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Planning a family ski holiday? Finding the perfect resort for your little ones can be a game-changer. The best ski resorts for kids combine gentle slopes, excellent ski schools, fun activities, and family-friendly accommodations. To make your choice easier, we’ve rounded up the best ski resorts in Europe for kids to learn to ski while the whole family enjoys a memorable holiday.
What Makes a Ski Resort Child-Friendly?
Not all ski resorts are designed with children in mind. Here are some features that make ski resorts child-friendly. It will be worth looking for these features when assessing the suitability of a ski destination for your family.
- Child-Friendly Terrain – Gentle nursery slopes and interactive areas where children can learn and play safely.
- Proximity to Slopes – Less hassle with ski-in/ski-out accommodations or short walking distance to lifts.
- Apartment or Chalet-Style Accommodations – Spacious and cosy, perfect for unwinding after a day on the slopes.
- Non-Skiing Activities – Options like sledging, ice skating, or swimming for when kids need a break from skiing.
- Affordable Costs – Reasonably priced lift passes, lessons, and rentals to keep the family budget on track.
- Casual Dining Options – Kid-friendly eateries that cater to all tastes at affordable prices.
- The best ski schools for children – Focused on fun and safety with English-speaking instructors experienced in teaching kids.
With these essentials in mind, let’s explore some of Europe’s best kid-friendly ski resorts.
Morzine, France
Great for close airport proximity and abundant, easy terrain.
Situated just over an hour’s drive from Geneva Airport, Morzine is an accessible and family-friendly gateway to the vast Portes du Soleil ski area. The gentle nursery slopes at Pleney and nearby Les Gets are perfect for beginners, and the Mappys zone offers interactive lessons on magic carpets. The Grand Cry Indian Village is a must-visit, complete with themed trails and activities designed to make skiing fun for children. Morzine has many self-catered and catered apartments and chalets, which are perfect for families. Morzine also has a great selection of kids’ ski schools. Just be sure to book peak weeks in advance. If you’re planning on heading to Morzine and looking for a kids’ ski school or family ski lessons, contact our friendly team today.
Why it’s great for kids
- Plentiful, child-friendly areas: Wide, gentle slopes are abundant, and the snowpark keeps kids entertained.
- Easy accessibility: Morzine and the Portes du Soleil are a relative stone’s throw from the closest major airport, unlike many other alpine resorts. At only an hour and fifteen minutes from Geneva airport, the reduced transfer time is far less taxing on little ones compared to the up to three-hour transfer to some other resorts.
- Family-friendly accommodations: Morzine has many self-catered apartments and chalets, perfect for families.
- Incredible Variety: Morzine is a well-connected, larger ski village with an excellent range of non-ski-related activities for all ages, such as a national-level ice hockey team and a cinema showing the latest films in English or French. It also has a great range of restaurants that offer high-quality, family-friendly dining at a reasonable price. Our top restaurant picks are L’Itale and O’Chalet.
Pila, Italy
Great for an easy-to-navigate and fairly priced resort
Pila is a charming, family-friendly ski resort in Italy’s Aosta Valley region. The compact village is easily navigable on foot. The gentle and well-groomed slopes make it an ideal destination for beginners. Pila also has the perfect design for older kids and teens who want to ski more independently. Pila’s funnel-shaped footprint makes it far harder to get lost than many other resorts. In the case that this does happen, every run will funnel into the same central area. Perfect for easily meeting up again.
Pila is situated directly above the large Roman town of Aosta. Aosta offers the best value accommodation and restaurants out of all of the resorts on this list. The size of Aosta also means that it has plenty to offer outside of skiing. Typically, towards the end of the season, the town of Aosta can be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than Pila, too, meaning that you can often experience both a sunny European city escape and a ski holiday on the same day.
Why it’s great for kids
- Budget-friendly: There’s a superb choice of low-cost accommodation and restaurants (More money for gelato).
- Kid-friendly design: Pila’s small size and funnel-shaped footprint allow teens to have much more independence in a safer environment.
- Plenty of activities in Aosta: Aosta is home to a brilliant range of bowling alleys, restaurants and ice rinks.
Avoriaz, France
Great for brilliant beginner areas and convenient accommodation
Just like the previously mentioned Morzine, Avoriaz is just a stone’s throw from Geneva airport. Like Morzine, it is also part of the fabulous Portes du Soleil ski area. Avoriaz ticks all the boxes for a perfect family ski holiday. Avoriaz is a car-free village, which means kids can have more independence in a safer environment. Avoriaz features many self-catered apartments that offer ski-in/ski-out access, and a good selection of these apartments are fairly priced too. Avoriaz also features several excellent beginner areas that are perfect for kids’ ski schools. Kids who have found their feet on skis will love the Lil’ Stash snow park, which is filled with fun trails, small jumps, and a whimsical terrain complete with cabins and wooden features. The Lil’ Stash can be found just on the right side of the Proclou Blue run in the direction of Super Morzine.
