Situated above the town of Aigle in the canton of Vaud, and only 30kms from the eastern shore of Lake Geneva, Leysin ski resort is one of the smaller resorts within the Gstaad area, attracting budget holidaymakers and students. Most of the skiing is suited to beginners and intermediates and there is also challenging off-piste. Leysin is also host to the snowboarding championships, and there is a superb snowpark.

Situated at 1,200m above sea level, Leysin is an attractive village with superb views over the Rhône Valley. The village is small but quite spread out, which often necessitates a bus journey from accommodation to the lifts. Services and facilities are first rate; additionally, there is excellent shopping, a museum and a popular convention centre.

Hotels range from two-star to expensive four-star resorts and there are 1,900 hotel beds and 6,500 beds in chalets and apartments. While the village is small, the influx of students in season makes for lively evenings and there are several bars and nightclubs. A nursery ski school is available for children age two and up.

Leysin ski resort has 60kms of local prepared slopes, ranging from easy to intermediate and 100kms combined with nearby Les Mosses; the longest run is five kilometres. Sixteen lifts operate over all pistes and include a gondola, seven chairlifts, and eight surface/draglifts, with a capacity for 12,400 people per hour.

For alternate skiing, if you get a six-day pass you can ski on Crans-Montana and the Portes du Soleil, giving more experienced skiers access to more challenging runs. For a novelty dining experience and fantastic panoramic views at 2,048m, take the cable car to the revolving restaurant, Le Kuklos, atop Mount Berneuse.

The ski season runs from December to April, with special deals pre-Christmas holidays, in January, and mid-March. The best way to get to Leysin ski resort is to fly to Geneva and take a train, via Aigle, to the resort.