Esprit in Chalet Alpenblume, Obergurgl, Austria

A four minute walk from the Festkogel gondola, Alpenblume is a well-located, but fairly basic, chalet-hotel in Austria's highest parish. It is taken over by Esprit, the British family ski operator, in the winter season, so its 20 or so rooms can be packed with families and the British staff tend to be in their early twenties.  Unless you are in one of the spacious suites in the new wing, the rooms can be pretty cramped and stuffy. Although they have (small) en-suite bathrooms and balconies, they can lack storage space, chairs and other facilities, such as a safe. The free Wi-Fi can also be very intermittent upstairs. Still, the communal dining rooms, with their "Tyrolean knotty-pine panelling", and comfortable lounges, are pleasant enough. The continental buffet breakfast usually features some decent bread rolls and a fruit salad, but the rest of the spread can be mediocre - highly-processed cheese and ham, cornflakes, coco-pops. passable yogurts and fruit juices. Moreover, the filter coffee isn't great and you often have to wait. You can order porridge, but it doesn't get good reviews.

Skiing in Obergurgl and Hochgurgl, Austria

A mid-morning view from Festkogl, at 3,038 metres, the highest point in the ski area above Obergurgl. From here you can take a mixture of a winding blue, a fun red and a tame black down to the Plattachbahn chair lift.

The Top Express - the eight-person gondola connecting the ski areas of Obergurgl and Hochgurgl - glides over tempting off-piste slopes between the settlements. The journey takes eight minutes to cover 3.6 kilometres. In April, at least, you rarely have to wait more than a minute to board.

Die Nederhütte, Hütten Gurgl, Obergurgl, Austria

A well-oiled operation, Die Nederhütte seems to feed hundreds of hungry skiers every lunchtime with wholesome food served at speed.  The goulash soup (7 euros), containing a chopped up frankfurter, is salty, meaty and tasty.  The cheese dumplings, served with parmesan cheese, salad and beetroot, get good reviews. The children's spaghetti bolognese is huge. While the food is fine, it is something of a sideshow to the apres ski - the Nederlumpen, the house band, led by the owner, cranks out rock music for a couple of hours, several times a week. Kicking off around 4.30pm, their set, a frenetic mix of unrecognisable Austrian numbers and well-known classics, such as I'm Gonna Be by the Proclaimers and Surfin USA by the Beach Boys, has the clientele (including the odd pensioner with only one leg) dancing on the tables in their ski boots, their helmets hanging from the rafters. With the place throbbing, the waiters in their leather waistcoats weave through the dancers, keeping the beer and schnapps flowing. To get a seat, you may have to get to Die Nederhütte by 3.30pm or so. Around 6.30pm, half the place empties. The happy punters either ski the floodlit blue piste back into Obergurgl still singing or catch the ski-doo laid on by Die Nederhütte. Unforgettable. 9/10

Kirchenkarhütte, Hochgurgl, Austria

Only reachable via a steep and lengthy T-bar lift, Kirchenkarhütte is a simple and traditional mountain watering hole in a very picturesque spot. From the sun terrace, there are far-reaching views up the valley towards the mountains around Obergurgl. If the weather is closing in, grab one of the dozen wooden tables in the cosy interior, which is a cross between a country cottage and a log cabin - there are antlers on the walls, plump cushions, sheepskin rugs on the wooden benches, lead-paned windows, delicate curtains and even the odd cuddly toy. You have to order at the till and there can be a long queue even though the grim-faced men behind the counter work hard to keep things moving. But the well-kept toilets are on the ground floor, so you don't have to brave stairs in your ski boots. The blackboard menu offers simple fare, such as goulash soup (less than 5 euros), sausages, frankfurters and bread. But it is tasty enough and keenly priced. The most elaborate thing on the menu is the Brettljause (about 10 euros), an assortment of cold meats and garnishes. Even though it is in a ski resort, Kirchenkarhütte feels pleasingly remote, as a mountain restaurant should. 7/10

