Christmas & New Year Ski Holidays 2026
Skiing Over Christmas And New Year
Christmas in the mountains is hard to beat. Snow on the chalet roofs, torchlit descents, Christmas dinner after a day on the slopes and fireworks over the valley at midnight on New Year's Eve. It's also the one time of year when the whole family is off work and school together.
The two things to get right are snow and price. It's early in the season, so pick a resort high enough to be reliable. And these are two of the busiest weeks of the winter, so the best value goes to people who book early. If you're reading this in the autumn, now is a good time to book.
Key Dates For Christmas 2026
- Christmas week: Saturday 19 December to Saturday 26 December 2026. Christmas Day is a Friday.
- New Year week: Saturday 26 December 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027. New Year's Eve is a Thursday.
- School holidays: many schools in England break up on Friday 18 December and go back on Monday 4 January, but dates vary by area, so check with your school. Scottish and Northern Irish dates can differ.
- The week before Christmas:12 to 19 December is usually much cheaper, if you're not tied to school dates.
Most ski holidays run Saturday to Saturday, so Christmas week and New Year week are the two main choices. Some companies offer other start days and shorter stays if you want to be home for Christmas Day or back in time for work.
Snow Sure Ski Destinations For Christmas
The Best Ski Resorts For Christmas And New Year
In late December, height matters more than anything. Higher resorts hold their snow better and tend to have most of their runs open by Christmas. These are our picks, with each resort's projected opening date for this winter.
Val Thorens, France
At 2,300m, Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe, and it's due to open on 21 November. You can ski straight out of most accommodation, and the Three Valleys gives you more runs than you could cover in a week. It's not a budget resort, so look for apartments rather than hotels to keep the price down.
Tignes, France
Tignes sits at around 2,100m and shares a huge ski area with Val d'Isère. It's also due to open on 21 November, and its high slopes make it one of the safest bets in France for Christmas snow. Good for confident skiers and groups who want plenty of choice.
Obergurgl, Austria
One of the most snow sure resorts in Austria at 1,930m, with an opening date of 19 November. It's quiet, traditional and very good for families and beginners, with Christmas markets in Innsbruck about an hour and a half away. It's one of the resorts in our guide to the best ski resorts for beginners.
Cervinia, Italy
Cervinia sits at around 2,050m, links to Zermatt across the Swiss border and is due to open as early as 24 October. You get high altitude snow at Italian prices. A week of lift pass, hire, lessons and food came to £817 for an adult in the Post Office's 2026 report, well below what you'd expect to pay in Switzerland.
Passo Tonale, Italy
The best value family resort in Europe in the Post Office's 2026 report, at £1,797 for two adults and two children. At 1,880m with a glacier above it, it has good early season snow and opens on 21 November. Wide, gentle slopes make it a great place to learn.
Pas de la Casa, Andorra
The highest resort in Andorra at around 2,100m, and part of the large Grandvalira ski area. It's known for lively bars, which makes it a fun choice for New Year with friends. Andorra is usually much cheaper than the Alps for lift passes, food and drink.
Levi, Finnish Lapland
If Christmas atmosphere matters more than big mountains, Levi is hard to top. The snow is reliable from early in the season, and you can add husky rides, reindeer and a visit to Santa to your days on the slopes. Daylight is short in December, so the main runs are floodlit.
Christmas Week
Travelling on 19 December gets you to the mountains for the build up to Christmas. The first few days are often quieter, as many families travel later. Most hotels and chalets put on a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner, and some resorts hold torchlit descents and visits from Father Christmas on the slopes.
The trade off is snow. It's the earliest week of the holidays, so a high resort matters even more. If you're skiing in Austria, the Christmas markets in Innsbruck and Salzburg are an easy day trip from many resorts.
How To Save On A Christmas Ski Holiday
- Book now. Christmas and New Year sell out first, and the cheapest rooms and flights go early.
- Choose Italy, Andorra or Bulgaria. Your lift pass, hire, lessons and meals cost far less than in France, Switzerland or Austria. See our guide to cheap ski holidays for the best value resorts.
- Look at self catering. An apartment for the family usually costs less than a hotel, and you can cook your own Christmas dinner.
- Check for free child places. Some companies still offer them over Christmas on selected hotels and dates.
- Pre book hire and lessons. Ski schools fill up fast over the holidays, and booking online before you go is often cheaper.
What To Check Before You Book
- Resort height and opening date. Above about 1,800m is safer for Christmas snow, and make sure the resort is open in time for your dates.
- What happens if there's no snow.Some companies let you move resort if too few runs are open before you travel. Crystal Ski's Snow Promise is one example, so check the current terms when you book.
- Christmas dinner and New Year's Eve. Some hotels include a gala dinner in the price and some charge extra, so check before you compare prices.
- Ski school and kids club dates.Make sure they run on the days you need, including Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Our Ski Holiday Partners
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually, but it's early in the season, so it isn't guaranteed everywhere. High resorts such as Val Thorens, Tignes, Obergurgl, Cervinia and Passo Tonale are the safest bets, along with resorts in Lapland.
As early as you can. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks of the season, and the best value places to stay sell out first. Booking in the autumn gives you a much better choice than waiting until December.
Christmas week is usually a little cheaper than New Year week, which is the busiest week of the season. The week before Christmas, 12 to 19 December, is cheaper than both.
In most resorts, yes. Lifts normally run as usual on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, though ski schools and kids clubs may have different hours, so check with your holiday company.
Christmas week runs from Saturday 19 to Saturday 26 December 2026, and New Year week from Saturday 26 December to Saturday 2 January 2027.
Italy, Andorra and Bulgaria offer the best value. Passo Tonale and Cervinia in Italy combine low prices with high altitude snow, which is what you want at Christmas.
Booking Your Christmas Ski Holiday
Ski specialists such as Heidi, Crystal Ski, Inghams and Sunweb all sell Christmas and New Year ski holidays from UK airports. Packages with flights are ATOL protected, which matters more than ever at the busiest time of year.
