FESTIVE SKI BREAKS

Fancy escaping the chaos of the holiday season, for the big skies of a ski resort? From the most atmospheric places to bag a snowy break to sparkling spots for Christmas shopping, our ultimate guide has you covered

- ELLIE ROSS

It’s noon on Christmas Day and I’ve done nothing but ski. Prepping turkeys, laying tables with overpriced crackers and my usual last-minute gift-wrapping all seem like distant memories as I swoop down an empty piste amid the epic backdrop of the French Alps. Instead of cutting vegetables, this year I’m cutting fresh tracks on the mountain — and, as the cold nips my cheeks and the fresh air fills my lungs, I can’t help whooping like an overexcited child who has just opened their best present ever.

After years of planting the seed, I’d finally convinced my family that a festive ski break was worth the expense. There would be no arguing about whose house we should go to, no slumping in front of BBC repeats, no Boxing Day turkey curry, and — best of all — no presents. This would be our present to each other.

And so, a group of 15 of us — with ages ranging from 16 to 98, including my husband, brothers, dad, uncles, aunts, and grandmother — set off for the traditional Savoyard resort of Samoëns, part of the Grand Massif ski domain. We would be there for a week over Christmas, each family staying in their own self-catering apartment within the same building.