I’m looking for any recommendations for novice/beginners skiing in Europe - any hotels, resorts, travel agencies or general advice would be helpful!
I’m hoping to book a trip in January and plan to take some ski lessons beforehand.
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Oh how fun! I would say Morzine is a really good resort for first-timers, lots of beginner slopes and good ski schools.
In terms of booking agents, I would recommend:
- Oxford Ski
- Ski Solutions
- F&P Travel
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How exciting! I think Meribel, Les Deux Alpes and Kitzbuhel are great for beginners. My advice would be to look for a hotel/accommodation that’s either ski in-ski out or very near to the piste so you don’t have to trek for miles with your skis and boots, and can get back to your hotel easily if you need to.
I’d also look at going outside of school holidays so the slopes will be less busy - this makes the world of difference if you’re a beginner.
Pack mini chocolate bars or your favourite snacks for your pockets - you’ll need the sugar and energy in those early days!
If you want to book lessons, I’ve heard good things about Maison Sport.
x
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How exciting - I’d recommend Les Gets or Meribel in France or Cervinia in Italy (great food!) as beginner resorts as plenty of green and blue runs to learn on!
A private instructor will really help your confidence on the snows even for just a few mornings or afternoons. Also means no standing around getting cold waiting for others!
Have a fab time! x
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Amazing, thank you! There’s so many tour operators so that’s a great place to start. X
Hi! I have skied in France, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy and Bulgaria. The easiest, widest, gentlest and smoothest slopes I have ever encountered were in Livigno, Italy. So if you need a confidence boost, I recommend that you start there:
https://www.neilson.co.uk/ski/italy/articles/six-reasons-livigno-perfect-for-beginners
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Obergurgl in Austria - high altitude, ski into resort, cute village. Only about 1.5 hours transfer from Innsbruck.
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I would recommend travel operator Snowbizz who specialises in family-friendly ski holidays in Puy St. Vincent in France
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@LauraBlack @katrinawatson01 @rachelmartel thank you all - looking into your recommendations now to pull together a trip!
The 3Vallees and specifically Meribel is great for all levels.
Highly recommend F&P travel who my family have used since they started as a company.
For ski lessons I would go to Marmalade.
Le Portetta in Corcheval 1650 is amazing… The restaurant is linked to Angela Hartnett and they serve pizza and cocktails on the terrace.
Other restaurants in the Meribel/Corcheval area I would recommend are Le Bel Air and L’Adrey Telebar
Hi. Can I ask when in January? If it’s at the beginning I would recommend you look at the resorts with more elevation. These can sometimes be harder terrain, so read the recommendations carefully regarding the beginner slopes. Also look at other resorts that have beginner slopes higher up (maybe with a cabine, instead of just lifts).
There is no denying that the ski season in Europe is shortening. NYE is no longer a good time to ski in an average year. If you are going later in January you can bank on better snow at lower elevations.
If you are a beginner you might not be interested in going too far, but for a longer season I would highly recommend British Columbia or the Pacific North West, especially as it’s an el nino year.
Good luck! Hope you love it.
I am from Switzerland and love skiing and would recommend Arosa, Adelboden and Grimentz/Zinal. Arosa and Adelboden are also super nice and traditional villages, there’s a lot to do and it’s beautiful. Perfect for vacations!
La Rosière next to Bourg St Maurice in France is the nicest beginner friendly resort I’ve been to. (So much so, I’ve returned 3 more times with family and friends who are just starting out.) It’s very family friendly, with some lovely child-centric travelators (spelling?) and areas, including a brilliant green run through a fun-packed forest, accessible via a short drag lift. Plus it offers a handful of bars on and off the piste for après, and numerous restaurants ranging from traditional French cuisine to modern burger and pizza places. My family are a big fans of the place.
Not wanting to poo-poo other people’s recommendations, however, from the suggestions so far, I’d have to disagree with Obergurgl. It consists of many narrow runs and a single intermediate return into the village which makes it quite challenging for beginners. (But I see Ski Club GB suggests its ’ideal’ so what do I know 
)