The Best Resorts for your Festive Ski Holidays with Neilson

20 October 2022

Celebrate Christmas and New Year and slide into a magical winter wonderland with a festive break.
 
Stroll through twinkling, snow filled streets, cosy up in front of a roaring log fire and work up an appetite for all that delicious food with plenty of time on the slopes. The lifts and pistes are open as usual (watch out for Santa), as are the restaurants and bars, even ski and snowboard lessons go ahead.
 
Stay in a Neilson hotel or chalet hotels and their fantastic hosts will look after you from the moment you arrive. There will be plenty of seasonal cheer with decorations, music, crackers and a beautiful Christmas tree.

On the big day you'll be greeted with a glass of Buck's Fizz before you sit down to a filling cooked breakfast. Then, after a day on the mountain like no other, come home to afternoon tea, canapés, fizz and a traditional Christmas dinner or New Year feast.

Prices start from just £699 for a Christmas break and include flights, accommodation, transfers, free ski guiding and coaching from the Neilson Mountain Experts, breakfast, afternoon tea and home-cooked evening meals. Our chalet hotels also include wine with dinner.

Here are just a few top picks of Neilson Holiday’s favourite places in France, Italy and Andorra to spend the most magical time of the year. We’re feeling all festive just thinking about it!

Where to spend Christmas in Italy?

Nestled beneath the towering peaks of the Dolomites, this stunning valley is home to some of the prettiest villages in Italy. Christmas in Val di Fassa is a tranquil, relaxed affair. You’ll find several quaint festive markets where you can pick up traditional wooden crafts, regional gourmet treats and gorgeous hand-made jewellery. Cosy up after a day on the slopes at the traditional Chalet Hotel Dolomites Inn with Christmas cheer in abundance from the Neilson team.

At the northern end of the 400km Milky Way ski area in Italy, perched on a sunny plateau sits the vibrant mountain town of Sauze d'Oulx. It's a magnet for those looking to most of their time both on and off the mountain! Intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders love it in particular thanks to the 212 runs.

During the day, the resort is like any other; quaint with a slightly eternal Christmassy feel. It's at night when the resort really comes alive. There's a huge amount of bars and restaurants suiting all tastes with everything from lively apertivo bars with live music to cosy Italian mountain bars where you will bump into the true locals. Chalet Hotel Edelweiss is a small, chalet-style gem on a hotel with a typically Italian laid-back atmosphere - perfect for a Christmas or New Year holiday. It could not be better for keen skiers and boarders - the closest lift is just 50m away.

Feeling Festive in Andorra

El Tarter in Andorra sits at the heart of a wonderful, 210km ski area called the Grandvalira. With 114 runs to choose from, the mountains here have plenty of tree-lined runs and are very picturesque, particularly at sunset.

Largely undiscovered, the area is actually one of the best places to go if you're an intermediate looking to further your skills. It's also ideal for beginners as the slopes are wide, fun and safe - perfect for making your first turns on the snow.

In Andorra, Christmas markets, Santa on the slopes and virtually tax-free goodies give you a Christmas to remember! 

We have the perfect place to stay for your Christmas or New Year holiday. Hotel Del Clos is only 350m to the lifts, you'll soon be in the fresh mountain air of the Grandvalira ski area. For après ski the atmospheric bar and huge sun terrace is hard to beat.

We also have the Chalet Hotel Casale. Lovingly converted form an old barn, the Casale is a great mix of traditional chalet with the facilities of a small hotel to offer a warm and welcoming place to start in the heart of El Tarter. Just the thing for a Christmas to remember with friends and family.

Christmas in the French Alps

Les Menuires sits in the midst of the largest lift-linked ski area in the world. It has the most skiing of all the Three Valleys resorts with 160km of mainly blue or green runs. Families and beginners are well provided for with a superb carpet conveyor lift and gentle slopes in the Croisette area. 

At Christmas the town is adorned in decorations, twinkling lights and Christmas trees. Traditional festive displays are usually held a the foot of the slopes and fireworks welcome the arrival of Father Christmas. Our Hotel Le Menuire & Spa offers a wonderful festive escape. The main hub of Les Menuires is 450m away. From here, you're able to make the most of the world-class 600km Three Valleys ski area before heading back to soak up the Christmas atmosphere and relax in the spa and leisure pool.

Forming one-half of the 300km, snowsure Val d'Isère - Tignes ski area, Val is world-famous for a reason and a definite must-do for your skiing bucket list. Lively Val d’Isère and is a great place for a party at any time of year, but at Christmas it really goes to town with a fantastic programme of festive fun. The picturesque Savoyard town centre is beautifully dressed with fairy lights and wreaths, and the Christmas Eve parade is a real highlight. You’ll also find snow sculptures, fireworks, carol services and Papa Noël joining in the action on the pistes.

Welcome in the New Year in style from the beautiful surroundings of Hotel Le Tovière. The location is great, close to the funicular and la Daille gondola for high-speed access to the heart of the Val d'Isère ski area.