Heading high for the perfect Christmas gift

AFTER a year of ski starvation, many of us want our winter fix as soon as possible, so aim high in December to capture low pre-Christmas prices in the snow.

● WITH skiable glaciers at 10,000ft and more than 260 prepared pistes above 6,500ft, the vast French Paradiski area, linking La Plagne, Les Arcs and Peisey Vallandry, is a strong favourite to deliver early-season snow thrills. A week-long self-catering break for four guests in a two-bedroom flat from December 14 in the Edenarc complex above Arc 1800 costs from £763pp. The price includes flights from Gatwick to Chambery, transfers, access to the pool and sauna and the shuttle bus to the shops, bars and restaurants of Arc 1800 (igluski.com).

● USE professionals to get your ski legs back, brush up on technique and give your confidence a boost on a five-day course at the Warren Smith Ski Academy in Verbier, Switzerland.

The course, starting on December 12, costs £499pp and includes video analysis and exercises to enhance your skills. Seven nights’ B&B at three-star Hotel Rotunde, for academy pupils, costs from £550pp, from December 11 (warrensmith-skiacademy.com). Return flights to Geneva cost from £86 (easyjet.com) but transfers are extra.

● JACKSON HOLE in Wyoming is worth a place on your bucket list, but factor in a day-trip to neighbouring Yellowstone National Park to see the Old Faithful geyser and wildlife such as bison, elk, wolves and eagles and it becomes a veritable holiday sensation. Seven nights’ B&B in a deluxe room at four-star hotel The Wort will help you soak up the culture of this cowboy town, with its boardwalks and saloon-bar doors. Departing on December 7, the £1,595pp price includes a Yellowstone snowcoach tour (skisafari.com).