Whether you're a snow sports fanatic out for some action after an energetic day on the slopes, or simply want a party break somewhere snowy, here are 10 resorts that offer some of the best après-ski in the world.
ST ANTON, Austria
www.stantonamarlberg.com
Why go For some of the wildest après-ski in the original sense - partying before you've even left the mountain, in your snow gear- as well as some of the most exciting skiing in the world.
Who goes Intermediate-to-advanced skier-drinkers equally addicted to snow sports and nightlife. Large numbers of Brits, Germans and Scandinavians as well as Austrians.
Where to party On the piste, the Mooserwirt has overtaken the nearby Krazy Kanguruh as liveliest bar - the beer flows in mountain torrents and there'll be dancing on the tables by 4pm. You'll hear skiers tumbling and giggling their way down the rest of the piste until the early hours. For live music, the Underground Bar in town.
What to wear Ski kit you can bare your midriff in.
ÅRE, Sweden
www.skistar.com
Why go Scandinavia's biggest downhill ski area also has the liveliest nightlife north of the Alps. Here known as 'after-ski', which suggests that English-speaking skiers are seen as experts. Plus wonderfully silly activities such as fishing in frozen lakes and climbing frozen waterfalls.
Who goes Mainly Swedes - it's a big student and twentysomething scene - and large numbers of Stockholmers at weekends.
Where to party Dippan may have a huge dance floor but skiers still seem to prefer the table tops, while bands end up performing on the bar or dance floor - heaving from mid-afternoon. For later, Bygget has several bars and dance floors.
What to wear For after-ski, go technical; in the evening, 'Super Trouper' vintage Abba, alternatively chunky sweaters, preferably with reindeer motif.
COURMAYEUR, Italy
www.courmayeur.net
Why go It's the gastronomic capital of the skiing world, with bars and restaurants scattered around the medieval cobbled streets of the old town, all in a scenic setting below Mont Blanc.
Who goes Smart skiers from Milan and anyone who wouldn't let great skiing get in the way of a magnificent lunch.
Where to party Start with the late-afternoon passeggiata along Via Roma, for people-watching, and looking cool. Then eat and drink your way through town. Cosiest favourite is the wood-panelled Bar Roma, with big comfy sofas; for drinking in English quantities, it's the Red Lion.
What to wear Prada if possible and the best shades you can afford - even after dark. Don't even think about goggles.
ANDORRA
www.skiandorra.ad
Why go Athletic boozing on a budget; duty-free prices on great shopping. Great modern lift system. Large number of English-speaking ski instructors - Brits, Aussies, Kiwis - so understanding cheesy chat-ups is easy.
Who goes Thirsty Brits - especially late-teens to early twenties. Big surge of Northerners this season, with many new charter flights - especially flying from East Midlands and Newcastle, plus students from Toulouse, and older, upmarket Catalans and French.
Where to party Pas de la Casa on the French border is built for pub crawls - or slithers, given the snowy surfaces. For quieter gourmet nights out, the Soldeu El Tarter is the best resort base.
What to wear To show off, duty-free ski kit bought locally. For students, the grungy look goes well with Neanderthal baggy snowboard chic. Prices are edging up, so the Oxfam Seventies, one-piece look may be lost to Bulgaria - though the new Geordie flights could see the T-shirt/ microskirt style hitting the slopes.
VERBIER, Switzerland
www.verbier.ch
Why go Extreme skiing and youngish, international partying in equal measure.
Who goes Advanced skiers from the world over; Sloanes galore - many out for the season; Geneva-based diplomats, financiers and industrialists with second chalets; assorted wealthy Euro-trash; and skiing lotharios d'un certain age .
Where to party Shot bar in the cellar of the Pub Mont-Fort for lively, noisy Brits; King's Bar for a quieter setting in a hip, candlelit Sixties decor; and the Farm Club, for grab-a-golden-grandad.
What to wear Serious technical skiwear; expensive casuals; and for the Farm Club, leopardskin boob tube, leather miniskirt and high heels.
QUEBEC CITY, Canada
www.quebecregion.com
Why go For a gourmet island of Gallic-inspired cuisine in the North American fast-food wasteland; the stunning setting for a 400-year-old walled city with cobbled streets beside the St Lawrence river, with three ski mountains close by. For the world's biggest winter carnival, running from 31 January until 16 February 2003 - there are fancy dress balls, fireworks, ice sculpture exhibitions and dog sled races.
Who goes East-coast gourmets, culture buffs, carnival revellers.
Where to party Fuel up in more than 100 bars and restaurants in the old town - it has bargain prices, thanks to the strong pound. During carnival, drink maple whisky out of glasses made of ice while sitting on fur-strewn ice benches at the Icecothèque ice bar.
What to wear Anything warm - it can get down to minus 20F. During carnival, the Snowman look.
