Quiet Snowy holiday for non skiers?

[Desmondhasabarrow]

Hoping some of you keen skiers will have suggestions for a weird holiday plan!

None of us have ever skied or snowboarded. DH and DS10 would like to try, but are unlikely to want to do lots of it.

DS8 is autistic, verbal and in mainstream school with 1 to 1 support, does not cope with loud noises/crowds/unexpected changes to routine.

But he is desperate to go somewhere very snowy. He wants to be able to do snowball fights with the family (but not strangers), go tobaggoning (but not dog sledding, very afraid of all dogs), tbh he will probably mostly just walk up and down tramping in the snow and laughing with pure delight about it feeling odd. I don’t mind hanging out with him while he does that but DS10 will need more entertainment than that.

I am a bit lost on how to organise this honestly.

Is there maybe something like centre parcs but in a place guaranteed to have winter snow? Can we stay in a skiing resort but find quiet spots for him to just enjoy snow?

Grateful for any suggestions!

Saariselka in Lapland might fit the bill. We went for the Christmas package but are considering going back after Christmas one year to just enjoy the resort.

The town is v small. There is a 1km toboggan run (the bottom 100m or so is plenty for kids). There are lots of snowy walks. There are a couple of downhill ski slopes nearby but it is not really a ski resort. You might see the northern lights.

@eurochick amazing thank you, I will look for that. Should have said the Lapland Christmas experience type of places won’t be suitable (DS8 is afraid of elves, and will loudly inform all nearby children that Santa is not real, so we don’t do Christmas events) but if we can go there without it being too festive that could work!

Just go after Xmas. Although even when we went before Christmas all the elves, etc were at a Christmas village we took a coach to, away from the town.

DH and I went to Levi in Finnish Lapland 20 years ago just after Christmas. There were families there but the Santa & elves stuff was all a coach ride away. It was a small resort back then, low key and restful. We went as beginners. Inghams allowed you to swap your winter kit once during the holiday for free. We swapped our downhill skis for cross-country skis on our last day. The ski trails through the forest around the village were very peaceful, so that might interest you if you’re not keen on downhill skiing. The only drawback with Levi then was that the downhill lessons were held at the foot of the red run that came down into the village. There were easier blue family runs around the mountain, accessible via the free bus. People did use the foot of that red run for tobogganing in the evening after the lifts and slopes had closed. You’d need to check whether it’s changed as it’s a while since we visited. The other ski resort nearby, Yllas, was even sleepier.

Generally the cat trails are quiet and if you go outwith school holidays then it's not busy (resort depending).

When you say other things for your 10 year old to do what are you looking for?

Generally it's only the bigger resorts which have pools.

Somewhere like Le Grand Bornand may fit the bill but you need a hire car. Doesn't have a pool and not the most snow sure at 1000m but there is a ice skating rink.

It's also fairly beginner friendly.

Seefeld might suit. You can stay in the more residential part for a less touristy area. It has a public indoor/outdoor pool, walking trails and cross country skiing as well as gentle downhill. Short transfer from Innsbruck. Otherwise some of German ski areas just over the border are family friendly and quieter than most.

I’m not sure what else DS10 might do…..we normally take sunny holidays and there he likes swimming, playgrounds, mini golf, football etc. I’m guessing none of those are really options in most snowy places! But hoping there’s somewhere that has options for non skiers?

We drive to the alps and stay in the valley. Pretty but quiet town 20 mins drive or bus to ski resort. At Easter it’s often t-shirt weather and my non skiing elderly dad has had a fab time. A smaller resort might suit. They will often have a place nearby where you can sledge and muck about. Check out the Queyras resorts. Not many (any?) English but authentic and might have the sort of vibe you are after.

Typical non ski activities such as pools, animal activities, sledding etc https://www.seefeld.com/en/family-holidays-in-the-region-seefeld-1.html

It would require quite a decent budget but what about Yellowstone? You could stay in a lodge outside the park or one of the official hotels in the park.

No downhill skiing in the park (there are places outside the park I believe but we aren't skiers) but there is cross country skiing, and snow shoeing, there are boardwalks and groomed trails you can walk.

You can drive yourself on cleared roads or do minibus trips on special snowbuses to access the areas that aren't driveable. You can also do snowmobile trips.

The wildlife is amazing (moose, buffalo, coyote, wolf, fox, eagles), the geysers are incredible and you can swim in a hot river!

finland as mentioned above is amazing even for non-skiers. So much to do. Went in February and was incredible. Visits to traditional village, toboggan run, snow shows and cross country skiing - definitely recommend