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Original poster

Can you go to a ski resort for a holiday and not actually ski?

48 replies

Appalonia · 14/02/2022 22:23

I have no interest in skiing and think I'd be a danger to myself and anyone else if I tried! However, I'd love to spend a few days at a ski resort, just to see the beautiful snowy mountains and be in the atmosphere of it all. Is that a bonkers idea? And if it isnt, where would be a good place to go? Thanks all.Smile

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 14/02/2022 22:26

Will you be going with skiers, or just by yourself?

I didn't ski this winter. DH and DDs did. I went for walks, drank coffees and hot chocolates, and joined in April Ski. The hotel had a spa but thats not my thing.

forcedfun · 14/02/2022 22:31

Not bonkers, although you might want to do your research. Some resorts have a fabulous mixture of things and some are really just about ski/party/sleep. But there are other places that have a really fabulous mixture of things. In my experience Swiss/Austrian resorts have generally felt better for a more mixed holiday.

mrsrobin · 14/02/2022 22:32

It depends on the resort, some have more walking trails, may be a town to wander around, other things of interest. Some are just geared for skiing really, are you sure you have no interest…it’s good fun!

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Footnote · 14/02/2022 22:58

Yes, but if you aren’t going with skiiers, go somewhere else. Skiing is quite disruptive to the landscape so other places will be more conducive to what you are looking for.

ComtesseDeSpair · 14/02/2022 23:07

It depend on the area. Friends and I go to Saint Gervais Les Bains every other year and rent a glorious chateau. I don’t ski, and they ski during the day, and I go to the open air swimming pool in the town, or the hot springs spa, or for a long walk on the hills and woods, or get a bus to other local towns and so on; and then we have all the evenings doing the lovely chateau thing.

HowlingKale · 14/02/2022 23:11

Yes but it's expensive.

jamfirstcreamsecond · 14/02/2022 23:22

Wengen in Switzerland! Love it there. Could easily spend a week there without ski ing. The scenery is beautiful and it's full of graded hiking trails. So much to see and do and getting around by train is so easy and is genuinely pleasurable. The downside is that it's not particularly cheap. That said, we stayed in a pretty basic hotel and it was fine for us.

ThisBooksCanDo · 14/02/2022 23:25

A friend of mine did this. Her DH and DC love their skiing / snowboarding but she hates it. She 'd spend the first day on the slopes and then get "injured" and spend the rest of the time at the spa / reading / walking and enjoying all day apres ski Smile no advice where to go but she loved it.

highlandcoo · 14/02/2022 23:50

Would you enjoy walking in the mountains OP?

Colletts do holidays which include snowshoeing - ideal for couples or groups of friends when not everyone wants to ski.

Strokethefurrywall · 15/02/2022 00:09

I would go to Boulder, Colorado (but appreciate you’re in Europe).
Plenty of ski in ski our accommodations or those close to the lifts - Boulder has a great art/ale/beer scene and shopping + dog sledding, ice skating, ice tubing etc.

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 15/02/2022 00:14

I would just recommend a holiday to the Canadian Rockies

lborgia · 15/02/2022 02:26

St Anton's would work. You can always get the cable cars too, for views, other cafes for coffee and lunch etc.

I did this and loved it. Walks, outdoor heated pools, reading by the fire. Lovely!

NameChangeNameShange · 15/02/2022 02:34

Agreeing with the rest it's all about picking a resort or finding something else you enjoy. Personally I dislike skiing but love snow trekking with racquets. You tend to go off piste and into woodlands which are stunning. Bit of research and you should be fine

Original poster
Appalonia · 15/02/2022 14:45

Thanks for all the great advice!

OP posts:
LIZS · 15/02/2022 14:49

Definitely. Just pick a resort with walking, sled runs, indoor/outdoor pool, skating, take gondola or cablecar to top where there is a restaurant, plenty of shops and cafes

TheDogsMother · 15/02/2022 14:54

Take a look at a village called Samoens in the French Alps. It's not as expensive as some and is a beautiful traditional village with shops restaurants and cafes. There's cross country ski-ing and treking, a local swimming pool and surrounded by nice villages so things for the non-skiers to do. It is relatively low but there is a fast ski gondola to take the skiers up to 1600m and the rest of the ski domain.

EwwSprouts · 15/02/2022 15:08

Easily. My favourite is to be in an outdoor heated pool when it's snowing. I would choose a medium size pretty resort such as Zell am See.
For left field Lake Tahoe. The most stunning views and open well into spring so you can enjoy warmer weather. All the usual activities plus the cheap but decent standard casino hotels...or a nice lodge. Add a couple of days in San Francisco.

Onlydowntheroad · 15/02/2022 15:19

I'd recommend zermatt in Switzerland although v. expensive

Beautiful scenery, great mountain train that you take to the top and wonderful mountain restaurants, lots going on in the town, spas, walking etc

Rainbowshit · 15/02/2022 15:24

chloelovetoshop on instagram is currently in wengen and she does not ski, might be worth a look.

LIZS · 15/02/2022 15:28

Saas Fee is traffic free and has a dedicated mountain for non skiers.

Doubleraspberry · 15/02/2022 15:31

Doing exactly this at the weekend. My kids love skiing, I am terrified. I do love snowshoeing up and down mountains, hiking in snow and sitting by fires reading books. And the spa, and delicious food. Austria has loads to do for non-skiiers.

NobbyButtons · 15/02/2022 16:48

I've been looking at Inntravel who do snow holidays where you can choose to do skiing (downhill or cross country), snowshoeing, horse-drawn sledge rides, or just wander round and look at the scenery. They are very expensive in the school holidays though!

Orangesandlemons77 · 15/02/2022 17:09

.

SpinningBob · 15/02/2022 18:47

Thank you for this thread, I’m feeling very inspired! We all ski , but only now starting to mull over ideas for holiday locations for next few years, but littlest child wouldn’t be able to manage much at all, so would like to be able to do a range of activities. I remember seeing lots of walkers when we were skiing in La Plagne /Les Arcs in France one year (I didn’t know that going to a ski resort to do non skiing was a thing then!)

superram · 15/02/2022 18:54

Alpe d’huez has an outdoor pool, ice skating, and you can walk to the lift. Also has nice bars and walking and tobogganing.