Discover some of Europe's best secret ski holidays.
According to its 5th annual Ski Report, in 2016/17 Club Med saw a 12 per cent increase in the number of people visiting its ski resorts.
While big-name resorts attracting guests from all over the world, one of the best ways to experience skiing is to seek out a smaller destination that remains largely undiscovered by the hordes.
Writing for LV= travel insurance, ski journalist Abi Butcher (@abi_butcher) talks to the experts to pick five top places for a ski holiday that won't break the bank.
Serfaus in Austria.
The village of Serfaus is the perfect base to explore the 162km of pistes in the linked Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis ski area.
'This is something of an undiscovered gem for Brits, and a veritable winter wonderland for families,' says Chris Gill (@WheretoSkiandS), editor of the new guide book Where to Ski in Austria. 'It has improved enormously in the past decade; it has some good, challenging skiing but also nice beginner areas, so it's a resort popular with families - mainly German, Swiss and Dutch.'
Wagrain in Austria.
Set in the eastern Austrian Alps, Wagrain offers access to 120km of pistes across the southerly Sportwelt within the Ski amadé region.
Chris Gill says the area is particularly family friendly: 'At the mid-station of the Roter 8er gondola, 3km from central Wagrain and reachable by road, is the excellent Wagraini's Winterwelt - an extensive kids' practice area with two magic carpets and two rope-tows. There's a tubing slope, too.'
Jasná in Slovakia.
Not the biggest in the world - there are 49km of pistes - but in a wonderfully scenic location among the forest of the Low Tatras mountains, this is Slovakia's top ski resort. More than €200m has been invested in the past five years to improve accommodation, lifts, snowmaking (the highest peak is at 2,024m), restaurants and services.
'I love Jasná because it has something for everyone in a compact area. I can venture off piste and hit the freeride zones but easily loop back to the lower runs where the kids are skiing,' says Justin, client director of Jasná Adventures (@JasnaAdventures).
Val Cenis in France.
Sitting in the middle of the Haute Maurienne Valley, Val Cenis has an authentic French vibe and uncrowded slopes.
'The Maurienne Valley is just as close to major airports as its famous neighbours in the Tarentaise, but offers better value for money,' says Fraser Wilkin, father of two and founder of weathertoski.co.uk (@weathertoski). 'Like for like, hotels are at least half the price, with on-the-spot prices cheaper too.
'The Maurienne Valley has an excellent snow record. It's not that average snowfall is particularly high, it's more about snow preservation. This is a sheltered corner of the Alps with low humidity and lots of north-facing slopes, meaning the snow that does fall tends to stick around.'
Champoluc in Italy.
Champoluc is one of three villages in the Monterosa ski area sitting on the Swiss border. Only one British tour operator (Ski 2) offered ski holidays to Champoluc until 2016, when Ski Total and Inghams also opened chalet hotels there.
'A great choice for families, uncrowded slopes and a rustic, laid-back village atmosphere combine with a real authentic Italian welcome - Champoluc is a gem,' says Andrew Dent, founder and CEO of Family Traveller (@familytraveller) magazine.
For many, a ski holiday is about the whole experience, and après-ski is just as important as time on the slopes. But you don't need to forgo all the elements of a fantastic skiing trip if you want to save some money - there are plenty of resorts that are authentic and good value, as well as being less crowded than the more popular destinations.