VILLARS is a long established Swiss resort on the northern side of the Rhone Valley, just beyond the eastern end of Lake Geneva. It is approximately one and a half hours drive from Geneva Airport and can also be reached by rail with just one change of train. Its ski area, which is linked to neighbouring Les Diablerets, and includes access to a 3000m glacier, offers plenty of scope for weekend skiers of all abilities. The hotels we have chosen are the Hotel Bristol and Hotel du Golf . Click here for our full Villars resort report.


COURMAYEUR, with its lively and stylish Italian aprés-ski scene and charming village atmosphere, is an excellent choice for a short break, being just one and a half hours drive from Geneva Airport via the Mont Blanc Tunnel or easily accesible via Milan or Turin. The hotels we have selected are the Hotel Centrale, situated just off the Via Roma and the Hotel Pilier d'Angle which is situated in the hamlet of Entreves. Click here for our full Courmayeur resort report.


DAVOS At 1450m, Davos is the highest town in Europe and the skiing goes up as high as 2845m at the Weissfluh from where it connects with the terrain of the exclusive, neighbouring village of Klosters. As well as the Weissfluh/Parsenn/Gotschna complex, there are four other separate ski areas on the same lift pass. As befits a real town, Davos offers a huge variety of shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. It is reached in about 2 hours by car from Zurich Airport or 3 hours by rail. Our featured hotels are the four-star Arabella Seehof and the three-star Hotel Terminus. Click here for our Davos resort report.


ENGELBERG is today one of the hidden gems of the Alps as far as the British are concerned, although our forebears were already coming here nearly 100 years ago. The resort itself is at 1050m but the skiing rises to over 3000m on the Titlis glacier, giving a vertical descent of nearly 2000m and a longest run of nearly 12km to the valley floor. It is just an hour and a half from Zurich Airport by road and can also be reached by train. Engelberg is always at its liveliest at weekends and there is a surprisingly wide choice of bars, restaurants and discos. Our hotel is centrally located with easy access to the free ski shuttle bus system as well as the shops and nightlife. The friendly three-star Hotel Central also has the benefit of an indoor pool. Click here for our Engelberg resort report.


ISOLA 2000 is a great choice for a long weekend: short transfers and snow-sure skiing with easy access to varied slopes that reach over 2600m. Conceived in the late 1960s by British entrepreneur, Peter Boumphrey, Isola 2000 is a classic post-war development, built first and foremost for the convenience of the skier. There are 120km of mostly intermediate slopes both above and below the tree line but also plenty to amuse advanced skiers as well as one of the best village nursery slopes we have ever come across. Nightlife is low-key but there are several bars and 2 nightclubs to choose from. The resort is not recommended for non-skiers. We have chosen the 3 star club-hotel Le Pas du Loup with its unique all inclusive board offer, and its ultra-convenient sister hotel, the Chastillon. Click here for our Isola resort report.


SERRE CHEVALIER is not a single resort but the collective name for a string of traditional villages that make up the largest ski area in the Southern French Alps. The 3 main centres, Chantemerle (1350m), Villeneuve (1350m) and Monetier are all villages in their own right complete with shops, bars, restaurants. Each village has quick access to the vast north facing ski area with an enormous variety of runs both above and below the tree line. Serre Chevalier suits all levels of skier but it is adventurous intermediates who would most appreciate the extent and variety of area.We have chosen the ski in, ski out Hotel Le Grand in Chantemerle , an ideal short break destination. Click here for our Serre Chevalier resort report.