Winter is here, so here are the best early-winter ski trips you should know about

Winter is here, so here are the best early-winter ski trip you should know about

Winter isn’t complete without a ski trip. Suddenly you’re mired in mid-November or early December darkness; next you’re staring slack-jawed at some snaggle-toothed mountain, with new season’s snow beneath your skis, and wishing you’d booked your hotel for three months, not three nights. Never before have I felt such grandeur, speed, and sunlight.

Get your ski boots on and head to the mountains between now and Christmas. Winter is here. Flights are plentiful and rooms are unbooked in most resorts. Fresh snow has fallen on the upper slopes as well after a nerve-wracking period. More is predicted in the mid-range.

Choose from these hotels for long weekends and seven-night stays. I pulled out a couple of Christmas plums. You can enjoy substantial discounts if you can free yourself from your yuletide commitments.

Val Thorens will be blessed by snow next week, just in time for its opening weekend, which begins on Friday.

Thousands of skiers will make their first turns of the winter on its rolling slopes before dancing to piste-side DJ sets. Stay at the simple, but spick and span condos at Résidence Chamois d’Or and sign up to test the latest skis (digitaltestcenter.com) for free.

World Cup ski races inject excitement into the early season, as you’ll be able to see in Val d’Isère on December 14-15 (from £8.30; worldcup-valdisere.com). Ski over to Tignes, or ski down to Fornet or Solaise sectors at the far end of the valley.

The Chalet Hôtel du Fornet is at the far end of the valley. A lift rises above 3,000m at each end of this snow-sure ski area.

Hotel-du-fornet- offers four nights’ half-board from £564 per person. You can travel to Bourg-Saint-Maurice by plane or by train

Whether you’re a ski racer or not, the Hintertux area is a great destination. Ski teams train on this unusually steep glacier in the autumn, one of two snow-sure glaciers.

It is less challenging than the Riepenkees, however, so it is perfect for confident but not expert piste skiers. Rent a car and drive up to the lifts from the Tirolerhof hotel to stretch your muscles each afternoon.

Skiers in Cervinia and Zermatt can trust the jaw-dropping terrain connecting them in the early days of winter, and on Tuesday the snow cannons added a welcome dusting of white.

A large area of intermediate-friendly pistes is expected to open up underneath Monte Cervino (aka the Matterhorn) if more snow falls next week. It’s easy to get around with Bergman Mountain’s ski-in, ski-out hotel.

At the high altitude of Gurgl (3,030m), the snow cannons are laying down a stable base for next weekend’s World Cup races. In the event they overpass, this mid-sized, intermediate-friendly resort provides skiers with cold, grippy snow as well as comfort.

Experience the full effect at Edelweiss & Gurgl Hotel. The hotel offers a modern rental center in the basement, as well as a blend of Tyrolean style and 21st-century comfort.

Sassolungo’s cliffs match a few European rock faces for their crinkle-cut drama. At the top of the Ciampinoi lift from Selva, you’ll first see the 3,181m peak dominating the Val Gardena pistes.

That’s the perfect prelude to an effortless weekend of Dolomite skiing. Sky Alps’ flights to Bolzano, 45 minutes from Gatwick, provide access from Gatwick to one of the best snow-making systems in the world. Stay at the Linder Cycling Hotel so you’re near the lift.

Thousands of skiers in North America are waiting with bated breath. Does La Niña develop over the Pacific? Whistler might get a bumper crop of snow if that happens, and several inches have already fallen, so the signs are good.

You won’t be able to ski there for a bargain (opening day is November 22). However, off-piste skiers will enjoy its avalanche-protected slopes. Pan Pacific Mountainside, a big, glossy hotel close to the ski lifts, has an outdoor pool and hot tubs.

Les Deux Alpes can celebrate the start of the season 2024-5. High-speed gondolas will reduce journey times up to its snow-sure glacier. So expect extra buzz at Rise, which takes place between December 7-14 (six-day ticket and lift pass £445pp; rise-festival.com).

Don’t miss Chase & Status, who are headlining. Flights-inclusive packages remain for a week in the upmarket Neige et Soleil apartments.

It’s been a slow Christmas season for all but the most expensive resorts. Snowfall may change that. Right now, there are significant discounts, like this 33 percent cut to a week at the Club Belambra Hôtel du Golf. It’s easy-skiing Arc 1800, which makes it easy to pop back for lunch (part of the all-inclusive package) after skiing. Clubs for kids are also included.

The Neilson’s Hotel Le Menuire & Spa is only offering £100pp off Christmas week, but family-friendly quad rooms are still available, and the Three Valleys ski area is nearby.

Kids’ clubs are available for an extra fee, and guests receive two free guided tours of the pistes. It also features an indoor sports center with a giant soft play area.

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