The driver of our ski bus, who quickly earned the nickname "Kubica," easily crossed the wooden bridge that we were afraid to drive over with our cars.

Zillertal is located quite low, and the final stations of the lifts are around 600 meters in altitude. Therefore, you should be prepared for the fact that some return routes will require taking the lift down or navigating narrow snowy tongues created by the snow cannons.

The crystal cube at the top in Ladis can be rented for various occasions, such as a wedding, which the couple and the priest will reach by skiing.

Initially, we thought there were cubes at the highest peaks in every town, but there was only one. It's a pity because it attracted widespread interest, and you had to wait in line to take photos.

Kitzbuhel

We stayed twice in Kirchberg with the same family. These were some of our first trips skiing abroad. Reservations were made by sending paper correspondence to the owners found in a catalog at the Austrian cultural center. Without phones and emails, we still managed to get it done. The prices in schillings were off-putting, so we packed sandwiches from home for the slopes. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos from those early trips, but I fondly remember the hospitality of our hosts and the evenings spent together with them.

We have about 230 km of slopes available, located quite low - the highest peaks are just under 2000 meters.

Kaprun, Zell am See, Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang

Kaprun and Zell am See were the most popular ski resorts among Poles in the 90s. In the shops and on the streets, you could mainly hear Polish in the evenings. This was probably due to the visa-free travel and the relatively quick drive by car - just over 1000 km.

The Kitzsteinhorn glacier, at an altitude of 3028 meters, was accessible thanks to a underground funicular departing from the valley. We rode it with the children, and I remember being packed in like sardines. In November 2000, there was an accident involving the last carriage just after departing from the lower station. The train caught fire, and the chimney effect in the tunnel led to the death of 155 passengers. Only 7 people survived by breaking the rear window of the last carriage and escaping down the tunnel. After this disaster, the funicular was not rebuilt and was replaced by a cable car.

The hosts with whom we stayed twice were surprised that we went to Kaprun and Zell am See while having the Saalbach, Hinterglemm, and Leogang complex right next to us. On our third visit, we skied there instead. We have 270 km of slopes available, located quite low - the highest peak is 2096 meters.

Solden was the setting for the film 007 Elements about the adventures of James Bond. With a multi-day ski pass, we can visit the museum on the Gaislachkogel glacier. All we need to do is log in on the website and schedule a visit. If there are no long lines, we usually manage to get in without a reservation. The underground structure carved into the rock specifically for the exhibition is impressive in itself. We enter through a long corridor, and the interiors are extremely raw. We can view photographic models and corresponding film segments. We learn about the special effects techniques used during the airplane chase - it’s amazing. The tour takes about an hour, and afterwards we can have lunch at the restaurant upstairs (very expensive).

Meanwhile, in Gurgl, near the Kirchenkarbahn cable car station, there is the Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum - the highest motorcycle museum, which we visit for free. The exhibits are spread over two floors and there are hundreds of them, from the first Harley-Davidson and Indian machines to the latest Yamaha and Suzuki "cutters." It’s a pity there’s nowhere to leave our clothes, and we have to sweat carrying our jackets and helmets in our hands. Next door, there’s a self-service restaurant with a beautiful view of the mountains.

Wagrain, Flachau, St. Johann (Snow Space)

Located just beyond Salzburg, the Snow Space ski resort was not very popular before because several towns were not connected by a network of lifts. Only recent investments in the construction of the "big bag" G-Link and the Panorama Link lift have created the infrastructure providing access to 210 km of ski slopes.

We have 5 valleys and 12 peaks to ski, with heights up to 2000 meters. The towns are very small, so there isn't much to stroll around in the evenings, but there are plenty of sports shops, grocery stores, restaurants, and of course, souvenirs.

Many guesthouses are located off the beaten path, but a free ski bus connecting Wagrain and Flachau helps reach the lifts. Between Flachauwinkle and Zeuchansee (about 1 km between the lifts), there is an additional ski bus running continuously.

To encourage skiers to explore the entire resort, a competition called "12 Peaks" was devised. At the ticket offices, you can receive a brochure describing the 12 peaks and the best routes to reach them. At each peak, you will find a pole with a punch corresponding to one of the twelve in the brochure. At the appropriate spot, you punch your brochure and continue on. If you conquer all of them within a few days, you will receive a red badge of achievement at the ticket office.

