An Alpine ski break over the Christmas and New Year holidays would be a wonderful thing, but those of us sticking closer to home don’t have to be shut out of fun on the slopes entirely either. For right here in Germany, and not worlds away from us, ski areas suitable for a day out of family fun grace the local landscape.

In the Baumholder area? Erbeskopf is a reasonable bet, and was the subject of a Stripes’ Quick Trip article a couple of years ago. If you’re closer to Stuttgart, the Black Forest’s Feldberg would make for a fair day’s outing. Feldberg also featured as a Quick Trip destination a few years back.

Not sure how or where to begin searching out a slope in your vicinity? The Web site of Ski Resort Service International seems a good place for starters, and offers links to dozens of ski areas throughout Germany.

If you are between Frankfurt and Heidelberg, you may be interested to learn that even the Odenwald’s modest mountain range, the Bergstrasse, has several possibilities for downhill, cross-country and sledding outings. Use the site to learn the name of a potential ski area, then conduct a new search to learn of the opening times and latest conditions there.

The recent spate of cold weather here in Germany should have allowed ski areas with snowmaking capabilities to turn on their snow guns, so just maybe you’ll be able to squeeze in one last ski day in 2007.

In Italy? Ski areas featuring as past Quick Trip destinations include Roccaraso for Naples-based folks and Piancavallo for those stationed in Aviano.