THE BEST AIRBNBS FOR SKIING IN EUROPE

The provision of Airbnb offerings in the Alps is growing at a rapid pace – and taking over one of the holiday homes listed on the site comes with plenty of perks. Many don’t require a full seven-night stay, some let you snap up just one room in the best chalet in town, while others allow you to sidestep the glossy hotels and support a small business instead – something that’s more crucial than ever. From blow-the-budget, all-singing all-dancing catered chalets to some of the cheapest, nicest hideouts in or within a short drive of a ski resort, we’ve rounded up our favourite Airbnbs for a European ski holiday.

While we have not stayed in every Airbnb included in this round-up, we have carefully selected these as recommendations based on their location, design, previous guest reviews and the fact that they have achieved Airbnb’s Superhost status at the time of our research. All Condé Nast Traveller listings are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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  A ZEN-LIKE MOUNTAIN ESCAPELA CLUSAZ, FRANCEAn ode to Scandi simplicity, this design-forward hideaway puts a totally different spin on the chalet cliché. It sits high up on the mountainside just a three-minute drive from the nearest piste, and its interiors are a minimalist’s dream: a mash-up of crisp polished concrete, strokable blond wood, utilitarian clean lines and never-ending windows framing storybook Alpine views. Along with six pared-back bedrooms, the chalet has a sauna, cinema room and a stonking suntrap terrace.Sleeps: 14
  Price: from £595 a night for a two-night minimum stay
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  A SECLUDED LOG CABINSUNNMØRE ALPS, NORWAYWith their majestic peaks rising out of misty fjords, there’s a mythical allure to Norway’s Sunnmøre Alps. A short drive from the clutch of drag lifts at Ørsta and a snowball’s throw from the region’s renowned ski-touring tracks, this secluded log cabin comes with a hearty dose of hygge. Sleeping quarters are simple and snug, but thoughtful touches in the cosseting open-plan living space include wicker baskets stashed with cashmere-soft blankets, oversized lanterns flanking the roaring fire and squishy armchairs angled towards views of the lunar-like landscape.Sleeps: 10
  Price: from £216 a night for a three-night minimum stay
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  AN AFFORDABLE APARTMENT IN A SPOT-ON LOCATIONVERBIER, SWITZERLANDVerbier isn’t all brash chalets and glitzy hotels. This breezy apartment – given a whip-smart overhaul last year – cleverly walks the line between contemporary design and rooted Savoyard style. Vintage skis and antlers sit alongside brushed metal lamps and a sleek glass-fronted wood burner; there’s a chic children’s bunk room and a TV loaded with Netflix for evenings flopped on the sofa. Metres from one of the resort’s nursery slopes and an eight-minute walk to Verbier’s main gondola at Médran, the location is pretty spot-on too.Sleeps: eight
  Price: from £772 a night for a four-night minimum stay
  BOOK YOUR STAYSomewhere for the weekend: VerbierSNOWBOARDINGSomewhere for the weekend: Verbier
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  A FULLY CATERED CHALET WITH MATTERHORN VIEWSZERMATT, SWITZERLANDOld-world Zermatt must be one of the prettiest villages in the Swiss Alps – and just a few minutes from the slopes, this chalet feels traditional without being twee. Taking full advantage of majestic Matterhorn views, there are five enormous bedrooms – some of which come with access to sunny balconies – a sizeable vaulted sitting room with a gaggle of sofas and a mezzanine dining room for buttoned-up suppers cooked by the in-house chef. Downtime can be spent potting balls in the games room, soaking in the outdoor hot tub or, for the more actively inclined, working off that lunchtime tartiflette in the gym.Sleeps: 10
  Price: from £27,015 for a week
  BOOK YOUR STAYZermatt: The Alps’ prettiest ski resortDESTINATIONSZermatt: The Alps’ prettiest ski resort
