After skiing for kids for 15 years, I want to share some of my hard earned tips. If it’s your firstf family ski trip, where do you start. I know, I have been there. Here’s my top tips for finding a family-friendly ski resort.
First, I understand skiing with a family is expensive. It requires special clothes, special equipment and that’s before you’ve bought lift tickets or arranged for lessons.
When I started skiing in my twenties, it was easy. Rent some skis, take a lesson and then drink a cocktail. That was my ski trip. Then I had my kids and everything got more complicated.
How to Pick a Family Friendly Ski Resort
- Best Lodging For Family Ski Trips
- Should You Fly or Drive
- How to Feed a Family
- Ski Lessons
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Best Lodging for Family Ski Trips
Look at the type of lodging the ski resort offers.
Ski-in, Ski-out–The most luxurious option though check out the valet services. Skiing requires more luggage and gear. See how the resort stores ski equipment for its guests too. Definitely needs self-service laundry in unit or on each floor for drying out wet socks and gloves.
Free Standing Condo–I prefer to stay in a condo or other equipped rental. I need a washer and dryer for my family. Plus an equipped kitchen saves me money. To save some money, I bring my crock pot for hearty dinners after a day of skiing. And breakfast is a snap with instant oatmeal.
Hotel Rooms–Not my favorite option. I’ve done once and wouldn’t do it again. I tripped over gear, like snow boots and gloves. Eating out for every meal got expensive and time-consuming after a long day of skiing.
Fly or Drive?
If your family is flying, look at the transportation between the airport and the resort. Then check out where the shopping, restaurants and activities are in relation to your lodging.
Tip: UBER and LYFT might use surge pricing at some resort areas or the service is limited.
I recommend renting a 4WD or AWD vehicle for your trip. Don’t skimp on the rental. Driving a typical 2WD rental car in the mountains is just too risky. I prefer to drive so I don’thave to limit the luggage. I have an all-wheel drive SUV plus I pack tire cables if the roads get snow covered.
Finally check out the location of the ski resort’s parking lot if skiing for the day. I would prefer to park in front of the resort since I never grab everything I need in one trip. If a tram or shuttle is involved to get to the resort from the parking lot, I’m not impressed.
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Feeding a Family at a Ski Resort
Hungry kids will destroy a happy holiday.
Pack snacks for in-between meals to save some bucks.
- Refillable water bottles
- Gatorade or flavor packets
- Hot water in a thermos
- Instant hot cider or cocoa packets and tea bags
- Instant Cup-of-Soup
- Granola bars and Protein bars
- Jerky
- Dried fruit or fruit leather
- Applesauce pouches
- Nuts
- Cookies
- Marshmallows and roasting sticks
- Mandarin oranges
- Reusable coffee cups
When to Start Kids Skiing
How old are your kids? I started my kids skiing at different ages and I don’t think it really matters. They all seem to pick it up quickly but if all your kids are under 5, I might wait a few years to try skiing as a family.
The youngest kids have a problem with the cold and dressing them in ski gear can be a challenge. Ski resorts are not stroller-friendly with stairs and icy patches. And litter kids can’t carry their gear.
I have a 16, 14 and 11-year-old. We started skiing when my oldest was 7 and the youngest was 2. The first year he stayed in the on-site daycare and started ski lessons when he was 3.
My oldest and youngest kids ski but my 14-year-old son snowboards. Most resorts won’t teach young kids (3 to 5) to snow board, requiring kids to be 7. If you do your research, some resorts offers snowboarding for preschoolers.
What to look for at a Ski Resort
Trails for Kids
First, I look at the ski resort trail mapand count how many green runs they offer. This information is usually listed as a percentage of the runs based on color–green, blue, black.
Green runs–Easiest and great for families
Blue runs–Moderate runs and Dad will start here regardless of ability.
Black runs–People braver than me. I recommend tackling black runs with an instructor first.
Then I look at the quality of the green runs. I don’t like resorts that only offers green runs tacked onto the bottom of more difficult terrain. I have found that more advanced skiers fly through slow areas on their way to the lift line. If all of the green runs wide and lack different routes, the skiing gets boring.
I prefer resorts that have green skiing areas with both wide open spaces and narrow runs through the trees. Kids like to ride a run a couple of times then try another route.
Ski Lifts
Next, look forbeginner ski lifts, they should be labeled on the trail map on the resort’s website. I prefer resorts that use conveyor-belt type lifts for beginners. Getting on-and-off an elevated ski lift is where most falls happen.
Conveyor or Magic Carpet Lifts will keep your kids on the ground and not dangling from a wire like a trapeze. It’s a bit nerve-racking to get my youngest and myself on the ski lift.
I want the beginner area to be available to all skiers and not restricted to the ski school students. This is an excellent area to practice with your kids after their lessons. My carful of kids love to race Mom down the beginner runs.
Remember beginner runs are not the same as GREEN runs. Just because it’s labeled green doesn’t mean your kids are ready to cruise down it after one lesson.
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Ski School for Kids
Look at the resort’s ski school. Ski School is a must for kids under eight, unless you are a pro. All the instructors I have met through the years have been great with kids, pacing the program according to ability of my kids. They’re patient with missing gloves and potty breaks.
Ski School Must Haves
- Trained staff that know how to talk and play with kids. Corny jokes and riddles a plus.
- Separate facility with an indoor transition area that allows kids to rest or warm up.
- Staff to fit kids with skis.
- Outdoor area that’s fenced off from the rest of the resort yet visible for parents wanting to check-in.
- Separate magic carpet lifts or conveyor lifts for kids.
- Helmets for kids regardless of local laws
An Outstanding Program will have
- Program that keeps the littlest kids off the elevated lifts before 6. (a new trend that I’m seeing and not all resorts are presently doing this)
- Serves lunch that accommodates kids’ special diets (gluten-free, vegan) and chef-inspired daily menus for students–not just pizza or buttered pasta.
- Engineered runs to make turning easier.
- Covered lifts
I like the ski schools in a separate fenced-off area with separate conveyor-belt or magic carpet lifts, used only by the ski school. I want my younger kids in an area away from the older kids with different needs and skills.
Some ski schools have half-day programs but this usually not an option during the school holidays. The resorts prefer full-day programs during peak periods. Some resorts offer on-site day care, a convenient, yet expensive option.
If your kids are older then skip the ski school and sign them up for a beginner ski/snowboard package that includes lessons, rental equipment and lift tickets for the first day. The earlier in the day, the better. After the class, they can practice.
If you plan to learn to ski or snowboard as a family then you might consider private or semi-private lessons. The resorts tend to assign the most seasoned instructors to the private lessons. A great way to go but are expensive.
Other Considerations
The last thing I check is the ski resort elevation. I have a kid that get elevation sickness over 9,000 feet. We have to ski at resorts with lower elevations or he gets sick (nausea).
I hope that my hints help you to find a family-friendly ski resort that suits your family.
Know before you go:
- Reservations are a must for ski school programs during the school breaks.
- You can get a discount by booking your lift tickets online through the ski resort’s website.
- I purchase lift tickets through consolidators for greater discounts.
- I like to rent my equipment from ski shops and skip the line on the mountain. Most shops let you rent equipment the evening before and you can return it early in the morning after your trip.
- Don’t forget the helmets, they are required for kids at lots of resorts.
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