Best resort for novice family with family skiing lessons

[Evenmoretired44]

I would like to take my DS8 and DH skiing next ski season (2024/2025). DH and I have skied once. DS8 has never skied and isn’t keen on kids clubs. I can’t see him agreeing to ski school or he would be distressed by it. Where can we go which has lots of nice easy runs and we can get family lessons. Many thanks.

My advice would be don't have family lessons. Children learn differently to adults and your child will learn a lot quicker than you anyway - and have a lot more fun - in a class dedicated to children.

How about some private lessons at one of the snow domes beforehand to give your dc the opportunity to see if they enjoy it? If so, it would
likely give them enough confidence to join a class on holiday. They don't have to do a kids club - you can just enrol them in group classes for mornings and collect them at the end: you'll then have the afternoons to ski together or do other non-skiing activities.

Saas Fee or one of the villages in the Saastal. Not cheap but plenty of snowsure easy slopes and English speaking ski-school. Also lots of alternative activities if skiing is not their thing. Not cheap though. Agree about "family" lessons. Skischool is 3 hours from 10am.

Saalbach, Hinterglemm, Maria Alm in Austria. La Rosiere in France. All have good English-speaking ski schools and easy slopes. Or perhaps Sweden or Norway, where the slopes are gentle and the focus on kids learning while having fun is exceptional.

I'm yet another who will say a definite no to family lessons. I'm a qualified instructor and I refused to do "family lessons" (and I'm actually dismayed that ski schools offer them, except perhaps where the "family" comprises parents plus teenagers of similar ability). Children learn much faster when they're having fun with their peers - or in a private lesson with a dedicated childrens' instructor. Having mum and/or dad around is just a distraction for everyone - presumably the DS already goes to school every day at home and does activities.

Thanks so much for all replies. Sounds like a non starter then if he’d have to learn separately as this would stress him out horribly. Thanks anyway though. Merry Christmas.

You could try a one to one lesson first on the nursery slope with you watching on. That may give him confidence to join a group. But there are plenty of other winter activities in larger resorts.

Take him to learn on a dry slope - you can stay and watch. When you get to the resort book him a couple of private lessons. Then you should be fine to all tackle easy slopes together.