Family skiing holidays: the basics

Ski resort choice is critical to successful family skiing.

Look for resorts that have slopes which will appeal to young novices and a good range for improvers to move onto, along with appropriate accommodation.

US and Canadian resorts are well used to dealing with families. The best of the family-friendlies may even tempt non-US based families despite the long-haul flight. The lift queues are often non-existent, ski school groups are smaller, non-ski activities abound and overall service is efficient and friendly. The east coast's more gentle ski hills - Smuggler's Notch in Vermont, Tremblant in Quebec - are particularly well suited to children learning to ski. Whistler, which caters for almost every skier profile including families, has one of the shortest transfer times - just two hours by car from Vancouver.

Within Europe the cheapest resorts are in the east, such as Borovets in Bulgaria, but there’s a greater range of operators and resorts to choose from in the traditional Western European ski resorts, which also have a wider range of facilities.  Val Gardena’s Alpe di Siusi is a perfect mix of quiet on-slope hotels amid gentle beginner and intermediate slopes, backed by astonishing scenery. Also in Italy’s Sued-Tirol, the Hotel Bella Vista in Trafoi is a gem that caters to families, with a nursery slope just metres from the back door. Samoëns in France is also renowned for being family friendly. For teenagers, a park will be essential – some resorts have several, though all that’s really needed is one with a booming sound system and hordes of like-minded jibbers.Scandinavia is a good bet, with a range of activities in resort and ideal accommodation – frequently in cosy low-rise apartments that look traditional from the outside and will remind you of IKEA on the inside. Lapland is a winner with young families and perfect at Christmas, but forget any serious skiing.

To narrow your search for a suitable family ski resort visit these pages:

• Babies & toddlers
• 4-12
• Teenagers
• Top tips

Search for accommodation close to the nusery slopes and the ski lifts

The on-snow experience will be defined by the start of your day and remember that what's easy for an adult can be murder for kids - especially a long schlep to the lifts. You need frequent and easy-to-use transport or minimal walking distance from accommodation to the relevant slopes; a walk in ski boots is tough for children, and for parents lugging extra kit. And remember that ski-in, ski-out will be nothing of the sort for a toddler unless it directly accesses a nursery slope. Accommodation is an important issue for all age groups.

If you go with a company that takes care of the kids from dawn until dusk, the adult skiing opportunities will be equally important, all of which points towards one of the bigger resorts even though your instincts might tell you to avoid the crowds. This should take care of extra activities, not just après-ski and nightlife but impromptu diversions too – swimming pools, ice-skating, toboganning, husky-sledding, snowmobiling, cinema, shopping. These are essential for days off, as younger kids won’t want to ski or board day in day out and a snowstorm or, worse, warm weather and rain, can sit for days if you’re unlucky. While you might just hit the bar, it’s obviously not an option with young children or teenagers in tow (way too expensive and frowned upon in some circles).

Club hotels are popular with families for their convenience, on-site facilities and childcare. Family specialist Mark Warner's resorts include St Anton, Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes, while Club Med’s best known operations are in St. Moritz, Villars and La Plagne.

Compare the cost of ski lift passes and discounted lift tickets for children

Switzerland has the best value children’s lift ticket pricing in the world overall, typically a third to a half of the adult price for children up to 14 and a half. In France lift passes are generally free for children under 5 and most resorts have a few free lifts for beginners, irrespective of age while lift passes in Italy are normally free for children under 7. In the USA and Canada there is normally a price band for teenagers, likewise at a handful of European resorts - Zurs in Austria; Grindelwald and Zermatt in Switzerland.

Book direct or choose a specialist family ski company

The ski industry has it worked out too: get ’em while they’re young and the customer base will grow exponentially. That’s good news for families as there are plenty of well-developed services, specialist operators and deals out there, whether it’s childcare you need, or ski lessons. But wintersports will never be cheap and the prospect of adding just one small child to the bottom line can be a deterrent, so you need to know how to get the best experience and value whatever stage your family is at.