Family ski holidays in Europe

Families looking for ski holidays in Europe have an abundance of choice - so much that it can be difficult to know where to start.

You need to decide which country should you visit, how will you get there and do you speak enough of the language – and that’s before you even start thinking about the type of ski resort. Will you choose large, small, interlinked with others, easy access from an airport...There are so many things to consider.

So to help you, here's a just a brief overview of where you can take family ski holidays in Europe.
Skiing in the UK
Yes, you did read that correctly. We do have snow skiing here in the UK, in beautiful Scotland. It’s great if you live within a few hours drive and can make the most of great conditions when the weather allows and can be flexible.

...but...

For most UK skiing families, ski holidays in Europe are going the mean a trip abroard – easily done by plane in a couple of hours, or by crossing the English Channel and driving to resort.

Popular with plenty of choice
The most popular family ski holidays in Europe are those in the Alps in either France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. That’s probably because they feature heavily with main tour operator, coupled with having a wide choice of resorts that are easy to reach from the UK by plane, train or car.

Traditionally good value and good for learning to ski
Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia have a well-known reputation for friendly skiing and good value. The ski areas are smaller in comparison to the huge interlinked areas you’ll find in France, for example. But that’s a good thing. It makes them an ideal place to learn and build confidence.

Take a look at this travel guide to discover more about ski holidays in Bulgaria.


Scandinavia
Finland, Sweden and Norway will appeal to those looking for places where English is widely spoken. The long snow season makes Scandinavia an attractive option if you're looking for snow-sure resorts.

Ski surprises
Germany is often overlooked in favour of it's neighbours and certainly doesn't feature widely on the tour operator ski circuit (you might say that's a good thing for the rest of us!).

Likewise skiing isn't the first thing you associate with Spain (it's far more likely to be a destination of choice for the dedicated beach hunter). But there's skiing up in the Pyrenees mountains and in neighbouring Andorra too.

So where to start
We've a long list of places we'd love to ski "one day". We're slowly working our way through, but when we're planning family ski vacations we usually start by thinking about how we want to travel, and what language abilities we have (or have not, depending on the country!). It's a real bonus that our children love to practice phrases in other languages when they can.

Getting there
Many families like the convenience of flying from the UK, although don't discount driving to ski holidays in Europe. We've driven to France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain and Andorra and it's a great option for us. It gives us flexibility and with a full car worked out cheaper than flying, too.

Where ever you decide to go, have a great time.

Where would you like to go now?

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