Best family ski resorts Europe
Taking the whole family on a winter skiing trip could sound like chaos, but we're here to take away the stress by shedding some light on the best family ski resorts in Europe.
You can rest easy at night and enjoy being in the mountains with your favourite people if you know where the best spots in Europe are. When you imagine taking the kids away on a ski trip, there comes a whole list of potential obstacles and annoyances that don't affect the regular adult-only getaways.
There is the expense of having to book during the school holidays and buying ski jackets and ski pants for the whole family which makes the prices go up a ridiculous amount. The fear of tears and tantrums, large crowds, long queues and steep, busy slopes with no facilities for beginners can all get a little too much. Some resorts might not be as family-friendly as they make out.
So listen up for some industry secrets on where to take the family so the kids can learn on the mountain with world-class instructors on quiet, long and wide blissful pistes while saving you a few pennies! You will be sleeping soundly tonight.
Choosing the right gear for your family ski vacation
Preparing for an unforgettable ski holiday is not just about pinpointing the ideal resort. It also hinges on wisely choosing crucial ski gear, like the unmatched ski jacket. The journey through these decisions can seem intimidating, particularly with the expenses in mind, but that's where Ridestore steps in to ease your worries. Check out a sample of our latest collection below..
Best family ski resorts in Europe - quick find navigation
Flaine
Where: Le Grand Massif, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Savoie Mont Blanc, France
How to get there: Geneva airport is around 1 hour 15 minutes (70.6km) with easy links via pre-booked transfers or a hire car.
Ski-Able Terrain: 265km
Elevation: 697 m – 2480 m
Flaine is ideal for a family holiday, with it being so close to Geneva, you know you can relax in the fact that the kids will spend less time travelling and more time on the slopes. The resort itself is purpose-built, but also small and cosy, making getting around so much easier. Flaine is a no-frills, get-down-to-business kind of place, so you can focus on the skiing and boarding, more than anything else. The facilities for the young ones are second to none, with highly rated ski schools and beginner slopes, so the kids will be in the best environment to thrive.
Ridestore recommends:
Head to Flaine as a beginner family, as over half the slopes are green and blue runs.
La Rosiere
Where: Montvalezan, Haute Savoie, France
How to get there: Chambery airport is around 2 hours and 20 minutes drive away with easy links via pre-booked transfers or a hire car, but for more flight options you can fly to Grenoble, Lyon or Geneva.
Ski-Able Terrain: 152km
Elevation: 1176 m – 2800 m
La Rosiere is an awesome French resort that is perfect for everyone, as it provides everything the family team needs to make a memorable ski break. The resort has done a lot to cater and provide for families, such as family discounts on ski passes and giving you all the information you need to know what's available in the resort to keep the little ones happy. There are kids clubs for the youngest members and junior academies for the teens, so they can go off for the day, make friends and take part in ski and snowboarding competitions. Whilst the parents can ski the beautiful slopes and eat in the cosy restaurants.
Ridestore recommends:
For a big day out to tire the kids out, you can ski over into Italy and explore the resort of La Thuile.
Les Gets
Where: Portes Du Soleil, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Savoie Mont Blanc, France
How to get there: Geneva airport is around 1 hour 20 minutes (70.6km) with easy links via pre-booked transfers or a hire car.
Ski-Able Terrain: 280km
Elevation: 1,230 and 2,064 m
Les Gets has quite literally got the stamp of approval for best family resorts, labelled with the ‘Famille Plus Montagne’, so it doesn’t get better than that. Les Gets is a classic French ski resort, that is part of the awesome world-famous Portes Du Soleil ski area. It’s astounding to think that within less than 90 minutes of the airport, you can access 280km worth of terrain. In terms of infrastructure, it seems as if the ski resort itself has been designed for beginners, including countless award-winning ski schools speaking a variety of languages (specialising in English). There are top-notch lift systems that make skiing in Les Gets very different to the often crowded slopes elsewhere in France, which is ideal when herding the little ones around the mountain.