You can aim for a black badge and conquer all 12 peaks in one day. You need to register your ski pass at https://www.snow-space.com/en/winter/ski-resort-salzburg/highlights/my-peaks. You don’t need to go to the punchers - just reach the peak, which will be recorded by the ski pass tracking system at the lift gates. At the end of the day, you can show your ski pass at the ticket office at the bottom, where they will check your ascents. Note - not every lift leading to the peak is "counted". You must use specific lifts described on the website, where you can also check your status in real-time - it works with a slight delay. In the evening, you will find your details on the list of achievers published on the my-picks site.

We also recommend the Wagrainblick apartment https://www.wagrainblick.at/ - a wonderful place for a summer or winter getaway with a very friendly hostess.

Statistics of ski passes

The use of the new skipass system allows us to easily track our daily progress. The entry gates record our successive runs, and the algorithm calculates the kilometers traveled based on maps. Each day we can check how many kilometers we have skied and where we rank among skiers.

All you need to do is create an account on skiline.cc and register the skipass, which has a unique identifier, and the chip card contains our photo, first name, and last name. For this reason (GDPR), not all ski resorts have signed agreements with skiline. They often offer their own applications, such as Gopass at Chopok in Jasna.

This brings us to the second important point - we cannot transfer our skipass to another person. At some gates, there are control monitors showing the photo of the owner embedded on the chip. The skipass will be confiscated by the staff if the person on the photo is different.

Below is our collection of skipasses, which I hope will grow a bit more, and the site will be updated with more entries.

Sölden, Gurgl

We stayed in an old mountain cottage between Solden and Gurgl, right by the stop for the free ski bus. The Otztal ski pass covers several locations, and we didn't mind where we would go in the following days. The only inconvenience was the need to drive to Solden for shopping.

An old cottage doesn't mean it lacked comfort. Inside, it was renovated and as comfortable as all Austrian apartments. The host was an artist and invited us to visit his sculpture gallery upstairs. It's a pity he spoke little English because he wanted to tell us a lot.

In Solden, we have 144 km of slopes and access to two glaciers at 3340 meters. Gurgl is a bit smaller - 112 km and a glacier at an altitude of 3082 meters.

Laax, Flims

Once again Switzerland, but relatively close and quite low for their ski resorts. It's less than 20 km from the capital of the canton, Chur, and many Swiss people come here for the weekend.

The complex is not large, with 174 km of slopes and access to a glacier at 3018 meters. We stayed in Flims, which is a typical mountain village. We reached the lifts by a free ski bus because it was about a kilometer on foot. We didn't like Laax as a place because it was a collection of futuristic blocks that didn't fit the mountain surroundings.

For the first three days, we struggled with the Internet. The apartment was rented from a private owner who had two units on the same floor. The router was in the second one, and the guests arrived a day later. The owner promised to come check once they were there, but he didn't fix it. I think we forced him to act with numerous phone calls because it finally got activated. It might not be the most important topic when skiing, but roaming in Switzerland eats up data quickly.

I don't know what the occasion was, but there was an elephant festival in Flims, and painted elephants were marching down the slopes.

The weather during our stay was a bit excessive because it was +15 degrees at the bottom and everything was melting in the sun. It was nice to warm up with a pint of beer, but skiing in the slushy snow is not pleasant. On the last day, it also started to rain, so we returned early and went on a trip to Chur. There, it was still beautifully sunny, and we spent an interesting afternoon discovering a place with the scenery from the movie "Alien."

Serfaus, Fiss, Ladis

We stayed in a centrally located private apartment in Fiss, just 200 meters from the lifts. As is typical in Austria, the apartment was comfortably furnished with a ski storage room, boot dryers, and a fitness area. In the shared lounge, the hosts left beer, wine, soft drinks, and snacks in the cupboard for guests, along with a price list. Purchases were settled at the end of the stay, and they trusted everyone to be honest.

Over 200 km of very well-prepared slopes, with the highest peak at 2828 meters. With 6 days of skiing, no one will get bored; in the evenings, you can stroll around the town and visit restaurants or après-ski clubs. Serfaus is a bit larger, and cars are left in external parking lots, with access to the lifts via the metro.

