Ski holidays are superb for singles. The freedom of the mountain, the fresh air, escapism and the ability to ski on your own watch.
Stats show that singles holiday bookings are climbing some 10% year on year. Single female travellers are leading the way - 68% of solo travellers are now female. Now is an excellent time to book a singles holiday - you certainly won’t be the only one.
Whether you're looking for a solo holiday, an adults-only getaway, or an all-inclusive package for the whole family, our selection of holiday providers has you covered. Click below to start your holiday search!
If you're wondering whether it's normal or weird to travel alone, you'll find this article helpful. In a nutshell, though, the answer is it’s definitely not weird to travel alone, especially in this day and age. If you're looking for singles holidays for over 60s, then you can find more inspiration here.
If you’re wondering whether skiing holidays are good for singles, then you'd be absolutely right. Ski resorts are an excellent way to experience solo travel. They're generally very safe, and everything is there waiting for you on the mountain.
Getting out of your room and onto the slopes is quick and easy, and there are all sorts of restaurants, social apres-ski gatherings and other amenities that complement solo travel.
Singles ski holidays: things to consider
One of the biggest challenges to solve when travelling alone is accommodation.
Most hotels do offer single rooms, but these tend to get booked up quickly. Without a single room, you’ll likely be looking at occupying a double room for yourself, which may incur what’s known as a single’s supplement.
A single’s supplement is a charge placed on a double room. Instead of paying a single’s price for a double room, you may have to pay for two people.
This is where specialist singles holiday agencies and booking agents come into play. They help unite single travellers with both solo rooms and double rooms where the hotel doesn’t charge a single’s supplement.
Some ski booking agents that provide single’s ski holidays include Inghams, who have a list of hotels that offer single rooms and double rooms without a supplement, Neilsen’s, Crystal Ski, Club Med, Single Sport and Solo Holidays.
It’s also possible to use major booking agents and comparison sites such as Booking.com, Expedia, Kayak and Trivago to find and compare single rooms and the cost of double rooms when booked for single people.
Once you’re out on the slopes, you’ll find plenty of other single people skiing and snowboarding, as well as ample bars, restaurants and clubs to socialise with others if you’re that way inclined.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top 10 singles ski holidays to consider for winter 2021.
1: St. Moritz, Switzerland
The glitzy St. Moritz is undoubtedly one of the more famous and upmarket ski resorts in the world and has hosted two Winter Olympic Games and numerous alpine competitions.
These days, St. Moritz is quite commercialised. While it's no longer the picturesque and quaint resort that it once was, it does have the advantage of being quite large and well-developed with a vast range of bars, clubs, restaurants and amenities.
It also has a good blend of upmarket and budget accommodation, which allows single skiers to explore this emblematic resort at a reasonable price despite its glamorous reputation.
For skiing itself, St. Moritz has everything. Corviglia is ideal for beginners, whereas Diavolezza and Lagalb are excellent for expert skiers and snowboarders.
2: Kitzbühel, Austria
East of Innsbruck, Kitzbühel is a world-renowned ski resort that hosts the famous Hahnenkamm downhill race. It has 230km of downhill skiing areas accessible by a remarkable 57 ski lifts.
The apres-ski scene is lively, full of cocktail bars, cafes and clubs, including the famous Club Take Five. It's quaint and compact and is certainly not as commercialised as other major ski resorts.
There are 6 well-known ski schools too, so single travellers can brush up on their skiing or introduce themselves to the slopes via its many beginner routes.
3: Chamonix, France
Chamonix is one of the most famous alpine towns in the world. It is a prized haunt not just of skiers and snowboarders but mountain climbers, hikers, cyclists and anyone else who wishes to savour the French Alps.
Chamonix has a population of around 9,000 people, so it's not a small place, but that's great for singles who want to be immersed in a larger, busier town with plenty to do. The nearby Aiguille du Midi, the highest cable car in Western Europe, is a must-see and provides incredible views of Mont-Blanc and the surrounding mountains. It's real bucket list material - a truly unforgettable experience and a feat of engineering.
There are numerous ski areas within arm's reach of Chamonix, such as Les Planards, Le Tour, and Vallorcine, which are suitable for beginners and novices. The Grand Montets mountain provides some of the most hair-raising black runs in Europe, such as Pointe de Vue and Pylônes.
4: St Anton, Austria
If you’re looking for apres-ski, St. Anton is the place to be.
Krazy Kangaruh and Mooserwirt are two of the most party-hard bars in the apres-ski scene where gigantic steins are dished out like they’re going out of fashion. Outgoing singles are sure to slot right in - making friends will be incredibly easy. Basecamp is another firm favourite and is a little more relaxed for those that aren’t up for stomping to bass-heavy beats.
The nearby quaint villages of Pettneu am Arlberg, Flirsch, and Strengenmake are well-worth a visit between party and skiing.
