With the cold weather now seemingly set-in for the winter, it's got us thinking about ski holidays in mountainside chalets with cozy fireplaces and steamy saunas.
As we recently reported, buying Ski homes has come back into fashion for the snow lovers among us, with property sales in Austria doubling in the first half of this year compared to 2012.
We've taken a quick look at what's currently available for either a holiday rent or for sale in France, Austria and Switzerland.
If it's a holiday rental you're after, we're tempted by these great properties available to rent through our holiday rentals partner HomeAway.co.uk
This newly-built five bedroom chalet, a fifteen minute walk from the centre of Morzine sleeps 10-12 people. Laid out in a spacious open plan style, with a fully equip kitchen and en-suite to each room, the chalet also has parking for four cars.
On the Swiss side, how about this ultra splurge on one of the worlds most luxurious ski chalets in the Petit Village of Zermatt. It will set you back a whopping £70,000 to hire for the Christmas week, but you're paying for those panoramic breathtaking views of the Matterhorn. The property is decked throughout in wood, fur, cashmere, suede and leather and the stunning sitting room features a grand piano and stunning fire place.
Your own slice of ski heaven
If you're thinking about buying your very own place in the show, there are some fabulous apartments currently on the market such as this one bedroom apartment in Meribel village in the Trois Vallées, featuring wood and stone exteriors and either a terrace or balcony facing a clearing to give you a feeling of space. Housed within a luxury chalet, the apartments have exceptional South and South West views over the Vallée du Raffort and a completely open panorama. Meribel is ideal for families children and is home to some of the French Alps' best apres ski. Marketed by Skiing Property, these one bedroom ski apartments start at €567,000 for 39m2, with two bedroom, 87m2 units from €944,500.
In Austria, you could snap up a real bargain - this one bedroom detached cottage with it's own gardens is perfect for both ski and summer use. Whilst it's located 10km from the Otscher skiing area of Hochkar and Lackenho, it features a wood burning over, car port and has potential for expansion. Marketed by Amazing Austria, this chalet is on sale at €129,000.
Getting there
Snow lovers can still book tickets for this ski season on the French and Swiss snow trains with Eurostar, who will carry your skis or snowbaord in addition to your normal luggage at no extra cost. The trains provide easy connections to Verbier, Zermatt and Saas Fee in Switzerland and Les Arcs, Courchevel, Tignes, Val D'Isère, Meribel in France.
Tickets for the Swiss and French ski Eurostar services are available from £149 at www.eurostar.com