Veysonnaz, Nendaz, Verbier - 4 Vallees

"Four Valleys" is a Swiss complex located in the south near the border with Italy, but there is no crossing to the other side. There are over 410 km of slopes available and the highest peak, Mont Fort, stands at 3330 meters.

Many sections are "freeride" so you need to be prepared for difficulties or return down by lift. In Veysonnaz, there are many long platter T-bar lifts, which discourages some snowboarders.

You live in housing estates like in France. If we encounter lower occupancy, we get free underground parking and a ski equipment locker right by the lift. When it's busier, we have to walk "on foot" over 500 meters. On the main street, we have 2 grocery stores and a bakery.

In the valley, you can see Sion with a large airport - the only one in Switzerland used jointly by civilian and military aviation. This allowed us to admire the fighter jets flying just above the slopes.

The station is very popular among Poles. During the first stay, several of our buses were parked, and on the street and in the shops, you could mainly hear Polish - a strange impression.

The second trip fell during the pandemic, where we encountered a "transfer window" allowing for a stay. It was very empty, and all the restaurants on the slopes remained closed, with meals served outside. There were no tables, so everyone looked for window niches to place their soup plates. Accommodation on the way from Poland was impossible, so we tried to sleep in the car - a failure.

Châtel, Morgins - Portes du Soleil

"Gateway to the sun" is another ski resort at the border of two countries: France and Switzerland. Our French neighbors in the apartment believed it was the most beautiful place for skiing.

The town is nicely situated on a mountainside and has a pleasant atmosphere reminiscent of Zakopane. Evenings can be spent in numerous restaurants and clubs. Everything is fairly close, and with a purchased ski pass, we can use the free ski buses.

The resort includes 12 villages, but some of them require driving. Staying in Chatel allows you to access 8 of them using only the lifts.

Unfortunately, the great atmosphere is spoiled by the need to watch over your gear on the slopes when you enter the lodge. It was the only place during our trips where our equipment was stolen. It wasn't an isolated incident as the Americans sitting next to us lost their skis. I recovered Marty's new poles while standing outside a shop in the center of Chatel. We were just about to go inside to buy new ones when I saw a young man without skis carrying two pairs of poles. I was sure one pair was ours and asked where he got them. He replied in broken English that he found them on the slopes and without hesitation returned our pair.

Remember that Switzerland is outside the European roaming zone. Internet on your phone card will run out within 2 hours. Further top-ups will be expensive, so it's worth renting a small portable router on-site.

We have over 600 km of slopes and one of the cheapest ski passes in Europe. And we had the best Aperol on the green chairs on the Swiss side.

Ischgl, Samnaun - Silvretta

Ischgl is one of the most expensive resorts when it comes to accommodation. It mainly consists of luxury hotels and restaurants. The parties "après-ski" stretch into the morning and end on the town's streets. The cheapest lodgings are available in the area, and it's best to drive to the large parking lots outside the city. You can park for free (with a ski pass) and take the metro (also free) to the center.

We have been there twice, and on the second occasion, we stayed in Samnaun in Switzerland - it was much cheaper and quieter! It's a small resort town from which you access the Silvretta slopes via two cable cars that navigate steep cliffs.

It is a duty-free zone, so Samnaun is famous for its cheap shops selling alcohol, cosmetics, and cigarettes. Whole groups of skiers set off in the morning from Ischgl on a specially marked "smuggler's" route equipped with small backpacks. Despite the purchase limits, we never encountered customs officers checking contents anywhere.

Under Ischgl, there is a network of tunnels with moving walkways, allowing for quick movement to the lifts and shopping while returning from skiing. The music festivals held in March on the Silvretta plateau are also famous. The most esteemed bands from around the world have played here, and photos from the concerts decorate the underground.

Another recurring event is the snow sculpture competition. Figures several meters tall encountered on the slopes impress with their precision. They last in these conditions for several weeks.

Innerkrems

As it turns out, it is currently a ghost station. Only 2 lifts and 1 km of slopes remain. During my visit, there were about 20 km, so still not much, but it was a training center for Austrian slalom skiers. The nearest airport, Klagenfurt, is over 100 km away. The town had 4 hotels, no shops, and no ATMs. Young skiers under the watchful eyes of their coaches were solely dependent on hotel meals and had no chance to buy even a can of beer (full control).

The slopes are very demanding; going for breakfast at 8:00, I encountered skiers returning from their first training session that started at 5:00 AM. So it's no wonder they are among the world's elite in winter sports.

