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Cross-Country Skiing Destination Guide

Choosing the right place

People of all ages and interests enjoy cross-country skiing. Don't worry if you have never skied before as it is quick and easy to pick up the basics. Indeed, many who have not skied in their first flush of youth prefer to start skiing with a gentle cross-country glide. One of the real pleasures of the activity is the friendliness of other skiers, who are always ready with a wave and a few words of encouragement!

What's your level?

Beginner: no previous experience whatsoever
Intermediate: has mastered the basics
Advanced: can confidently tackle red (and possibly black) trails

Beginners

Learning is easy. We advise that you have a lesson or two at the ski school when you arrive at your village and we give details of our preferred ski school in our customer documentation. It is important, though, that you choose the right village for your level. Our recommended destinations for beginners are, in no particular order:

Finland
Ylläs As you would expect of a village with 330 kilometres of cross-country trails, Ylläs caters well for all levels, not least beginners.

Norway
Geilo Norway's best all-round ski village, Geilo has excellent snow almost guaranteed, and a superbly organised ski set-up, with top-quality facilities for all levels. Easy access to beginners' trails.
Gålå The village boasts an excellent ski school, and there is a good range of easy tracks for beginners.
Sjusjøen Sheltered terrain and, most importantly, a British instructor, Keith Richardson, who is frequently praised for his patience and teaching skills, make Sjusjøen a superb place to learn.

Austria
Pertisau The ski school is just 300 metres from the hotel, and there is a good choice of beginners' tracks. Relax at the end of each day in the hotel's superb spa complex.
Leutasch Extensive, easy skiing in wonderful scenery makes this valley perfect for beginners. The high-quality hotel with indoor pool also helps! Good ski school. An underrated region for skiers.
Ramsau With the tracks leading from the hotel, and the ski school right next to it, learning is easy on this beautiful plateau. You are never too far away from the main village, and can try out some of the more difficult trails towards the end of the week.

Switzerland
Kandersteg A classic village in the heart of the Bernese Oberland. The village trails are ideal for beginners, and the learners' tracks are in the field behind our featured hotel. Excellent, English-speaking ski school for group or individual lessons.
Blitzingen Learning is always relaxed in the serenity of the Goms Valley. The scenery is beautiful, and you can look forward to Peter Gschwendtner's cuisine at the end of each day.
Zuoz Again, plenty of easy trails for beginners, direct from the village, and a first-rate ski school with English-speaking instructors. High-quality hotel.

Special beginners' weeks If you are skiing for the first time, our Cross-country Try It Out Weeks during the quietest periods of the season introduce you perfectly, with ski hire and tuition (with other Inntravel guests) included. Try It Out Weeks are available at Gålå, Pertisau, Kandersteg and Blitzingen.

Intermediates

As someone who has skied before, you could stay at virtually any of the villages in our programme, but those that cater particularly well for intermediates are, in no particular order:

Finland
Ylläs The cross-country ski domain in snow-sure Ylläs is very extensive, with 330 kilometres of trails, including some excellent longer tracks. The hotel offers a drop-off service (pay locally) to different parts of the domain so that you can make the most of the excellent skiing.

Norway
Geilo, Gålå, Fefor, Sjusjøen The vast domains of these four villages all cater very well for intermediates, with a long season lasting until late April.

Austria
Leutasch Recently named Europe's Most Beautiful Cross-Country Domain, this idyllic, serene valley is perfect if you plan to spend plenty of time in the snow. The extensive trails start from the hotel door.
Mösern Another good choice, and in fact you can easily link into the Leutasch Valley domain from here.

Switzerland
Blitzingen Blitzingen is located in the Goms Valley, which is widely recognised throughout Switzerland as the country's best region for cross-country. The great thing is that, with the regular train up and down the valley, you can easily extend your range.
Zuoz Again, there is plenty of scope to extend your range and explore different areas - as well as a train that runs up and down the valley, the hotel offers free minibus transfers to the upper reaches of the valley three times a week.

Advanced skiers

There are red and black runs at most of our chosen villages, but those worthy of a special mention for advanced skiers are, in no particular order:

Finland
Ylläs If you want to ski for miles, this 330-kilometre network is ideal. The hotel offers a drop-off service (pay locally) to different parts of the domain so that you can make the most of the excellent skiing.

Norway
Geilo, Gålå, Fefor, Sjusjøen For exhilarating long trails, Norway is hard to beat, and we recommend any of our four villages for advanced skiers, though the one with the very best range of tracks for this level of skier is Fefor.

Austria
Mösern There are excellent black trails that start close to the hotel and link to the Seefeld and Leutasch Valley cross-country ski networks, meaning you can enjoy some varied excursions. Skiing here is always a pleasure.

Switzerland
Blitzingen As you would expect of Switzerland's best cross-country domain, the Goms Valley caters exceptionally well for skiers of all levels, including advanced skiers. Extend your range using the train.

France
Valcebollère Join hotelier Etienne Laffitte for some of the best skiing in the Pyrenees. Trails lead up to 3,000 metres, with prepared and unprepared tracks. A wonderful experience.

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