There is a sleeper train from Stockholm that arrives in the morning, which is one of the best ways to reach any ski resort in Europe. It puts you in Sweden's largest resort, a mountain above a lake with a proper village at its foot and the station in the middle of it. Åre has a lively bar and restaurant scene, a strong Swedish weekend crowd, and it hosts World Cup races and championships regularly. It eats well for a mountain town.

The terrain is varied across several linked sectors with a big vertical, good beginner areas, and open bowls above the treeline that hold in wind. Snow is reliably cold from December to April. Hotels, cabins and apartments spread around the village. Dog sledding and a lakeside sauna fill the days off the skis.