I don't know how this town fell into decline, but the pandemic surely played a role. If anyone has the money for a large investment, I invite you to their website because they are looking for interested parties to rebuild the lifts.

Zillertal - Hintertux

We have stayed twice in the vicinity of Mayrhofen and Finkenberg. We skied on the nearest slopes, repeatedly going up to the Hintertux glacier (3220 meters). It's the only place in the history of my ski trips where my beer bought at the hut on top froze. I went outside with a mug to the viewing terrace and after a few minutes, I couldn't drink it anymore.

The Zillertal Valley stretches through several towns for dozens of kilometers, encompassing several ski resorts under one Zillertal Super Skipass. Its holders also benefit from free ski buses. It is impossible to cover all the resorts in one stay, and it's a bit of a shame to spend time on buses, so it's better to focus on the nearby area. Overall, it includes about 550 km of ski slopes.

We ascend the Hintertux massif by cable car, and the entire ski infrastructure is built on a plateau above 2100 meters. There is only one return route down, marked as 1. I advise against taking route 1A (which runs under the cable car) for those who are not confident skiers - it is "freeride" terrain, which is not groomed, at times very narrow, and worn down to the rocks.

Flumserberg, Elm, Engelbert, Hoch Ybrig

Small ski resorts, of which there are several dozen in Switzerland, are often used for weekend trips. Many native Swiss have never heard of them if they live in another canton because they have a dozen similar ones close to home. We discovered Flumserberg and Elm by chance while hiking in the mountains around Zurich in the summer. We decided to visit these places again in winter during our temporary stay in Switzerland.

The most famous among Poles is Engelberg, where the Ski Jumping World Cup competition takes place every year. As we take the first lifts, we pass by the ski jumps, and on the last segment of the complex, we ascend to the Titlis glacier (3020 meters) via the "revolving" cable car. So, what does "revolving" mean? The round cabin of the cable car carries several dozen people, and the "operator" sits in the "stork's nest" at the center. During the ride, the cabin begins to rotate around the stork's nest, completing a full 360 degrees. This way, if we find a spot by the window, we have the opportunity to enjoy a full panoramic view of the mountains. We just have to hold our skis in our hands because if they lean against the window, they will fall over shortly after takeoff.

Moena, Predazzo, Falcade - Latemar

The only ski trip with an organized group and bus transport. This relieves us of organizational duties, but we have to adapt to others. On the first day, the bus departure from the hotel to the slopes was delayed by over an hour. If possible, we skied in our smaller group using the ski bus. Returns from the slopes were also full of excitement as many people got lost on the trails. Once, we managed to leave one of the participants in Predazzo. Another time, lost friends were brought back by the carabinieri in Val di Fiemme. However, it must be admitted that it was very cheerful in the evenings when we organized team games and everyone had a great time.

Moena and Falcade are small ski resorts that can be visited in one day. Predazzo is slightly larger, but it still only has 50 km of downhill slopes. The Dolomiti Superski pass is valid, so we don't have to worry about any lift not letting us through. Predazzo is known to ski jumping fans, where numerous successes have also been achieved by Poles. Meanwhile, in Moena, one of the most important cross-country skiing races of the World Cup takes place - Marcialonga. The race route is 70 km, and many times we could see Justyna Kowalczyk on it, who won the Tour de Ski edition four times.

The second key point is the trip to Zermatt, but you need to keep track of the time to return to Cervinia before the lifts close. The ski pass includes journeys on the Swiss train, and you should take advantage of this opportunity. The final train station, which you can reach for skiing, for example from Zurich, is located at an altitude of 3089 meters on the Gornergrat mountain. Therefore, we ride the chairlifts or the train along the slopes.

Breuil-Cervinia is a very charming town reminiscent of Zakopane. There are plenty of restaurants and shops of top global brands. You can rent a private apartment, but also a studio in a block similar to French ski resorts.

We live at an altitude of over 2000 meters, and it is not recommended to go higher than 3000 in the first days of your stay. At 3500, the air is already thin, and it is difficult to carry skis up two flights of stairs at the higher lift stations. Only at the end of the trip can we go to the Matterhorn glacier located opposite the famous peak.

