[john70t]

It's a bucket list idea, and will probably stay that way, but I'm having some fun researching it.

Factors:
1). Country: France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, or Slovenia.
One website had most of the 'good ones' around the Geneva area.

2). Expense and bang for buck: Refer to 1). above.
Currency exchange rates for the Euro are probably the same but it goes farther some places with everything else. Some resorts also charge ~$20-30 for each gondola ride to the top so I read.

3). Location: Near airport with travel to lodging and or nearby towns is a plus.
Obviously there are hostels and B&Bs and FRBO in towns. Hotels on the internet look to be $200-600 per night which would make a big difference over time.

Combining it with other possible ventures would make sense, just in case there is no snow or too much snow on some of those days. Being near a bike rental would be a plus for the warmer days.

I would lean towards a train or public bus transportation whenever possible if just for the experience and relaxation, but renting a car at a major airport also makes sense for round trips and flexibility.

Driving a rental around Nice, France was not a problem and I did not even have to get an international driver's license which was kind of surprising. The rental company took care of everything within ten minutes or so. Easy as pie. (Btw, do not coast 'out-of-gear' with a packed full Opel down a curvy fast mountain 2-lane road, because the engine will shut off and the power steering will turn into a useless brick, while a large truck pops out from a sharp corner turn halfway across your lane.)

4). Snow: There are quite a few complaints about lack of it while encountering nothing but rocks...but still paying full price for tickets.
That is a deal breaker obviously and not a very good vacation. I was looking at the sat maps which still retain snow during the summer but that may be misleading. I'm guessing the northern side and the high center glaciers have cooler temperatures throughout the year.

5). Busy times of year: That affects the experience, but since good snow pack is essential it is probably not avoidable.