Winter wonders: Self-catering ski holidays

For those planning their ski holidays for the 2008/09 season, a self-catering holiday provides flexibility, comfort and good value for money.

We bring you some top destinations and accommodation options for self-catering ski holidays in Europe and North America thanks to holidaylettings.co.uk.

St Gervais Les Bains in the French Alps is a beautiful Savoyard village with a friendly atmosphere. It is home to Europe's highest mountain, Mont Blanc, and has been a popular holiday destination for over a hundred years.

The surrounding area is steeped in history with an exquisite baroque church at the central point of the village.

The Chalet Le Rosay is a stunning, new, five-bedroom chalet located less than ten minutes' walk from the Saint Gervais ski lift and close to the shops, bars and restaurants.

Sleeping up to ten people, it has stunning views and large balconies and costs £700-£2,250 per week depending on the season.

In the Swiss Alps, Portes du Soleil is part of one of the most extensive ski areas in the world with linked resorts including Chatel, Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets.

The region also offers magnificent mountain walks, skating, horse riding, mountain biking and rock climbing at different times of year in a peaceful, traditionally Swiss rural environment.

Chalet Teolai is a spacious chalet close to the ski lifts and either a pleasant ten minute walk along a raquet track from the village, or along a winding side road among the chalets. It sleeps up to 12 people and costs £500-£3,200 per week.

Russbach, in Salzburgerland in the Austrian Alps is real Sound of Music country with picture postcard alpine scenery - lakes, mountains and rivers.

Salzburg is the cultural highlight of this region - birthplace of Mozart, and a haven for classical music enthusiasts.

Skiblickhaus is a new split-level chalet in Russbach, which is known as the 'valley of the fossils. Facilities in the chalet include luxury bathrooms on each floor, a six person sauna, a 46" flatscreen TV and a fully functioning log fire. It sleeps up to ten and costs £748-£2,222 per week.

The Big White ski resort in the Canadian province of British Columbia is an increasingly popular resort for family ski holidays with 24 feet of annual snow fall, the finest dry champagne powder snow and lots of sunshine.

Big White has almost 2,800 acres of terrain, making it the second biggest mountain in Canada.

The mountain is geared to all levels of skiing and snow boarding with well-groomed runs and 16 fast modern lifts (no waiting in queues). There are runs perfect for beginners and intermediates as well as above the tree-line skiing challenges for the more advanced.

Blacksmith Lodge is a new three-story town house in the heart of the Big White ski resort. It sleeps up to nine people and costs £910-£1,750 per week.

The Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria offer fantastic value and great skiing. With a history pre-dating Christ, the Pirin Mountain villages are steeped in history and culture.

The area is home to its own ski domain, mountain biking trails, thermal mineral springs, mountain lakes for fishing and one of the best Mehanas (restaurants) in the region.

The village of Dobrinishte is nestled in the foot hills of the Pirin Mountains and holds world heritage status. It offers everything you need for a winter ski holiday base and Pirin Chalet in the village sleeps up to eight people and costs only £500 to £1,100 per week.