Best Ski Resorts for Ski Villages

Les 3 Vallées is the world's largest lift-linked ski area, with 600 km of pistes across three Tarentaise valleys: Belleville (Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville), Méribel (Méribel and La Tania), and Courchevel. From the 1,300 m base at Saint-Martin to Cime Caron at 3,230 m, terrain spans every level: the upper Val Thorens cirque is famously snow-sure, while Courchevel concentrates the most groomed-piste mileage and the priciest lodging in the French Alps.

4 Vallées is Switzerland's largest single-pass ski area, with 412 km of pistes spanning four Valais valleys. Verbier anchors the high end at 1,500 m, with the Mont-Fort cable car climbing to 3,330 m at the area's roof: a famously challenging top-station with steep off-piste lines and views into France and Italy. Beyond Verbier, the lift network connects Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon, La Tzoumaz, and Bruson. Terrain skews advanced; the area's reputation rests on the off-piste sectors off Mont-Fort and Bec des Rosses (host of the Freeride World Tour final).

Portes du Soleil is a 12-village lift-linked ski area straddling the French-Swiss border in the Chablais Alps, between Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc massif. The lift network covers 580 km of pistes from a base of 1,000 m at Morzine to 2,466 m at Pointe de Chavanette (the steep ungroomed run known as the Swiss Wall). Avoriaz at 1,800 m is the snow-sure high base; the lower French villages (Morzine, Les Gets, Châtel) and Swiss bases (Champéry, Morgins) are pretty but more weather-dependent.

The largest ski resort in the US, offering enormous terrain variety and easy access from Salt Lake City.

Center of Austria's largest fully linked ski area, with nine villages and 284 km of pistes.

Austria's top party resort linked with Samnaun in Switzerland, famous for concerts, nightlife, and excellent skiing.

Espace Killy is the lift-linked ski area shared by Tignes and Val d'Isère in the French Tarentaise. Around 300 km of pistes connect a base of 1,550 m to the Grande Motte glacier at 3,456 m, with summer skiing on the glacier and lift-served vertical rivalled in Europe only by Les 3 Vallées and Paradiski. The terrain leans intermediate-to-advanced; the area's reputation is built on long, high-altitude descents and reliable late-season snow.

Three connected sun-soaked villages above the Inn Valley, widely rated the best family ski area in the Alps.

France's oldest ski resort and gateway to the Italian Milky Way, international skiing on the border above Briançon.

Évasion Mont-Blanc is a lift-linked ski area on the south side of the Mont Blanc massif in the Haute-Savoie, joining Megève, Saint-Gervais, Combloux, and Les Contamines (along with several smaller bases). 445 km of pistes from a base of 1,000 m to 2,350 m at Mont Joux/Mont d'Arbois. Views of the Mont Blanc massif from the upper lifts are the area's best-known asset; terrain favours strong intermediates and is gentler than Espace Killy or the Tarentaise majors.