Ridestore rcommends:
If the snow is temperamental, don’t worry as next-door neighbour Avoriaz will make up for the lack of snow and altitude.
Laax
Where: Films Laax Falera, Canton of Grisons, Easter Switzerland
How to get there: Zurich airport is the closest and around 3 to 4 hours away (148km), there are many airport shuttle services to take you and family straight to resort.
Ski-Able Terrain: 188km
Elevation: 1,100 and 3,018 m
Laax is cool as a cucumber, with its famous snowparks, freeskiing and slopestyle competitions and a massive professional rider community. Families with teenagers who are avid skiers and boarders will think their parents are hip and happening if they are taken to Laax. The resort is always vibrant and exciting with so much entertainment on offer. Whilst the teens have a play around in the snowparks, there is the Ami Sabi Snow Wonderland for the younger ones. The wonderland is a place for children to learn to ski in a magical surrounding.
Ridestore recommends:
Watch your kids become the next big slopestyle rider whilst they train at the Freestyle camp.
Mayrhofen
Where: Mayrhofen-Hippach Holiday Region, Zillertal Valley, Tyrol, Austria
Getting there: Fly into Innsbruck for quickest transfer either by car, coach or train in under 2 hours.
Ski-Able Terrain: 142km
Elevation: 630 and 2,500 m.
Mayrhofen is a top-class ski resort and possibly one of Austria’s most popular, known for its epic terrain and apres-ski. This apres-ski is still appropriate for all the family, as it's more than just the bars and dancing on tables, but also plenty of snow-related, fun activities. On the mountain, the terrain is varied and exciting for all abilities, with amazing areas for beginners to learn and fun zones for the younger ones. Many snowparks cater to the newbies and the daredevils. There is great energy on and off the slopes in Mayrhofen, making it the perfect destination for the whole family to have nothing but fun!
Ridestore recommends:
Plenty of activities such as ice skating and snow tubing on a late afternoon.
Hopfgarten
Where: Kitzbühel District in the region of Tyrol
How to get there: The nearest airport is Salzburg with each access to the resort by hiring a car or getting a transfer and travelling only 1 hr 30 to get there.
Ski-Able Terrain: 288km
Elevation: 620 m – 1957 m
Hopfgarten is part of the Ski Welt Wilder Kaiser- Brixental super ski resort, which boasts a whopping 288km. Whilst the village of Hopfgarten is a cute small market town that unexpectantly sits at the foot of one of Austria’s highest mountains, Hohe Salve. It is a relatively quiet and cosy resort which is ideal for families or those more focused on skiing than big dinners or apres. Young families and beginners can learn their skills without even having to venture up the mountain, as there is a large beginners' area with little hills, magic carpets and fun zones in the town.
Ridestore recommends:
This is the perfect resort to head to during peak season if you are still keen to avoid the major crowds, perfect for Christmas and New Year.
Pila
Where: Aosta Valley, Italy
How to get there: Turin airport is 2 hours away and Milan is 1 and half hours and driving is very easy from the airports, or get the train from most major cities to Aosta and get the cable car up the mountain.
Ski-Able Terrain: 50km
Elevation: 1,540 and 2,740 m
Pila is a small resort just up the mountain from the city of Aosta, making it very easy to get to with kids in tow. The resort is not like a typical Italian alpine resort, as it doesn’t have a glamorous town centre with lots of bars and shops, instead it is focused on families and beginners. For such a small resort, there are many ski schools to choose from with some of the best instructors in Italy, and an abundance of long, wide runs to practice your turns. The Italians are always family-friendly and give a lot of love and energy to the young ones, which truly is reflected in Pila.
Ridestore recommends:
There are not many ski-in ski-out resorts in Italy, but Pila is an exception so make sure to book one of the slope-side accommodation options and make the most of this novelty.
Obergurgl - Hochgurgl
Where: Ötztal, Tyrol, Austria
How to get there: The nearest airport is Innsbruck just 90 minutes away but also easily accessible from Germany and Switzerland.
Ski-Able Terrain: 107km
Elevation: 1,793 and 3,082 m.
