For those who weren’t born sliding down the slopes, come November when the ski season kicks off, rumours of legendary aprés-ski, panoramic mountain lunches and steamy spas might have you warming up to the idea of reaching new altitudes on a skiing holiday.
Whether skiing with children and booking them lessons at family favourite ski schools, fine-tuning your snowsports prowess as an adult or facing a fear of heights to take a bucket-list trip, beginners should look for resorts with plenty of entry-level terrain.
Leave the experts to it on demanding pistes and instead get comfortable and confident on gentle nursery slopes, village-level flats and networks of winding green and blue runs – typically lower gradient routes for beginners – through glades of green pines this winter.
From the foothills of the Dolomites to the valleys of the French Alps, here are the beginner-friendly European hotspots for a first-time ski holiday and the packages you’ll need to reach the pistes.
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Arinsal, Andorra
With a nursery area high up the mountain, Arinsal is top-notch for novice skiers
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With a nursery area high up the mountain for great snowfall and views, Arinsal is one of three resorts in the Vallnord ski area which offers 63km of slopes in total, best-suited to beginners and intermediates. A buzzing apres-ski scene brings life to the authentic alpine village, there’s easy access to the slopes from the main village and well-regarded ski schools make Arinsal a quality place to ski for families and novices.
How to ski in Arinsal
Crystal Ski Holidays is offering seven nights at Hotel Montané from £845pp, half board, including return flights from London Gatwick, transfers, ski lessons, equipment hire and a lift pass, for 21 January 2024 departures. The week of skiing and socialising also includes a bowling night, après-ski and a spa session.
Meribel, France
Two designated beginner areas and eight green runs dot Meribel
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Popular resort Meribel sits in the Tarentaise Valley of the French Alps, and is part of the impressively large Trois Vallees ski area, with an impressive 600km of pistes to accommodate all abilities. A wealth of gentle green and blue runs, wide nursery slopes to practise your turns on and two designated beginner areas with eight free lifts mean Meribel is a…
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