The husband and I are planning our winter holidays and, well, finding it a bit difficult to figure out where to go! We snowboard, but not well, so huge scary slopes don't list as an important factor. Really we want to be in a lively town with some interesting things to do but has easy access to the mountains. Ideas? Thanks loads!

You could stay in fribourg and you have easy access by car to 4 lovely slopes. La Berra, lac noir, moleson and charmey None open yet though. Keeping my fingers crossed.

How long is a piece of string, lol. It depends so much on your likes and dislikes, whether you want posh after ski places/restaurants, or young bars and clubbing, on your budget, and mainly on your ability to use Pomas and T-bars and want to piste or off-piste.

Assuming you want mostly good pistes and avoid Pomas and T-bars like the plague, and would rather carry your board on the way up- then I'd say Verbier is perfect. You go up in bubbles where you can carry your board, and then at the top near La Chaux which is perfect for basic snowboarders, the chairlift has bubbles every 4 chairs, so you can carry your board up too (and not have the worry of coming off the chair with your board on and only one foot in). So miles and miles of boarding on blues and reds without having to wear your board at all on way up. Vercorin is fine too, bubble to the top so can carry board.

I've seen grown men who'd mastered turns and basic snowboarding cry at the bottom of a Poma (button) lift or a T-bar which ruined their holiday.

I'm planning a trip to Ischgl in January. That definitely qualifies as a lively town by all accounts, and while there's a huge amount of slopes, I understand that most are fairly intermediate.

Edit:
Nah. Real men ski. ;-)

If your budget won't stretch to Verbier - you can stay in Le Chable and the bubble takes you right up to the resort and above without changing. Or in the next valley at Haute Nendaz- the bubble takes you to the top and you can board down to the resort and up again (a very good run) - and the bus will take you (part of your lift pass if you take the 4 Valleys area - or you can drive up, big car-park) to Super-Nendaz/Siviez where you can take the slow and easy chair with a great slopes to get your legs back for a couple of days. From there the bubble takes you up to the Verbier ski area (return by bubble - the WALL is for experts only, please).

As said above Corbets, the main issue with most snowboarders (not moi, lol) are the Pomas and T-bars, or the old-fashioned chairs that catapult you at the top!

I can get off with the board strapped on, so it doesn't matter all too much but thanks! I will look into verbier presently!

I've been to Ischgl and it's an amazing (I was on ski's which I'm far more confident on) but we were looking for something a bit closer. I would love to find a place I fall in love with and can do the odd day trip to aswell (from Zurich)

Ha! I can imagine that. I grew up with old chairlifts and tbars so I didnt give it much thought but should probably see if my husband can handle it first! thanks.

Really??? Crying! Man up. Saying that I know plenty of (british) skiers that hate them too

I don't understand the whole snowboards are hard on T-bars / Pomas thing. Just relax, if it hirts, move the bar. Then again I learn't to snowboard in a resort that only had one chair.

I love the Rinerhorn in Davos, only t-bars so nice and quiet!!

Was just looking at Davos actually, what is the town like?

You're not supposed to ask about the town. Just enjoy the mountains, the skiing, the sledding, the snow, the hockey... Don't mention the town...

that bad, huh? :/

If it hurts it is actually best to bend over forwards over the T-bar to take the pressure off your inner thigh. Beginners have a tendency to want to grab the bar with both hands- this of course turns the shoulders, the board goes at right angle to the slope up ... curtains. Look up, hold bar with forward hand only and balance with back hand in line with the board- easy peasy. Or as said above, go to resorts where they can be avoided altogether until you are really confident. If you use a T-bar make sure it does hook under your jacket when you let go at the top (been there, done that!).

If you want a nice area drivable from Zurich in a day that is closer try Montafon Austria. There are a number of ski pistes in the valley: Hochjoch, Golm, Gargellen. The town of Schruns is pretty nice but I wouldn't call it a party town. Real skiers go here is why!!

The slopes are a mix of reds and blues mostly and some decnt long ones. A couple of runs with 14kms runs.

Distance is a bout 1.30hrs from Winterthur and as its Austria the slopes are more affordable then CH

I think Breckenridge is the best place to enjoy your vacation.

Very day-trippable from Zurich

would LOVE to find an american style resort here but have settled on engelberg!

I've just been to Davos for a weekend. It's a lovely place with nice people. It's more a town the a village so there is always something going on:-) you should go for a weekend and see if you like it! Enjoy...

everytime i have been to engleberg i have found it very poor.. they dont tend to smooth the pistes overnight. i dont bother going to it anymore.

I would go to laax or davos TBH, nice long wide runs

You can only ski on perfectly groomed pistes?

Probably wise. All else apart, the pistes, groomed or not, are not really suitable for the cruisy type of skiing I'm inferring you like - yes, they are steep, not always groomed, and tend towards the challenging. Of course, for many folk there, they're basically just a means of getting around between bits of real skiing.