City vs resort
Many travelers fly into a major city + bus/train to ski village daily, rather than booking expensive resort hotels. Cities below have multiple ski resorts within 1-2h public transport, plus city culture for non-skiing days.
Innsbruck
Austrian Alps anchor. Nine ski areas within 60 min — Stubai (year-round glacier), Kühtai, Axamer Lizum, Patscherkofel, Nordkette (cable car from city). Single Snow Card pass covers all 13 resorts in surrounding region. Direct flights from London, Amsterdam.
Geneva
Swiss-French Alps gateway. Chamonix (1h), Verbier (1h45), Megève (1h15), Avoriaz (1h30), Crans-Montana (2h). Geneva airport then rental car or bus. Mont Blanc visible from city.
Munich
Munich Bavarian + Tyrolean access. Garmisch-Partenkirchen (1h), Zugspitze (1h15), Kitzbühel (2h), St. Anton (3h). Day-trip skiing possible via train. Munich the German ski-base obvious choice.
Zurich
Zurich Swiss Alps gateway. Engelberg (1h45), Davos/Klosters (2h30), St. Moritz (3h+ but accessible), Laax (2h). Swiss Travel Pass covers most train+lift connections.
Salzburg
Salzburg Austrian Alps. Schladming-Dachstein (1h), Ski Amadé (largest ski region), Werfenweng. Mozart-city culture for non-ski days.
Turin
Turin Italian Alps. Sestriere, Bardonecchia, Val di Susa (40 min–1h30). Italy's ski prices generally below France/Switzerland. Olympics-2006 facilities.
Lyon
Lyon French Alps via train + bus. Les 3 Vallées, Tignes/Val d'Isère, La Plagne, Les Arcs. Larger logistics overhead than Geneva but closer to lower-price French resorts.
Strategy
City + ski-day-trips works on shoulder season (early December, late March). Peak season (Christmas, February) book ski resort hotels closer to lifts. Equipment rental 30–50% cheaper in cities than resort villages.