There's no denying it's cold and dark in the UK, so if you're going to be cold, surely you'd rather be cold on a ski slope?! We know we would! If you're like us and looking to actually enjoy the freezing temps and the snow, here are some of our ski resort recommendations!

If you're not wanting to travel far, there are three main ski areas that you want to be looking into. France, Austria and Switzerland.

Resorts in France include La Plagne, Alpe d'Huez, Chamonix, and Morzine.

Alpe d'Huez is the fifth largest resort in France, and a fantastic place for newbies with multiple beginner slopes. There's also a huge amount to do off the slopes including, ice driving, ice skating and even outdoor swimming!

La Plagne is more family friendly. It's made up of a number of small villages all different, but all combining to make a fantastic landscape.

Both Chamonix and Morzine have close transport links to Geneva. Each of these resorts have a mix of slopes for different ski abilities. Chamonix however does have a reputation for having a great atmosphere for those who really enjoy their apres ski.

If you're looking to take a family ski trip to Austria, then the Niederau resort could be the one for you. It has some great gentle slopes to start with, then once you and the family have built up some confidence, you can move onto the more intermediate slopes in the resort. There's also a huge amount of family friendly off slope activities to do, including bobsleighing and sleigh rides. However, if you looking for a resort that has some luxury, take a look at St Anton. This resort is a part of one of the biggest ski areas in Austria. It also has links with Lech ski resort, which is one of the world's most exclusive resorts. If you're looking for runs that will test your skill, then look no further than Mayrhofen. It's home to Austria's steepest groomed slope, known as the Black Harakiri which has a gradient at the highest point of 78%.

Villars has the shortest travel times from the UK, which makes it ideal for a long weekend get away. The resort sits above the Rhone Valley and looks towards the Portes du Soleil, providing some amazing views to go along with the amazing range of shops, restaurants and accommodation.

Crans Montana is another ski resort that doesn't have a huge amount of travelling time. If you're looking for a resort that not only has amazing slopes, luxury stays and a high level of gourmet dining, we would suggest Crans Montana to be high up your list.

Saas-Fee is one of the highest ski villages in all of the Alps, meaning it has some of the most reliable snow coverage in all of the resorts we've mentioned in this blog. As well as skiing and snowboarding, you could also try other snow sports including sledging, showshoe trails and even Bavarian curling!

If you're happy to travel further out, then you could always look at ski resorts in Norway, Italy or even Bulgaria and Slovenia. Each of these countries have ski resorts that suit a mix of abilities.

We all have different boxes to tick when it comes to booking our ski trips. Some may look for places that are child and family friendly, with lots of off piste activities. Some people might be looking for a resort that really focuses on apres ski and others might be looking for a luxury chalet to retire back to after a long day on the slopes. Whatever it is, it's important to research into your resort to make sure it has all the facilities you want.

You can check out some of our other ski related blogs here.