Skiing Articles

Nothing works up a healthy appetite like a good morning on the slopes. If you’re anything like us, you’ll agree that finding a quality lunch spot is an absolute must. We want hearty food, stunning views and plenty of atmosphere. Not that we're picky or anything...

One of our favourite things about ski holidays in Andorrais the amount of excellent eateries scattered around its beautiful mountains. And as an added bonus, food and drink prices in Andorra are way less wallet-drainingthan in most European ski resorts.

So here’s our choice of the best mountain restaurants in Andorra to help you refuel in style.

Choosing the right snowboard can make all the difference to your performance and enjoyment on the slopes. But with so many amazing boards out there, how do you find the one that’s right for you?

It all comes down to the kind of adventures you want to have with your snowboard. Are you a beginner hoping to cruise those blues and reds? Do you want to hit the freestyle parks and learn some tricks? Or does the thrill of off-piste powder riding scream your name?

There’s a board out there for everyone, and we’re here to help you choose yours.

If you’re a complete beginner and have never been on a ski holiday before, you might think there’s a lot to get your head around when it comes to timings. From ‘when do the slopes open?’ to ‘when’s the best time to get lunch?’, we’ve covered all the basics so you‘ll feel like a pro from the moment you first arrive.

It’s a good idea to plan your day out with the rest of your party before stepping onto the slopes. This is particularly important if you’re all heading off in different directions and can avoid worrying about where to eat and at what time.

Although specific times may vary slightly from resort to resort, our timings guide will put you on the right track to bossing your holiday itinerary.

Dreaming of a white Christmas this year? Why not try asking Santa for a trip to one of the best Christmas ski resorts in Europe?

Stroll through twinkling alpine streets as the snow gently falls, cosy up to sip vin chaud in front of a roaring log fire and work up an appetite for all that delicious Christmas food with plenty of fun on the slopes. What could be more special?  

Here are some of our favourite ski resorts in Europe to spend the most magical time of the year. We’re feeling all festive just thinking about it! 

Whether you’re new to the snow or a bit of a pro, ski and snowboarding apps can be agreat addition to your trip. From daily weather reports, to mapping tools and speed andaltitude trackers there are a whole range of choice to add to your device before you getout on the mountain. But with such an abundance to choose from, here at Neilson, wedecided it was time to separate the wheat from the chaff and supply you with thedefinitive guide to our favourite ski and snowboard apps for this season.

We teamed up with ​Chemmy Alcott​ - one of Britain’s greatest alpine ski racers and fourtimes winter Olympian - to put the apps through their paces on the slopes, whilst on a recent trip to Switzerland. She’s given us the lowdown on the pros and cons of each, andinterestingly, tells all on whether the apps made a difference to her time on the snow...

Finding the right boots for the slopes is not at all like shopping for regular boots. The fit, flex and features of your ski or snowboard boot can have a huge impact on your performance – and, more importantly, your comfort.

A good boot should work with your foot to help you ski or board at your best, whether you’re hiring or buying. So here are the important things to look out for when choosing a pair of boots that can keep up with you...

Have you got your skiing or snowboarding holiday booked? Are you counting down the days until those first flurries of snow arrive? Here at Neilson HQ, we try (not always successfully) to contain our excitement with some pre-holiday prepping.

Get yourself ready for the slopes with these exercises and drills specifically designed to improve your ski or board position, build your strength, and get your body ready to enjoy long days tearing up the pistes.

Whether you’re a novice or an expert, we can all use some fine tuning. We like to do our skiing exercises at home in front of the TV – ideally when Ski Sunday is on.

Fancy learning to snowboard at 50? We're huge believers in trying out new sports at any age, so our answer is - go for it!!

Whether you’re young or young at heart, you’ll find snowboarding fun, exhilarating and seriously addictive. All you’ll need on your first snowboarding holiday is a bit of determination, some great tuition and plenty of gentle slopes to practice on.

Most beginners pick up the basic skills they need to get around the slopes after just a few days of tuition, but where do you go? Here's our pick of the best resorts to learn to snowboard in...

Party-lovers should pick a high-octane resortwhere the fun carries on well after the pistes close. Toffee vodka shots, anyone?

Those who are wild at heart should go for a ski holiday where the après ski matches the quality of the skiing. For that reason, we have concocted a list of the best après and party ski resorts in Europe, so you know where to celebrate after a successful day on the slopes.

Planning your next ski holiday? Fancy mixing things up a bit? Europe’s best-known resorts are rightly popular, but sometimes it pays to head off the beaten track and find a new favourite.

From uncrowded pistes to picture-perfect mountain views, small and quiet ski resorts can be full of charm - and give you the chance to really kick back and relax.

Some of our hotels are in gorgeous resorts that you may not have heard of. Here we explore our favourite small ski resorts to escape to..

As one of the best ways to discover the beautiful mountain landscape, cross-country skiing (or Nordic skiing) will take you off the beaten ski track onto well-groomed snow trails that navigate across the mountains. Europe seriously delivers when it comes to cross-country skiing tracks.

Some of the best cross-country ski resorts are only a short flight away, but where should you go?

From the fantastic heights of the French Pyrénées to the vast trails of the Austrian Alps and the Italian Dolomites, there’s a wealth of resorts where you can make your first strides on the skinny skis.

When we say the ‘craziest’ ski lifts, we’re not talking the ‘insane’ or ‘totally unsafe’ version of crazy, but the wonderful ‘that’s crazy, man!’ version.

Some lifts have been around since the 1940s and some are brand new but equally bonkers in their design. But which ski lifts are so crazy that even the most seasoned mountain lover will take a sharp intake of breath?