Greece

With 3,000 hours of sunshine a year and relatively little rain, Greece - like its neighbours Turkey and Cyprus - is better known for its beach holidays than for high jinks above the snow line. Yet Greece does have mountains, and white ones at that.

The closest ski resort to Athens (and biggest ski resort in Greece) is Mount Parnassos. With just 20 runs the terrain here's not extensive, but there's a reasonably impressive 600 metre (1968 feet) vertical and a decent smattering of pistes for all standards. The usual ski hire and snow school options are also available.

Of the other ski resorts, Helmos is a popular choice for off-piste skiing in Greece. It also has the infamous Styga black run.

Many visitors choose to base themselves in one of the local towns or villages, such as Arachova, rather than hunt out a bed in the snow. Considering the archaeological heritage of the area, it would also be a bit of a crime not to at least sniff around the Acropolis while you're here.

Cost

One of the big plus points about skiing or snowboarding in Greece is the cost - or lack of it. The infrastructure's not comparable with many other European ski resorts but a week's lift pass in Greece is only €90 (US$142).

Getting here

Flights into Athens are easy to come by and the season is normally fairly assured between December and March.