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Mar, 10 - 2025 - 8 mins

Best Ski Resorts in Europe for Beginner Skiers

Whether you’re planning your first ski holiday (congrats) or you’re booking a trip as a mixed-ability group, having an idea of the Best European Ski Resorts for Beginners will ensure that everyone can have a good time and develop their skills safely on the slopes. Thanks to the Snomad community, we’ve been able to filter through thousands of unbiased reviews and ratings from real skiers and snowboarders to bring you the top rider-voted ski resorts in Europe for beginners.

Read on to discover which European ski resorts stand out for their gentle slopes, excellent ski schools, well-maintained nursery runs, beginner-friendly resort layouts and ski-in ski-out accommodation options. First, we’ve covered a few hot tips every first-time rider should know.

Hot tips for your first ski holiday:

• Overwhelmed about what to pack? Consult our ski trip checklist.
• If it’s your first trip and you’re heading out with more experienced friends, don’t expect your indoor ski slope lessons to have covered everything. Book a couple of lessons in the resort to get your ski legs sorted - your friends will thank you for it, and it will save you the anxiety of trying to keep up on those first few days.
• Do some research when choosing your ski school; it’s essential that they can speak your language and that they have a good reputation. Avoid school holidays to have a better chance of quieter slopes and less deadly conga lines of kid’s ski schools (if you know, you know.)
• For comfort, hygiene and overall style, you might want to consider buying your own helmet and boots before the trip. Renting the skis or board alone tends to be pretty inexpensive and it will save you some time in the hire shop.
• On that note: watch your skis and boards when you head to après - people often pick up the incorrect gear (or even steal them) and this will cost you more money at the hire shop. Try putting a strap or something personal around them that you can recognise, or get a portable lock (like this one) to tie all of your gear together.

5. Lech, Austria

Arlberg is Austria’s largest connected ski area and fifth largest in the world - the Lech Zürs region is where we’d recommend for beginners thanks to its wide, cruisey slopes and world-class facilities. Highly-rated ski school New Generation has a multilingual team based here and a large area with great lifts ensuring that crowds quickly disperse. Altitude ranges from 1300 to 2811m, meaning conditions are usually good, however the après scene is limited, so you’ll want to head to nearby St Anton for a lively party atmosphere. Lech also comes with a considerable price tag in terms of accommodation and eating out, so it’s perhaps not the best option for those on a tight budget.

Beginner rating: 4/5 Best piste for beginners: The 210 is a long, cruisey blue down to the Schlosskopf lift.
Community insights: “Lech Zurs am Alberg is a perfect resort for a range of abilities. It offers a family-friendly atmosphere. With a skiable access to the party side of St Anton. The ski area is unbeatable, ability to ski into numerous different towns. Skiing Lech town itself offers a wide variety, beginner - intermediate, with off-piste options and tree runs hidden for you to dig out. A snow park and very regular lifts without big queues.” - Millie, Jan 2025

4. Morzine, France

Morzine is a great all-rounder for a first-time ski trip or mixed group. It’s home to a variety of gentle, wide slopes where you can perfect your early turns with a multitude of green and blue runs. It also sits in the huge Portes du Soliel ski area, where the sun-drenched plateau of Avoriaz and scenic forested resort of Les Gets offer everything from more beginner areas to a thumping Folie Douce venue. It’s also got a good reputation for off-piste and park riding, meaning everyone is happy!

Beginner rating: 4.57/5 Best piste for beginners: Take the TLC Super gondola followed by the TD4 Zore to access an area of green and blue runs with scenic views. Community insights: “Morzine and surrounding ski areas have so much to offer. Lots of different runs for all abilities. Lift system is amazing, with several options / different routes to the same places. Lots of restaurants/bars. Full PDS Pass give you access to 625km of runs.” - Anthony, Feb 2025

3. Meribel, France

Boasting a central location in France’s largest ski area and scenery pretty enough to be on a postcard, Meribel is another great choice for beginners. There is a dedicated beginners’ area in Meribel Mottaret, accessed via the Plattières gondola and the runs in the Altiport area are enjoyable greens and blues between the trees. For those who progress quickly, there are plenty of enjoyable reds such as Gypaete which can be reached via the Cherferie chairlift. Despite losing the sun quite quickly in the afternoons, Meribel’s position wedged into the side of a valley gives it pretty good protection from the weather. My hot tips for a beginner ski break in Meribel would be to head over to Les Menuires if you’re finding slopes too crowded, and be sure to après at Rond Point at least once during your trip.

Beginner rating: 4.63/5 Best piste for beginners: Lapin, a blue run descending gently into the pretty altiport area in the forest. Community insights: “Three Valleys was brilliant. It was my first time snowboarding.Meribel was my favourite and Val Thorens was also very fun to do. Lots of good blue runs which is where I was predominantly sitting along with a few red runs.We went at Christmas and we got very lucky with fresh powder. We even got some runs down to where we were staying near Brides Les Baines.” - Alastair, Jan 2025

2. La Plagne, France

La Plagne is a beginner's paradise with picture-perfect slopes. There are five beginner-friendly Coolski zones throughout the area and anxious riders can even buy a smaller and cheaper dedicated Coolski pass and hire a Coolski bib to let other skiers know that they’re learning the ropes. Once you’re ready to progress, you can explore the whole Paradiski area, where La Plagne shares terrain with neighbouring resort Les Arcs. Beginners and mixed groups on a relaxed holiday can base themselves in Plagne Bellecôte, which is quieter than the main resort itself (but connected via a free bus) and is the endpoint for several easy blues and greens, taking the stress out of navigation.

Beginner rating: 4.64/5 Best piste for beginners: The Golf blue piste accessed from the Golf chairlift is a gentle run with stunning views of Mont Blanc.
Community insights: “La Plagne was the first resort I visited as a beginner snowboarder. The lessons were fantastic and I was zooming around in no time, with a good level of challenging difficulties for beginner to advanced riders. The facilities are nice, the food is amazing, especially the cheese and wine shop! Good fun places for families and non-families, queues weren't mega long and all in all an enjoyable and memorable experience.” - Thomas, Feb 2025.

1. Alpe d’Huez, France

Voted as the number one ski resort in Europe for beginners, Alpe d’Huez offers plenty of pistes for beginners. Out of its 131 slopes, 41 are green runs and 34 are blue, meaning learners and beginners can’t really go wrong. The resort is home to some of the French Alps' largest beginner areas, one of which you'll find at the Les Bergers end of the village, near the DMC gondola. ESF (a renowned ski school) has a huge base here, with more than 200 instructors speaking various languages. You can also ski into the neighbouring resort of Les 2 Alpes, giving any more advanced riders in your group a chance to stretch their legs and get some miles in.

Beginner rating: 4.67/5 Best piste for beginners: There are a few to choose from, but in terms of green beginner runs we would suggest Jardin, Grenouilles & Marcel’s Farm. Community insights: “It was my first time at a ski resort after having only done indoor lessons before. There was a great variety of slopes for all levels as well as jump parks and mini slalom courses to have a go on. The queues for the chair lifts were never too bad although some of the green runs could get a bit congested at times. There is a good choice for apres, La folie douce was of course my favourite! There was a range of accommodations, ours was ski in ski out which was really helpful and we enjoyed some meals out at restaurants as well. Strongly recommend La Pomme de Pin for French food! Would definitely come back to Alpe d’Huez” - Niamh, Jan 2025.”