Fantastic slopes but not so steep: readers’ pick of smaller, good value ski resorts in Europe

Winning tip: Tatranská Lomnica, Slovakia

At the heart of the High Tatras mountain range, this resort has great facilities, spectacular views and a selection of slopes suitable for anyone from families with small children to those seeking a bit of adrenaline. It has the highest and steepest slope in Slovakia among its 12km of pistes (a 6.5km slope down from 2,196 metres). There are plenty of great restaurants and accommodation options, including the very picturesque and grand Hotel Lomnica (doubles from €140 B&B). With two cable cars to some of the most scenic vista points in the High Tatras, a sledge run, hiking trails and numerous spas, there is plenty to do away from the slopes too. Excellent value for money.
skiresort.info
Erika

Vuokatti, Kainuu, Finland

The small resorts in the lakes around Vuokatti in Finland are often ignored by experienced skiers. But the pristine slopes, with their beautiful powder and lack of crowds, feel like Europe’s best kept secret. There are only a few hours of light each day in mid-winter, so some slopes are floodlit – if you’re lucky you’ll descend under the Northern Lights. And what the 11km of slopes lack in precipitous drops, they more than make up for with dog-sled safaris, snowshoe hiking, ice-skating, and of course cross-country skiing. Still desperate to get the pulse racing? Try a sauna and a dip in an icy lake.
skiresort.info
Emma

Foppolo, Lombardy, Italy

Foppolo, a 90-minute drive north of Bergamo is at the bottom of a valley where the pistes are extremely accessible. With seven ski lifts and 47km of pistes with different levels of difficulty there is something for all ability levels. Ski school is great fun and reasonably priced. If you like cross-country skiing then there is an easy loop of about 3km in the Convento area. Snowboarders are well catered for too. Leisure facilities include shopping, a spa and an ice-skating rink. This is a fabulous resort for a range of skiing abilities, easy to reach from the UK with fabulous snow conditions and often sunshine. Ski passes (adult from €23 a day) can also be used in nearby San Simone and Carona.
bremboski.it
Jennifer Hocknull

Füssener Jöchle, Grän, Austria

A gondola takes you up to the edge of the Austrian Alps, with sweeping views over Bavaria from the top. Lovely open skiing in a bowl at the summit of the gondola, served by a quick, six-person chairlift, with a long, tree-lined descent on the other side. It sits in the Tannheim valley, just up from the Haldensee lake, on which you can skate. Far fewer people than the views and the skiing should attract – and for a fraction of the price of the Austrian super-resorts located an hour away.
tyrol.com
David

Fügen, Zillertal, Austria

Fügen is the first ski resort you come to heading up the Ziller valley towards Mayrhofen in Austria. Jump off the Zillertalbahn (the train runs between Jenbach and Mayrhofen), take a 10-minute bus ride and soon you are heading up the Spieljochbahn. There are easy beginner-friendly slopes at the top but also, for confident skiers, a superb 7km valley run back to the village. Even more challenging is the black run down to the Panoramabahn Geols gondolas; it’s great to stop at the small hut half way down for coffee or lunch before trying the unpisted ski route nearby. Your lift pass also covers the bigger (and busier) resorts of Hochfügen-Kaltenbach, Zell am Ziller, Mayrhofen and Hintertux.
spieljochbahn.at
David Coombs

Gustavsbergbacken-Östersund, Sweden

This is a very small and local ski resort in central Sweden on the shores of Lake Storsjön with two lifts and 1km of slopes for beginners and intermediates, a day pass costing about SEK150 (£12), and ski hire easily available. This a top pick for a quiet beginners’ ski weekend, and if cross-country skiing is more your thing head over to the ski stadium, a 30-minute walk from the town centre. Östersund is a fun university city with excellent bars for the après scene and picturesque chalets with an abundance of traditional features to make a scenic ending to a magical weekend off the beaten track.
skiresort.info
Jordan

Falcade, Dolomites, Italy

To most Brits, skiing in the Italian Dolomites means a trip to one of the many resorts forming part of the famous Sella Ronda, a huge but frequently crowded network of pistes encircling the striking Sella massif. Instead, venture south of this circuit, into the heart of the Veneto region’s mountains, and you’ll find a choice of smaller resorts with the same glorious Dolomite views and varied pistes but fewer crowds. My personal favourite is Falcade, part of the San Pellegrino ski area (67 km of pistes), and situated just two hours’ drive from Treviso airport. €50-55 gets you a day pass. The long black pistes, which would be red in many resorts, are particularly excellent.
skiresort.info
Matt Bilyard

Les Marécottes, Valais, Switzerland

This tiny Swiss resort has spectacular views from Mont Blanc to Grand Combin. It’s so much cheaper than its bigger neighbours such as Les Portes du Soleil. We found a surprisingly wide range of empty pistes and virtually no queues outside the Christmas week. It is the birthplace of Jérémie Heitz, who learned his world-beating freeride skills in the steep bowls of powder. If you miss the crowded pistes, queues and cable-car crushes, try Vallorcine (20 minutes away) or Verbier (35 minutes away). There is no shortage of local produce and mouth-watering meals, and endless ski-touring opportunities or wonderful quiet walks. There’s indoor swimming and a child-friendly alpine zoo. Martigny station, which links to Geneva in under two hours and beyond, is very nearby.
skiresort.info
Thomas Godfrey

La Clusaz, Haute-Savoie, France

La Clusaz is an attractive French village in the Haute-Savoie, within an hour of Geneva airport. Not being a particularly high resort it’s quite easy to get to. It’s the hometown of famous freeskier Candide Thovex, whose amazing point of view films are all over YouTube. We found La Clusaz to be popular with families, groups and couples because there is such a wide variety of runs and accommodation, ranging from around €130 per night per couple. It’s a traditional feeling place with a mixture of old and tasteful new buildings. The ski area is a good mix of blue, red and black runs, with a snowpark and plenty of off-piste for those with the skill and energy. There are excellent restaurants and bars on and off the slopes and the good old 8 à Huit supermarket for those who are self-catering.
laclusaz.com
Carolyn Massey

Isola 2000, Alpes-Maritimes, France

It’s wonderful to travel to this resort via Nice, from where it’s a couple of hours by taxi or bus through beautiful scenery to the resort in the Alpes-Maritimes. Accommodation is mostly self-catered, but that’s OK because there are plenty of good spots to eat on and off the mountain and the place is not as expensive as the larger, better known French ski areas. The ski area is not massive but it is varied, fun, well groomed and very pretty.
isola2000.com
Delyth Jones