Are you thinking of making your move to the mountains permanent? If so, which resort would be best? We’ve chosen three of the most liveable ski resorts in Europe and explain why they would be perfect for your relocation.
Villars, Switzerland
You can’t beat the area of Villars in Switzerland for skiing. Suitable for all ages and abilities, with 125km of pistes and three snowparks, you’ll be spoilt for choice. The resort is family orientated, with good nursery slopes and child-friendly ski schools.
Apart from the skiing, Villars is also well connected and easily reached in 90 minutes by train from Geneva. It’s also very close to the smaller international airport at Sion.
The area is also good for schools and features College Alpin Beau Soleil, one of the oldest and most prestigious boarding schools in the world. The impressive school, located in the mountains surrounding Geneva overlooking the Rhone Valley, offers a full French language curriculum as well as the IGCSE and IB programmes.
The area is also well served by two Riviera-Chablais Vaud-Valais hospitals (HRC) in Aigle and Monthey.
Zell am See - Austria
Zell am See in Austria is just as popular in the winter as it is in the summer. The town itself is historic, boasting quaint cobbled streets and a Romanesque church. It is close to the large Lake Zell, which with the backdrop of the mountains, is beautiful and can be enjoyed all year round.
The ski resort itself has a good variety of slopes and snow falls from early October until early summer. There’s also a buzzing après ski scene with regular music events, festivals and numerous bars.
There are also great transport links here. You can get to Salzburg in just 1 hour and 30 minutes by train, with 136 trains running weekly.
Looking to buy a ski home in France? Download Property Guides’ France Buying Guide.
Chamonix – France
As well as a famous ski resort, Chamonix is also a working town with shops, bars, restaurants and plenty of amenities. It’s also second-to-none for skiing, with slopes tailored to a variety of abilities, including simply hundreds of off-piste ski routes in the area, so you’ll never get bored of exploring and testing your skills on the various slopes.
Many snow-lovers have made Chamonix their home. Aside from snow sports, however, there are plenty of other activities to do, such as golf, swimming and cycling, as well as an array of festivals and markets taking place all year round.
Chamonix is around an hour’s drive from Geneva airport. It also has a train station where you can make connections to Paris, Geneva and London among other European cities.
Start looking for your ski property today
To get the process of buying your ski property underway, why not take a look at our handy ski property buying guides? They lay out the buying journey step by step to make the process as smooth and hassle-free as possible.
Feb 26, 2024
