Après Ski in Italy

While Posta Zirm’s legendary tea dances are sadly the shindigs of seasons past (they’ve replaced the bar with a pizza restaurant - a rather good one actually), L’Murin on the main ski slope will more than suffice if your ski boots are itching for some action – the geniuses behind it took an old mill and converted it into a den of dry ice, bright lights and floor-filling Europop - it's a corker. While the lifts are still churning, drop by the Pralongia Mountain Hut for cracking views with local vinos and cheeses, a match made in heaven. Then keep the chill going at L'Got, a cool hangout kitted with cocktails and music.

A steady stream of cheery Sella Ronda skiers pour into Selva each afternoon, giving the après an infectiously merry vibe. Before you return to town, Piz Seteur’s the first port of call - where you can learn a few moves from the GoGo girls and soak up a 360° panorama over Val Gardena. The thriving hub of Tyrolean après, La Stua also isn’t far from the Costabella lift – and you’re in luck if you’re here on one of their live music nights (if not, a slice of chocolate torte and pint of the best German brew will help you forget what you’re missing…). But this is all just a warm-up to the real fun in town - like local legend of a bar, Luiskeller, which won the ‘Skiarea Test’ gong for best Après Ski Bar in the Alps. If you’re in the mood for Grappa and Martinis, head to Salto’s, which transforms into a nightclub later on. Make it your mission to run, shuffle or crawl your way to The Goalies Pub before the week’s out – Alex, Lory and the boys have rustled up a unique blend of Irish and ice hockey theme... And St Patrick’s Day’s an absolute hoot.

Absolut named a cocktail after this glamorous town, which gives an inkling of the après scene here. Corso Italia and its side streets are the mountains answer to Mayfair - chocker with posh boutiques, piano bars and fancy eateries. As soon as you leave the slopes (though it’s not unusual to spend more time sul Corso than on the mountain), it’s straight to the Pasticceria Alvera, for dazzlingly good caffè and cake (that prove Italians do coffee best) or wine bars like Enoteca, whose 700 bottle wine list makes for heavy reading... Bar LP26 then springs to life as the evening draws in, with must-try platters of dried meats and gallons of glorious Aperol Spritz. Then it's on to the main event: the VIP and Bilbo Clubs open their doors in a flurry of champagne corks and keep the music rolling ‘till the tender hours.

If posh dining and drinking spots are the heart of Courm's après scene, the locals are its lifeblood. Most of the bars and restaurants here have a famous friendly face who’ll have you feeling like one of la famiglia before the night’s through. Start out at Christiania with Carlo - ask for his house ravioli - or pop into Chiecco for a helping of Anna's show stopping strudel. Catch a ride on a snowmobile to the door of Maison Vieiile Refuge, to toast the night with Giacomo, before tucking into a pizza the length and breadth of a small ski area and make sure to while away at least one evening in Maison St. Jean, where Aldo's pride and joy – the best wine cellar in Courmayeur – has whites and reds that hit all the right notes. Then, finally, round off the get-together at the oldest bar in town, the incomparable Caffe Posta, where the order of the eve is sitting back by the fireplace with a glass of something strong, chatting away to Biagio. We hope you have a head for names.

Sauze has tried to ditch the Benidorm branding it was lumbered with a few years back: Off the mountain, it’s generally a chilled affair, with the likes of the Moncrons bar serving rounds of cocktails and beers to seated swiggers and the Derby, where the hours are whiled away by the fire with bottles of vino. Many spend entire afternoons in the Pasticceria Valsesia - where the irresistible Mitica cake will soon become a staple. But there are certainly parts that still remember the old ways. Just a short ski off Red 11, Capanna Mollino’s tempts in passing skiers with big plates of pasta, bombardinos and comfy loungers. Long-time favourite, Paddy McGinty’s, is no more, but the Derby Bar has a cracking atmosphere with DJ's and dancing and Ghost Pub's a good'un too. Benidorm this is not, but for a vibrant Italian post-ski jamboree you couldn’t do better…

The low, duty-free prices reel you in, then the animated après hooks you. Over 150 drinking dens have made their home here – more than some of the most famous party towns in the world. Head for the big umbrella at the base of the Carosello 3000 gondola for cold beers at snowboarder favourite, the Stalet bar, and decide which venues you’re heading to next. Trust us when we say it’s impossible to pick a favourite, but if we can have a few, ours include: Kuhstall, a bonkers cellar bar, where a calm drink after 10pm quickly escalates to a mad dash to the dance floor. The stage at Marcos pub raises the roof two nights a week for your fill of head banging and boot stomping, then there’s Daphne’s, where the Bombardino and friendly bar folk will have you feeling right at home.

Après starts early here – it needs to, with so many amazing mountain huts, and so little time. You could visit a new hut every day, but don’t miss Ulla’s cooking at Chalet Etoile (we’ve heard Heston's also a fan). Back at base, Le Samovar’s a quaint, bohemian tea room, with cocktails and cuppas accompanied by homemade biscuits. After a few, the Ymeletrob will be nigh-on impossible to pronounce, but it’ll take a lot more than a light head to keep us from their chocolate fondants and local brews... Later, descend on one of two bars - The Yeti or The Dragon - for beers by the pitcher in the former, and live music, terrace drinks and a homely British vibe in the latter. Sound Club, meanwhile’s a glam hangout cocktails and dancing by night.

Catch some rays on the slopes at Cascina Zeledria or Rifugio Boch, where a holy trinity of vistas, vino and voluminous tiramisus will keep you occupied from lunchtime. Down in town you’ll learn to master the Italian art of ‘La Passeggiata’ - strolling around in your best garb, spending more than you should and loving every minute... If you feel the sudden need to sit down, Majestic Lounge Bar's a good place to do it, where apertivi are something of a ritual. Turn up the tempo in Piano 54, which serves up healthy doses of loud music and don’t be surprised if you overhear someone ordering a “Ferrari”, the supercars share their name with another Italian beauty, a sparkling wine made in Trentino.

The biggest and liveliest spot in the Fassa Valley, Canazei rocks when the lifts close. While the afternoon’s still golden, the Gran Bar Pecol dotes on tired skiers with a mountainous menu of drinks, while Apres Ski Paradis catches crowds on the home run, luring them into a world of Grappa shots, cheeky cocktails and beer by the jug. No Italian resort would be complete without a quality wine bar, and the Enoteneca Valentini tops the list with 800+ vintages. But if your tastes have always been a bit quirkier, look no further than At The Cliff - the cocktail menu alone (named after freestyle moves) will make you go weak in the knees, and a mix of strobe lighting, fancy dress and themed nights, makes this a go-to for a taste of how the Italians do real rip-roaring après.

Take one small but buzzing resort, plonk it just above the town of Aosta and you’ll find no shortage of things to do after skiing. In Pila itself, Bar Yeti’s a prime spot for a beer or two, and masses of skis get stacked up outside La Chatelaine (which might have something to do with their generous helpings of homemade Grappa…). Gallagher’s Pub serves up lines of exotic, colourful shots and classic lagers, before upping the ante with a DJ and live music, and for late night dancing, La Niche disco’s themed parties are always in full swing by 10pm. For a taste of town life in Aosta, fly the nest (via a gondola ride) and make a beeline for Le Bar a’ Vin, a handsome wine cellar, where you can swirl your preferred vintage to a chill-out soundtrack. There’s plenty here to pick according to preference, like Pub Beautiful, the epitome of time-honoured Italian comfort, or the British Old Distillery, where you’ll soon find your ski boots dancing themselves onto the tables…