Where and when for beginners 2026?

[HiGunny]

We're starting to think about a family ski holiday in 2026. We've never skied before but I've always wanted to try it, kids will be 11 and 13. DH is not super keen so I'm trying to balance other activities with maybe 3 - 4 days skiing? At the moment I'm leaning towards somewhere like Zell am See or Bad Gastein in Austria as they have a short transfer from the airport and plenty of non ski activities. Is there anywhere else I should be considering (and are these even good choices?). Also we can be pretty flexible about when to go, so what is usually the most enjoyable month in the Alps?

I’d suggest going late March. We often go at Easter and I love skiing in sunshine and not feeling cold. We stay in the valley about 800m snd it’s often really warm (20s) with blossom out which is fab if you want a day off.

i don’t know Austria well but those places are lovely I’m sure. Other thing to consider is if the kids love it, could you let them do the full week? 3 days skiing isn’t much when you’re just getting started.

Zell am See is a far better choice than Bad Gastein - and Saalbach-Hinterglemm is even better. There are numerous resorts within 90 minutes of Salzburg airport, but some such as Rauris, Leogang or Lofer do not have very much for non-skiers to do.

Look at the tour operator websites - Crystal, Inghams, Nielsen, Heidi (and others) - and see which resorts they recommend for beginners. Personally I think that Austria is better for beginners than Italy, and France would be third on my own list of preferences, but others will have their favourite places. Beginners don't need big, expensive resorts, so you don't need to be paying high prices for somewhere like St. Anton, Lech, Kitzbuhel, Courchevel or Verbier, where the skiing is fantastic for advanced skiers, but less suitable for beginners. Likewise, be aware that "ski in/ski out" accommodation usually requires that you are actually able to ski - most of the "ski in/ski out" accommodation where I usually ski is actually located next to a difficult, steep black piste, which a beginners and children are not going to be able to manage.

I'd look at when the school holidays fall and then chose resort based on height, ie snow. I have been to Zell am See and Saalbach and both were great but always in February so can't comment on snow.

One thing I would say though is that you ideally need 5 days skiing. Unless you are a natural, a lot of beginners break on day 3, then 4 and 5 it actually clicks and becomes enoyable.

Thanks for the replies, looks like Zell might be a good option, I'll have a look at Saalbach as well.

Can you generally leave booking lessons to a few months beforehand? I'm thinking we'll do a few lessons locally in the autumn (ski centre here closes in a few weeks) and then decide how much we'll actually enjoy it! Also any other tips on choosing accommodation - I know not to choose ski in ski out but is there anything else I should be aware of? Like if we're not based near a ski lift is that awkward? Am so clueless!

Book accommodation near to the ski school meet up
point. Saves time and stress in the morning. ESF is the big ski school inference but we have used oxygen in the past and much prefer them- smaller group sizes.
tour kids would possibly be in adult lessons though so they are usually smaller- fewer adults learn than kids.

I always have accommodations with a spa as I am all about the apres after care!

@Peclet is referring to France - a strange typo crept in. I agree - in French resorts, Oxygen are usually better than ESF for British kids.

If you choose half-term or New Year then whether you go to France, Italy or Austria you must book ski lessons in advance as classes sell out over these periods. Booking at other times can be done much closer to your arrival date. While French resorts usually only have ESF plus one or maybe two other ski schools, Austrian resorts usually have numerous ski schools to choose from. For example, Saalbach-Hinterglemm has at least 10 ski schools that I can think of off the top of my head. All instructors in Austria will speak English (if that is important).

Easter in 2026 falls early enough for this to be a viable option (in 2025 it falls too late in April and many resorts will actually have closed or will have very poor snow cover).

As a general rule, the closer the hotel is to the lifts, the higher the price! If you don't mind walking for 10 minutes to the lifts, then there is money to save. With small children you want to be as close as possible to the lift or ski school meeting place because you'll be carrying their skis as well as your own. As your children are 11 and 13, they should be big enough to carry their own skis - but nobody likes walking for more than 10-15 minutes in ski boots. In many resorts it is possible to hire ski lockers where you can leave your skis and boots overnight (either at the lift stations or at the rental shop) so you don't have to walk through the street in ski boots. All hotels will also have lockers.

Lots of hotels in Austria have spa areas and pools, which are great for relaxing after a day on skis. The standard of hotels and B&B's in Austria and France is generally very high. Even small family-owned accommodation will be spotless and well equipped.

Thanks so much for all the info!

Ski lessons every day. Book morning lessons and then you can choose to have afternoons free if you want.

Bad Gastein is very steep and difficult for beginners. Not at all suitable, though Zell is okay. I would (and did) go to Bulgaria to start with. Decent weather - everything about a third of the price of France....

small resorts are enough as you won't need much. Austria has plenty.