Rent ALpenHouse holiday home near one of Europe’s largest lakes, home to picturesque lakeside towns and cities, excellent ski resorts, some superb hiking routes, and the wine-growing region of snow. Visit Aigle, a popular entry point for the Vaud Alps, with its own castle; explore Chateau d’Oex and scenic Chateau de Chillon; go skiing in Les Diablerets or Villars; and wander around the charming cobbled streets of the Old Town in Lausanne.

Find group accommodation in the Jura Mountains and Fribourg near Lake Geneva to explore some of Switzerland’s most fascinating and historic towns and cities. Stay at a holiday rental in Nyon, or a hostel in Fribourg, with its lovely architecture and Old Town sights — including Switzerland’s best-preserved fortifications.

Here is the options for whose asking rent or buy ski equipment:

• Renting equipment at a local ski shop or at the ski resort. You can rent equipment by the day or week. This is often recommended for first-time skiers.
• Leasing equipment for an entire season. Some ski shops offer this service and it can especially make sense for children who quickly out-grow gear.
• Buying used equipment at a local ski shop or ski swap. If you are new to skiing, stay away from garage sales and be careful at ski swaps because you may wind up with gear that is outdated and inappropriate. Ski shops often sell their rental equipment after a couple of years. Though these skis may look pretty banged up, shop personnel have checked them to be sure they meet safety standards.

• Buying new equipment. You might want to consider a package deal that offers a discount when you buy skis, boots, bindings and poles together.

Ultimately, owning your equipment allows you continuity as you progress through skiing’s learning stages and can also save you time and money in the long run.

Every ski resort usually offers beginner terrain and lesson programs to help get you started. More than 10% of terrain at Verbier is rated green for beginners, but there are also many more great options out there. And remember, bigger does not always mean better; smaller resorts like our Gems Resorts often feature no crowds, cheaper pricing and a family-friendly feel.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a mountain for beginners:

1. If skiing for the first time, check out nearby resorts. There is no need to travel to the farthest reaches of the state just to try something new. Resorts like Verbier Winter Park and some other offer great beginner terrain and are just a short drive from the Alps.

2. Ask your friends. Have any friends or family that ski? Ask for advice on where to go. If they are really a good friend, they might even offer to take you with them! Skiing for the first time alone or with other beginners can be intimidating, so don’t be afraid to ask for help!

3. Price. Plan ahead to stay within budget; no one wants to be greeted with sticker-shock at the ticket window. Lift ticket and rental prices from resort to resort and can fluctuate depending on the time of year.

We’ve hosted televised extreme winter sports competitions for more than a decade – we featured the world-renowned sports with park to give brave visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try bobsledding, skeleton or luge. Mountain in Sun Valley is known as one of the best teaching mountains in the country, and Beav outdoor ice skating rink is delightful family fun. There’s also après ski fine dining, boutique shopping and more in store for your ski vacation.

We offer accommodations at private mountain homes, as well as resort condos. Ski-in/ski-out access, private hot tubs, scenic views, gas fireplaces and ski storage are just some of the available amenities you’ll find at the resorts near our chalet. So, start searching for your ski vacations now, and get ready to hit the slopes!

One of the most popular methods of choosing a ski resort is using advice from friends, family or experts. We have worked out that as a team of people with a huge skiing experience and have skied most of the well known resorts throughout the Alps. And then we’ve decided to open our own chalet, which combines the best features of the world-famous resorts.

Although we have worked in the industry for a number of years and have been fortunate enough to visit a lot of resorts, we still like to take advice from people regarding what they enjoyed in particular resorts. We are always looking to try new resorts and ski areas and we take a lot of advice from our peers and customers alike. People want activities to enjoy after their day on the piste have come to an end.

But not everyone burns can burn calories on the snow each day so a tub of hot cheese, ham and buttery potatoes isn’t always necessary, but you need to get what you are given.

And you might fancy trying out that new restaurant in town but the ski chalet staff have been preparing‘ since noon. Fortunately things are changing and it’s now possible to find (though still hard) a more freestyle attitude to dinners and dinner times. Above all, be nice to the staff. Take out things they can’t get in the Alps as little presents/tips – the staff will then go out of their way to be extra nice. Why tip at the end? And because of the way the budgets work, it’s good to get the hosts on side.

Each chalet is rated out of 10 in the following categories: style, character, location, service, facilities, rooms, food and value for money to give you an in-depth look into what each property offers.

We’ll start with Swiss ski resorts that come with chocolate-box appeal, and chalets in popular villages such as Zermatt and Verbier, just like AlpenHouse, go a long way to making those picture-perfect ski holiday dreams a reality. Prices in Switzerland might be higher than anywhere else in Europe, but along with the weighty price tags come some of the world’s most luxurious lodgings. Check out our best-in-class chalet in Switzerland to see what we mean.

Try to be flexible- you can save on fares by travelling mid-week, or choosing sunny Varadero, Cuba, over sunny Cancun, Mexico.

Find and book a package deal or an all-inclusive trip.

Save your health – check with your credit card company for existing travel or car insurance. Not applied for local restaurants to hotel fare or planned outings, all-inclusives may not be a good idea.

Brown bag healthy snacks and meals to avoid pricey airport or train food. Book a hotel room with a kitchenette, to save on meals.

A very important thing, consult with your travel agent to preplan trips; surf the Internet for immediate deals. Ask your travel agent where to change your money to get the best exchange rate.

Visit appropriate websites for hot Deals or special Deals to get the best prices on North American rail travel.

We’ve been lucky enough to stay in all sorts of accommodation over the years from cheap guest houses to five star resorts, and recently had the unique opportunity of staying in both an apartment and a hotel while visiting Venice.

We thought it would be interesting to compare our experience between our apartment rental and our hotel stay in Venice and give our readers some trip advice so they know which form of accommodation we think is better.

At least in Venice anyway.