If you’re a beginner skier and not sure where to go or confused as to how it all works then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a guide to help you choose the best beginner resorts and also understand the different elements that make up a ski holiday including ski passes, ski rental and ski passes.
Beginner Ski Resorts
If it's your first time skiing or snowboarding then the most important thing is to get the resort right. You want to choose a resort that has easily accessible nursery slopes (so you don't have to walk too far in strange ski boots) and also gentle slopes for you to graduate too.
Ski Lessons
You’ll also want to book ski school lessons before you go – especially if you are going at Christmas, New Year, Half Term or Easter and it’s worth having a lesson on a dry ski slope or indoor snow slope before you go. Most ski schools offer group beginner lessons that run for 2-3 hours each morning. You can then spend the afternoon practising what you learnt in the morning. Younger children may find that they don't have the energy to ski in the afternoon so it's worth keeping this in mind.
Going with a group of better skiers
If you are going on your first ski holiday but as part of a larger group that have mostly skied or boarded before then make sure they choose a resort that offers something for everyone. Les Arcs in France or Lech in Austria could be an option. Both resorts have hotels or chalets that are close to the slopes.
Ski Rental
Before you leave, you'll want to make sure you've got all the right kit and to save money it's worth pre-booking your ski, boot, board and helmet rental. You can either do this at the time of booking or nearer the time. Use our online booking service here to get up to 45% off your ski rental. Not sure where to start with this and already booked your trip with us? Then call us on +44 (0)20 7471 7711 and let us do the booking for you.
The other thing to consider is lift passes. Some resorts have free beginners lifts so you don't need to buy a ski pass at first. Also in many Austrian resorts children up to the age of 8 ski for free.
Here are our top resorts for beginners.