This trip is a must because there is so much to see. The upper station of the cable car leads to a tunnel carved into the rock that is about 300 meters long. The first stop is a rescue station with oxygen tanks because not everyone is able to leave the cabin. Trained paramedics take care of such patients.

The second point is the toilets - I apologize, but this must be seen. The toilets are automatically filled with a plastic bag. Whatever falls into it is sealed tightly when "flushing" and the bag drops into a special container. At the end of the day, all the bags are packed into the cabin and taken down to Zermatt for disposal. This is how the Swiss take care of the environment.

Continuing down the corridor, we reach a crossroad and personal elevators. We can go up to the viewing spire where we have a panoramic view of the Alps with the Matterhorn peak. If we go down, we will reach the depths of the glacier to the mine. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, when there were no refrigerators yet, luxury hotels in Zermatt were supplied with ice brought from the mine on the glacier. Thus, we explore a real mine with authentic exhibits and ice sculptures.

Returning to the main corridor, we find restaurants and souvenir shops at its exit. Further on, we emerge onto an icy plateau with T-bar lifts and can ski down.

Cervinia Zermatt - Matterhorn

The highest ski resort in Europe, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland. We ascend to an altitude of 3,883 meters in a large gondola and can use two T-bar lifts on the glacier even in the middle of summer. The length of the ski slopes circling around the Matterhorn on both sides of the border exceeds 360 km. Just to remind you, the Matterhorn is the mountain that is the trademark of Toblerone chocolate.

We stayed twice in the Italian Breuil-Cervinia due to lower prices than in Switzerland and the ability to drive there. Zermatt has been closed to combustion engine traffic since 1961 (excluding freight transport and buses). The no-entry zone starts over 30 km from the town, where you must leave your car at the train station and continue by electric train. Cervinia is the Italian name for the Matterhorn, derived from the mountain's hue at sunset. Moreover, from the Italian side, the peak at 4,478 meters does not look as impressive.

Sella Ronda

The Sella massif surrounds four valleys: Val di Fassa, Val Gardena, Alta Badia, and Arabba. I recommend buying the Dolomiti Superski pass, which will allow you to move around all the slopes and neighboring towns. It's a bit more expensive, but nothing is more disappointing than getting to another lift and not being able to go further.

Sella Ronda encompasses over 500 km of trails with access to the valleys of Alta Badia and the Marmolada massif (the highest glacier access in the area at 3265 m, with a red trail descent). An interesting option is to circle around the Sella mountain, which can be done in both directions. The trails and lifts that allow you to complete it in one day are properly marked. The loop is about 40 km long, of which 25 km are downhill runs, and the remaining 15 km we ascend using lifts. You need to plan your day well to make it in time. In some towns like Arabba, you have to walk "on foot" to the next lifts. The first time it was nerve-wracking; the second time we had about 2 hours to spare.

On February 3, 1998, an American military aircraft severed the cable of the ski lift in Val di Fassa. The cabin fell from a height of 80 meters, and all its passengers perished. It was determined that the marine pilots were having fun flying at forbidden altitudes and filming videos of the Dolomites. The case was "swept under the rug," and compensation for the deceased (including two Poles) was paid by the Italian government. Years later, we used the rebuilt lift several times, but we always thought about that accident.

On Sella Ronda, I received my first and last ski ticket fine, which was probably 60 Euros. At that time, there was already a mandate for wearing helmets for people under 16 years old. My stubborn child, of course, categorically refused to wear a helmet. The first encounter with the carabinieri was successfully avoided by not having passports with me (my son was more than half a year short of turning 16). We were informed that by leaving the passport in the apartment, we should carry a photocopy with us. The second time, that excuse didn't work. Writing up the report at the lift station and translating it into English took almost an hour. We barely made it to the last lifts, but the carabinieri were unyielding and stated that if necessary, we would return by ski bus. In Italy, ski buses are charged separately, and tickets are checked by "inspectors."

You can take a cable car to the top of Sella from the Val di Fassa valley, but only to enjoy the view. There are no ski trails there, and we must return down the same cable car.

Val d'Isere and Tignes - Espace Killy

You can't drive any further. The road ends in Val d'Isere, and we have 1817 km from Warsaw. The towns are close to each other, and the lifts are located on one side of the valley, so it's hard to get lost despite having over 300 km of ski trails. If we get stuck in one area, there is a ski bus that will take us to the other. I didn't mention earlier that ski buses are free for all skipass holders.