SAUZE D'OULX, Italy
www.comune.sauzedoulx.to.it
Why go For a lively party scene and extensive, inexpensive skiing; to check out the up-and-coming venues for the next Olympics (Turin in 2006). Sauze is hosting the freestyle - lots of tumbling and spinning on snow - demonstrated by young Brits on the piste (in both senses).
Who goes Broader, better-behaved range of Brits than in the ugly lager-lout Eighties; second-home weekenders from Turin.
Where to party Straight off the slopes head for Paddy McGinty's; Moncrons cocktail bar for an after-dinner warm-up, and for later, try the live music at the Village Bar. Everywhere serves the regional speciality, grolla , a lethal coffee-and-grappa concoction drunk out of a shared mug.
What to wear Padding in case of falls.
KITZBÜHEL, Austria
www.kitzbuehel.com
Why go The après-ski segues seamlessly from cake crawls at lipsmacking coffee shops on the cobbled streets of this medieval town into some of the liveliest nightlife in the Alps. Many come specially for the town's biggest party, held during the world's most famous downhill race, the Hahnenkamm (24-26 January), with an oompah-band carnival atmosphere.
Who goes Fans of whipped cream. And beer. And, lie-ins permitting, skiing. Enjoyably cosmopolitan: mix of Brits, Austrians, Dutch, Italians and Germans.
Where to party Liveliest pub is the raucous Londoner; Stamperl is a foot-stamping, Austrian alternative; or there's US-style Highways for live music.
What to wear Anything with plenty of elastic. The Hahnenkamm is a great time to indulge any Sound of Music /lederhosen/felt hat fantasies.
CHAMONIX, France
www.chamonix.com
Why go The extreme-ski capital of the world is, unlike most resorts, a proper town in its own right with kicking nightlife. Stunning location below Mont Blanc.
Who goes Pilgrims from all continents: both experts and wannabes. People who fancy extreme skiers.
Where to party Huge choice in the pedestrianised centre and beyond. Après-ski at Le Choucas video bar, early evening drinks at Irish style The Jekyll and Hyde, then Aussie-style Wild Wallabies for pool and big screens, and cracking clubbing later at the underground Cantina.
What to wear Mountain style: either grungy snowboard look, or hi-tech fabrics.
ASPEN, United States
www.aspensnowmass.com
Why go To be seen in the most fashionable resort in the Rockies, dahling . To ski four great mountains, while staying in a restored silver mining town. To strut your stuff at one of the world's wildest parties on snow: Gay Ski Week (19-26 January; www.gayskiweek.com).
Who goes Hollywood ski fanatics (Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner, Jack Nicholson), famous blondes (Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera); anyone who prefers their ski resort to offer branches of Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton.
Where to party The J-Bar in the grand old Hotel Jerome, and the bar at the Little Nell for old money and discreet celeb-spotting.
What to wear Shades and implants, Ralph Lauren, the discreet, incognito look - except during Gay Ski Week, when fishnets, frilly bras and leathers may come in handy.
LESSER-KNOWN NIGHTSPOTS...
The Japanese Alps Budding pop idols should head for Happo'One, one of the biggest resorts in Japan, where every other nightspot is a karaoke bar. Most offer private cubicles for more intimate singalongs. You arrive by bullet train built specially for the 1998 Olympics. The mountains are impressive - rising to more than 3,000 metres - but slopes can get crowded.
Kleinwalsertal, Austria This dead-end valley is cut off from the rest of Austria when snow blocks the high pass to nearby Lech. Unlike the surrounding territories, the valley allows gambling, and several casinos cater to mainly German high-rollers, and anyone looking to spin out their highs after a day's ski-jumping.
Baqueira-Beret, Spain The best way to deal with Spanish après-ski is to set your watch to New York time - then you might actually get to mingle with the locals, heading out for dinner around 11pm, hitting the clubs around 2am. Don't expect to get much skiing done in the morning, though, and allow at least three hours for lunch.
Ylläs, Finland After a hard day's skiing nothing quite compares to the thrill of thrashing complete strangers with a bunch of birch twigs when you're all completely starkers - unless it's a good roll in the snow afterwards when the thermometer is touching minus 20. The main accommodation area of Äkäslompolo at the foot of Ylläs mountain may have fewer bars and restaurants than better known Levi, but this traditional Sami settlement spread along the shore of a frozen lake makes for a more authentic Finnish experience - along with the chance to spot the Northern Lights or indulge another local craze, tango-dancing.
Poiana Brasov, Romania If for no other reason, it's worth a visit to Romania's top resort to check out the nightlife in Count Dracula's neck of the woods. As well as excursions to Bran Castl, the resort offers swimming, bowling, and dinners spent playing guess-the-ingredients, all at bargain prices. The toilet facilities, however, belong in a horror movie.
