Best Family Ski Resorts
What are the best ski resorts for your family ski holiday? Maybe you're a group of total beginners, or maybe you've been on a couple of holidays and are looking to develop your skiing skills. Something in between? It's important to pick the best resort for your family's needs to ensure you have the best possible ski holiday experience.
Best Beginner Ski Resorts
ALPE D'HUEZ
An ideal ski resort for families with beginner skiers as Alpe d’Huez offers terrain for all abilities. There are two beginner areas, Rif Nel and Les Jeux, which are great places to get your first taste of skiing with a dozen or so green runs at hand.
LA PLAGNE
La Plagne is a great resort for a family ski holiday as much of the ski area is on a gentle plateau at the top of the resort which offers wide cruising runs, perfect for beginners to cut their teeth on. The resort is made up of 11 villages, although for beginners in the high villages of Belle Plagne and Plagne Centre it may be best to avoid the lower, more challenging runs.
LA ROSIERE
The nursery slopes in La Rosiere are just a short lift ride from the two main villages. It offers a pleasant alternative to a family ski holiday in the Alps as it is a smaller, quieter resort which can be a preferential option for beginners. It is also an attractive resort with a village charm with well thought of ski schools.
LES ARCS
A really solid choice for a family with beginner skiers, thanks to the four beginner zones (“ski tranquille”) across the resort as well as 10 free beginners lifts too. Les Arcs doesn’t use the green run classification, however many of their blues runs are gentle enough to be greens.
Best Resorts for Intermediates
THE THREE VALLEYS
This is a massive area (encompassing Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens) and with over 600kms of piste, there really is something for the whole family thanks to the huge variety a skiing terrain on offer.
COURCHEVEL
Whilst Courchevel is maybe best known for being a high-end and expensive ski resort, it actually has a lot to offer skiers of all abilities. Arguably intermediates are catered for better which means that it is a great place to progress, and if you want to stretch your legs – then there’s the whole of the three valleys to explore. Also, outside of Courchevel 1850, prices aren’t as expensive as you might think.
MERIBEL
Meribel always looks like a stereotypical alpine ski village; it is a resort which is inherently attractive. The resort has also made of point of being family-friendly and this is evident through the range of ski schools, childcare facilities and general entertainment for children, like specified sledging areas and kid ski areas with Inuit Villages and mini slalom courses.
VAL THORENS
Having only a slight bias towards intermediate skiers makes Val Thorens a great place for beginners to progress from the numerous nursery slopes and green runs. It is also the highest resort in the Three Valleys which promises great snow throughout the season. For the family, the longest toboggan run in France is a great option as is the incredible spectacle of the ski instructor’s torchlit descent.