As for the skiing itself, St. Anton doesn't disappoint with over 300km of slopes and plenty of challenging routes for the experienced. St. Anton might be a bit intense for first-time skiers, both in terms of the nightlife and the skiing!
5: Saint-Jean-d'Arves, France
Amongst 22 beautiful hamlets and villages that spread through the valleys of the Les Sybelles area, Saint-Jean-d'Arves is ideal for those looking for a more authentic, traditional and quiet skiing experience.
The area is much more focused on its traditional heritage. There are cheesemaking tours, authentic bars and restaurants and ample cobbled streets to meander around. The apres-ski scene is not particularly lively, but that's not the point of this traditional French alpine commune.
In terms of skiing, there are numerous green and blue runs nearby. The wider Sybelles areas provide near-limitless opportunities for skiers and snowboarders of all levels of skill and experience.
6: Pas de la Casa, Andorra
The highest resort in the entire Pyrenees, Pas de la Casa, known simply as ‘Pas’ amongst alpine circles, is a lively frontier town close to the French border.
You'd think this somewhat isolated resort town would be quiet, but actually, it has one of the liveliest apres-ski cultures in Europe. It’s not the most attractive ski resort in the world - far from it, in fact - but it’s rammed full of bars, restaurants and clubs.
For skiing, there's plenty of challenging runs to explore, but again, this is probably not the best choice for first-time skiers.
7: Val d'Isère, France
For sure one of Europe’s most-loved and enjoyed ski resorts. The 300km area is absolutely loaded to the brim with all manner of ski runs, though it’s probably mostly leaning towards being on the intermediate to expert end of the spectrum.
A large, lively resort town with plenty to do, Val d’Isere comes alive at night. Cocoricos is a superb and beautiful live music par, Dick’s Tea Bar is a firm favourite, and Underground is another popular name on the apres-ski circuit.
Val d’Isere is not entirely loud and brazen; however, it also has numerous quaint cocktail bars and cafes, and the overall vibe is cosy and authentic. It's also ideal for singles that want to enjoy the outdoors rather than just skiing, courtesy of its vast network of trails fit for both hiking and cycling.
8: Cervinia, Italy
On the Italian side of the Matterhorn, Cervinia is renowned for being one of the best resorts in Europe for beginners. In fact, intermediate and advanced skiers may get bored of Cervinia’s immaculate green and blue runs. With the Matterhorn nearby, Cervinia packs some brilliant scenery and is within arm’s length of the Swiss resort of Zermatt, with which it shares much of its ski lifts and turf.
Cervinia is friendly, and the traditional village area is still well-preserved. It's relatively quiet, especially on weekdays, so it ranks as an excellent option for a chilled singles ski holiday for beginner and novice skiers.
9: Zermatt, Switzerland
Cervinia brings us nicely to Zermatt, one of the world's most famous ski resorts. Zermatt is beautiful and remains relatively unspoilt, despite it being one of the most technologically advanced ski resorts in the world with regards to its world-class infrastructure.
The Matterhorn frames this beautiful ski resort, and the town itself has everything; a lively apres-ski scene, plenty of upmarket offerings and more traditional, alpine restaurants and cafes.
Skiers of every skill level will enjoy Zermatt. It has plenty of nearby nursery slopes and green runs, and more advanced routes are only a short ride away. The one downside is that it's pretty expensive - but that’s the price you pay for Swiss ski excellence.
10: Whistler, Canada
Whilst it’s tempting to focus solely on Europe due to its quite incredible selection of alpine resorts, Whistler is a true winter wonderland. With a population of over 10,000 people, Whistler is not a small resort. In fact, it's one of the largest in the world. That means enormous diversity, not just in skiing and all other winter sports, but also in the vast selection of restaurants, bars, clubs, shops and other amenities.
Whistler is famous for its epic terrain and vast mountains. The friendly vibes in Whistler are strong, no matter if you’re looking for solo adrenaline-filled adventures, pure sport skiing, parties, chill time or anything else.
11: Niseko, Japan
Japan doesn't usually spring to mind when people consider world-class skiing, but this characteristic defines Niseko, which is genuinely one of the world's finest resorts if skiing is what you want to do.
The area has a certain modern charm to it which is quintessentially Japanese. It provides a rare fusion of culture that will appeal endlessly to those who enjoy Japanese and Asian culture and cuisine. Between the international restaurants and izakayas (Japanese pubs), there’s plenty to do after skiing. Watching the sunset over nearby Mt Yotei is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
12: Les 3 Vallées - Val Thorens/Les Menuires/Méribel/Courchevel, France
Though not one single resort, the 3 Valley area in France covers a spectacular 600km+ and is the world's largest interlinked ski precinct.
Each has its own unique character; Courchevel is high-end where celebs socialise in Michelin-star restaurants, Meribel is world-famous and blends stylish shopping with apres-ski and slopes for all levels, Les Menuires has 48 restaurants, a true culinary centre of the European alpine circuit and Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe, compact with superb skiing.
