Holly Price
Jun, 27 - 2025 - 7 mins
What Real Skiers Say About Top Family Ski Resorts in Europe
With fairy lights, fondue and snow-capped wooden chalets, it’s no surprise that Europe is a mecca for magical family ski holidays. However, choosing between a seemingly infinite number of resorts can be tricky, especially if you have a mix of ages and abilities to take into account. In compiling our guide, we’ve considered everything from off-slope activities to the availability of nursery slopes, so that you can choose a resort with confidence and rest assured that both you and any little ones (or withdrawn teenagers) will get the most from your trip.
From glacier skiing in tried and tested alpine destinations to Northern Lights spotting between snow-laden trees in Scandinavia, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best ski resorts in Europe for families.
Les Sybelles, France
The fourth-largest ski area in France, Les Sybelles includes the resorts of St Sorlin d’Arves, La Toussuire, Le Corbier, Saint Jean d’Arves, Les Bottières and St Colomban des Villards. A new ski area, it was only founded in 2003, when the six separate resorts were connected for the first time. A certified hidden gem, this area remains one of the best-kept secrets of the French Alps, so don’t tell too many people if you do visit…
Families will love…
- Sprawling beginner areas
- Quiet slopes - a true hidden gem!
- Fantastic Value compared to other large ski ares
- Great lift infrastructure
- Not much of an après scene - a family environment
- Off-slope activities like sledging, moonbike rental and spa facilities
- The 4th largest ski area in France!
Nearest airports: Geneva Airport or Lyon Airport - both are approx 2 hours by car.
Snomad community comment: “Saint Sorlin d'Arves is an amazing, family-friendly resort. Some of my favourite runs in the alps - great variety and enough challenge for advanced skiers. Lots of options for reasonable lunches - baguette and a glass of rose for 10 Euros! The village is very nice with many options for great food!” - Harry, Dec 2025
Snomad Dan and friends checking out this incredible ski area - a true hidden gem!
Val d’Arly, France
Val d’Arly is another French ski area, linked to the larger Espace Diamant. The two encompass multiple resort villages, including Praz-sur-Arly, Flumet, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, and Crest-Voland/Cohennoz. Each of the resorts is quiet, traditional and flanked by forests for that scenic, French ski holiday feel. A festive, family environment, there are plenty of gentle slopes and even a baby sledding experience for children aged 3 to 7, where they can try their hand at mushing with fun and safe dog-sled activities.
Families will love…
- Close airport proximity
- Easy access to a large, uncrowded ski area
- Gentle, quiet slopes perfect for kids
- Family-orientated activities
- Quiet après scene
- All round good value from the lift passes to on-mountain lunch stops
Nearest airport: Geneva Airport - approx 1.5 hours by car.
Snomad community comment: “A lovely first family experience, we all had a great time both adults & children. Will definitely be looking to book again soon.” - Jill, Dec 2023
Snomad Dan cruising the family-friendly slopes of Val d'Arly. Photo cred: James Cove from PlanetSKI
Trysil, Norway
Described as ‘not being anywhere near as busy as the French Alps, even in peak weeks,’ Norway’s Trysil offers an under-the-radar alternative to the usual scene. Despite being Norway’s largest ski resort, Trysil is a great choice for April and the Easter holidays thanks to consistent snow dumps and quiet pistes. Beginner-friendly and super safe, the resort has a ski school mascot - a Snowman named Valle - who is often on hand to put on a show or lead activities such as treasure hunts. The Radisson Blu resort is a popular choice for family-friendly accommodation and has its own waterpark.
Families will love…
- Floodlit night skiing
- Small, navigable resort size
- Good reputation for snow and piste conditions
- Competition-standard terrain park for the freestylers
Nearest airport: Oslo Gardermoen Airport - approx 2.5 hours by car.
Snomad community comment: “A really good resort. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed several holidays there, it is perfect for all levels of skier. Very safe compared to French resorts I’ve been to, however, less après - although there are 1 or two bars that are very fun. Only downside is long T-bar lifts” - Annabelle, Jan 2025
splash image for ski resort Villars - Gryon
Alta Badia, Italy
Known for its breathtaking Dolomites scenery, Alta Badia forms part of the impressive Dolomiti Superski network, where you can enjoy a huge area including the Sella Ronda circuit, Hidden Valley run, Marmolada glacier, and other linked resorts like Cortina d'Ampezzo. Each of the villages in the resort (there are six in total) has a quaint and traditional charm, but the most family-friendly option is Colfosco (1645m) with its stunning scenery and access to the easier ski areas.
Families will love…
- The serious foodie scene of San Cassiano (we’re talking Michelin stars)
- The Sella Ronda circuit for those wanting to get the miles in and tick off a bucket-list ski route
- Off-slope activities like tobogganing and ice skating
- Piste-side pizzerias
Nearest airport: Innsbruck Airport - approx 2.5 hours by car.
Snomad community comment: “A great place to ski. The runs were well groomed. It was a relaxing time. There were lots of activities for non-skiers as well. For a beginner skier lots of runs on the mountain were accessible” - Sara, Jan 2025
Morillon, France
A low-key choice geared towards families, Morillon sits in the Grand Massif ski area and has a car-free resort centre. With a minimal transfer time and choice of resort levels to stay at (Les Esserts being the most popular choice for families,) this lesser-known French ski resort is quiet and enjoyable, with mostly green, blue and cruisy red runs. The only caveat here is that resort level is pretty low (base is 700m) but it does climb up to 2,500m. For a snow-sure break, January or Februrary is probably your best bet.