David's Hutte, Gaisbergweg, Obergurgl, Austria

A short walk or ski from Obergurgl, David's Hutte is a traditional Austrian restaurant seving hearty Tirolean fare. There are some outside tables overlooking a chair lift, a piste and the scenic "Magic Forest" - a maze of trails through the trees. Inside, you may have to wait to claim one of the chunky wooden tables, which are enclosed by solid wooden walls and vintage lights hanging from the beams above.  David's Hutte remains true to its roots. To celebrate a diner's birthday, the waiters and waitresses, who wear lederhosen or long skirts, play an ancient collection of percussion instruments. The flagship dish is a large serving of meaty ribs (13 euros), topped with a "special sauce". It arrives on a big wooden board with garlic bread and a small salad with gerkins. The gröstl (about 9 euros) - a traditional Tirolean fry up of potatoes, pork and egg - is also very good and very bad for you. If you want something slightly less fatty, David's Hutte also does big bowls of impressive pasta. The comfort food goes very well with a pint of the smooth Starkenberger pilsner beer. A fine place for a filling lunch that will take the edge off your skiing. 8/10 

London to San Francisco, British Airways Economy Class

Unless you  pay extra to reserve a seat in advance, you need to check-in online bang on 24 hours before your 11 hour British Airways flight departs for San Francisco.  Aim for one of the window seats in the two rows at the back of the airplane. These berths have more elbow rooms than the others, mainly because there is no middle seat.  The screens embedded in the headrests are small, but the in-flight entertainment system has a big selection of films and TV programmes.  In both directions, you get a passable three-course meal, plus a couple of drinks, early in the flight. The hot pasta dishes are not bad and probably a safer choice than the chicken curry.  However, the white wine (Val de los Frailes, Verdjos 2011) is lacklustre and you might be better off with a beer. You also get a snack, such as a sandwich or a cake, as you approach your destination. The seats don't recline very far, so you may want to take a neck cushion for the over-night return leg. The best thing about this flight is the views out of the window. On the way out, you can admire the snowy wastes of the Arctic and, on the way back, you may get some spectacular vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco. 6/10

Honey Honey Cafe & Crepery, Post Street, San Francisco

A slightly grungy diner near Union Square open from 7.30am, Honey Honey is a good place for a budget breakfast or lunch in the centre of San Francisco. You order at the counter, after scanning the lengthy menu, displayed on a large blackboard, which is awash with staples, such as pasta, crepes, bagels, soups and sandwiches. Unfortunately, the salmon omelette ($9.25), served with a pile of roast potatoes, can be overcooked.  But there is free WiFi and jugs of iced water, flavoured with cucumber or orange. The coffee is strong and cheap and there are free refills. Although the terracotta and green decor is a bit harsh and dated, there are a couple of tables outside where you can catch the sun in the mornings. Honey Honey is good value for this part of town and is understandably popular with both cash-conscious locals and tourists. 6/10

Hotel Fusion, Ellis Street, San Francisco

Conveniently located near Union Square, the Fusion Hotel isn't as glamorous as its name or its web site suggests. Although the small lobby tries to look chic and there are funky little video screens dotted around the hotel, the basic rooms have thin walls and can be noisy, particularly if you are next to one of the chugging ice machines. They can also be small, without space for a desk, and dingy. Still, the free Wi-Fi is good and you get a large safe, a respectable flat screen TV, an iron and ironing board. The decor is innocuous and the en-site bathrooms are functional. The free self-service continental breakfast is in a converted bedroom. The buffet features a large pile of bagels, which you can toast, pastries, small muffins and respectable cereals. There is also a fruit juice machine and filter coffee. But you have to eat standing up, so you might grab a bagel and have a proper breakfast in Starbucks or a nearby cafe.  Although the staff are helpful, the Fusion Hotel will only appeal to people on a tight budget. 6/10