The small things that make a great ski holiday

I've skied all over the world. I've been night skiing, I've been to ski conferences, and I've stayed in more mountain hotels than I can count. My favourite is still Rosewood Courchevel. I also loved The Chedi Andermatt, in a village that looks like the lid of a chocolate box. I've had a great time at W Verbier, and I like somewhere a bit different too, like Sölden in Austria.

A ski holiday should feel easy. It rarely does on its own. Flights, transfers, boots, passes, lessons, lunches, children, and someone who'd rather be in the spa. These are the things I'd never leave to chance.

1. Match the resort to the people

This matters more than the hotel. Some resorts are about the scene: designer boutiques, champagne at lunch and a lot of fur. Skiing has become very bougie in places, and that suits some people perfectly. Others would hate it.

A family with young children, a couple who want peace and quiet, serious skiers chasing powder, and a group who want a lively evening will each be happiest somewhere different. Before I suggest anywhere, I want to know how you like to spend your days and your evenings, who's coming, and how much skiing you really want to do.

2. You don't have to ski

Some of my best days in the mountains haven't involved skiing at all. There's the spa, snowshoeing, a sleigh ride, a walk through the village, or a good book by the fire. You can still take the lift up and meet everyone for a long lunch in the sun. Choose a resort and a hotel where the non-skiers have as lovely a week as everyone else.

3. Choose your week before your resort

Christmas, New Year and February half-term are when UK, French and Swiss school holidays overlap. The slopes are busiest, the best rooms go first, and prices are at their highest. If you can, go in January: quieter slopes, reliable snow and kinder rates once New Year is over. March brings longer days and terrace lunches, best at altitude.

4. Hotel or chalet?

A great hotel gives you a spa, restaurants and a concierge, and nobody has to think about breakfast. A private chalet gives you space, privacy and your own chef, which is wonderful for families and groups who want to be together. It depends on whether you want to be looked after or to feel at home.

5. Ski-in, ski-out is worth it

Walking through a village in ski boots, carrying skis, is nobody's idea of luxury. Being able to step out of the door and onto the piste, and back again for lunch, makes the whole day easier, especially with children.

6. Book the instructor when you book the room

The best private instructors are booked early for the school holidays, often by the same families every year. If lessons matter, for you or the children, secure them at the same time as the hotel.

7. Let someone else sort the kit

The best hotels and chalets will arrange boot fitting, ski hire and lift passes before you arrive, so your first morning is on the mountain, not in a hire shop.

8. Plan the lunches

A long lunch on a sunny terrace is half the point, and the best mountain restaurants are booked well ahead in peak weeks. Plan your lunches the way you'd plan your dinners.

9. Mind the transfer

The drive from the airport can eat into your first and last days. The right airport, the right flight times and a good private transfer make more difference than people expect. In many of the big resorts you can also transfer by helicopter, which turns a long drive into a short, spectacular flight over the mountains.

If you're thinking about the mountains this winter, my guide to Courchevel, St Moritz and Gstaad is a good place to start. Then tell me who's travelling, and whether the skis are coming.