes records 750 cm of average annual snowfall, the highest figure in the study. Val d’Isère follows with 571 cm, while Sölden in Austria takes third place with 557 cm.
France has a particularly strong showing, with three resorts in the top five. Alongside Tignes and Val d’Isère, La Plagne places fifth with 523 cm.
Tignes’ snowfall is not its only strength, either. It also ranks fifth overall in the European Ski Index, making it one of the strongest all-round options for travellers who want plenty of snow without compromising on the wider resort experience.
The cheapest ski resorts in Europe, with day passes from just £18.12
Lift passes are one of the biggest day-to-day costs of a ski holiday, especially if you plan to spend most of your trip on the slopes. Across Europe, though, prices can vary considerably from one resort to another.
Bruson stands out as the cheapest ski resort in the study, with an adult day ski pass costing just £18.12. That’s a little over half the price of Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, which ranks second at £34.82.
Saint-Lary-Soulan follows in third at £46.43, while Gargellen and Malbun complete the top five at £48.58 and £49.86, respectively.
For skiers willing to look beyond the best-known destinations and find the best value ski resorts in Europe, these spots could be particularly appealing when keeping the cost of time on the slopes in mind.
Courchevel and Méribel offer Europe’s most pistes, with 600 km each
For skiers who like to cover as much ground as possible, a larger ski area means more choice across a trip and less chance of repeating the same runs.
Courchevel and Méribel share first place with 600 km of pistes each. Both are part of the Three Valleys ski area, giving visitors access to a huge network of runs across the mountains.
Verbier (4 Vallées) follows with 412 km, while Zermatt ranks fourth with 322 km.
There is also a three-way tie at 300 km, with Tignes, Val d’Isère and St. Anton am Arlberg all offering the same piste length. That gives skiers plenty of choice even outside the very largest resorts in the study.
For anyone planning a longer stay, these destinations are likely to appeal most to skiers who want variety, more ground to cover and fewer repeated runs.
Chamonix is Europe’s best ski resort for food, with 263 restaurant listings
A day on the slopes tends to work up an appetite, and some resorts offer far more choice than others when it comes to where to eat afterwards.
Chamonix comes out on top with 263 restaurant listings, giving it the widest choice of places to eat in the study. Zermatt follows with 181, while Val Gardena (Alpe di Siusi) places third with 163.
That choice ranges from relaxed mountain food to more refined dining. The Michelin Guide lists several notable restaurants in Chamonix, including Albert 1er, Le Matafan, Auberge du Bois Prin and Atmosphère.
The local food scene is also rooted in traditional Savoyard cooking, with fondue, raclette and tartiflette among the classics you’ll find across the valley.
For travellers who see dinner as just as important as skiing, Chamonix’s combination of sheer choice and well-known restaurants helps it stand out from the rest of the ranking.
Europe’s après-ski capitals revealed: Chamonix takes the top spot
For plenty of skiers, the day does not end when the lifts close. Après-ski can be a big part of the trip, whether that means a quiet drink, live music or somewhere to stay out later into the evening.
Chamonix takes first place again, this time with 20 nightlife listings, ahead of Bansko on 15.
There’s then a four-way tie for third, with Courchevel, Val d’Isère, Kitzbühel and Sölden all recording 7 nightlife listings.
Chamonix’s evening scene covers a broad mix of options. The resort’s official tourism site lists cocktail bars, late-night venues and clubs, while Le Pèle combines a restaurant, bar and club in one venue, with DJs and late-night music forming part of the experience.
That variety helps explain why Chamonix performs so strongly both for dining and nightlife: it gives visitors plenty to do after a full day on the mountain.
Bansko is Europe’s sunniest ski resort, with 3,213 hours of sunshine
Blue skies can make a big difference to a day on the mountain, from clearer views to more enjoyable stops between runs. Some resorts in the study offer far more sunshine than others across the year.
Bansko comes out on top with 3,213 annual sunshine hours, the highest figure in the study.
Italy takes the next two places, with Madonna di Campiglio recording 2,694 hours and Val Gardena (Alpe di Siusi) close behind on 2,692. Alpe d’Huez and Grandvalira complete the top five with 2,671 and 2,606 hours respectively.
Bansko also has the lowest adult day ski pass price in the main ranking, at £50.72. For skiers looking for a combination of sunshine and value, the Bulgarian resort stands out on both fronts.
The European ski resorts where you can get from plane to piste fastest
A long airport transfer can eat into valuable time on the mountain, especially on a short ski break. Choosing a resort closer to the airport can mean getting onto the slopes sooner and making more of the days you have away.
Verbier (4 Vallées) has the shortest airport transfer in the study, with the journey from Sion Airport taking just 49 minutes.
Switzerland performs particularly well for accessibility, taking all three of the top spots. The Jungfrau Region is 67 minutes from Bern Airport, while Zermatt is 73 minutes from Sion Airport.
Kitzbühel and Mayrhofen share fourth place on 74 minutes, giving Austria two resorts among the easiest to reach.
Davos-Klosters is Europe’s most searched-for ski resort, with over 6 million global searches
Search demand gives a useful indication of which resorts are attracting the most attention from travellers, and a handful of destinations stand well ahead of the rest.
Davos-Klosters takes first place with 6,327,000 global searches, narrowly ahead of Cortina d’Ampezzo on 6,258,000.
Zermatt and Chamonix also attract significant interest, with 5,677,000 and 5,531,000 searches respectively, while Livigno completes the top five on 3,884,000.
The ranking shows just how much attention the best-known Alpine destinations continue to attract. Davos-Klosters, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Zermatt and Chamonix all record more than 5 million searches, underlining how strongly these resorts remain on travellers’ radars.
1. Saint-Lary-Soulan takes first place with a score of 6.25/10
Saint-Lary-Soulan comes out on top among Europe’s hidden-gem ski resorts, with an overall score of 6.25/10.
The French resort offers 105 km of pistes and receives 366 cm of average annual snowfall, while an adult day ski pass costs £46.43. It also records 2,530 annual sunshine hours, giving it a strong mix of snow, space and value.
2. San Martino di Castrozza ranks second with a score of 5.42/10
Second place goes to San Martino di Castrozza in Italy, which scores 5.42/10.
Set in the Dolomites, the resort combines 60 km of pistes with 2,587 annual sunshine hours, the highest figure among the hidden-gem top three. It receives 222 cm of average annual snowfall, while an adult day ski pass costs £60.18.
3. Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise completes the top three with a score of 5.14/10
Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise takes third place, and its low search demand really earns it the hidden-gem label. The French resort records just 158,700 global searches, considerably fewer than the two resorts above it.
It still offers 354 cm of average annual snowfall, while an adult day ski pass costs £34.82. With 43 km of pistes, it is a smaller ski area than Saint-Lary-Soulan or San Martino di Castrozza, but that may be part of the appeal for travellers looking for somewhere more low-key.
The transfer from the airport takes 150 minutes, so it is not the quickest resort in the ranking to reach. But for skiers happier to travel a little further for somewhere attracting much less search interest, Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise stands out.
How to choose the right European ski resort
There is no single ski resort that will suit every traveller. The right choice depends on what matters most to you, whether that is reliable snow, a large ski area, lower lift-pass prices, a lively après-ski scene or simply spending less time travelling from the airport.
