The 8 Best Après-Ski Resorts in the Alps, Ranked by People Who Went

Every ski resort claims to have great après ski. Most of them have a bar with a terrace and a playlist from 2009. The resorts on this list are different. They are the places where the party starts at three in the afternoon on the mountain and ends somewhere in the village after midnight, every day of the season. We have skied all of them, some of them more times than we should admit. Here are the best après-ski resorts in the Alps, and what to know before you go.

1. Ischgl, Austria

Ischgl is the capital of après ski and it knows it. The slopes are big, high and well groomed, and the Silvretta area with Samnaun in Switzerland gives you 240 kilometres of piste. But people come for what happens after. The Trofana Alm and the Kuhstall are full by four, the Pacha and the Schatzi Bar take over later, and the season opens and closes with a concert on the mountain that has featured names like Robbie Williams and Rihanna.

Start at: Trofana Alm, right at the bottom of the slope.
Best for: groups who came to party as much as to ski.
Good to know: book early, Ischgl is not cheap and it sells out.

2. St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria

St. Anton is the original. The Mooserwirt and the Krazy Kanguruh sit on the slope above the village, and the tradition is simple: ski down at three, dance on the tables in your ski boots until dark, then somehow make it down the last run to the village. The skiing is serious too, with some of the best off-piste terrain in Austria and a lift link to Lech and Zürs.

Start at: Mooserwirt, and get there before 3.30 if you want a table.
Best for: strong skiers who want both the mountain and the party.
Good to know: the last run down after the Mooserwirt is not for beginners, especially in the dark.

3. Val Thorens, France

At 2,300 metres, Val Thorens is the highest resort in Europe, which means snow from November to May. It is part of Les 3 Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world. The après scene is centred on La Folie Douce, an open-air club on the mountain with DJs, dancers and champagne showers from two in the afternoon, and continues in the village at the Frog and Roastbeef and the Malaysia.

Start at: La Folie Douce, top of the Plein Sud lift.
Best for: anyone who wants guaranteed snow and a big-mountain feel.
Good to know: it is high, so drink water, and the village is purpose built rather than pretty.

4. Sölden, Austria

Sölden has two glaciers, three peaks above 3,000 metres and a main street that turns into one long party from four o'clock. The Fire and Ice and the Grizzly are the classic starting points, and the village bars keep going well past midnight. The James Bond film Spectre was shot here, and the Ice Q restaurant at the top of the Gaislachkogl is worth the lift ride even if you do not care about Bond.

Start at: Fire and Ice at the Gaislachkogl bottom station.
Best for: early and late season trips when other resorts are short on snow.
Good to know: the party is in the village, not on the mountain, so ski boots are optional.

5. Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria

Saalbach is friendlier and slightly cheaper than Ischgl, with a similar amount of fun. The Skicircus gives you 270 kilometres of mostly relaxed pistes, and the après starts at the Hinterhag Alm and the Goaßstall, both on the slopes above Hinterglemm. Later, the village of Saalbach has more bars per metre of street than almost anywhere in Austria.

Start at: Goaßstall, Hinterglemm.
Best for: mixed groups with different skiing levels.
Good to know: stay in Hinterglemm for the mountain après, in Saalbach for the village nightlife.

6. Mayrhofen, Austria

Mayrhofen is where a lot of people have their first proper après-ski experience, and the Ice Bar at the bottom of the Penken gondola is usually where it happens. The Harakiri, at 78 percent gradient, is Austria's steepest groomed piste, and the Snowbombing festival in April turns the whole valley into one week-long event.

Start at: Ice Bar, Penken bottom station.
Best for: younger groups and first-time après skiers.
Good to know: the resort is in the valley, so the lifts close earlier than in high resorts.

7. Verbier, Switzerland

Verbier is the expensive one on the list, and it earns it. The off-piste is legendary, the village is genuinely nice, and the après at Le Rouge and the Farinet is more cocktail than beer tent, without being boring. This is the resort for a long weekend when someone else is paying.

Start at: Le Rouge, at the bottom of the Médran lift.
Best for: experienced skiers with a healthy budget.
Good to know: the Farinet has live bands most nights of the season.

8. Livigno, Italy

Livigno is duty free, which explains a lot about its popularity with Dutch and German groups. The skiing is high, snow sure and spread across two sides of the valley, and the après is spread across dozens of bars in a long village that is easy to walk. It is one of the few resorts where the party and the prices both work in your favour.

Start at: Stalet, at the bottom of the Carosello 3000 side.
Best for: groups on a budget who still want a real après scene.
Good to know: the drive in over the passes is spectacular and occasionally closed. Check the road before you leave.

Which resort is right for your group?

• All in on the party: Ischgl or St. Anton.
• Guaranteed snow: Val Thorens or Sölden.
• Mixed levels, easy going: Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
• First après trip: Mayrhofen.
• Money is no object: Verbier.
• Best value: Livigno.

What to wear when you get there

Every resort on this list has one thing in common: the jackets come off by four o'clock and what is underneath is what people see for the rest of the night. Our après-ski shirts and hoodies were designed for exactly that moment, and if you want the whole group to look like a group, the Après Ski Club hoodie is the one to order in six sizes. For the full outfit, from the terrace to the walk home, read what to wear for après ski.