When it comes to choosing the best ski resort for your family there are many different types of resorts you could pick. Depending on the skill level of your group in terms of skiing should probably be your first deciding factor, beginners will thrive in a resort that allows you to go at your own speed, no pressure and lots of beginner slopes to choose from and a great ski school, whilst confident and more skilled skiers are likely to be looking for more complex slopes and more variation to practice their skills.
When you’re looking for a family friendly ski resort and you’re not too interested in the night life (unless you have older teens perhaps) but more into additional activities that the resorts have to offer and nice friendly places to eat with a decent children’s menu.
Destination will of course play a large part in deciding where to ski also, with many resorts in France, Switzerland and Italy to name a few in Europe and then of course heading further afield into the Americas.
Best for beginners
Andorra in the Pyrenees is a popular choice for beginners wanting to learn to ski, and has been the go-to destination for Brits for a long time, it is relatively cheap too and is accessible from most major airports in the UK.
The ski school is perfect for children, most of the instructors are English speaking and only teach on beginner slopes. In actual face 53% of the slopes are just for beginners making this the perfect resort for the first time skiers.
Pas de la Casa, Soldeu and El Tarter are the most popular resorts within Andorra to make your base with the latter two being the most family friendly.
Over the last few years Andorra has had a huge revamp to match the facilities of most of the larger resorts within France and with a circus themed children’s area above El Tarter, where there’s 500 meters of fun features to make those first few turns magical and exciting.
Most of the off slope activities are found in Soldeu (or a short ride away) – You can hire snowmobiles and race through the forests. Mushing is the ideal activity for those who love both animals and spectacular views. Tubing is an outdoor activity that allows you to slide down a snow slides using a specially designed tubes with dimpled centres rather than a “donut” hole and there’s even a zip line.
The nearest airports are Lleida-Alguaire Airport in Spain – 150 km or Toulouse Blagnac Airport in France – 195 km . You’ll find that flying into Toulouse is a much cheaper option and from there you can catch a train or shuttle bus.
Best for intermediates
La Plagne in France is one of the best ski resorts for families in the Alps which has a good combination of skiing and a family focused atmosphere, some say it is may be one of the best ski resorts in the world!
La Plagne is made up of 11 villages scattered over a large glacial plateau alongside a steep mountain, however they are spread quite far apart so some research into each village to make sure you pick the right one with the right slopes is key.
The resort is ideal for families that are looking for breathtaking views, comfortable chalets with in-chalet childcare, a range of après ski options for the whole family and easy access to high altitude skiing.
Views from La Plagne 1800 don’t disappoint, with breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding mountains and easy access to the lifts from the ski chalets means you can get out and onto the pistes in no time, what’s more Plagne 1800 has its own shops, bars and restaurants and Plagne Centre is just a short bus ride away.
Taking the family skiing in La Plagne really has all you could ask for from a ski resort, where 51% of the slopes are blue, perfect for skiers who are a little more confident on the slopes, but with the option of a few red to try.
Après ski activities in La Plagne can range from having a go on the Olympic bobsleigh run (don’t worry you’ll be taken down the run by a professional!), skidooing and paragliding. There’s even an igloo village and ice caves if you have younger children.
The nearest airports to La Plagne are Chambéry – 120 km, Lyon Saint Exupery – 192 km or Geneva -203 km. If you book your holiday as part of a package then airport transfers are likely to be arranged for you, but you could catch one of the regular shuttle buses or even a popular choice is to hire a care from the airport and drop back on your return.
Best for experts
Where to start! The big giant resorts like Courcheval and Val d’Isere and even Banff in Canada are all amazing resorts but Chamonix in France should be way up there in your list of best resorts for expert skiers and with a backdrop of Mont Blanc the views are out of this world.
Depending on the age and capabilities of the whole family, you can find a whole range of slopes including legendary off-piste slopes like the Valle Blanche, a 22km ride down sheer powdery faces, with a handful of different routes down.
It’s recommended for the more trickier routes to hire a ski guide to help you through the toughest slopes like Le Herse, a long, winding black with some mellow curves and sudden steeps.
The possibilities for the expert skier in Chamonix really are endless.
There’s so much you can do off the slope too – dog-hiking, dog sledding, pony trekking and skijoering, where you’re drawn by horses, this original form of back-country skiing is respectful of the environment and tremendous fun.
You can find a range of different theme park activities in Chamonix too, there’s different luges, a leisure park which includes its own Luge Alpine Coaster along with slides, toboggans, trampolines and a playground. The 4 seat chairlifts of Les Planards will bring you up to 4 000 ft!, also around the area is a wildlife park and you can even visit the Saint Bernard breeding kennels.
The nearest airports to Chamonix is Geneva International Airport – 88 km, the SAT bus company provides daily connections between Geneva airport and Chamonix or you can fly into Lyon International Airport – 220 km and catch the TGV high-speed train to Chamonix.
With close to 5,500 ski resorts dotted around the world it really is hard to select just a few to showcase here, but with a little research you’re bound to find the resort that fits your family’s needs the best.
