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There are lots of real snow and artificial ski slopes in Great Britain so you don't have to go overseas to try to match the professionals.

And some of them offer taster sessions and introductory offers on ski and snowboard courses.

For full details get in touch with the venues using our list below.

Of course you can take up skiing or snowboarding on any other day too, all year round.

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There are five real snow centres in Britain - with six more in the pipeline.

England's main indoor skiing and snowboarding venues

They are open all year round, give a real snow experience and allow people to try the sport without the expense of travelling to the rest of Europe and beyond.

Snozone, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Castleford, West Yorkshire and Braehead, Glasgow
Tel: 0871 222 5670 (Milton Keynes)
0871 222 5671 (Castleford)
Tel: 0871 200 3222 (Braehead)
www.xscape.co.uk

Snowdome, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Tel: 08705 000011
www.snowdome.co.uk

Chill Factore, Manchester
Tel: 0161 749 2222
www.chillfactore.co.uk

Scotland has the majority of natural ski resorts in Britain.

Scotland's main skiing and snowboarding venues

There are five areas in which to ski and all have invested heavily over the last few years to rival the standards in many European resorts.

Cairngorm, Glenshee and The Lecht resorts can be found in the Grampian mountain range, while the Nevis Range and Glencoe resorts are situated in the west of Scotland near Ben Nevis.

The ski season tends to run from December to April and because low cost airline carriers fly to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, the cost of skiing keeps coming down.

You can also ski in the Lake District in Cumbria and even in the Northern Pennines.

Cairngorm
Tel: 01479 861261
www.cairngormmountain.com

Glencoe Ski Area
Tel: 01855 851226
www.ski-glencoe.co.uk

Glenshee Chairlift Company
Tel: 01339 741320
www.ski-glenshee.co.uk

Nevis Range
Tel: 01397 705825
www.nevis-range.co.uk

The Lecht Ski Company
Tel: 01975 651440
www.lecht.co.uk

Lake District Ski Club
www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/index.html

Weardale Ski Club
www.skiweardale.co.uk

Allenheads, Northumberland
www.ski-allenheads.co.uk

Yad Moss, near Alston
Yad Moss Ski Area