Australia
Season: June to October
Best time to go: July & August
Thredbo Alpine Village
Thredbo is home to the longest top-to-bottom run and has the most vertical terrain in Australia, promising entertainment for skiers of all levels. thredbo.com.au
Stay here
Thredbo Alpine Hotel
Rates start at $510 per night for a standard king room. thredbo.com.au/accommodation/thredbo-alpine-hotel
Falls Creek Alpine Resort
At Falls Creek the real wonder is the snow-making equipment, used to ensure ski-in, ski-out conditions for 70 days of the season. fallscreek.com.au
Stay here
Rates start at $700 per night for a one-bedroom apartment. qthotelsandresorts.com/falls-creek
Perisher
Perisher has seven mountain peaks with four villages, making it one of the most expansive resorts in Australia. Skiers can extend their time on the slopes with night skiing or turn in early for après-ski. perisher.com.au
Stay here
Perisher Valley Hotel
Rates start around $700 for a king room with breakfast and dinner included. perisher.com.au/perisher-valley-hotel
Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham’s 320 hectares of terrain has 13 lifts to ensure no one spends too long in a lift line, plus 18 bars and restaurants and a spa when you need to unwind. mthotham.com.au
Stay here
Zirky’s
Rates start at $818 for a two-night stay in a guest room. zirkys.com.au
New Zealand
Season: June to October
Best time to go: July & August
The Remarkables
The Remarkables ski area tends to receive around three metres of natural snowfall annually, which creates a base that is supplemented by snow-making. Defined areas for skiers of different abilities maximise the smaller size of the resort. nzski.com/queenstown/the-mountains/the-remarkables
Stay here
Rates start at NZ$665 (about A$622) double occupancy for a lodge room. matakaurilodge.com
Treble Cone
Treble Cone is one of the larger ski fields in Central Otago and its 700 metres of vertical terrain are serviced by lifts that can accommodate 4,500 people per hour. The resort has both groomed trails and back-country terrain for more advanced skiers. treblecone.com
Stay here
Wanaka Haven
Rates start at NZ$395 (about A$369) per night for a superior king room. wanakahaven.co.nz
Heli-ski the Southern Alps
One of the best ways to ski New Zealand is to heli-ski out of the adventure sport capital Queenstown. Providers like Alpine Heli-Ski or Harris Mountains Heli-Ski offer trips for intermediate and expert skiers who aren’t afraid of powder for days. alpineheliski.com; heliski.co.nz
Stay here
Azur Lodge
Daily winter rates start at NZ$1,200 (about A$1,122) +GST. azur.co.nz
USA
Season: late November to April
Best time to go: January through March
Aspen Snowmass (Colorado)
Aspen does luxury skiing better than many other areas, with great accommodations and conditions – the slopes receive an average of 7.62 metres of natural snow a year. aspensnowmass.com
Stay here
The Little Nell
Rates start at US$386 (about A$513) plus taxes for a town-side guest room. thelittlenell.com
Telluride (Colorado)
Telluride is a popular resort for skiers of all abilities, with trail distribution that allows everyone to enjoy the sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains. tellurideskiresort.com
Stay here
Inn at Lost Creek
Rates start from US$683 (about A$907) for a junior suite. innatlostcreek.com
Deer Valley (Utah)
For avid skiers, Deer Valley is a haven free from snowboards. That’s right – the resort is strictly ‘ski-only’. The service at the resort is consistently ranked among the best, making for a great guest experience. deervalley.com
Stay here
St. Regis Deer Valley
Rates start at US$1,094 (about A$1,454) for a superior room. stregisdeervalley.com
Park City (Utah)
Park City has a town that balances luxury with a homey atmosphere and a piste network so big it would take days to explore it all. Snowfall averages nine metres each year from skies that are otherwise always clear and blue. parkcitymountain.com
Stay here
Washington School House
Rates start at US$925 (about A$1,230) for a 16-foot ceiling king room. washingtonschoolhouse.com
Canada
Season: November to April
Best time to go: January through March
Whistler/Blackcomb (British Columbia)
Whistler receives 11 metres of natural snowfall in an average winter, which covers its 8,000 acres of terrain. The sheer size of the resort makes it worth visiting, and the quality of the terrain ensures an exciting ski vacation. whistlerblackcomb.com
Stay here
The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler
Deluxe Studio Suite from CA$563 (about A$577) per night. westinwhistler.com
Banff (Alberta)
Banff is actually made up of three ski resorts in the heart of the Canadian Rockies: the Sunshine Ski Resort, Lake Louise Ski Resort and Mt Norquay. Tri-area lift tickets allow visitors to ski all three peaks. skibig3.com
Stay here
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
King room from CA$339 (about A$347) per night. fairmont.com/lake-louise
Japan
Season: December to April
Best time to go: January and February
Niseko
Niseko is considered one of the best ski resorts in Japan. Each year it receives upwards of 15 metres of snowfall to cover the mountain, which has 30 lifts and three gondolas. niseko.ne.jp/en
Stay here
Kasara
Townhouses start from JPY173,376 (about A$2,176) per night. kasara.com/nisekovillage
Switzerland
Season: Year-round, in small corners like Zermatt
Zermatt
Best time to go: January to March
Home to the famed Matterhorn Mountain, there are areas of Zermatt that are often skiable in the middle of summer. The highest ski resort in Europe is best visited in the winter months, but has a tiny area that remains open all year. zermatt.ch/en/skiing
Stay here
Mont Cervin Palace
Rates start at CHF755 (about A$1,023) per night for an alpine classic room. montcervinpalace.ch/en
St. Moritz
Best time to go: February and March
St. Moritz is one of the best-known ski mountains in Europe, but keep in mind that it caters more to an intermediate and expert field of skiers than beginners. stmoritz.ch/en
Stay here
Badrutts Palace Hotel
Rates start at CHF660 (about A$893) per night for a superior single room. badruttspalace.com/en
France
Season: December to April
Best time to go: February and March
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
The ski area at Chamonix is divided into four sections, each of which promises the same variety of slopes for differing abilities, sweeping views, and snow covered trees that make it a worthwhile ski destination. chamonix.com
Stay here
Hameau Albert 1er
Rates start at US$349 (about A$465) per night for a double room. hameaualbert.fr/en
Méribel
Méribel’s great skiing is parallel by incredible views of the surrounding French Alps, making skiing there both a sport and a sight-seeing expedition. The areas are accessible for all skiers and a pass allows you to ski all areas. french-alps.meribel.net/ski-france-2011.html
Stay here
Hotel Le Kaila Méribel
Rates start at €630 (about A$929) per night for a signature room. lekaila.com/fr/le-kaila
OR
Rent a luxury catered chalet from Meriski. meriski.co.uk
Austria
Season: December to April
Best time to go: January through early March
Lech Zürs am Arlberg
Known as one of the best villages in the alps, an Arlberg lift card gives avid skiers access to cable cars in all five Arlberg resorts and 200 kilometres of high Alpine runs. lechzuers.com/skiing
Stay here
Thurnher Alpenhof
Rates start at A$780 for a double room. thurnhers.com