After skiing, families can head to Aquariaz, a tropical-themed indoor water park located in the heart of the village or take in the stunning views of the Morzine Valley from a one-horse open sleigh.
Why it’s great for kids
- Car-free village: Older children can have more autonomy in a safer environment.
- Accommodation: Fairly priced ski-in ski-out accommodation.
- Brilliant beginner areas: Plenty of gentle terrain and beginner areas.
Courchevel 1650 (Moriond), France
Great for wide, gentle slopes and a laid-back feel.
Part of the iconic Three Valleys ski area, Courchevel 1650 offers a fantastic family experience. Courchevel 1650 offers family-friendly alternatives to the glitzy Courchevel 1850 while maintaining excellent facilities. This lower village is perfect for families seeking a laid-back vibe.
The slopes in 1650 are excellent for beginners and families alike. There’s a great range of less intimidating slopes, making them perfect for kids and nervous skiers. The nursery slopes at the village level are highly accessible. There are also areas such as the Micky area and the Petite Moriond free lifts, as well as the Western Ski Park. This Wild West beginner area is perfect for kids to find their feet on skis. Western Ski Park offers an excellent place to learn, as it is fenced off from the main slope. Its wild west theme is also sure to capture the imagination of little ones, complete with a teepee. Once children are able to link their turns, Courchevel 1650 offers excellent progression onto the Petite Bosses and Praline green runs, then on to the Indiens blue run. Our amazing team of instructors are on hand to help your child progress from the beginner slope to exploring the mountain. We also offer family ski lessons if you’d like to join them.
Families can also use the Aquamotion Centre, which features heated indoor swimming pools, slides, and spa facilities—perfect for relaxing après-ski.
Why it’s great for kids
- First-rate beginner areas: The Western Ski Park is a great place for little ones to find their feet on skis.
- Well-groomed wide pistes: These offer the perfect gentle progression.
- Fun off-snow activities: Aquamotion, Morind tobogganing and ice skating in nearby 1850.
Aquamotion Courchevel
Val d’Isère, France
Great for off-snow activities and free under 8’s pass
Renowned for its world-class skiing, Val d’Isère is surprisingly family-friendly, with excellent facilities for children. The Solaise nursery slopes feature free beginner lifts, and many of the resort’s renowned ski schools cater specifically to younger skiers.
For added convenience, areas like La Daille and Le Fornet offer quieter accommodation options, perfect for families. Beyond skiing, kids can enjoy activities such as horse-drawn sleigh rides, which depart from the picturesque Igloo du Loup. The Aquasport Centre is excellent for an escape from the cold and is a great place to go during December and January, when the days are shorter and limit what you and your little ones can do after skiing. The cinema showing English and French films in the town centre is an excellent alternative if you fancy staying on dry land. What sets Val d’Isere apart from other ski resorts is that they offers free lift passes to children up to 8. Many other resorts in the Alps, particularly in France, only offer a free pass to children under 5.
Why it’s great for kids
- Children 8 and under ski for free: Children aged eight and under are entitled to a free lift pass. For families with small children, this can lead to savings of hundreds of euros.
- Wide range of off-snow activities: These activities cater to all (adults included).
- The best ski schools for children: The best kids ski schools offering family ski lessons too.
Centre Aquasportif Val d’Isère
La Plagne, France
Great for extensive blue runs and non-ski activities
Part of the extensive Paradiski area, La Plagne is home to beginner-friendly pistes and numerous family-focused villages. Montalbert’s nursery slopes feature playful snow zones equipped with fairytale characters and music. Meanwhile, Belle Plagne balances great terrain for parents and accessible beginner areas for kids. Don’t forget to check out activities like sledging, tubing, and the adrenaline-fueled luge track for after-ski fun.
Why it’s great for kids
- Playful snow zones: Children can learn to ski in a fun and interactive environment with the help of fairytale characters and music.
- Variety of non-ski activities: La Plagne offers a range of activities, from sledging to luge tracks, that are sure to keep kids entertained after a day on the slopes.
- The best ski schools for children: The best kids ski schools offering family ski lessons too.
Create Unforgettable Family Memories
Choosing the right ski resort is the secret to a successful family holiday. Resorts like Avoriaz, Morzine, and Val d’Isère make skiing accessible, fun, and unforgettable for kids and parents alike.
Before you book, explore more of our skiing tips and family holiday advice to make your trip even smoother. It’s time to hit the slopes and watch your little ones fall in love with skiing!
