For a family ski holiday Italy is well worth a visit

For a family ski holiday Italy is a good destination. There's a choice of resorts from picturesque villages, towns and purpose-built resorts, each with its own particular attraction. The main Italian resorts are in the north of the country within the Alps mountain range.

What makes Italy a good choice for a family ski holiday?
Italy has a reputation as giving you better value for money than some other European destinations. For budget-conscious families, this has to be a good thing. Add flattering runs, good food and a friendly atmosphere and it's easy to why, for a family ski holiday Italy ticks a lot of boxes.

Where are the best places to go for a ski holiday?
Italy will especially appeal to families with children who can already ski - in general, English is not as widely spoken in ski school as it is in neighbouring France. The following resorts just some of many that suit mixed ability family skiers. We've divided them into two main Alpine areas: the north-west and north-east.

In the north-west of the country, the Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski area includes Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere - two of the resorts that hosted events during the 2006 Torino (Turin) Winter Olympics. The whole area is well suited to intermediate skiers, and children love the sense of adventure of skiing into Mongenevre in France – though to be honest, they need to be confident intermediate skiers to fully enjoy these runs.

The resorts of the Aosta Valley are nearest to the cities of Milano (Milan) and Turino and can be reached from France via the Mont Blanc tunnel and Switzerland via the Grand St Bernard tunnel. At the far end of the valley, La Thuile links with La Rosiere in France. There are plenty of wide gentle runs, and don’t be put off by the red runs leading back to the resort – they’re easily manageable by early intermediate skiers.

Other resorts along the valley include Pila, Courmayer, Champoluc, Gressoney and Cervinia.

If you’re skiing with beginners, high altitude Cervinia with its wide, open runs may appeal for a family ski holiday. Italy's highest resort has confidence-building runs for even the youngest beginners. The scenery is dominated by the magnificent Matterhorn, and more adventurous family skiers can ski into Zermatt in Switzerland.

Over in the north east of the country lying south of Austria, the Dolomiti Superski area links twelve ski resorts including Cortina d'Ampezzo and Selva Val Gardena. A major attraction of the area is the dramatic scenery and unique character of the region. Known as the South Tyrol, this part of the country was once part of Austria, and you're just as likely to hear German as Italian spoken here. Although not as high as some resorts - most runs are between 1500m and 2000m altitude - the area has efficient artificial snow-making capacity.

Did you know?
It’s compulsory for children aged 14 and under to wear a ski helmet in Italy. You'll be able to hire as part of an equipment hire package on your ski holidays.

With so much variety there’s bound to be something to suit everyone on a ski holiday. Italy suits families looking for a friendly atmosphere and is well worth a visit for ski vacations.

Where would you like to go now?

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