Thousands of skiers have voted, and Switzerland's Zermatt — the car-free village in the shadow of the Matterhorn — has come out on top globally with a score of 98.33 in Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards for the world's best ski resorts. In North America, the honours went to Deer Valley in Utah, the upscale, skiers-only resort that scored 97.78, just ahead of Idaho's Sun Valley.
The European list is a familiar roll call of Alpine heavyweights, but with some interesting shuffles. Verbier took second place overall at 95.00, with France's Méribel third on 94.17. Italy punches above its weight in the top ten: Val Gardena (91.68), Cortina d'Ampezzo (90.00) and Corvara in the Alta Badia (91.11) all placed highly, suggesting the Dolomites are having a moment. Austria's Obergurgl and St Anton also made the top ten, alongside France's Val d'Isère and Les Arcs-La Plagne.
Further down the European rankings you'll find reliable names like St Moritz, Courchevel, Kitzbühel and Tignes, plus Avoriaz at number 20 — proof that even the bottom of this list is a strong holiday pick. Switzerland's Andermatt, which has been transformed by recent investment, sits at 19.
Over in North America, the Canadian Rockies and Utah feature heavily. Lake Louise in Alberta leads the Canadian entries at 15th, while Whistler Blackcomb — North America's biggest resort — lands fourth. Colorado contributes Vail, Telluride and Crested Butte, and there are wildcard picks like Alyeska in Alaska and Palisades Tahoe in California. Solitude in Utah, true to its name, appeals to crowd-averse skiers at number six.
Why does this matter if you're planning a winter trip? Reader-voted lists are a decent proxy for the whole package: lift systems, village atmosphere, food and that tricky ski-in, ski-out convenience, not just the skiing itself. If you want the flagship experience, Zermatt offers year-round glacier skiing, vast terrain linked to Cervinia in Italy, and a village where trains and electric taxis replace cars. If your budget stretches less far, mid-table entries like Les Deux Alpes or Zell am See-Kaprun deliver serious snow on a friendlier price tag.
Timing matters too. Early December and late January tend to combine decent snow with thinner crowds and cheaper beds, while the Dolomiti resorts shine in high season with their extensive snowmaking and sunny winter weather. North American resorts generally open earlier and close later than their Alpine counterparts, with February offering the most reliable powder.
The full rankings, from Avoriaz to Zermatt and Killington to Deer Valley, make a handy shortlist for anyone weighing up their next snow holiday — whether that's a glamorous French chalet week, an Italian food-forward trip, or a big-terrain American road trip.