Perhaps something more about the trails markings commonly used in Europe:

green - for beginners

blue - easy

red - difficult

black - very difficult, mainly for advanced skiers.

The French scale is a bit different. While we have no trouble skiing on black runs in other countries, a black run in France means a cliff that no grooming machine can access. You need to think carefully about how to descend at all. It's not uncommon to encounter crying women and skiers taking off their skis trying to walk down/up in their boots. I advise against this method because skis hold better on steep slopes than boots.

Another difference is how the markers are described. In Europe, trails are numbered, and the markers, in addition to the appropriate color, have a trail number that corresponds to the map. In France, the markers have the appropriate color, but the number indicates the next marker from the start of the trail, and above it is the name of the trail as per the map.

In addition to traditional lifts, Val d'Isere has two underground funiculars. They are very fast and take us directly to the peaks, where otherwise we would have to use several chairlifts. If someone has claustrophobia, they may feel uncomfortable because the cabins are cramped, and the distance between the windows and the tunnel walls is just a few centimeters.

We experienced a funicular breakdown only once, and it was not pleasant. The emergency brakes were activated, the lights went out, and the train stopped in complete darkness. After a while, the emergency lighting came on, and an announcement was made in French. Those who understood the language were clearly relieved, but their conversations drowned out the announcements in English and German. The journey to the upper station, instead of taking 12 minutes, lasted over an hour. Nothing brought more joy than the light indicating the upper end of the tunnel. It turned out to be a power failure, and we were being pulled by a generator.

When it comes to mountain towns in France, Val d'Isere is the most beautiful. It's an old town, so much of the stone architecture remains, not just hotels with apartments. There are places to stroll in the evenings, especially when decorated for the holidays, with the streets beautifully adorned.

Something else about sunbathing, especially in March when there's a lot of sun. We don't go out on the slopes without sunscreen with SPF 50 on our faces. Lounging in the sun with a beer in hand seems great, but it could cost us a sunburn and spending the rest of the trip in a balaclava.

The lifts in March usually operate until 5:30 PM and start at 8:00 AM. This is the optimal time to spend winter holidays in the mountains.

Three Valleys (Trois Vallées)

In reality, it consists of 5 interconnected valleys with a total length of over 600 km of slopes. The main towns are Courchevel, Meribel, and Val Thorens, but we also have Les Menuires and Orelle. Visiting each of the valleys during a 6-day stay is possible if you stay in the central valley of Meribel Mottaret, where we spent 3 seasons. If we had stayed in Courchevel, the trip to Orelle would have been difficult.

An interesting fact is the mountain airport in Courchevel with a concrete runway of 537 meters long. It is the highest airport in Europe and one of the most challenging in the world. At the runway on the hill, there are several restaurants with viewing terraces. It’s worth taking a lunch break here on a sunny day because there’s plenty to see.

Nothing is as pleasurable as stepping out onto the slopes straight from the balcony of a ground-floor apartment, but you need to dress warmly because temperatures can drop below -20 degrees even in March.

The closer it gets to the weekend, the more parties there are in the slope bars with live music and disco nights in ski boots. The competitions of the Albertville Olympics took place in Les Menuires in 1992, which is why many slopes are marked with flags featuring the five rings.

You can see the thickness of the snow cover in the photo next to this. And of course, skiing above the clouds is great, but descending into the valley is trickier. Chains for your car may come in handy.

Beware of clouds. Sometimes, when entering the next valley, you see low-hanging clouds ahead. If you don't have to, I advise against descending. You ride from post to post and waste a lot of time. Your inner ear goes haywire without a point of reference, so you end up falling while standing on the slope. More than once, we searched blindly for the lift, which could be heard, and we recognized the place from the previous day.

In France, most apartments are self-service and do not have a reception. Keys can be picked up either at a travel agency (which may be in a town along the way) or from a locker that requires good language skills to access: at the post office building, turn left into the gate, when you enter the courtyard, find the post with the sign for private parking, turn left by it towards the dumpster, at the entrance to the dumpster on the right side hangs a wooden box - that's where you'll find the keys. The apartments are tiny and often consist of a living room with a kitchenette where a sofa bed for two is set up. The remaining 3 people sleep on bunk beds in the entrance opposite the toilet. The total area is 22 square meters.