Families will love…
- Pedestrianised resort centre
- Easy slopes
- Great ski school
- Large choice of ski-in, ski-out accommodation
- Short airport transfer
Nearest airport: Geneva Airport - approx 1 hour by car.
Snomad community comment: “Amazing runs and apres ski. Slightly less snow-sure than other resorts but it’s a great resort for taking children - there are lots of really fun green runs through the trees and good ski schools.” - Mia, Jan 2025
Villars - Gryon, Switzerland
Villars-Gryon is a quaint ski resort in Switzerland that features its own Handiconcept Association, which offers a range of adapted equipment so that disabled individuals can join the fun through disabled skiing. The resort is perfect for families thanks to its gentle beginner slopes, excellent ski schools, and easy access from the village to the slopes via mountain trains and gondolas. Off the slopes, families love the relaxed, car-free village and range of kid-friendly activities like sledging, ice skating, and indoor swimming.
Families will love…
- Small resort & ski area has a safe, familiar feeling
- Fantastic foodie scene
- Les bains de Villars Spa
- Snow kindergartens and snow village for the little ones
Nearest airport: Geneva Airport - 1.5 hours by car.
Snomad community comment: “Small intimate resort with south-facing slopes Great for kids but not enough variation for more advanced skiers. Typical Swiss resort with pretty tree lined runs, chalet style accommodation and the obligatory cog railway to get up to the ski area. The resort has skating, swimming, spas and bowling to keep kids entertained off the slopes. Top tip - ski between 8.30 and 11 as locals fill up the queue quickly in afternoon with discounted afternoon pass.” - James, Jan 2025
Serfaus Fiss Ladis, Austria
A popular option in Austria’s Tyrol, Serfaus Fiss Ladis has a great reputation for beginner terrain and family-friendliness. It is slightly more expensive and lively than the others in this line-up, with a larger après scene but also comes with a larger ski area than some of the others on this list.
Families will love...
- The Kinderschneealm - a dedicated children’s learning area
- Berta’s Kinderland - another children’s skli area complete with features and mascots
- Indoor soft play
- Snow kindergartens and snow village for the little ones
Nearest airport: Innsbruck Airport - 1.5 hours by car.
Snomad community comment: “Have been going to Serfaus for many years. It is a charming village with great food, apres ski and extremely family friendly. A stunning, place with plenty of sunshine. The ski school is wonderful offering lots of options. A must if you are looking for some winter magic.” - Naomi, Dec 2024
Levi, Finland
From Reindeer sleigh rides on a frozen lake to mountain huts with roaring fires, Levi brings a helping of pure magic to family ski holidays. Situated in northern Lapland, the resort is 105 miles north of the Arctic Circle, which is great for snow sureness but requires some toasty gear. It’s not unusual to observe the Northern Lights here and at Christmas little ones can enjoy visiting Santa and his elves in a festive village or secret cabin.
Families will love...
- Vast choice of accommodation
- Endless amount of magical family activities
- Tranditional Finnish saunas
- Good variety of slope gradients
- Ice go-karting for the bigger kids
Nearest airport: Kittilä Airport - approx 15 minutes by car.
Snomad community comment: “Incredible snow and long ski days, from 9am to 7pm. Reasonably priced lift passes, rental and lessons too.” - Karla, Jan 2025
Sierra Nevada, Spain
Bringing sunshine and tapas to the ski game, Sierra Nevada is just 32-km from Granada and not much further to the beaches of the Mediterranean. This makes it a unique destination and a particularly good choice if you want to supplement your ski holiday with a stint in the Costa Del Sol. Due to its location, snow sureness can sometimes be a challenge, which is why it’s a good idea to keep an eye on forecasts, or go mid-season.
Families will love...
- Themed children’s ski slopes
- A dedicated fun park with everything from ski bikes to tubing
- Leisure centre with a pool, cinema and ice rink
- Good range of ski-in ski-out accommodation
Nearest airport: Federico García Lorca Granada Airport - approx 1 hour by car.
Snomad community comment: “The thing I most like about Sierra Nevada is the combination of good weather and large amount of runs, particularly red runs. There is a lot of choice. Price-wise it isn't cheap, but there is a lot of variety and there are some good ski schools as well.” - Gabriel, Jan 2025
Åre, Sweden
Åre is Sweden’s largest ski resort and can provide a refreshing change for families looking for a different experience than the usual Alpine one. It does have a lot of drag lifts which is fairly typical of Scandinavian ski resorts, but on the plus side it has a reputation for decent powder.
Families will love...
- Night skiing opportunities
- The Björnen children’s area
- Cosy mountain huts with great hot chocolates and BBQ facilities
- Beautiful sunrises and sunsets
Nearest airport: Åre Östersund Airport - approx 1.5 hours by car.
Snomad community comment: “Åre is my new favourite hideaway - my home from home, youll never find a more welcoming and warm place as åre. People will bend over backwards to look after you and keep happy and you honestly cant knock the resort it consists of several hills and they are so nicely maintained.” - Robin, Nov 2024
Plan your perfect family ski break with Snomad
Snomad is a worldwide community of skiers, snowboarders and snowsport enthusiasts. We’ve brought them all together in one place to provide detailed ski resort reviews and voter-led ranking tables based on specific resort features like [accommodation[(https://gosnomad.com/ski-resort-rankings/lodging), eating out, value for money and family-friendliness.
If you’re planning a family ski trip, be sure to check out these ranking tables too: Best Ski Resorts for Ski Schools Best Ski Resorts for Quiet Slopes Best Ski Resorts for Beginners
