Chateau Shiozawa

The resort's two hotels are the main reason to stay. Chateautel Ipponsugi and Chateautel Yoshizato sit at the bottom of their respective slopes, so you can ski close to the door. They're simple, old-fashioned hotels popular with school trips and ski camps, with hearty Japanese meals and family rooms at prices well below the big Yuzawa hotels. Book well in advance for school holiday periods.

For something special, Satoyama Jujo, a renowned design ryokan in a restored farmhouse, is about 30 minutes away in Osawa and is one of the most celebrated small inns in Japan. Echigo-Yuzawa, about 25 minutes south, has many more onsen hotels and restaurants, and is the best base if you plan to ski several resorts. Our Echigo-Yuzawa accommodation guide can help.

The resort has two connected areas, Ipponsugi and Yoshizato, with four chairlifts between them. About 70 percent of the terrain is beginner-friendly, with wide, gentle slopes ideal for learning and a separate kids' area at Yoshizato. The longest route runs about 3 km from the top to the bottom. For stronger skiers, the steepest pitch hits 37 degrees and is best skied early in the morning, before it's chopped up. After a big overnight snowfall, the few intermediate and advanced runs hold fresh snow for a while, since most visitors stay on the beginner slopes, but the snow here is usually dense and heavy because of the low altitude. There's no tree skiing and off-piste is closed. Treat it as a quiet, cheap learning hill with views, not a powder destination.

By car: take the Kan-Etsu Expressway to Shiozawa-Ishiuchi interchange, about 15 minutes from the resort via Route 17. Winter tyres are essential. Parking is free, with space for about 300 cars.

By train: take the Joetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa, then a bus (about 30 minutes) or the JR Joetsu line to Shiozawa Station, about 5 minutes by taxi. Our Japan ski trip transport guide covers the options.

Chateau Shiozawa is perfect for families with young kids, first-timers, school groups and anyone on a tight budget. The slopeside hotels, cheap lift tickets, family pair ticket and in-house ski school make it easy to get started. Intermediates will be happy for a morning, but advanced skiers and powder hunters should head to Joetsu Kokusai next door or Muikamachi Hakkaisan for more challenging terrain.

The hotels serve simple lunches for skiers, with ramen, curry and rice bowls on the menu. Evening meals at the hotels are generous, home-style Japanese dinners with plenty of local Koshihikari rice.

Spend an evening in Shiozawa town, about 10 minutes away. The old Mikuni Kaido post town has been restored along Bokushi-dori street, with snow-roofed arcades, traditional shops and the Suzuki Bokushi memorial museum. It's also known for Shiozawa tsumugi, a fine silk weaving. Minamiuonuma is sake country, and Hakkaisan's Uonuma no Sato complex, with a snow-chilled sake storehouse and shops, is about 20 minutes away.

• Lift hours: 8:30 to 16:30. The season usually runs from late December to late March. There's no night skiing.
• Family deals: a parent and child pair ticket makes a family day especially cheap.
• Lessons: the ski school runs group lessons and kids' lessons for ages four to six, with check-in at both hotels.
• Snow: the base is very low, so midwinter is the best time to visit. Late March can be slushy.
• Language: English is limited, but the hotels are used to groups and the layout is simple.

Nearby resorts worth pairing

Joetsu Kokusai is right next door and much bigger. Ishiuchi Maruyama and Maiko are about 15 minutes away, Muica is about 15 minutes north and Muikamachi Hakkaisan has some of the steepest terrain in the area.