Picking the right ski resort for a ski weekend can be difficult. From which airports can you get mid-week flights to which hotels or apartments even accept stays for less than seven nights? That’s why we’ve put together a resort guide for ski weekends and short ski breaks.

At Powder White, we’ve hand-selected a huge range of accommodation and our website is directly linked to the hotels and apartments themselves. Meaning that you can see live availability, live pricing and it’s instantly bookable. It’s never been easier to find short ski break availability.

We’ve rounded up our favourite resorts for short ski breaks so you don’t have to think about it. Behind our huge selection of accommodation is a team with all the knowledge to help you find what you’re looking for, help you with flights and transfers as well as organising ski passes and ski hire to make your ski weekend as easy as possible.

Take a look at our ski resorts with the shortest transfers here.

The best resorts for a ski weekend:

La Clusaz, France

Transfer from Geneva airport – 1 hour
Ski area – 125km

La Clusaz is somehow still a relative unknown to English skiers. And it’s all the better for it. Just an hours drive from Geneva airport, La Clusaz is perfect for a weekend ski trip.

A pretty mountain village with chalet-style buildings and a 200-year-old church dominating the main village square. There are some great mountain huts to choose from for lunches on the slopes and the restaurants and bars in town create a stylish apres scene to come back to.

Explore La Clusaz ski resort, France

Megeve, France

Transfer from Geneva airport – 1hr 10 minutes
Ski area – 400km

Avoid the crowds in Megeve, a beautiful traffic-free old medieval village centre, peaceful pistes and some great dining options. Megeve still feels like a little hidden gem and it has a huge ski area of 400km to explore.

This is open-air ice rink territory, surrounded by cobbled streets, horse-drawn carts and pretty churches. Originally drawing in lots of old money, the resort isn’t just for the rich anymore. With a charming village, extensive and quiet pistes and a great food scene it makes for a great weekend skiing option.

Explore Megeve ski resort, France

Kaprun, Austria

Transfer from Salzburg airport – 1hr 30 minutes
Ski area – 408km

Kaprun has always been in the shadow of nearby Zell am See. But this year has seen the completion of the K-onnection gondola which has eradicated the need for buses and made Kaprun into an appealing glacial ski town.

The gondola links the centre of Kaprun up to the Maiskogel local ski hill and then on up to the glacier. 12km in length, it’s a marvel of engineering and means you have snow-sure skiing on your doorstep.

Explore Kaprun ski resort, Austria

Bad Hofgastein, Austria

Transfer from Salzburg airport – 1 hour 10 minute
Ski area – 200km

One for a real weekend retreat and the ultimate ski and spa destination. Bad Hofgastein was once a mining town but now the historic centre is packed full of cosy cafes, bars, restaurants and of course the healing thermal springs.

86km of skiing immediately accessible from town with a further 114km on the lift pass. End each day wallowing in the hot springs. The Alpentherme Spa has 36,000 sqm of relaxation from saunas to hot pools or massages.

Explore Bad Hofgastein ski resort, Austria

Chatel, France

Transfer from Geneva airport – 1 hour 30 minutes
Ski area – 130km/650km (entire Portes du Soleil)

Chatel is one of the smaller villages in the huge Portes du Soleil ski area. Still retaining its traditional French feel and unspoiled nature. Close to the Swiss border, you can ski over into Switzerland for the day if you fancy.

The local slopes are a nice mix of wooded and open pistes and you can easily get over to Avoriaz and the higher slopes around here. The locals are friendly and old farmhouses rub shoulders with hotels and apartments adding to the local feel of the village.

Explore Chatel ski resort, France

Montgenevre, France

Transfer from Turin airport – 1 hour 20 minutes
Ski area – 400km

Sat on the French side of the France-Italian border, Mongenevre is linked to the large Milky Way ski area over in Italy. Sat in a minor pass the French resort gets far more snow than its Italian neighbours giving great snow quality on the local slopes.

The slopes are a great fit for all ski abilities meaning it’s an easy option for weekend skiers. Plus the bars and restaurants in the village are easy on the pocket (not something you can usually say for a ski resort). Wherever you stay you won’t be far from the slopes as it’s one of the smallest resorts in France.

Explore Montgenevre ski resort, France

Andermatt, Switzerland

Transfer from Zurich airport – 1 hour 40 minutes
Ski area – 180km

Part of the largest linked ski area in Central Switzerland, the ski arena Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis links 180km of piste. And being high it’s incredibly snow sure as well with skiing up to 3,000m.

The ski area has received over £1 billion pounds in investment over the last few years adding plenty to the appeal of the area. Bringing all ski levels and not just the powder hunters looking for fresh snow. There’s even an apres train linking the far reaches of the ski area back to Andermatt. Ski one way and party train the way back. What better way to kick off your short ski break in style.

Explore Andermatt ski resort, Switzerland

Valfrejus, France

Transfer from Turin airport – 1 hour 30 minutes
Ski area – 64km

Overlooked for years, Valfrejus is another resort with plenty of recent investment. Improving the lift system into one of the best high-speed operations around, this little French resort packs a punch.

An attractive village base with easy access to the slopes from either end of the village. the lower slopes and pleasantly tree-lined with open bowls up above. The local area has 65km of skiing, more than enough for a ski weekend and includes a 13km long leg burner of a ski run dropping 1,187 metres vertically. Plus the night tobogganing is a lot of fun.

Explore Valfrejus ski resort, France

Chamonix, France

Transfer from Geneva airport – 1 hour 10 minutes
Ski area – 115km

You can’t talk about ski weekend without mentioning the capital of mountaineering. Chamonix has some of the best off-piste routes in the world, a stunning location surrounded by towering peaks and groaning glaciers and a buzzing atmosphere.

Coming to Chamonix is as much a city break as a ski weekend. The town is extensive with 10,000 year-round inhabitants meaning the food and drink choice is equally immense and amazing. The skiing is split into multiple areas so you will need to use the buses to get around but you’ll be rewarded for your effort with some of the best skiing around. I personally had one of my best ski days ever at Le Tour after a fresh snowfall when the entire town had seemingly headed to the bigger areas, Le Tour was deserted and wonderful.

Explore Chamonix ski resort, France

Serre Chevalier, France

Transfer from Turin airport – 2 hours
Ski area – 250km

An ancient walled city, a string of old villages, an unassuming and rural feel. Serre Chevalier is unlike any other ski resort. The old villages are beautiful, full of narrow cobbled streets full of shops, bars and cafes with restaurants lining the main squares.

The 250km of piste gives you more than enough to explore for a few days, the area is split into four main areas and gives you a real sense of travelling around. Perfect if you love cruising about all day. Don’t miss out on a visit to the UNESCO listed Briancon with its ancient walls rising high above the village below.

Explore Serre Chevalier ski resort, France

There you have our 10 best ski resorts for ski weekends and short breaks. We have accommodation available in all these resorts that can be easily searched for and booked online. Though if you fancy a helping hand then give us a ring and we can find the best options for you. (The number is at the top of the page).