Alpine ski village resorts

great for family ski vacations

Where to find an alpine ski village

Puy Saint Vincent 1400.

Some link into larger ski areas, so give you flexibility on where to ski if you’re part of a mixed ability group.

Advantages of traditional ski resorts

• The individual, friendly and welcoming but quiet atmosphere.


• You get a change to practice your rusty language skills. If you’re visiting a foreign country, the locals patiently encourage the whole family to practice the language. Even three-year-olds can practice saying basic phrases in the ski hire shop or bakery, much to the delight of the shop owner. But in a popular, purpose-built European ski resorts your efforts are more than likely to be met with responses in English.


• You’re also likely to find wonderful quirky characteristics. Take the resort of Montchavin in France. Back in 2001 there was a smallholding right next to the base of the gondola station. Chickens, pigs and goats were there for our toddler to see – and the farmyard smells, well, you can’t get more authentic than those!


• There’s often a handful of shops with perhaps one bar or restaurant. If you're looking for buzzing nightlife, you won’t find it here – but are you really looking for that now that you are skiing as a family?


• Small resorts welcome families to restaurants and serve superb quality local speciality dishes. It is a wonderful opportunity for junior to sample authentic local cuisine and practice a few more foreign language phrases.


• Value for money. Family skiing accommodation costs, lift passes, tuition, and ski hire are noticeably less than less than a large, popular ski resort – great if you’re working to a strict budget. Ski vacation packages to an alpine ski village really can make your money go further.

Disadvantages of traditional resorts

• They’re usually at a lower altitude, so the snow cover might not reliable on lower ski trails. So, if you’re set on staying in a charming village, look for one with good, speedy links or a free ski bus to higher neighbouring ski resorts, and snow cannons to make artificial snow for those lower slopes.


• Mixed ability groups with advanced skiers might get bored if they’ve skied a small, traditional resort within a couple of days.

Neither of these are deal-breakers, it just depends what you want to get from your family ski vacation. Certainly if you want something 'more' from your trip than staying in a purpose-built resort, go on, try an alpine ski village - and find out why they're great ski resorts for kids.

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