That check every travel style

There are so many places to ski in the world, picking a destination can feel overwhelming. You could go to the resorts of Idaho, the peak of Mount Etna or the indoor slopes of Ski Dubai. Each place has its own vibe – even if you’re just comparing domestically.

“Every mountain town has something different to offer,” said Kiley McKinnon, an Olympic freestyle aerial skier and co-founder of the women’s ski wear company Halfdays. A place with incredible powder may not have the kind of amenities you’re looking for off the slopes.

To whittle down your options, start with some key questions.

Having traveled around the world for her sport – China, Belarus, Norway, you name it – McKinnon recommends asking yourself what kind of skiing you’re looking for and whether the terrain fits your skill level.

Nelson Brown – creative content manager for the performance apparel company Ibex, who travels across North America to photograph their ski gear – says it’s critical to look at snow trends to forecast whether the mountain will have enough snow during your visit. Moreover, what’s around to do after you’re done skiing?

For people on a budget: Indie resorts

Your best bet for saving money is to steer clear of the most popular places to ski because big-name resorts tend to come with the biggest price tags. If you’re a beginner, it might not be worth it to pay $200 for a day pass at a premier destination.

“When you spend so much money, it puts pressure on yourself to have this amazing time,” Brown said.

Brown recommends novice skiers find local, independent resorts instead. On the East Coast, there are places like Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest.

On the West Coast, you could try Badger Pass in Yosemite National

Park, the oldest ski resort in California.

For beginners and families: Keystone, Colorado

McKinnon’s pick for kid-friendly slopes is Colorado’s Keystone Resort, where you’ll find her in the early season. “Keystone is pretty low-key,” she said. “It’s right outside of Silverthorne, which has a lot of Airbnbs and rentals.”

Compared to some other resorts in the area like Vail, Keystone “is on the easier side, so it’s a better beginner mountain,” McKinnon said. And also unlike at the others, Keystone has free parking and huge lots, making your ski day a little easier.

Perhaps more important than where you go, McKinnon says it’s essential for newcomers or people who haven’t skied in a while to take a lesson no matter how old you are.

For the classic American ski trip: Park City, Utah

Park City, Utah, is a postcard-worthy place for an epic ski excursion. Many of the major skiing and snowboarding events of the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at Park City Mountain Resort, and McKinnon says it still hosts a lot of U.S. ski team athletes. Don’t let that intimidate you if you’re not an expert; Park City has a lot of beginner terrain, too.

Once you’re done skiing, McKinnon said, you should explore the “one long stretch of Main Street going through the town right next to the mountain with stores and bars and restaurants.”

For the backcountry skier: Thompson Pass, Alaska

These days, Brown tends to skip traditional downhill skiing at resorts for the backcountry: the undeveloped, uncontrolled terrain where skiers are responsible for their own safety. The best place he’s skied is Thompson Pass in Valdez, Alaska, the snowiest reporting station in the United States that gets around 700 inches of snow per year. Not only is it all backcountry and easily accessible, “there were like five other people I saw, and I was there for a week,” Brown said.

For the world traveler: Japan

If you can go abroad, “Japan is known for having some of the best skiing in the world,” McKinnon said. You start your day on the slopes and end it in a hot spring spa – what else could you want?

Jeffrey M. Krevitt, vice president of marketing for Inside Travel Group, which owns InsideJapan Tours, usually sends clients to two destinations: Niseko and Hakuba.

For East Coast skiing: Vermont

While the Mountain West is considered the best part of the country for skiing, the East Coast has its moments. “They do have great mountains,” said McKinnon, who’s from Connecticut and grew up skiing in Vermont. “Sugarbush, Stratton, Stowe, Bromley. Those four are pretty good.”

Brown warns that because Stowe is New England’s premier resort, you can expect to pay a lot for a lift ticket and face “insane amounts of traffic.” For après ski lovers: The Alps

You don’t have to ski to love a ski vacation – a good après-ski scene can warrant the trip alone. Merriam Webster defines après-ski vaguely as “social activity (as at a ski lodge) after a day’s skiing,” but most people think of it as eating, drinking and partying on or around a ski mountain.

McKinnon argues Europe has the best après on earth, which makes sense, because Europeans invented the concept. “Austria, Norway, Switzerland ... I don’t think you can really go wrong honestly with picking any of those places,” she said. If she had to pick, “I would say Switzerland had the best food.”

Then there’s the iconic Italian Alps ski resort Cortina d’Ampezzo, which will host the 2026 Winter Olympics. Simone Amorico, CEO of the private tour operator Access Italy, goes every year. “You won’t find crowds on the slopes, and the restaurants up in the mountains are incredible as well,” he said.