Snowboarding Holidays

Here we look at the top 5 snowboarding destinations from around the world.

Snowboarding trips are ever increasing in popularity and it's 10 years since strapping a plank of wood to your feet and looking cooler than a skier became an official winter sport.

So if you're planning on hitting the slopes this winter, before sorting out the travel insurance and packing your sun screen, here are the top five snowboarding destinations.

5: Tignes. Situated in Eastern France near Val D'Isare, this resort was heavily developed in the 1960s and the buildings certainly reflect that. Tignes is home to the Grande Motte glacier which has receded at a rate of more than 25 metres since 1982 but is still open for skiers and boarders alike for most of the year.

4. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. At the foot of Mont Blanc lies Chamonix. The popular resort is also home to the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, which rises 1035 metres to 3842 metres up the impressive Aiguille du Midi. The area has been a tourist destination since the 19th century but still draws the crowds because of its diversity of runs including the Vallee Blanche glacier, Les Planards and the off-piste run The Pas du Chevre.

3: Sankt Anton am Arlberg. St Anton is a village in Western Austria on the Rosanna River and was the host of the Alpine World Skiing Championships in 2001. The resort boasts an amazing 260km of pistes and many bars and pubs to relax in between runs. The area has a long history in winter sports, and there have been skiing teachers resident even since before the First World War.

2: Banff. There are three resorts to choose from in Alberta's Banff region, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Mountain Resort and Mount Norquay. Famous for its Champagne Powder snow, Sunshine Village encompasses three mountains and is about 15 minutes drive from Banff town. A little further - about an hour - is Lake Louise, a more quiet and romantic setting and suitable for all levels of riders. Mount Norquay is considered more challenging and has been skied upon since 1926.

1: Whistler Blackcomb. Whistler and Blackcomb used to be two respective resorts but became fully integrated in 2003. This means that the area is now the biggest resort in North America with 8,171 hectares of terrain and more than 200 trails. The 2010 alpine events of the Winter Olympics are due to be held in the area and the area is well developed with 7 hotels and has been ranked No. 1 ski resort in North America by SKIING Magazine for 12 years in a row.