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  A PRIVATE ROOM IN A BOUTIQUE CHALETMORZINE, FRANCEBlazing fires and snuggly fur throws, fine-dining evening feasts from a Michelin-trained chef, Champagne served to the hot tub and a driver on-demand. This beautifully renovated 19th-century farmhouse in family-friendly Morzine – at the heart of the vast Portes du Soleil ski area – ticks every box on the perfect ski-holiday checklist. Best of all, its six bedrooms are available to rent by the room – giving guests the big-guns chalet experience without the big-guns price tag.Sleeps: two
  Price: from £141 a night for a three-night minimum stay
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  A COSY STUDIOST ANTON, AUSTRIAPerfectly pitched at couples, this newly spruced apartment offers guests all the perks of a small hotel – with the privacy of their own space. There’s a kitchenette for rustling up simple suppers, a sofa bed for visitors with little ones in tow and a string of common areas including a cosy sitting room stocked with proper coffee and snacks, a heated boot room and a simple spa. Bonus points for the delightful, on-the-pulse hosts – they’re fully primed to give guests the inside track on hidden powder spots, the best restaurants and the liveliest après in town.Sleeps: four
  Price: from £1,490 for a week
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  AN IMPOSSIBLY COOL ALPINE PARTY PADMERIBEL, FRANCEMore Mayfair members’ club than Alpine hideaway, the interiors at this gloriously grown-up chalet were curated by its British owner, whose background is in fashion. Furniture and fittings come courtesy of top designers including Tom Dixon and Philipe Starck; the six hotel-like suites are a riot of colour, texture and pattern and the shelves in the deep-blue library are stocked with glossy photographic books. There’s a raft of tricked-out extras thrown in too: free-flowing wine; a personal chef and chauffeur and a sultry subterranean spa to soothe tired muscles after a day on the mountain.Sleeps: 12
  Price: from £2,256 a night for a three-night minimum stay
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  A BLOWOUT CHALET WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLESMEGEVE, FRANCEBest for a large group with a large budget, this traditional Alpine chalet has sumptuous interiors that give Megève’s knockout scenery a run for its money. The open-plan, double-height ground floor is clad in bleached teak and flooded with light; crisp grey and inky blue furnishings are softened with fluffy sheepskin rugs and each of the six bedrooms’ turbo-smart bathrooms comes with thick robes and a vast rainfall shower. If you’ve got any energy left after kicking off your ski boots, there’s a serious basement pool – if not, there’s a well-stocked wine cellar and a cinema room to hunker down in.Sleeps: 14
  Price: from £31,673 for a week
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  AN OPULENT CHALET IN AN ULTRA-SMART SETTINGGSTAAD, SWITZERLANDThere’s no shortage of luxe accommodation in glamorous Gstaad. Take over this shiny stay to dip in and out of the action; it’s got direct ski-out access to the lifts at Wasserngrat (home to the region’s infamous Tiger Run), while downtown Gstaad’s chichi boutiques and fine-dining restaurants are an easy drive away. Plush touches include oversized chandeliers, quirky artwork on the walls, Acqua di Parma goodies in the bathrooms and a serene spa with a twinkly ceilinged hammam. The semi-covered terrace provides a dreamy setting for pre-supper drinks.Sleeps: 14
  Price: from £9,500 a night
  BOOK YOUR STAYSki tips for Gstaad, SwitzerlandHOLIDAY STYLE GUIDE 2017Ski tips for Gstaad, Switzerland
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  A MODERN APARTMENT FOR SERIOUS SKIIERSCHAMONIX, FRANCETypified by its hardcore black runs and exhilarating off-piste, Chamonix is a magnet for powder hunters. And if you plan to ski hard, this fuss-free apartment is just the place to recuperate. Attached to a larger chalet but entirely self-contained, it has a smart metro-tiled kitchen and cosy basement bedroom – and the owner’s family are on hand to offer up their local intel or help organise ski hire. The biggest draw, however, is the private outdoor terrace: it’s home to a sunken cedar-wood hot tub with epic views across to one of Europe’s largest glaciers.

Source: cntraveller.com