How to find family ski resortsfor your family ski vacationsFor us, the key to finding great family ski resorts boils down to one thing, ease of access.That’s not to say that there aren’t other important things to consider, such as suitable childcare, accommodation, ski runs and more. But unless all these are easily accessible, you’ll be making more work for yourself. Why is ease of access so important?Do you really want to trudge around in ski boots with your skis in one hand and a wriggling child in another and then have to catch a bus to your accommodation.A little time spent researching family ski resorts for kids before you book your holiday will save you valuable skiing time when you arrive. Skiing is why you're there, after all. Surely all ski resorts are the same?Well, if you mean that they have a mountain or two and snow, then technically, yes. But, there are different styles of resort which may or may not appeal to you. If you're looking for a quiet, picturesque location, you may have thought about taking ski vacations in an alpine ski villageOr perhaps you yearn for the pace of a large purpose-built resort where you can really clock up some serious skiing miles. There is plenty of choice out there so you're bound to be able to find something to suit everyone. I want to find somewhere good for the familySome ski resorts sell themselves as ‘family friendly’. That they may be, but be sure that as well as welcoming families, they are actually easy for families to use.World class ski areas may tempt you with their slogans about being the best, the biggest, or having the greatest vertical drop. Very tempting, but before you start imagining yourself gliding along a five mile trail, remember to check whether the facilities an ‘are they easy to access’ scale. Especially if you have small children, find out if you can easily get to there from home, too. The 'Are we nearly there yet?' question is very wearing when you're only an hour into a ten hour journey. One thing to bear in mind if you're comparing ski resort reviews is a difference between Europe and North America. UK skiers taking family ski vacations in Europe tend to rate the suitability of resorts based on the in-house English speaking childcare programmes offered by individual UK ski travel companies first, then the ambience of the resort second. This is different to the USA and Canada where you're likely to find a whole ski resort owned by one company e.g. Intrawest that has specifically positioned itself as a family destination e.g. Smugglers Notch in Vermont, USA. How can I tell which is for me?Once you’ve got a shortlist of family ski resorts which look like they are really set up with children in mind, you can look at other factors which will help you decide which is the resort for you.The height or elevation of the ski area is something to consider, particularly if you're planning European ski vacations. Low-lying resorts in some European countries do suffer thin snow cover at either end of the season. The general rule is the higher the resort, the higher the chance of more consistent snow conditions. An idea is to check out the snow report for your resort of choice. You can usually find these on resort websites, and there are often web-cams as well. How do I know if the ski runs will suit our abilities?Looking at trail maps, sometimes known as piste maps, can give you an excellent idea of the size of the resort and the variety of the terrain. If you see green and blue runs, you can be sure that there will be plenty of confidence building trails for skiing with children.In both Europe and North America, the easiest ski runs are marked in green on a trail map. There's a 'but', though. European and North American grading isn't directly comparable. There can also be wild differences in the grading between resorts in the same country, let alone neighbouring countries. When you’ve done your research, you might not end up in the skiing in the largest skiable area. But you’ll be sure to end up in the best family ski resorts for you. That, after all, is what matters - a happy family makes for happy ski vacations. |
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Thanks for the great website - very handy. We are planning our first ski trip for us and our 5 kids!Chrisna
Skiing tips for families. Written by an English couple who love to ski and play in the snow with their children.
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