Where to Ski in Europe in December and January (And Which Spot Fits Your Group)
Every December and January I get some version of the same text. We want to go skiing, where do we go? It depends on your group, so here is the list sorted by what you actually want: Interlaken for the sickest mix of activities (and our top pick), Chamonix for the most fun and the best party, Val Thorens for La Folie Douce, Zermatt if your group can actually ski, and Andorra if you are on a budget. Under each one you'll find how to get there, where to stay without going broke, and what is worth booking, plus when in December or January to actually go.
1. Interlaken, Switzerland: our top pick
Interlaken is the best trip ever if you do it right and boring if you don't do the activities. That's the line I send everyone, and winter is when it hits hardest, because nowhere else lets you stack this much into one ski weekend. The slopes in Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren are a short train ride up from town, so you can ski in the morning and be skydiving over the Alps in the afternoon. And yes, you can skydive in the winter. We had students jump the last weekend of January. My top two are skydiving and kayaking on Lake Brienz, turquoise water with snow all the way down the mountains. After that it's paragliding if skydiving is too much, and sunset sledding with fondue, where you sled down while the Alps turn pink and finish at a cheese fondue dinner. Not every friend skis? Doesn't matter here. They do the activities instead.
How to get to Interlaken, and where to stay
Fly into Zurich or Geneva and take the train. From Zurich Airport it's a little over two hours, from Geneva about three. Use Omio to find the best trains and flights, but only book the trains on there. Book flights on the airline's own website. Coming from Florence? There's a direct bus on our Interlaken page, so you don't have to fly and then train. Saves you a whole day. For where to stay, it's Balmers if you can get in. It's a hostel with a bunk bed vibe and the rooms are nothing special, but everyone stays there, the bar is packed on a busy weekend, and it costs way less than a Swiss hotel. It fills up quick, so I'd book it the second you have dates. If your group plans to ski the whole weekend, stay up on the mountain instead. That pick is on the Interlaken page too.
2. Chamonix, France: the most fun
If your group wants the party, it's Chamonix. It's a real town under Mont Blanc instead of a resort village, and the second the lifts close the whole place turns into après ski. Start at La Folie Douce at the bottom of the Savoy slope, where the terrace party runs with live music, then go to Chambre Neuf by the train station, an awesome dive bar where a band plays and people end up dancing on the tables in their ski boots. Want to be in the middle of all of it? Stay at the La Folie Douce Hotel, which is on our Chamonix page. The thing everyone remembers though is paragliding over Chamonix. You take off from Le Brévent and float over the whole valley with Mont Blanc right in front of you, and in the winter it's snow everywhere you look. For skiing, Brévent and Flégère are right above town and Grands Montets is the big one up the valley. Getting there is easy. Fly into Geneva and take a shuttle, about an hour and a half.
3. Val Thorens, France: for La Folie Douce après ski
If Chamonix is the party town, Val Thorens is the party mountain. It's the highest ski resort in Europe at 2,300 meters, and it connects to the 3 Vallées, the biggest linked ski area in the world with over 600 km of runs. But the reason students go is La Folie Douce. It sits right on the slopes, and from around lunch until the lifts close it turns into a full show: DJs, live singers, performers, and a whole terrace dancing on the tables in ski gear. Honestly one of the best après ski bars on the planet. Two tips. Get there early because it's packed by mid afternoon, and remember you still have to ski down after. When that ends, the night moves to Malaysia, the huge club under the main square that goes until about 4am. Getting there takes the most effort of anything on this list: a train to Moûtiers and then about 45 minutes up by bus, or two and a half to three hours by transfer from Geneva Airport. The upside of being that high is snow. It's one of the safest bets for early December, and it opens November 21 this season.
4. Zermatt, Switzerland: for big skiers who are actually good
Zermatt is the coolest place on this list and it isn't close. You ski right under the Matterhorn, the lifts go up to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at 3,883 meters, the highest cable car station in Europe, and with the international pass you can ski over the border into Cervinia, Italy for lunch and ski back. Between the two sides it's around 360 km of runs, a lot of them long, high and steep. That's also the catch. Zermatt is for groups that can actually ski. If one or two of you are newer, book them a private lesson for the day. The instructors are incredible and they'll actually learn a lot instead of getting dragged down runs they hate. If the whole group is good, a private ski guide is the best way to do Zermatt. They take you to the low key routes, the unreal views and the best runs on the mountain. Text us on either one and we'll connect you.