La Plagne

My first visit to France in 1999 was a turning point in my approach to skiing. With 225 km of slopes and two glaciers over 3000 meters, no queues for lifts, and beautifully prepared trails, it certainly impressed everyone who came here from Poland.

We stayed twice in Montalbert - the furthest lifts on the right side. It's not the happiest location as it requires good time management to reach the glaciers and the far left part - Montchavin during the day.

It's more convenient to stay in Bellecote or Plagne Center, where it is, of course, a bit more expensive. After connecting with the "big bag" to the second station of Les Arcs, we have access to an area covering 425 km of slopes. Remember to keep track of time when you cross to Les Arcs. If you miss the last "big bag," you will have to return by taxi, which is over 40 km through the mountains and will be expensive. From the slopes in Les Arcs, you can see the Mont Blanc massif best.

La Plagne is not very popular among Poles, which is a bit strange since it's located at a similar distance as the "Three Valleys." From Warsaw, it's only a 1790 km drive.

The French are reluctant to speak English, but when forced, they can do it. Once, they even reopened a lift that was closing when we approached with children to help us return to the base. At the last run of the day, the staff was handing out candies. On the slopes, I recommend onion soup and the potato tartiflette.

La Plagne was the first trip where we took a mobile phone from the Plus network. I remind the youth that buying a phone looked a bit different back then. After making payments and signing a contract, you received a box with a "casserole" as shown in the picture. Then came the understandably nerve-wracking activation period (from 3 weeks to 2 months). I checked daily whether my SIM card was registered and if I could make the first call. The phone only worked within the largest cities in Poland; no one had heard of roaming abroad. So we called family from Wrocław, and that was it, as there was no signal outside the city. Shock and disbelief because during the entire trip through Germany, Switzerland, and France, we only had signal, but roaming didn't work.

Jasna - Chopok

Once, this was our "west." A dozen T-bar lifts, a chairlift, and a cabin at Brhliska. Full service and close to the border. Interestingly, almost all the lifts were built by a Pole - Jean Pomagalski under the Tatra-Poma brand. His lifts conquered France, Switzerland, and even Czechoslovakia, but in Poland, he was not allowed to build.

Usually, you go to Jasna at the foot of Chopok on the northern side where there are the most hotels of various standards (often available on booking.com). Traveling to the southern side used to be a feat and was rarely open due to the weather. On the southern side, the infrastructure was much smaller and consisted of a chairlift and a few T-bars.

Currently, we have over 50 km of slopes of varying difficulty connected by modern lifts and a constant connection between the sides of the mountain. The lifts are owned by the same company that invested in Szczyrk and several other resorts in the Czech Republic and Austria. So we ski on a single pass called "Gopass." The annual qualification for amateur competitors encourages rivalry, and you can receive a reward in the form of a "bomb" for the kilometers skied.

The gastronomy and shops are still somewhat lacking. It is important to remember that private initiative did not exist in Czechoslovakia. After the political changes, few people thought of opening a shop or restaurant in a ski resort. Only in the last 2-3 years has the situation improved somewhat, but for larger grocery shopping, you still have to go down 15 km to Liptovský Mikuláš.

It's worth taking chains for your car because if we hit a heavy snowfall, we won't be able to get into Jasna.

Szczyrk, Korbielów, Białka

I have always considered Szczyrk to be the best-prepared ski area in Poland. The "mining" lifts from Czyrna through Małe Skrzyczne, Solisko, and Juliany create a continuous route that allows you to move around the mountains. Initially, there were only T-bar lifts with ticket offices at the entrance to each section where payment was made in cash. Recent investments have also connected the area of Skrzyczne and transformed the T-bar lifts into cabins and six-person chairs.

I visited Korbielów a long time ago when there were T-bar lifts everywhere and a double chairlift to Szczawiny. Much smaller than Szczyrk, but you could always get some skiing done.

Białka has changed the most, where new infrastructure has been built connecting Kotelnica with Kaniówka. Several chairlifts, with slightly easier slopes than Szczyrk or Korbielów.

The advantage of these towns is also the culinary base and evening entertainment like swimming pool complexes. Of course, I do not recommend it during the holiday season as there is a bit too little space for everyone willing to ski without waiting in lines.