Obergurgl-Hochgurgl are two charming Austrian villages 10 minutes away from each other, which share an awesome ski area. The resort is ideal for a family trip for many reasons, but mainly because of its vast terrain that is geared towards beginners and intermediates, with slopes perfect for learning and perfecting your skills. The resort also has a highly efficient lift system that boasts very minimal queues and waiting times, so this means less irritated and bored kids, but instead tired kids after a big day on the mountain. The villages themselves are charming and festive, which always creates a lovely atmosphere for the little ones, and they are also car-free, so you can be sure everyone will always be safe.
Ridestore recommends:
At the top of the resort there is the Top Mountain Crosspoint Hochgurgl, a huge complex with awesome views, a motorcycle museum and restaurants, which is well worth a visit as a break from the cold.
La Plagne
Where: Paradiski, Tarentaise, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
How to get there: The closest airport is Chambery which is 1 hour and 25 minutes away but Geneva is 2 hour and 15 minutes with more options for international flights.
Ski-Able Terrain: 225km
Elevation: 1,207 and 3,167 m
For those keen ski and boarding families, La Plagne is the perfect destination. There is an endless amount of pistes in the Paradiski area, which means the parents or the kids will be sure never to get bored or ski the same run twice! The actual skiing is mainly above 2000m, so this means awesome views but also a long and snow-sure season, so parents can rest in the fact that whenever they book La Plagne, the snow will be plentiful and you won’t be stuck entertaining the kids in the village. The town itself is made up of little villages up the mountain, all of which cater well for families, offering an abundance of activities off the slopes.
Ridestore recommends:
Visit the igloo villages which will be a unique and magical experience for the kids.
Passo Tonale
Where: Dolomites, Trentino, Italy
How to get there: Innsbruck airport in Austria is 3 hours away, whilst Milan and Verona are around 2 and a half hours drive.
Ski-Able Terrain: 100km
Elevation: 1,121-3,016m
Passo Tonale is in the incredible Dolomites as part of the Skirama Dolomiti Adamello-Brenta area, which boasts extensive terrain, perfect for beginners. The resort itself is purpose-built, which doesn’t make it the most attractive village, but does mean that the facilities and resort are laid out efficiently and conveniently. Whether you’re up on the mountain or having a big dinner in the town, feeding the family won’t make you have to re-mortgage the house, as everything from the ski pass to the pizza is very reasonably priced. When up on the mountain, the slopes are well-groomed, long and wide, so make for a blissful skiing experience for all abilities.
Ridestore recommends:
There is a designated sledge dog run for husky sledge rides which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
FAQ's
What should I consider when choosing a family-friendly ski resort in Europe?
There are a few key factors to consider when choosing a ski resort for a family trip. This includes the availability of ski schools with experienced instructors, the variety and difficulty level of slopes, affordability, and the proximity of facilities for a family-like accommodation and dining options. It's also worth checking if the resort offers family discounts or special packages.
How can I manage the costs of a family ski trip in Europe during school holidays?
Saving on a family ski trip during school holidays can be challenging but it's possible. Plan in advance, look for early bird offers, or take advantage of family discounts. You can also reduce costs by hiring rather than buying equipment, or purchasing from affordable providers.
Wrapping up
So there we have it, the top 10 ski resorts for families. We found that they all have their unique merit, depending on you and the family's ability, your priority for the holiday, the age of the kids and how easy you want to take it. The Alps don’t have to be a big scary place for the family and it doesn’t have to be a burden taking the little ones away. These resorts, are perfect for making a family ski holiday truly special, where you can all learn an awesome skill, bond over a love for snow sports and spend quality time together. These trips will create the best memories, we guarantee it!
PS
Hey Riders, note from your gal Angelica here. All information was correct at the time of writing through research and extensive knowledge and experience. However, things change during different periods in the season and some websites offer out-of-date information and links may change.
Maybe you have some better information to offer or any addendum or changes to make, in which case, feel free to email us, and we can consider adding them in! Let me know. . .
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