12 of the world's biggest and best ski areas | CNN

Paradiski, France: When the double-decker Vanoise Express cable car opened in 2003 it brought together Les Arcs and La Plagne to form a massive new interlinked area called "Paradiski" above the Tarentaise valley.

Paradiski

<strong>Arlberg, Austria: </strong>The Arlberg took on an extra shimmer in the 2016-17 season with a new lift forming the final link in the chain to make it Austria's largest connected area.

Arlberg, Austria: The Arlberg took on an extra shimmer in the 2016-17 season with a new lift forming the final link in the chain to make it Austria's largest connected area.

Josef Mallaun/Arlberg TVB

<strong>4 Vallees, Switzerland: </strong>The 4 Vallees is Switzerland's biggest linked ski area with jet-set favorite Verbier at its heart. Stretching to 412 kilometers of linked runs, the area also encompasses the smaller resorts of Bruson opposite Verbier, and Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon and La Tzoumaz overlooking the Rhone Valley.

4 Vallees, Switzerland: The 4 Vallees is Switzerland's biggest linked ski area with jet-set favorite Verbier at its heart. Stretching to 412 kilometers of linked runs, the area also encompasses the smaller resorts of Bruson opposite Verbier, and Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon and La Tzoumaz overlooking the Rhone Valley.

yves Garneau/Verbier 4 Vallees

Alp d'Huez, France: The proposed link between Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes will create a ski area of about 475 kilometers when it's completed by 2021.

Alp D'Huez

<strong>Park City, Utah: </strong>Utah's Park City and Canyons Resort combined in 2015 to create the largest ski area in the United States.

Park City, Utah: Utah's Park City and Canyons Resort combined in 2015 to create the largest ski area in the United States.

Vail Resorts

<strong>Les 3 Vallees, France: </strong>The titanic 3 Vallees is the world's biggest ski area with 600 kilometers of runs spread between the three main resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens.<br />

Les 3 Vallees, France: The titanic 3 Vallees is the world's biggest ski area with 600 kilometers of runs spread between the three main resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens.

Sylvain Aymoz/3Vallees Meribel

<strong>Milky Way, Italy-France: </strong>Named after the galaxy rather than the chocolate bar, the Milky Way (or Via Lattea) stretches across 400 kilometers of runs straddling the Italian-French border.

Milky Way, Italy-France: Named after the galaxy rather than the chocolate bar, the Milky Way (or Via Lattea) stretches across 400 kilometers of runs straddling the Italian-French border.

Sauze d'Oulx

<strong>Portes du Soleil, France: </strong>The Portes du Soleil is a vast region spanning 12 resorts between Mont Blanc in France and Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

Portes du Soleil, France: The Portes du Soleil is a vast region spanning 12 resorts between Mont Blanc in France and Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

Sacha Bittel

Matterhorn Ski Paradise, Switzerland: Draped over the slopes below the majestic Matterhorn are the linked ski areas of Zermatt in Switzerland and Cervinia/Valtournenche in Italy's Aosta Valley, which make for a vast mountain playground surrounded by some of the Alps' highest peaks.

Zermatt

<strong>Sella Ronda, Italy: </strong>The extended Sella Ronda region in Italy's Dolomites could be right up there as one of the world's biggest connected ski areas. It's all part of the vast <a href="http://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en" target="_blank" target="_blank">Dolomiti Superski</a> region, which has 1,200 kilometers of trails, but many of those areas are fragmented.

Sella Ronda, Italy: The extended Sella Ronda region in Italy's Dolomites could be right up there as one of the world's biggest connected ski areas. It's all part of the vast Dolomiti Superski region, which has 1,200 kilometers of trails, but many of those areas are fragmented.

Val Gardena Groden Marketing

Val D'Isere, France: Val d'Isere grew out of a small alpine farming village at the end of the Tarentaise valley into one of the world's best known resorts offering 300 kilometers of runs.

Val D'Isere

<strong>Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada:</strong> The biggest ski area in North America and Canada by area, Whistler-Blackcomb north of Vancouver in British Columbia has grown to be one of the world's most visited resorts.

Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada: The biggest ski area in North America and Canada by area, Whistler-Blackcomb north of Vancouver in British Columbia has grown to be one of the world's most visited resorts.

Paul Morrison/Whistler

World's biggest ski areas

CNN —

Ski resorts are big travel business, and in the battle for visitors, size is everything.

Adding extra runs and lifts, or connecting into other areas of the mountain are all part of the alpine arms race to attract more punters. Marketing departments drool over the figures, casting them out like juicy lures. In the United States and Canada, resorts tend to measure their extent by area, whereas their European counterparts deal in kilometers of runs.

One independent survey, conducted by German ski resort consultant Christophe Schrahe, using GPS to calculate length based on a line down the middle of runs, questions the accuracy of some official figures.

But based on advertised data, here’s a rundown of 12 of the world’s biggest ski areas:

1. Les 3 Vallees, France

Meribel: Part of the world's biggest ski area.

Sylvain Aymoz/3Vallees Meribel

Good for: Mileage hunters, velvety slopes, guaranteed snow, gourmets, luxury, Europe’s highest resort.

The titanic 3 Vallees is the top dog, the world’s biggest ski area with 600 kilometers of runs spread between the three main resorts of Courchevel