We’ve found the best family ski holidays for all types of skiers this winter. So whether you’re first timers, up for a big mountain ski break or skiing with babies and toddlers, your perfect family ski holiday could be right here. Take a look.
Courchevel, France: best family ski holidays for babies and toddlers
Courchevel is one of the most famous resorts in the Trois Vallées ski area. Families have the choice of five different resort villages here. All have ski-in-ski-out accommodation and good local ski schools.
Good choice for younger kids
Courchevel is a Famille Plus resort and offers a range of childcare options for babies and toddlers. Kids can learn to ski from 18 months here, and lift passes for under fives are free.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Lyon take from one hour, 35 minutes.
Courchevel is two hours, 30 minutes’ drive east of Lyon
Where to stay
Les Peupliers in Courchevel Le Praz.
Deluxe family rooms with balcony and mountain views.
Ylläs, Finland: great for seeing Santa
A traditional Finnish resort, Ylläs is said to be Santa’s original hometown. It’s also one of the best family ski holidays for seeing Northern Lights. Every evening, from October to February, streetlamps are turned off at 10pm to create prime viewing conditions.
Good choice for under-eights
Beginner and intermediate skiing are good here. But the real magic for kids is seeing Santa in his forest cabin. That and reindeer, sleigh rides, elves, and cute wooden lodges.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Kittilä take three hours, 45 minutes.
Kittilä is just under an hour’s drive from Ylläs.
Where to stay
Lapland Hotels Saaga, Ylläsjärvi, Finland
Family rooms, indoor pool, spa. Ski-to-door.
Mont-Tremblant, Quebec: best kid-centred family ski holidays
Just over an hour’s drive from Montreal, Mont-Tremblant is a cute Alpine ski village, reimagined on an extravagant Canadian scale.
Good choice for eight to 12 year olds
Hugely popular family resort. Comes complete with ski-kindergartens, separate children’s lifts, ski schools from age three and kids’ ski zones. A winter carnival atmosphere kicks-off as soon as the season starts in late November.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Montreal take seven hours, 25 minutes.
Mont-Tremblant is one hour, 30 minutes drive north of Montreal.
Where to stay
Fairmont Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant
Family rooms and suites, outdoor and indoor pools, close to ski lifts.
Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Jackson Hole warrants the only airport in any US National Park. The resort’s known for rugged, big-mountain skiing. And it’s also home to Corbet’s Couloir: one of the steepest and fastest runs in the US.
Good for teenagers
Teenagers with plans to take on Corbet’s challenge in the future, can start practicing with Jackson Hole ski camps. A range of camps for intermediate 12 to 17 year olds run throughout winter and focus on advanced freeriding, mountain skills and technique.
How to get there
Flights from UK to Jackson Hole (via Dallas Fort Worth) take just over 15 hours.
Where to stay
Snow King Resort, Jackson, Wyoming
Ski-in-ski-out family resort in Bridger Teton National Forest.
Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia: best for big mountain skiing
One of the best big-mountain ski resorts in the world, Whistler ranks top for everything from snow-sureness to magnificent British Columbia scenery.
Good choice for older teens
Apart from giving teens big-mountain bragging rights, Whistler has some of Canada’s finest ski-instruction programmes. Older kids can train with Olympians, learn avalanche survival techniques, brush up on big-mountain skills or plunge into five-day Ride Tribe advanced freeriding.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Vancouver take nine hours, 40 minutes.
Whistler is one hour, 40 minutes drive north of Vancouver.
Where to stay
The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, BC
Luxurious family ski resort, close to Lost Lake and Whistler Blackcomb ski lifts.
Borovets, Western Bulgaria: best low cost family ski holidays
The closest ski resort to Sofia, Borovets has held on to lots of traditional charm. But it combines retro prettiness with a 58km ski area, fast lifts, good hotels and snow-sure slopes from mid-November until April.
Good choice on a budget
More than half of Borovets’ runs are black or red. The resort has several award-winning ski schools. And the Rila Mountain setting’s gorgeous. Yet costs for everything from lift passes to lessons are up to half what you’ll pay in the French Alps.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Sofia take three hours.
Borovets is one hour, 15 minutes drive south east of Sofia.
Where to stay
Aparthotel Flora Residence Daisy, Borovets
Family studios and deluxe studios, close to ski lifts and Rila Nature Reserve.
Hakuba, Japan: best family ski holidays to see snow monkeys
Set in the Japan Alps, north west of Tokyo, Hakuba has 10 multi-terrain resorts on a single lift-pass. It’s a popular destination for family ski holidays, English is widely spoken, and kids ski schools are all multi-lingual.
Good for exploring with kids
Hakuba’s thick and deep winter snow isn’t a haven for wildlife. But an hour’s drive east in Jigodukani Monkey Park, kids can see Japan’s famous Snow Monkeys lounging around in natural hot springs. Visits are easy to arrange from any of the ski resorts.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Tokyo take 11 hours, 55 minutes.
Hakuba is three hours, 30 minutes from Tokyo on the Nagano Shinkansen (bullet train).
Where to stay
Cosy family hotel, five minutes walk from ski lifts.
Corvara, Italy: best family ski holidays for sunny slopes
Right at the heart of Alta Badia, Corvara is one of the oldest ski resorts in the region, and one of the prettiest. It’s on the Sellaronda and part of the Dolomiti Superski area.
Good choice for winter sun
Charming and peaceful Corvara is a good choice for families. It works well for mixed ability groups, and regularly records the longest hours of winter sun in Europe.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Innsbruck take two hours.
Corvara is two hours drive south of Innsbruck.
Where to stay
Luxurious family run hotel close to Dolomiti Superski area
Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Ski Town USA
Known as Ski Town USA, Steamboat has everything from tree skiing and big-mountain freeriding to winter horse riding and wild forest fat biking.
Good choice for all-round fun
Rated as one of the top family resorts in North America, Steamboat’s winter season is packed with kids activities and events. Everything here has a bit of pioneer history in the mix, including the skiing. There are white-knuckle rides, family fun parks, adventure camps, and the annual Winter Carnival in February is one of the biggest in Colorado.
How to get there
Direct flights from UK to Denver take from 10 hours.
Steamboat Springs is three hours drive north west of Denver.
Where to stay
The Village at Steamboat, Steamboat Springs
Excellent family resort close to ski lifts and town centre.
Don’t forget to follow Family Traveller on Instagram and Facebook and share your holiday dreams – or just say ‘hi’.