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Escapes

Winter Escapes

Private chalets, first tracks and fireside evenings in the great alpine resorts.

The Escape

There is a particular kind of luxury in cold weather done properly: the walk back into a warm room after a day outdoors, the first warming drink by the fire, a landscape that looks entirely different depending on the hour and the light. We design winter journeys across six destinations chosen for the quality of the snow, the calibre of the chalets and hotels, and the sense of occasion a proper mountain season still carries. Some are about the skiing itself, others about the stillness of somewhere further north, but all share the same idea: that winter, spent in the right place, is not something to endure but something to look forward to.

St Moritz, Switzerland
01 St Moritz, Switzerland

Winter glamour's original address

St Moritz has been doing winter glamour since long before the word existed: the same glacial light on the same peaks that drew the first grand hotels here more than a century ago, now paired with genuinely serious skiing and an unmistakable social calendar. Days split between wide, sunny pistes and long lunches on mountain terraces, with evenings that lean properly dressed rather than apres-ski casual. Stays favour grand historic hotels with real pedigree, alongside a handful of sleek chalets, with old-world service that makes the cold outside feel worth it.

Good to knowSeason runs late November to early April, with a famously scenic rail approach through the Engadine. February is the most fashionable, and fullest, week of the calendar.

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Lapland, Finland
02 Lapland, Finland

The stillness of the far north

Lapland asks you to slow right down and look up: days built around snow rather than despite it, husky and reindeer sledding across white forest, an evening spent simply waiting, properly wrapped up, for the sky to do something extraordinary. There is a stillness here that no alpine resort can match: fewer crowds, longer silences, snow that stays powdery because so few people are on it. Stays range from cosy log cabins to glass-roofed rooms built specifically for watching the aurora from bed.

Good to knowSnow runs December to April; aurora nights are strongest February to March and around the autumn equinox. No one can promise the lights on a given night.

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Niseko, Japan
03 Niseko, Japan

Powder with its own name

Niseko exists for one reason above all: snow so light and so frequent it has earned its own name, Japow, falling in quantities that make European powder days look modest. Days here are simple in the best way: first tracks in fresh snow, an onsen soak to thaw out afterwards, an evening of proper Hokkaido food and sake. Stays span sleek modern lodges and ryokan-influenced properties within easy reach of the lifts, built for a slower, more contemplative kind of ski trip than the European or American equivalents.

Good to knowBest December to February, January deepest of all, reached via Tokyo and Hokkaido. January draws serious international crowds.

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Aspen, USA
04 Aspen, USA

Four mountains, one address

Aspen carries a particular kind of confidence: four connected mountains, a town that takes its restaurants and galleries as seriously as its skiing, and a history of hosting the sort of crowd that treats the slopes as a backdrop to everything else. Days can run from long groomed runs at altitude to a leisurely mountain lunch, then straight into a town that comes properly alive after dark. Stays range from historic downtown hotels within walking distance of the gondola to private mountainside residences built around fireplaces and views.

Good to knowSeason runs late November to mid-April, via Denver and a mountain transfer. The town sits at altitude, so ease into the first days.

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Courchevel, France
05 Courchevel, France

The largest ski area on earth

Courchevel anchors the largest linked ski area in the world, which means days can range as widely as you like: wide-open cruising runs for a relaxed morning, serious off-piste for the afternoon, all without leaving the same lift network. The village itself, particularly its upper reaches, has quietly become one of the most polished addresses in the Alps, restaurants included. Stays favour ski-in ski-out chalets with proper hospitality behind the scenes, positioned for direct access to the pistes rather than a drive to the lifts each morning.

Good to knowBest late December to early March, a two-hour transfer from Geneva. January and March offer superb snow with far fewer people than the school-holiday peaks.

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Zermatt, Switzerland
06 Zermatt, Switzerland

Every run framed by the Matterhorn

Zermatt has one enormous advantage over almost anywhere else: the Matterhorn itself, framing every run and every dinner table with one of the most recognisable mountains on earth. The village is car-free, reached only by train, which gives it a hush larger resorts simply cannot match, and the glacier above stays skiable in some form for most of the year. Days move between long, varied pistes and a genuinely excellent, low-key dining scene. Stays span grand mountain hotels with generations of history to sleeker chalets with a direct view of the peak.

Good to knowBest December to March, February often clearest, reached by rail into the car-free village. The mountain hides in cloud when it chooses.

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Whistler, Canada
07 Whistler, Canada

Powder mornings, fireside evenings

Whistler runs on two mountains and an unhurried version of alpine indulgence. Days start early for first tracks through Symphony Bowl or the Peak 2 Peak gondola, then slow into long lunches on sun decks mid-mountain. The village stays low-key by design, with ski-in chalets set back from the main lanes and spa afternoons timed around the light. Beyond the lifts there is heli-skiing into untouched bowls, snowshoeing through old-growth forest, and quiet corners of the valley the crowds never reach. Serious terrain, wrapped in genuine comfort.

Good to knowSeason runs late November to late May, most reliable January to March. December can be thin at lower elevations before the base depth builds.

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Gstaad, Switzerland
08 Gstaad, Switzerland

Alpine restraint, old-money hush

Gstaad has kept its restraint deliberately: no neon, no crowds jostling for the same view, just chalets weathered to silver and a village that still feels like a village. Skiing spans a wide, gentle domain along with the glacier runs above Les Diablerets, best suited to those who want space on the piste rather than a queue for it. Afternoons drift towards fondue in a wood-panelled stube or a walk along snow-quiet lanes past centuries-old farmhouses. Gstaad has never needed to announce itself, and the resort follows suit after dark.

Good to knowSeason runs late November to April, most snow-sure in January and February. The lower slopes can run thin some winters, so the higher runs are the safer bet.

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The mountain gives its best hour to those up for first light. The rest of the day belongs to the fireside.

Groomed pistes in soft golden alpine light
A snowboarder carving patterns in fresh snow
Zigzag ski tracks down a quiet slope
Firelight inside a chalet
The northern lights over snowbound cabins
A gondola rising through alpenglow

Good to know

Do we need to be experienced skiers to enjoy these destinations?

Not at all. Every resort on this list has excellent instruction and gentle terrain alongside the serious runs, and several, particularly St Moritz and Zermatt, have plenty for non-skiers too: spas, walking trails and genuinely good food. We match the resort and the chalet to the ability and interests of your group.

How far ahead should we plan for peak weeks like Christmas or half-term?

For Christmas, New Year and February half-term, nine to twelve months ahead is sensible, especially for ski-in ski-out chalets and the most established hotels, which fill early. Outside those weeks, four to six months usually gives good availability, even at the sought-after addresses.

What if there is not enough snow when we travel?

Snow reliability varies more by destination than people expect. Zermatt and Niseko in particular benefit from glacier, altitude and heavy natural snowfall, which reduces the risk considerably. We build itineraries around the months and resorts with the strongest track record, and watch conditions closely as your dates approach.

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From the Journal

Chasing winter

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