Top Family Friendly Resorts in the Alps

Posted 24-10-2017 by Sally Guillaume

Guest Post written by Alps2Alps

Family ski trips and winter activity holidays have the potential be the stuff of dreams. That said, get it wrong and you’re in for a nightmare!

Lugging unhappy kids and their full contingency of gear around for the duration of your trip really isn’t the way to spend your holiday. Which is precisely why it pays to consider the family-friendliness (or otherwise) of prospective ski resorts, before even thinking about making a booking. Have a look at our family friendly activity holidays.

So to save you time and trouble of narrowing down the options to the best of the bunch, we’ve shortlisted a few of our own family-friendly top-picks below:

Alpbach, Austria

Painfully pretty, hugely popular with families and bursting at the seams with essential amenities, Alpbach has amazing family ski trips written all over it. Boasting more than its fair share of gentle nursery slopes, ski schools and entertainment, there’s also the bonus of Alpbach being situated just 50km from Innsbruck Airport. Easy access, fast ski resort transfers, a great start to your trip!

Alpe d'Huez, France

This often-overlooked corner of France serves up a sizeable array of green runs, making it superb for kids and beginners of all ages. There are also a fair few blues to check out, along with plenty of entertainment and the very highest accommodation standards. The ski-in, ski-out Club Med Alpe d'Huez La Sarenne being a particular highlight. Transfer in from Grenoble Airport just 105km away.

Avoriaz, France

Is Avoriaz the most beautiful resort in the Alps? Not by a million miles. And nor does it have to be, as what it lacks in form it more than compensates for with functionality. There’s a British-run ski school, endless affordable accommodation and even the delightful Village des Enfants with its resident contingency of Disney characters to entertain your kids!

Orcieres, France 

Surrounded by 3000m-plus summits, Orcieres has a good snow record and provides a combination of both skiing and a range of other winter sports including igloo building, wildlife tracking and husky sledding. It is the ideal resort for a winter activity holiday or a ski holiday with a difference for families with children and teenagers of different ages and desires especially if not everyone wants to ski! It has the Family Friendly label ("Famille Plus") which proves that everyone is catered for here.

Cervinia, Italy

Family-friendly and boasting some of the most consistently excellent snow conditions in the region, Cervinia has more than its fair share of charms. Perfect pistes, plentiful pizza and picture-postcard beauty the likes of which is borderline intoxicating. Along with a ton of blue runs and nursery slopes, there are countless ski schools and at least two kindergartens of the highest quality. It may take a little longer to get into town, but it’s more than worth the journey!

Obergurgl, Austria

If you’re travelling with kids that are slightly older, you might want to check out Obergurgl. Small in size, big on Austrian charm and home to some of the best ski schools in the region, it’s perhaps the single best choice of all for teens and slightly older beginners. Accommodation standards are extremely high, comprising mostly four-star hotels and private chalets with full childcare/nanny facilities.

Courchevel, France

You would be forgiven for thinking that Courchevel is just champagne and stunning luxury chalets, but it’s also a top destination if you’re bringing the kids along with you. There’s a Village des Enfants which is dubbed the ‘largest ski area in the world’ for children, complete with 5km of kid-only pistes and a magic carpet which takes them back up the gentle slope. When your children hit a more advanced level they can take on the themed areas on the mountain, such as Piste of the Wicked Fairy Godmother in Courchevel Moriond.

Saas Fee, Switzerland

Last but not least, Saas-Fee is by a wide margin once of the safest and most tranquil resorts in the whole of Switzerland. The nursery slopes and also most of the lifts depart from the south side of the resort, so you might want to factor this in when booking your accommodation. Great slopes, a gorgeous village and two highly impressive terrain parks – perfect for kids, teens and adults across the board!