The traditional ski holiday conjures up images of quaint Alpine villages with chalets, winding mountain roads and very little going on in the way of nightlife, bars and restaurants. That may be true of the more traditional resorts, but look a little further afield and there are destinations where you can combine a city break with lots to do and some skiing just a short distance away.

Krakow

The Polish city of Krakow is served by budget airlines from several UK airports and is one of Poland’s oldest cities. Some of the most popular sights are the medieval Wawel castle, the 13th century city square and the narrow streets of the old town. Krakow has dozens of bars and restaurants for tourists, and lots of hotel accommodation. The ski resort of Zakopane is 30 miles to the south of the city, with special bus transfers running directly from the city to the slopes. Zakopane is also one of the most affordable ski resorts in the whole of Europe, with an all-in price for a day’s skiing costing around £25.

Oslo

Norway’s capital city has lots to offer tourists, with a huge number of museums and galleries, restaurants and shopping. Although not cheap, Oslo is a city break with a difference and only 2 hours from the UK by plane. It’s especially popular in the winter months, and if you fancy combining some skiing with your trip, the purpose-built Oslo VInterpark is just 20 minutes on the subway from the city centre. This large skiing area offers everything you’d expect from a major ski resort, including chair lifts, 18 runs of varying degrees of difficulty, lessons and ski and equipment hire. A full day’s skiing here will cost you around £50.

Zurich

Some of the Swiss mountain ski resorts are many miles from the cities, but plan carefully and it’s quite possible to take a day trip from Switzerland’s largest city to the Jungfrau skiing area with resorts like Murren and Grindelwald. Nothing in Switzerland is cheap, and you can expect to pay well over £100 for your day’s skiing, in addition to the trip from Zurich. The city of Zurich is also worth exploring, so hop on a sightseeing bus to see the main sights in an afternoon, or explore the city and the banks of Lake Zurich at your leisure.

Budapest

Budapest is already a popular city break destination from the UK, with stunning architecture, a huge royal palace and cruises along the River Danube. There is plenty to keep visitors occupied during a city break in Budapest, but if you want to get out of the city and get onto the slopes, Hungary’s highest mountain and best-known ski resort of Kekes is just over an hour from the capital by road. Skiing here represents great value for money, and there are eight different slopes for visitors to use. Expect to pay around £30 for a day’s skiing or snowboarding, and there are plenty of places where you can rent equipment if you haven’t brought your own.