Ski, snowboard or snowshoe

Skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing means getting out on the snow on purpose: a lesson on a gentle slope, a day of runs from the top of a lift, or a quiet walk through snowy forest with snowshoes on your boots. You don't need to be good at any of them. One lesson and one clear day are enough to see why people plan whole winters around it.

Where to do it

Zermatt, Switzerland

A car-free village under the Matterhorn, with skiing high enough to be reliable and runs that cross the border to Cervinia in Italy. It's a splurge in Switzerland, but even the beginner slopes come with the Matterhorn in view.

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France

The classic mountain town below Mont Blanc, with separate beginner areas in the valley and serious terrain above. The Vallée Blanche, a long off-piste descent over a glacier, is only for strong skiers with a mountain guide. In France the ski areas here are spread out and linked by bus.

Sankt Anton am Arlberg, Austria

A big, steep ski area with a lively village and a famous après-ski. Ski schools make it work for beginners, though much of the mountain is for confident skiers; Austria has many gentler resorts too.

Niseko, Japan

On Hokkaido, known for deep, light powder snow, with night skiing on lit slopes and onsen to soak in afterwards; see our hot spring line. Over Christmas and New Year it's crowded and fully booked across Japan's north, so book early or go in late winter.

Whistler Blackcomb, Canada

Two huge mountains joined by a long gondola, with a village at the base and terrain for every level. It's near the coast of Canada, so the base can see rain while the top gets snow.

Gudauri, Georgia

High, wide-open slopes in the Caucasus, a couple of hours' drive from Tbilisi, for much less than the Alps. Off-piste here in Georgia is popular, so take avalanche advice seriously.

Bansko, Bulgaria

A gondola runs from an old town in the Pirin mountains up to the slopes, making Bulgaria an affordable place for a first ski week. The catch: morning queues at the gondola, so start early.

Portillo, Chile

A single yellow hotel on a high Andes pass, beside the Laguna del Inca, with skiing in the southern winter, roughly July to September. The road from Santiago can close in storms. In Chile you can ski when the north is in summer.

Levi, Finland

In Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle, with gentle slopes, long cross-country trails and snowshoe routes through quiet forest. Midwinter days in Finland's north are short and very cold; March brings longer light.

When to go

In the Northern Hemisphere the season runs roughly from December to April, with the most reliable snow from January to March. In the Southern Hemisphere, in Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand, it runs roughly from June to October. School holiday weeks are the busiest and dearest.

How to make it happen

• Take lessons. A few mornings with a qualified instructor beat a week of struggling alone, for skiing and snowboarding alike.
• Rent the gear, wear a helmet. Rental shops fit boots properly; a helmet comes with most rentals or costs little extra.
• Know the skier's code. The FIS rules for conduct cover the basics: control your speed, the skier below has priority, don't stop where you can't be seen.
• Respect the avalanche risk. Off-piste and on snowshoe routes outside marked trails, check the local avalanche bulletin (rated 1 to 5), go with a guide, and carry a transceiver, probe and shovel.
• Protect your eyes and skin. UV gets stronger with altitude and snow reflects it, so wear goggles or sunglasses and sunscreen even on cloudy days.
• Take a photo at the resort with camera location on, on the slopes or in the village.