More separates the European and North American ski fields than time zones and a particularly large pond.
The differences start in accessing the slopes. North Americans tend to have the "queue" concept firmly within their grasp, while Europeans embrace the "mosh pit" philosophy and charge the lift gates en masse.
Once on the slopes, in the litigation-friendly atmosphere of North America, the carefully delineated "out of bounds" is exactly what it says it is. In Europe, by contrast, there is simply "off-piste" where you can go wherever you want and are encouraged to do so. The only thing the Europeans frown upon is flouting tradition by attempting to park correctly in the car park.
Inspired by all this piste anarchy, Europeans tend to celebrate another day of survival by hitting the bars and then indulging in wine, cheese, a crème brulée and more wine to encourage a 12-month hangover.
In the US, a day out is followed by hamburgers and hot dogs, and while any French waiter will prioritise chatting up your teenage daughter and smoking cigarettes over your service, the Americans are all over you like a cheap ski suit. You may be in Burger King instead of a Swiss mountain chalet, but you can be assured your meal will be on time. And your daughter will be relatively safe.
There is no language barrier in the US and they even cater for non-English requirements (ski school in Cantonese anyone?), but nothing beats the alluring charm of a French or Italian accent. They may be berating you for running over their skis in the queue/mosh pit, but it sounds so much better with a foreign lilt.
The Canadian and US dollar conversion rates will take you further than the euro, although you have to take a long haul flight to get the savings. You will also be rewarded with less crowded slopes. This is despite the fact that Europe has the largest integrated lift system in the world. Have to get between Switzerland and France? Forget the car. Use skis instead.
If you are a North American devotee, maybe this year it is time to taste the flavours of Europe. If you are a Europhile, it could be time to saddle your horse and head west. Here we compare similar resorts on either side of the Atlantic.
Beginners
Marmot Basin (BC Canada) and Val d'Isère (France)
Marmot Basin, located in the Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada, gets the big thumbs up for an open, uncrowded ski hill, friendly locals, true small town atmosphere and value for money with the comfortable Canadian dollar exchange rate.
For beginners, the terrain is smooth and docile, and Marmot Basin has one of the least crowded ski areas of its size in all of North America. A huge 30% of its 1, 675 acres are dedicated green (or "easiest"). It is a perfect place to get your first slide. It also has a good beginner park, with beginner hand rails for those who want to learn to play. From January 17 to February 4 Marmot Basin also has one of the cheapest lift passes on the planet, CAN$38.50 (£16).
Its location is also a plus. Being a national park means there are a variety of activities that do not involve snow. This is crucial for beginners who may want a day or two off the slopes. One of the main attractions of the area, apart from snow sports, is the Maligne Canyon ice walk, which is unique to the town of Jasper. The Canyon's shallow, wet floor freezes in winter and the tour actually walks on the ice layer. See JasperAdventureCentre.com for more information.
An excellent place to stay is the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, with its "rustic" yet luxurious cabins overlooking a lake on a property roamed by elk. Beginners can soak weary limbs in the hot tub or take a massage. Check out their latest deals on Skimarmot.com/hotels
Europe seems to be a bit short on resorts located in national parks with elk roaming past your balcony. Instead they can provide history, and centuries of it.
In the 1950s, someone high up overlooked the "cute mountain village" rule and built numerous concrete, ugly monstrosities across the French Alps. Somehow, Val d'Isère, which has its origins in the 11th century, has survived intact. While it is well known for its more extreme terrain, its top ski schools mean that it is a good place for beginners. There are 12 different schools, as opposed to the single school in Marmot Basin.
Beginners have 22 green runs in the Espace Killy. This is the area that comprises Tignes and Val d'Isère, which has 99 ski lifts as opposed to Marmot Basin's nine lifts. Although as a beginner you will not use all of them, you will still pay for them with a day pass costing €38 (£27).
While Jasper's night life may be termed "sleepy", the Val d'Isère village is an international hotspot with bumper après ski.
Intermediates
Portes Du Soleil (Switzerland-France) and Aspen (Colorado USA)
Intermediates want to explore, play and improve. Europe is a good place for those stretching their wings as the interlinked resorts offer a smorgasbord of options.
Portes Du Soleil is the perfect example; it is the biggest international skiing area in the world and straddles the Swiss-French border. There are 13 resorts across two countries (eight in Switzerland and five in France) and 206 ski lifts accessing 650km of terrain. Yet it is one of Europe's best kept secrets. The French side is cheaper and Chatel, a small mountain-side village 5km from the Swiss border, is the ideal base. Apart from having so many slopes to ski on your doorstep, there is something seductive about having lunch in Switzerland, and dinner in France.
Mammoth Mountain in California is one of the few North American resorts which can rival Europe's linked areas for size. As the name suggests, it is big with 150 trails and 3359m altitude. It enjoys an average of 300 sunny days a year, yet is a magnet for coast side storms and it had more snow than most European areas last year. When it snows, lifts are buried.
With clean, open bowls and limited woods, the scenery is similar to that found in Europe; the difference is found in the Californian surfer attitude of Sierra Nevada. People are more laid-back and definitely snowboard friendly. While Mammoth Mountain does not have the off-piste of Portes Du Soleil, its parks are sensational. There are Main Park, South Park, Canyon Park and Jibs Galore, which you have probably seen in all the board flicks. Teenagers love the lax drinking laws in Europe and may not be impressed by the over 21s rule in America.
Lift passes cost around £24 a day in both resorts.
Experts
Verbier(Switzerland) and Jackson Hole (Wyoming USA)
Verbier has four valleys, 100 lifts and 400km of skiing and that doesn't even include the main reason why people flock here: the excellent off-piste areas. The wall-like face of Mont Fort down to Tortin, and the Highway to Heaven run that is accessed by a hike to the summit of Col des Gentaines will keep experts monumentally happy. And, unlike other European resorts, heli-skiing is available here.
Beginners should be wary, but so should the experts. This is one place where a personal guide is well worth the money.
Verbier is also a resort that diehard sliders need to tick off before hanging up their boots. For inspiration, check out the Xtreme freeride contest, where riders negotiate the face of the fearsome Bec des Rosses.
Across the Atlantic, Jackson Hole in Wyoming has enough black runs to keep any cowboy hooting with hysteria. Deep in cattle country in the Teton Mountains, the liquor is hard and the slopes deep and steep.
Off-piste action is not available in America as it is in Europe. The closest you will come to it is the terrain on Rendezvous Mountain which is filled with chutes, bowls, couloirs and glades. The fearless can take a dive down Corbetts Couloir, one of the most technically difficult areas on the mountain, but even this is hard to compare to the off-piste in resorts like Verbier.
