A little harder to get to than many of the other Colorado resorts, The Last Great Colorado Ski Town - as Crested Butte calls itself - is well worth the journey.

Crested Butte's historic town is one of the best preserved Victorian mining towns in Colorado and the ski area is a real gem. Families with children learning to ski are very well catered for, but don't be fooled by the size of the resort - there is plenty of difficult skiing here too, with some great off-piste areas.

Crested Butte is a small, down-to-earth resort. If you like miles and miles of cruising runs, or hectic apres-ski then you will be disappointed, but people interested in good skiing by day and relaxation in the evenings will love it.

Transportation - Most of the accommodation is on the mountain which is a couple of miles away from the town so you need to be prepared to use the free shuttle buses or have a car.