Zakopane

Please do not take offense - Zakopane is a complete failure when it comes to ski infrastructure. The town has a unique vibe with Krupówki and the ski jump, but it is not suitable as a base for organizing a winter Olympics.

After touring parts of Europe, we decided to "check off" Kasprowy because, as my friend said, it’s a shame we’ve been everywhere and haven’t been here yet. By 7:00 AM, we were already in Kuźnice and saw skiers standing in line. Unaware of the waiting time, we politely stood at the end. I was initially surprised by the number of vendors circulating around us with hot drinks and snacks, but after the fourth hour of waiting to go up, everything became clear. We reached Kasprowy "happily" around 1:00 PM.

The descent from Gąsienicowa and purchasing the lift pass, now off to Goryczkowa. Of course, we had to climb with our skis to the other side of Kasprowy because why make any ascent? The inn at Goryczkowa but the lift pass is not valid anymore, so we have to buy a second one. Despair - one mountain with two lifts and separate passes? Descent from Gąsienicowa, they are closing the lift. What’s going on, the weather is beautiful, it’s 2:00 PM? Exactly, we only work until 2:00 PM.

The "ski path" from Gąsienicowa to Kuźnice is a footpath through the forest with zero preparation. On the second day, we hike "on foot" to Goryczkowa, but of course, not for free because it’s the Tatra National Park, so we need to buy a ticket. We change our shoes at the chairlift station and we go to make a few runs on both sides of Kasprowy. The return to Kuźnice from Goryczkowa is a bit better. I advise against it to anyone who wants to ski, it’s a waste of time and money.

Where have we been?

- Kitzbuchel (Austria) 1996, 1997

- Chopok (Slovakia) since 1998 almost every year for warm-up before the season

- La Plagne (France) 1999, 2001, 2010

- Kaprun, Zell am See (Austria) 1999, 2000

- Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Leogang (Austria) 2001

- Val d'Isere, Tigne (France) 2002, 2003, 2014

- Alta Badia (Italy) 2003

- Meribel Tre Vales (France) 2004, 2005, 2012

- Flumserberg, Elm, Engelberg, Hoch Ybrig (Switzerland) 2006

- Santa Christina Sella Ronda (Italy) 2007

- Cervinia Zermatt (Italy, Switzerland) 2008, 2013

- Moena, Predazzo, Falcade (Italy) 2009

- Zillertal Hintertux (Austria) 2006, 2011

- Innerkrems (Austria) 2012

- Ischgl, Samnaun (Austria, Switzerland) 2015, 2019

- Chatel, Morgins (France, Switzerland) 2016, 2025

- Veysonnaz, Nendaz, Verbier (Switzerland) 2017, 2021

- Serfaus, Fiss, Ladis (Austria) 2022

- Laax, Flims (Switzerland) 2023

- Solden, Gurgl (Austria) 2024

- Szczyrk (Poland) the 80s and 2021

- Białka (Poland) 2018, 2019, 2025

- Korbielów (Poland) the 80s

- Zakopane (Poland) twice: first and last 2006

- Snow Space Wagrain, Flachau, St.Johann (Austria) 2026

I might start the description from Poland because that's where the adventure began, and of course from the "capital" of our skiing - Zakopane.

Skiing - a few practical tips

I won't go into detail providing technical data about the largest ski resorts in Europe because you can find all that online. Instead, I will describe some interesting points worth noting when planning a trip. The largest group of friends I managed to take with me was 20 people. Managing logistics, dividing rooms in the guesthouse, and keeping control over everyone at a large ski resort is not easy, but I think I managed.

A lot has changed over the years because we started skiing in Europe when a ski pass was a large plastic card with a photo carried on a lanyard around the neck. Access to the lifts was monitored by controllers on wooden platforms, and for underground "mole" lifts, the staff would shove skiers in with their feet. Payments were made in Austrian schillings or French francs. The price of a can of Coca-Cola on the slopes gave you goosebumps, so sandwiches and drinks were brought from home. Of course, the day had to be spent skiing "from the first whistle" and ended with the closing of the last lifts. The cost of the ski pass didn't allow for wasting a single minute. Our kids don’t have fond memories of this :-(

Car travel required detailed planning and map reading skills - no one had heard of navigation yet. The lack of mobile phones meant that we couldn't split up along the way, and everyone had to keep an eye on themselves on the slopes too (a nightmare).

Skiing

1996 - 2026