My partner and I would like to spend Christmas in a ski resort for 2008 and are considering La Clusaz. Having had a look at the website though, it seems to cater for families, rather than couples. Are there any other places that we could take into consideration for comparison? We are beginners so the runs need to be easy and we would like to stay in a private room with an ensuite bathroom. Clint Jeuring, by email

A response from Times Online ski expert, Kate Whittaker: For a slightly more grown up resort, try Zermatt in Switzerland – a resort with plenty to do when you’re not skiing and a stunning place to spend Christmas.

The town is packed with hotels for all budgets, we’d recommend staying at the four-star Alex Hotel for somewhere that is guaranteed to make your festive time special. For easy runs, head up the Sunnegga Express funicular to an area that is good for beginners and early intermediates.

Otherwise, you could try an Italian resort – La Thuile, in the Aosta Valley, is a pretty little village with a fantastic ski area. As well as having plenty of cruisy blues and reds, you can even ski all the way into France on intermediate runs. We’d recommend staying at the four-star Hotel Dora for a very romantic atmosphere.

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• Ask the expert: wintersports

• Ask our expert: skiing for singles

• Ask our expert: late spring ski-ing

• Ask our expert: the best ski resort for adult beginners

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