Ellmau

Although the ski area is all under 2000m, one of the most powerful snowmaking systems in the Alps ensures decent on piste coverage throughout the winter. The traditional village makes for a great base for families, especially as there is a nice pod of gentle runs and beginner slopes located right above it. It is also a very affordable resort, both in terms of the accommodation on offer and up on the hill for food and drink.

Just above the village lies one of Austria’s best beginner zones. Several draglifts and magic carpets are all located on gentle slopes that are now reliably covered in snowmaking thanks to heavy recent investment in snow machines. From here there is great progression on to longer blues and by the end of the ski week, much of the Ski Welt will be skiable.

The rest of the area is a vast network of wide, well-groomed and tree-lined blues and reds. This makes it a great resort for bad weather skiing, especially as a lot of the lifts have protective bubbles and seat heating. The sense of travel is excellent, but it must be noted that the challenges for advanced and expert skiers are somewhat limited, unless there has been fresh snowfall.

Both Salzburg and Innsbruck airports are around an hour and a half away by car from Ellmau, perhaps less on a good run. Munich is a good alternative, sitting around two hours to north. Public transport options are available from all three, but transfer times are a good deal longer.

• Innsbruck airport: 1.5 hours (driving) or 2.5 hours (public transport)
• Salzburg airport: 1.5 hours (driving) or 2.5 hours (public transport)
• Munich airport: 2 hours (driving) or 3 hours (public transport)
• Calais: approximately 13 hours driving (673 miles)