Planning a Family Ski Vacation

It’s time to plan the family vacation – and everyone 
wants to go skiing. Don’t worry, skiing isn’t as 
expensive as you might think, and there are 
numerous resorts that cater to families, offering a 
variety of packages designed to save you money. 
The problem will be choosing the destination.

Most ski resorts have websites. Start the planning 
process by accessing these websites to determine 
where you and your family might want to go for your 
family ski vacation. There are many different things to 
look for when choosing a resort. The absolute most 
important thing to look for is a ski school if someone 
in your family will need instruction. While most 
resorts do have ski schools, some don’t.  Don’t 
make the mistake of choosing a destination where 
one or more of your family members won’t have fun, 
simply because they don’t know how to ski. 

Next, take a look at the slopes, lifts, and trails. You 
want to make sure that the resort has something to 
offer everyone in your family. If the resort only caters 
to beginners, an expert skier will become quickly 
bored. If you have a snowboarder in your group, and 
there is no snowboarding park or terrain, that 
snowboarder will not be happy. There are resorts 
that serve all winter sports – so make sure that your 
families interests are covered. 

Lodging is the next thing to look at. You want to be 
comfortable, so where you will sleep at night matters 
a great deal. In most cases, there is a hotel right at 
the base of the slopes – but this isn’t necessarily the 
best or most affordable place to stay. Find out what 
your lodging options are for the area, and choose 
the one that is right for your family and your budget.
If you will be staying farther away from the slopes, 
make sure that there is transportation to and from 
the slopes each day!

Your family will have many more interests that you 
will need to search for before deciding on a particular 
destination and resort. Some of those interests may 
be dog sledding, sleigh rides, snowmobiling, 
snowshoeing, or horseback riding. Resorts do offer 
these activities, but some don’t – so be sure to ask 
about the winter activities, as well as the planned 
events during the time that you will be at the resort. 
This will help you plan a ski vacation that your family 
will enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives.

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