We are condiering going to either Austria or Switzerland skiing over Christmas break. Are the slopes crowded that week? Does anyone have suggestions of where to go? We are a family of five that of varying abilities (intermediate to black diamond).

Bearing in mind that most families with children/teenagers have to ski during school holidays, Christmas and New Year tend to be quite busy, though not as much so as the February half-term weeks. Late March and early April also tend to be busy as that is Easter holidays (early next year, starting 19th March). Problem is you can't necessarily guarantee the snow that late in the season, but the same applies to the Christmas period unless you go to a high altitude resort. You should be pretty much OK in Austria and Switzerland - most (though not all) resorts are high. One year we went to St Johann in Tyrol the end of December - very pretty but no snow until the penultimate night! They had to bus us out to another resort each day.

I've not skied over Christmas myself, we usually go over New Year, and the slopes are pretty busy then because the French, Austrians, Swiss and Germans are also on their holidays.

These days we go off the beaten track to Bulgaria, but it's still fairly crowded there!

That early chose a resort with a high elevation

Kitzbuhel, one of world's most famous resorts with perhaps the most raved about course in the Alps (can't think of name) had no snow last year until January i believe - it's at a relatively low altitude so chose a high alt to be more guaranteed skiing and not hiking IMO

If you want reliable snow - and weather you can ski in - at Christmas then the best bet is the US or Canada.

Whilst the high resorts in Europe may have snow it doesn't mean that the lifts will be working

Once again...snow during Christmas (in the Alps) can be very iffy.