Snow in Europe over Christmas with teens

[Cheesemas]

Next Christmas we’re thinking of escaping for Christmas week. None of us are skiers, but want to be where there is snow, tobogganing, snow shoeing. Some fun activities for the teens and snow terraces with gluhwein for the grown ups.

Not keen on driving in the snow, so would like to stay somewhere that is accessible without a hired car. Not keen on super posh places…

Not keen on Lapland either!

Lapland is great though for all you’ve said!

The problem is that to be sure of having snow you need to be quite high up, and that means a place that is centred around skiers and snowboarders. You can't just put on snow shoes or drag a toboggan around near slopes, and you probably don't want to pay £40 per person per day for a lift pass for 3 runs in a toboggan. If you're going to do it, I'd recommend going the whole hog and getting beginners skìing lessons. (Also, have you ever done any snowshoeing? It's exhausting.)

What's the issue with Lapland?
You don't have to go to the santa village.
And the trains are fab

Mayrhofen in Austria is great. Pretty, big enough that you don't have to leave the town and always something going on. Have a look at the Sport Hotel or the Nehaus hotels.

Having a car will be the best option to get to any mountain resorts in Europe (don't forget these places are far better equipped for snow than the UK is! The roads are routinely cleared). But if you really don't want to hire a car what about getting the Eurostar Snow Train? It goes to many of the major ski resorts in the French Alps, all of which have the usual activities for non-skiers.

The French resorts served by Eurostar are major ski resorts - the focus of everything is on skiing, so not really places for non-skiers to visit (even though there are a few things for non-skiers to do). The snowy ones are the most expensive, particularly at Christmas - which is a waste of money if you're not going to ski.

Austrian resorts such as Mayrhofen, Zell am See, Saalbach or Hinterglemm are better for non-skiers because these are real working towns, not just purpose-built ski resorts. They are also easily accessible from Salzburg or Innsbruck airports - there are regular shuttle services, trains and public buses so you don't need a car to get there or to get around. As well as skiing, these resorts offer snow-shoe walks, horse-drawn sleigh rides, tobogganing, ice skating etc. and are close enough to the cities that you can also do day-trips, e.g. to Salzburg.

Wherever you choose, do at least try skiing. Book some beginner lessons - it's fun!

Thanks for the suggestions- I grew up very close to ski slopes in a European country (the kind of place where all kids routinely spend Saturday mornings in ski school during the season). LOVE mountains, HATE skiing.
Sounds like Austria is the way forward.

This ticks a lot of your boxes.
https://www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/14336/slovakia-family-holiday-winter-in-high-tatras