We Britons love the Olympics. Every four years, the Winter Games ignites a national interest in winter sports, captivated by the competition, the danger, the stunning mountain backdrops.
I can speak to this from all sides. My own career saw the transition from Olympic competitor – over a 16-year cycle I competed in four Winter Games – to fan and broadcaster. But what hasn’t changed is the way I feel about those five colourful circles. Whenever I see them, I’m transported back to the start gates.
My two most cherished Olympic memories perfectly illustrate the spectrum of the experience. The first was my 11th place in the downhill in Turin 2006, an epic day to say the least.
The weather was brutal, the fear was palpable, yet I managed to overcome it and reach a temporary bronze medal position. That would be the last time I ever saw my mum alive, and to share that with her, after all her sacrifice, will be something that never leaves me.
Then there was my swansong in Sochi, where I fought back from breaking my leg three times in the preceding four years and had to secure all my own funding. It was my first and only time attending the Opening Ceremony, a moment where I truly understood what it meant to be part of Team GB.
Now, working on the other side, I have never been more excited for a Winter Olympics. With no time zone barrier in Europe, and what is shaping up to be the strongest talent Team GB has ever seen, the anticipation is electric.
I’m especially eager for the mountain talent: five women ready to fight for gold, including Mia Brookes (Snowboard Slopestyle), Zoe Atkin (Halfpipe), Menna Fitzpatrick (Para Alpine), Kirsty Muir (Ski Slopestyle) and Charlotte Bankes (Snowboard Cross). I would also love to see medals delivered by the long-standing backbone of their respective sports, Dave Ryding and Andrew Musgrave.
The one guarantee is that the Olympics will deliver drama, uniting thousands of elite athletes from over 90 nations and millions of fans. I know I am biased, but this is the time to be inspired – not just by the pros, but to go and try for yourself.
Legendary ski resorts with Winter Olympic legacy
by Sophie Butler
1. Chamonix
The grande dame of French ski resorts played host to the first Winter Olympics in 1924, when Britain won a gold for curling. At the foot of Mont Blanc, it’s a busy town with Belle Époque buildings and a lively, pedestrianised centre in a spectacular setting, and acts as a gateway to a vast ski terrain across four areas, with plenty of challenge for all abilities.
Inghams (01483 319619) offers stays at the four-star Hotel Les Aiglons, located near the Aiguille du Midi lift, half board, from £1,672pp, including flights and transfers. Departs February 21, 2026.
2. Innsbruck
The towering 120m Bergisel ski jump has been a fixture on this Austrian city’s skyline since 1925 and was rebuilt in 2002. A venue for the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympic Games, and for the 2012 Youth Olympic Games, it’s an easy transfer to over a dozen ski areas, ranging from beginner-friendly Muttereralm to the more varied slopes of Nordkette and the Stubai glacier.
Crystal Ski (020 3451 2821) offers stays at the four-star Hotel Schwarzer Adler Innsbruck from £886pp, including breakfast and flights. Departs March 3, 2026.
3. Méribel
This Trois Vallées resort had a key role in France’s 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, providing the venue for the women’s races and ice hockey tournaments. The Parc Olympic Sports Centre – and the Olympe gondola – are a legacy of this iconic year. Offering largely chalet-style and self-catering accommodation, the resort is a central springboard for the vast 600km ski area.
Erna Low (0203 011 1222) offers stays at the centrally located L’Hévana, self-catering, from £1,137pp, based on six people sharing a two-bedroom apartment, including flights and transfers. Departs February 28, 2026.
4. Nozawa Onsen
One of the venues for the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998, this atmospheric village in Japan’s central Honshu region, known for its hot springs and traditional ryokan accommodation, hosted the biathlon and cross-country skiing events. It has around 50km of runs which combine gentle, open slopes along with sheltered pistes that descend through trees.
Ski Safari (01273 920569) offers a 14-night Nagano Ski Safari from £5,105pp, including flights, transfers, some breakfasts and three days in Nozawa Onsen. Further highlights include Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park and a stay in Tokyo. Departs February 21, 2026.
5. Sauze d’Oulx
Freestyle aerial and mogul events during the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006 took place in this scenic Italian resort overlooking the Susa Valley. The short 90-minute transfer time from Turin airport makes it a good choice for short breaks as well as longer holidays and its atmospheric centre has an historic, 16th-century church and fountain, plus lively nightlife.
Neilson (0333 014 3351) offers stays at Neilson Chalet Hotel Edelweiss, near the Jouvenceaux Sportinia lift, half board, from £1,249pp, including flights and transfers. Departs March 1, 2026.
6. St Moritz
Dubbed the “Games of Renewal”, this glamorous Swiss resort hosted the first post-war Winter Olympics in 1948, after a 12-year hiatus. At 1,856m in the Engadin Valley, near the border with Italy, it has extensive and snow-sure slopes spread over four separate areas.
Club Med (03453 676767) offers stays at Saint-Moritz Roi Soleil, at the foot of the slopes in Bad, all-inclusive, from £1,942pp, including flights and transfers. Departs March 22, 2026.
7. Val d’Isère
One of the venues for the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, Val d’Isère’s Face de Bellevarde ski course on the Rocher de Bellevarde mountain (known as “La Face”) was used for the men’s downhill, Super G and giant slalom events. Linked to Tignes and at the end of the Tarentaise valley, this chic French resort stands at 1,850m with access to the Pisaillas glacier.
Le Ski (01484 548996) offers stays at the newly renovated Chalet Le Bel Air, sleeping up to 14, half board, from £1,757pp, including flights and transfers. Departs March 8, 2026.
8. Whistler
Cross-country skiing, biathlon and ski jumping were among the events hosted by this Canadian resort in the 2010 Winter Olympics and it was here that Britain’s skeleton racer Amy Williams won gold. With a season that lasts from mid-November to May, and a huge area spread across the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, the resort offers an exceptionally wide variety of activities, both on and off the snow.
Ski Solutions (020 3925 1584) offers stays at Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa, close to the gondolas and nightlife, room only, from £2,145pp, including flights and shared transfers. Departs March 14, 2026.