Patagonia, the Rockies or the Alps

People arrive at this question expecting a ranking. There isn't one: the three regions are good at different things, and the trip decides itself once you answer four questions in order.

Start with the calendar

If you can only travel in July or August, the answer is Patagonia, because the northern hemisphere is out of season. December to April opens the Alps and the Rockies. This single question resolves more trips than the other three combined, and it is worth answering honestly before falling in love with a resort.

Then the group

Mixed abilities do best where the beginner and expert terrain are genuinely separate, so nobody spends the day waiting: Beaver Creek and Deer Valley in North America, Courchevel in the Alps. A group that skis at the same level has far more freedom and can chase terrain instead of compromise.

Then the kind of week

Big-mountain days and long open bowls point to the Rockies: Vail's back bowls and Breckenridge above the treeline are the clearest examples. Villages, long lunches and the ritual around the skiing point to the Alps. Patagonia is the one that trades polish for scale and silence.

Then the evenings

This is the question people skip and then regret. A week where the group wants restaurants and life after the last run reads very differently from a week where everyone wants a chalet, a chef and an early night. Tell us which one you are, and the shortlist usually comes down to two.