*Factor in altitude.
The Alps are lower than the Rockies, which is why the ski season in Europe is relatively short. Stupidly, in late March I chose a low-altitude resort. If you go at the start or end of the season, think high altitude.

*Rule out eyesores.
Europe has its fair share of ugly, purpose-built monster ski resorts (including Sestriere, Italy, venue for the upcoming Winter Olympics). Stick to the Old World charmers instead.

*Choose a resort that is easily accessible from a major airport.
Andorra's prettiest mountain, Ordino Arcalis—which also has the best conditions—yielded one of the most delightful ski days of my life. The scenery was extraordinary and the crowds so thin that I was able to park my car a minute's walk from the base lodge. A one-day lift pass cost a mere $36, equipment rental $17. The lovely hotel I wish I'd stayed in, the chalet-style Hotel Bringué, which has a heated pool and sauna, costs about $80 in February, including breakfast and tax (www.hotelbringue.com). Getting to Andorra, however, is a trek: You must fly to Barcelona, rent a car, and drive for four hours. If you happen to already be in Spain or France in winter, Ordino Arcalis is worth a detour—but not if you have to schlep there from the States. So if you're flying to Europe solely to ski, pick a resort that is easily reached from the airport by train or shuttle bus (see chart). Switzerland bound? Have the airline transport your checked baggage from the U.S. airport all the way to your final railway or bus destination ($15 per bag).

*Stay close to the base lift.
A traditional money-saving tactic is to stay not in the big-name ski town but in the cheaper town next door. However, the amount you save may not be worth the hassle. I learned this in Kitzbühel, Austria—a medieval walled village with great restaurants and a hopping après-ski scene. I shaved my costs by staying in Kirchberg, a town that shares the same mountain and from which you can ski down into Kitzbühel. I booked the four-star Hotel Elisabeth (with a pool and spa), where rooms start at $165, including breakfast and tax. Just outside the hotel, I rented skis and boots ($23), caught the bus to the nearest lift, and skied Kitzbühel (lift pass, $37). The place I wish I'd stayed in, however, is the four-star Hotel Schweizerhof. A mere one-minute walk from both Kitzbühel's main gondola and its train station, it would have cost just $198, including breakfast and tax (www.hotel-schweizerhof.at). It would have been well worth the extra $33 a day to avoid the ski-bus waits and to have Kitzbühel at my doorstep. Wherever you ski, if you base yourself in town, you'll probably end up carrying your skis to the lift each day, so stay close to the gondola.