What are your plans for the next winter vacation? People would like to stay at home because of the chilly weather, but then, you are going to miss a lot of action. So why not consider going on a ski vacation. It could be fun and adventurous, and something that the kids will love to experience.

There are plenty of ski areas in the US as well as in Canada. These are visited by both locals and tourists during the season. There are also some (selected) great ski areas in Europe: France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland, which would be perfect for skiers who love to ski away from home.

Starting with ski areas in the US, the Salt Lake City, Utah is a must visit area. Found at the base of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, it is one of the most preferred ski areas by top skiers. It is considered to have the lightest, fluffiest powder of snow in the world. Reno, Nevada is preferred by most cross-country skiers, since it has the largest private trail system in North America (300km). Other areas famous for family ski vacations are California, Vermont and North Carolina.

In Canada, Whistler is a top spot for skiing and attracts a lot of European, Japanese and Australian tourists. It has been voted the #1 resort in North America because it offers such attractive features for a perfect skiing holiday such as good lodging, gorgeous scenery, great skiing for everybody (beginners to experts), hand lift systems and incredible après ski. Quebec City is also a favorite among the locals and tourists and the major ski attractions are Mont-Saint-Anne, Stoneham and Le Massif.

Moving away from North America towards Europe, Verbia of Switzerland is one great ski location, which is rated ‘Best of the Best’ in 3 categories for après ski, off-piste skiing and advanced skiers. It has many restaurants, cafés and sports centers to keep the non-skiers busy. Other great areas for skiing in Switzerland are Grindelwald, Crans-Montana, Adleboden and Saas Fee.

Moving to Austria, Innsbruck is a hotspot that experiences a heavy influx of skiers from all parts of the world, and has created a winter vacation center that has 8 ski areas in close proximity, including Kitzbuhel and St. Anton. St. Anton am Arlberg has snow ideal for skiers and stretches over some 16km. Since it does not have trees in the slopes, it lays the perfect setting for skiing. The Galzig and Valluga peaks are suited for the more experienced skiers. The cross-country skiers have to go to Seefeld to do their skiing.

Italy known for being the cheaper way to ski, is also a much preferred area for skiing. The leading ski resort in Italy is Cortina d’Ampezzo, which has 8 extraordinary ski areas, including Faloria-Tondi and Tofana-Promedes. Cervinia, which is known for the quality of its snow, is ideal for beginners and intermediate skiers.

Courchevel, France is an excellent ski area for all skiers. The quality of the snow in Courchevel is usually better that may other slopes in the Trois Valleys. It offers all types of skiing and also has a quality lift system. In addition, it has the most cafés, restaurants, bars, hotels and nightclubs.

These ski resorts are the most sought by top skiers and if you want your ski holiday to be a quality, breathtaking one, make it a point to visit one of these resorts.