Top 5 resorts for après ski
Article updated every 6 months. Last updated: 11th November 2008
Author: Sean Newsom (Travel expert) Ask me a question.
More about Sean Newsom
Sean Newsom loves skiing so much that he has made it his job, writing for The Sunday Times as their ski editor. He is also founder of welove2ski.com, the UK's leading specialist ski website.
"Skiing fast in the sunshine with your friends is one of the purest and brightest pleasures I know," he says. "Absolutely everyone should give it a go. If it were up to me they'd be giving ski and snowboard holidays away on the National Health. It would improve Britain's winter well-being in an instant!"
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Ski holidays aren't just about the skiing - the nightlife is equally as important for you to have a balanced holiday.
Here's our top five resorts for après ski...
The French may have invented après-ski, but it's the Austrians who are best at it. All over the country, you'll find bars large and small which are packed to the rafters come 4.30pm. Nowhere can quite match St Anton though - and in particular the Mooserwirt, near the bottom of the main area of pistes. It's like a New Year's party every night.
Read more about St Anton
It's funny how the more hard-core ski resorts often have the best après ski. Perhaps it's because there's so much more adrenaline washing through everyone's system. Verbier rocks into the small hours on a regular basis, but in the Farinet it has one of the best bars in the Alps for a more laid back, conversational evening.
Read more about Verbier
Val d'Isère has more bars than you could possibly sample in a single week. It also has an outdoor, on-the-mountain party quite unlike anything else you'll see - courtesy of the live bands who play regularly on the roof of the Folie Douce, above La Daille.
Read more about Val d'Isere
The bars at the foot of the pistes are buzzing every night - but it's Wednesday that the place really comes alive, when the resort authorities let a live band loose in the square.
Read more about Saalbach
In many ways, it's a thirty-something version of the twentysomething St Anton scene - with the bars packed to the rafters every evening before dinner. You might find yourself amongst only a handful of Brits in each location, but in many ways that only adds to the appeal.
Read more about Ischgl
Who do we recommend?
With so many companies to choose from, we have researched the market to find those with a wide range of options as well as some that are more specialist. Browse our list below to find the right company for you then click through to their web site for more information and how to book. It couldn't be easier!
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