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Skiing in Europe is on a whole other level from what I had become accustomed to back in the US.  It wows on every level, from the views to the cuisine to the exhilarating atmosphere.  As with life in Italy in general, you get the maximum enjoyment by behaving as the locals do, and embracing all aspects of the European ski experience.

Here are some of the happy surprises along the way:

It’s pretty standard for a single ski area to have hundreds of kilometers of ski runs.

Most places where I skied in the US (which includes several locations along the east coast and also out west in Idaho/Montana), you’ll have a few lifts going to a relatively small number of ski areas, with a couple of choices about which ski run you’ll descend. In Europe, getting to the “top” may involve a combination of several different chair lifts, and then there is a seemingly infinite number of ways to travel from top to bottom. You can stick to the same few runs if you’re building confidence, or ski all day without repeating a run.

There is never a dull moment on the ski lifts.

When you look on a ski map, you’ll see the trails and the various locations of the ski lifts marked, but in Europe what constitutes a “ski lift” can vary quite widely. From skiing in the US, I was quite accustomed to the chair lift and gondola. I really had no idea there could be so many more choices. Not only are there chair lifts with different seating capacity, but there is also a gondola, a cable lift, a larger car that can fit from 12-50 people, and then the lifts I’m really terrible at: the “drag lifts.”

Basically “drag lifts” are a bunch of methods for dragging a person up the slope, with the dragging apparatus spaced at even intervals. It’s up to each person to hold on long enough to make it to the top, otherwise risk the embarrassment of falling off and having the lift come to an emergency stop. No matter how I position myself, I can never quite manage to relax while simultaneously holding on. There is what I lovingly call the “butt lift” (apparently more formally known as a button lift), and also a single or double t-bar one (like the one pictured above). I usually just find an awkward position I can hold for the whole way up, hopefully you have better luck than I do. But it’s all worth it, because . . .

When you get to the top: the views!

Ski mountains in Europe reach dramatic heights, and are so clustered together you’ll get a stunning view of the other mountains and the valley below pretty much anywhere you ski. I’ll let the picture above – that I took from my table at lunch – speak for itself 😉

There are restaurants (really excellent ones) all across the slopes.

These restaurants are not just at the base, but there are many at the spots in between different lifts or ski runs. And it’s not just glorified fast food either, although there are certainly some basic soup and sandwich options, but you can also find pretty gourmet cuisine in the middle of the ski slope. With some excellent beers and wines to accompany the food and warm you up, and views to grab your attention. And when you’re done, you can ski off to your next run.

As I’m writing this post I’m remembering a Bon Appétit article about incredible restaurants along the ski slopes that a friend sent me back in 2013, which was one of the factors that influenced the decision to move from Australia to Italy. As the article notes about European skiing, “American skiers might need to recalibrate their idea of lunch.”

Après Ski!

This wonderful after ski tradition is more of a party scene in some locations, and more low-key in others (or there’s a mix of places). In any case, take a load off after a day on the slopes and celebrate another successful ski day with a drink, whether it’s something cold and refreshing or something hot and spiked with alcohol. Read more about the European tradition of Après Ski here, and why it is not to be missed!

There’s a sauna at pretty much every hotel or lodge.

The Europeans really know what they’re doing when it comes to relaxing tired muscles at the end of a ski-filled day. While you can seek out accommodations with a jacuzzi or hot tub, most hotels will at a minimum have a sauna available for use. When I am in the sauna, it never feels like it’s doing much, but you’ll notice the difference the next morning when you barely register any muscle soreness after the previous day’s exertion.

TIP! Europeans are not shy, and many will be nude in the sauna. You can keep your bathing suit on like I do, although you will likely be the odd person out.

Pretty incredible cuisine at restaurants in town, too

Usually ski towns have a bunch of mediocre places and maybe one nice one, but I’ve found the restaurants in European ski towns to be surprisingly delicious across the board. You don’t have to put in much effort or research to eat exceptionally well. There will be more homey places with local cuisine, feeding the appetite you worked up all day on the slopes. And equally satisfying are the more formal dining establishments – some even Michelin recommended – with delicious food that is beautifully presented.

If you’re a skier of any level, and haven’t had a ski adventure in Europe yet, add it to your list. Not just for the skiing itself, which is quite wonderful, but also to enjoy the full European skiing experience, start to finish.

What do you love most about skiing in Europe?