Already aglow with fairy lights and flickering chalet windows, Europe’s best ski resorts are oiling their chairlifts and praying for an almighty snow dump (snow cannons poised as backup). The Alps' glacier areas have already welcomed skiers (mostly Austria), while Scandinavian skiing has been in full swing for some time – courtesy of their longer winters. But where to take the family? Some of Europe’s most alluring snowglobe resorts simply don’t cut the mustard with multi-level broods in tow.
Zermatt may have guaranteed snow, but there are scant ski-in/ski-out options (if you’ve ever tried to squeeze tots into ski gear before herding them and their ski clobber to the lifts, you’ll appreciate the insider tip). Similarly, Chamonix may have upped the ante on its family-friendly pistes and areas with the Mont Blanc Legend area on Flégère, but the resort remains largely geared towards the serious skier, with steep, challenging runs (teenager territory). In short, all ski holiday ingredients must be considered when travelling with sprogs: hotels and chalet options, mountain lunches, small group skiing, viable routes on a piste map.
As with life, there is skiing before and there is skiing after children. As keen skiers, we’re still on a quest to find the best young family ski holiday formula, with the eldest now old enough for ski school, but the youngest requiring daycare for us, as parents, to even consider hitting the slopes. Arriving in world-class resorts with.
