Top 5 resorts for weekend ski breaks

Article updated every 6 months. Last updated: 11th November 2008
Author: Sean Newsom (Travel expert) Ask me a question.

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If you fancy a couple of days away, there are plenty of ski resorts that aren't too far away.

Here's our top five picks of the best ski resorts for weekend breaks...

Courmayeur, Italy

The resort of Courmayeur is home to some good skiing, but the real point of coming here for a weekend is to relax - soaking up the stupendous views of Mont Blanc, spending a few idle hours in the shops, and enjoying the laid-back but excellent mountain restaurants.

Chamonix, France

Chamonix is only an hour from Geneva airport, and yet it's as Alpine as they come. What's more, it is a resort that will suit just about everyone for a two or three night break, from party animals to hairy-chested mountain experts.

Davos, Switzerland

Davos is the rarest of things - a proper, working town which just so happens to sit at the foot of some top-notch slopes. The World Economic Forum is held here each year, and it hosts many other conferences besides - but at the weekend the hotels are half empty, which means it's a good place to target for last-minute accommodation.

Engelberg, Switzerland

Engelberg is where the city slickers of Luzern come out to play, so for a small town it has an impressive range of bars. It has impressive ski slopes, too: this is where you'll find the Laub, which in the right conditions is probably the longest unbroken powder run in the Alps.

Pila, italy

It's the resort that fashion forgot - set in a high, north-facing bowl above the town of Aosta and full of rather dated apartment blocks from the 1960s and 70s. The architecture may be a little dingy, but the skiing and snowboarding, on piste, is of the highest quality, and is just the right size for a high-speed weekend or three-day break.

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