Italy

Family skiing in Alta Badia

Last updated 9th June 2017

Why go?

With 40 wide, meandering and stunningly pretty blue runs, the skiing is gentle and confidence boosting. The piste-to-mountain pit stop ratio also ensures that you’re never more than a few snowplows or parallel turns away from a hot chocolate or bombardino (a local speciality of hot advocaat, whisky and cream). What’s more, the Italians take a far more laid-back approach skiing, and a far more serious approach to food.

Who is it good for? Children aged four and over can learn how to ski. This is a nation that loves children, is singularly responsible for pizza and makes pretty special icecream, and the Alta Badia builds on this by making family skiing hassle-free.

Activities

Food, while comparable in price to French resorts, is in a league of its own in terms of quality. And after lunch, the locals like to take it easy on the terraces – resulting in picturesque, wide and wonderfully empty pistes for the rest of us.

Resorts: La Villa, San Cassiano, Pedraces, Colfosco and Corvara, make up the Alta Badia region and also form part of the Sella Ronda, a circular ski loop that runs around the massif of the Sella mountain range. If your children are reasonable skiers you can complete this 26km circuit in a day.

The lowdown

Best time to go: The season runs from November to April and, as the area is high, you should get good snow throughout that time.

Travel time: Fly from London to Innsbruck; flight time 1 hour and 55 minutes, or from London to Venice; flight time 2 hours. Transfers, depending on resort, take 1 hour and 30 minutes from Innsbruck, and 2 hours and 30 minutes from Venice.

How to get there: British Airways flies from London Gatwick to Innsbruck; from £100 return, and from London Gatwick (from £78 return) and London Heathrow (from £99 return) to Venice Marco Polo. easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Innsbruck; from £57.91 return, and from London Gatwick to Venice Marco Polo; from £53.48 return.

Travel tip: It’s worth bearing in mind that Innsbruck is a small airport and often shuts in bad weather.

More information: Luxury family tour operator Powder Byrne offers holidays to San Cassiano, including complimentary ski guiding, shuttle services, ski programmes for children and adults, and a concierge.