How to get to Zermatt, and how not to go broke there
Same play as Interlaken. Fly into Zurich or Geneva and use Omio for the trains. It's about three and a half to four hours with a change in Visp, and since Zermatt is car free, the train drops you right in town. Now the money part. Zermatt is the most expensive spot on this list. Day passes start around 90 Swiss francs and go up with demand, so buy yours online as early as you can. To save on beds, stay one stop down the valley in Täsch, where rooms usually cost less, and take the 12 minute shuttle train in. Or grab a room at Peaky Riders, one of the more affordable spots in town. It's on our Zermatt page with the rest of our picks. Then spend what you saved at Hennu Stall at the bottom of the Furi slope. Incredible vibes after a ski day.
5. Andorra: the cheap one
Andorra is the cheapest spot on this list by a lot, and the easiest trip if you live in Barcelona or Madrid. A day pass at Grandvalira, the biggest ski area in the Pyrenees, is about 72 euros, and food and drinks cost way less than in Switzerland. Taxes are low too, so half the group comes home with new sunglasses. It's a great spot for beginners. Pas de la Casa is the party town, and Soldeu and El Tarter are a little more chill. Getting there: there's no train into Andorra, which surprises everyone. From Barcelona it's a direct bus, about three hours and around 35 euros each way. From Madrid, take the fast train to Barcelona first and grab the bus from there. The easiest way to do it is one of our Andorra packages. Text us and we can help you book the whole weekend together, so you're not piecing together a bus, a hotel, lift passes and rentals for six people in a group chat.
December or January: when to actually go
Early December is a gamble on snow, so go high. Val Thorens and Zermatt are the safest bets that early, while the slopes around Chamonix, Interlaken and Andorra open in stages through December. The good news in Interlaken is that skydiving, paragliding and kayaking run all winter, weather permitting, so the trip works even if half the mountain isn't open yet. The week between Christmas and New Year's is one of the most expensive and crowded of the whole season, so skip it if you can. January after the holidays is the sweet spot. Prices drop, the slopes clear out, and it lines up perfectly with spring semester. If you land for spring in January, a ski weekend at the end of the month is one of the best first trips you can do.
How to save money on any of these
Rent your skis or board online before you go. Alpy covers every spot on this list, it's cheaper than walking into the shop, and pickup is just as easy. Buy lift passes online and early, since a lot of these resorts price by demand and the ticket window is usually the most expensive way to buy. Sleep cheap and spend the money on the mountain. And if your group is on Flex+, we can book hotels and activities for the whole group and you settle up with us after, so nobody gets stuck fronting it.
What is the best place to ski in Europe in December?
For snow you can count on early in the month, Val Thorens or Zermatt, since they're the highest. For the best weekend overall, Interlaken, because even when only part of the mountain is open, the skydiving, paragliding and kayaking still run. By the second half of December most of the big resorts are fully running, and prices climb from there toward the holidays.
What is the cheapest place to ski in Europe?
Out of the places students actually go, Andorra, and it isn't close. Around 72 euros for a day pass, about 35 euros for the bus from Barcelona, and cheap food and drinks once you're there. If you want the Alps on a budget, Chamonix usually costs less than the Swiss spots, and in Interlaken a bed at Balmers keeps the whole weekend doable.
Can you do a ski trip in Europe if you've never skied?
Yes. Andorra, Val Thorens and Interlaken all have plenty of easy runs and ski schools, and in Interlaken the people who don't want to ski can go sledding or skydiving instead. The one to skip as a first timer is Zermatt. If your group is set on it anyway, book the beginners a private lesson so they're not stuck trying to keep up.
Still can't decide?
Pick the one that fits your group, not the one that looks best on TikTok. And if you really can't decide, it's Interlaken. It's always Interlaken. (Heads up, some links in this post are partner links, so we may earn a commission if you book through them. Same price for you.)