Family Ski Holidays 2026/27
Ski Holidays The Whole Family Will Love
A family ski holiday is one of the best trips you can take with children. Kids pick it up faster than adults, ski school gives you a few hours on the mountain to yourselves, and there's nothing like watching them come down their first proper run.
It can also be expensive, especially in the school holidays. The good news is that the resort you choose makes a bigger difference to the price than almost anything else. On the Post Office's latest figures, a week of lift passes, hire, lessons and meals for a family of four cost £1,797 in the cheapest resort and £4,060 in the dearest. This guide covers where to go, when to go and how to keep the cost down.
School Holiday Dates For Skiing In 2026/27
- February half term: most schools in England are off from Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027, so the ski week is Saturday 13 to Saturday 20 February. This is the busiest and most expensive week of the season.
- Easter: many schools in England break up on Friday 26 March and go back after Friday 9 April 2027. Easter Sunday is 28 March, which is early, so snow should still be good in most resorts.
- Christmas and New Year: see our guide to Christmas and New Year ski holidays for the best resorts and dates.
Dates vary by council and school, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are different again, so check with your school before you book. Half term places sell out first, so the earlier you book the better the choice and the price. heidi says families who book early for peak dates like half term can save up to 20% compared with booking later.
Family Ski Destinations
The Best Value Family Ski Resorts In Europe
Every year the Post Office prices up a week in resorts across Europe for two adults and two children. The total covers six day lift passes, ski and boot hire, ski school, and lunches and drinks on the mountain. Flights and accommodation aren't included. These were the cheapest family resorts in its 2026 report.
- Passo Tonale, Italy: £1,797
- Bardonecchia, Italy: £1,984
- Bansko, Bulgaria: £2,093
- Kranjska Gora, Slovenia: £2,117
- Beitostølen, Norway: £2,179
- Geilo, Norway: £2,293
- Pyhä, Finland: £2,404
- Arinsal, Andorra: £2,441
- Sestriere, Italy: £2,500
- La Thuile, Italy: £2,576
No resort in France, Switzerland or Austria made the top ten, and Saalbach in Austria was the most expensive family resort at £4,060. Soldeu in Andorra was the only resort in the whole report where prices fell. For more on keeping costs down, see our guide to cheap ski holidays.
The Best Family Ski Resorts For Every Age
Best for value: Passo Tonale, Italy
The cheapest family resort in the Post Office report. Tonale sits at 1,880m with a glacier above it, so the snow is reliable, and its wide, gentle slopes are ideal for children learning to ski. Crystal also has a Slope Starters package here for families who have never skied before.
Best for young children: La Thuile, Italy
A relaxed resort with nursery slopes right next to the centre, so little ones don't have far to walk in their ski boots. Crystal runs its own childcare here, and it came tenth in the Post Office family list.
Best on a budget: Bansko and Borovets, Bulgaria
Bulgaria is some of the cheapest skiing in Europe. Bansko came third for families in the Post Office report, and both resorts have easy nursery slopes and lots to do off the snow. All inclusive hotels here make it much easier to budget for a family week. See our guide to Bulgaria ski holidays.
Best for teenagers: Avoriaz, France
A car free resort high in the Portes du Soleil, with around 650km of slopes and five snow parks. Teenagers who already ski will love the freedom, and the resort has its own area for younger children too. It's not cheap, so look at apartments and travelling outside half term.
Best for gentle, easy skiing: Arinsal, Andorra
Wide, tree lined runs and lower prices than the Alps make Arinsal a favourite for families on their first or second trip. It came eighth in the Post Office family list. The transfer from Barcelona or Toulouse is long, so it suits a full week rather than a short break.
Best for half term and Easter snow: Flaine and Tignes, France
Flaine has free nursery slopes, most accommodation close to the lifts and a short transfer from Geneva, which makes it a strong half term choice. For Easter, go high. Tignes reaches over 3,000m on its glacier, so the snow holds up well into spring.
Best for short transfers: Seefeld, Austria
About 30 minutes from Innsbruck, with gentle slopes and a car free centre. A short transfer makes a big difference with young children, and it works for a long weekend as well as a week.
Ski School And Childcare
Most children learn fastest in group ski school with other kids their age, usually in the mornings. Book lessons before you go, because the best ski schools fill up in the school holidays. Ask whether lunch and supervision are included, as some schools run all day and some finish at lunchtime.
For children too young for ski school, many family hotels and ski companies run kids clubs. Crystal Childcare is available in selected resorts for children from 6 months to 8 years old, and heidi lets you filter for hotels with a kids club. That means you can ski as a couple for a few hours while they play in the snow.
How To Save On A Family Ski Holiday
- Look for free child places. Crystal gives one child a free place with two full paying adults on selected holidays, and offers child discounts on many others.
- Go outside half term if you can.If your children aren't at school yet, January and March are far cheaper and quieter than February half term.
- Choose Italy, Bulgaria or Andorra. Lift passes, hire and food cost much less than in France, Switzerland or Austria.
- Check children's lift pass prices. Most resorts charge less for children and many let the very youngest ski free. Some ski companies also run family lift pass and equipment offers when you book them with the holiday.
- Pre book hire and lessons.It's often cheaper online, and it saves queueing with tired children on your first morning.
- Pack lunches. A mountain restaurant lunch for four every day adds up quickly. A picnic on the slopes is cheaper and kids love it.
Before you book, check our Crystal Ski discount codes for the latest offers.
Package Or Book It Yourself?
For most families, a package is the easier and safer choice. Ski companies such as heidi and Crystal Ski bundle flights, transfers and accommodation into one ATOL protected booking, and you can add lift passes, hire and lessons as you go. If a flight is cancelled or the snow is poor, you only have one company to deal with.
Prices outside the school holidays can be very reasonable. When we checked heidi in early November, a 7 night self catering stay in Flaine from Stansted in January started at £1,490 for two adults and two children, including flights. Half term prices for the same kind of trip are much higher, so book early if you need those dates.
Our Ski Holiday Partners
Frequently Asked Questions
For value, Passo Tonale and Bardonecchia in Italy and Bansko in Bulgaria are hard to beat. For young children, look for a resort with nursery slopes close to your accommodation, such as La Thuile or Flaine. Teenagers who can already ski will love a big area like Avoriaz.
On top of flights and accommodation, the Post Office found a week of lift passes, hire, lessons and meals for two adults and two children cost from £1,797 in Passo Tonale to £4,060 in Saalbach. Packages with flights and accommodation outside the school holidays can start from around £1,500 for a family of four.
For most schools in England it's Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027, so the ski week runs Saturday 13 to Saturday 20 February. Check with your school, as dates vary by area.
Most ski schools start group lessons from around four. Younger children can enjoy kids clubs, sledging and playing in the snow, and Crystal Childcare takes children from 6 months old in selected resorts.
In many resorts the youngest children get a free or heavily discounted lift pass, and older children pay less than adults. The age limits vary by resort, so check before you book.
Yes. Crystal Ski offers one free child place with two full paying adults on selected holidays, and child discounts on many others.
Usually, yes, although Easter is still a school holiday so prices are higher than in January or March. Easter 2027 is early, so snow should be good. Choose a high resort to be safe.