Planning a ski holiday? Ask the Heidi ski expert - £100 voucher to be won!

[MaddyMumsnet]

Thinking about a ski holiday but not sure where to start? Whether you're planning your family's first trip to the slopes, wondering which resort will work best with young children or teenagers, or looking for tips to make your next ski holiday even better, a Heidi ski expert is here to answer your questions.
From choosing the right resort and finding family-friendly accommodation to ski schools, transfers, what to pack, and what you can expect to spend, post your questions below and Heidi ski holiday specialist (and fellow parent) Sam will be on hand to share his advice and help take some of the guesswork out of planning your trip.

So, whether you're a complete beginner wondering if a ski holiday is right for your family or a seasoned skier looking for inspiration for your next adventure, leave your questions in the comments by 8/10/26.

Everyone who posts a question will have the chance to win a £100 VEX voucher. T&Cs here.

About Sam:
Sam has been a ski holiday specialist at Heidi for 4 years. He’s skied in numerous destinations across Europe – from the French and Austrian Alps to hidden gem resorts in Norway. He also completed a ski season in the family-friendly resort of Les Menuires in the Three Valleys. His daughter Stevie, 2, is already a ski resort-goer (just not quite on skis yet!), so Sam has first-hand experience and family-friendly tips to share.

About Heidi:
^Heidi is one of the UK’s largest ski holiday companies and a Which? Recommended Provider, offering flexible ski holiday packages to 350+ resorts. You can book flights, accommodation, transfers and optional extras (lift passes, equipment hire and lessons) all in one place, all organised for you. For more ski holiday inspiration, check out @heidi.holidays on Instagram, or visit heidi.com

For a family who has never skied before, is it best to try a few lessons at a dry ski slope or other centre in the UK first before booking, to see whether you actually enjoy it?

Or is the experience so different on real snow slopes that it’s not worth bothering with that?

Would recommend hiring equipment for your first trip - or buying with the option of reselling your equipment - which would you definitely buy for family, and which would you recommend to hire to save on costs - and why - I think we'd rewear the snow suits and am thinking about hiring some equipment but not sure what to do ?? Help :)

Best resorts for kids clubs and spas? Must have beginner friendly slopes for children. One parent skis and one doesn’t but does like a spa! Bonus points if they do stuff like carriage rides/sledging for the job skiing parent to enjoy.

My Daughter went skiiing with her school and loved it and really wants us to try. I have zero balance. And not sure skiing is for me.

Where do I start? Is there other things to do in resort if I hit the slopes and then faceplant and decide skiing isn't for me?

I'd love to take my kids skiing. I've never skiied and have hypermobility causing knee pain. Is it safe for me?

I did and got a half arsed apology by WhatsApp. Not great. If you have 24/7 contact why didn’t you respond for over 24 hours, or is that what your 24/7 means 😄 we will respond between 24 hours and 7 days later.

it’s a shame, I like the five day holidays with a three day lift pass, but the disorganisation, caused by pulling together lots of different DIY elements and separate contractors has put me off using you again. Sorry.

I can do it myself if I want uncertainty.

Is there enough to keep you occupied if you are happy to go on a ski holiday with your family - but don't want to spend as much time on the slopes as your DP.

What would you suggest as a good ski option for nervous teens who have never skiied before please?

What insurance do I need and if there is an existing medical condition - or my child has had e broken bone (wrist) in the past 12 months - does that affect my insurance.

Hi @LittleCottage77 - Our core Heidi packages include flights, transfers and accommodation. This can be as low as £250 per person for a long weekend at a budget-friendly hotel, and can stretch to much higher at luxurious properties.

You’ll then probably want to add bags to your flights and a ski pass is a must if you’re planning to hit the slopes. These passes vary in price depending on the resort, normally between £200-300 per person for 4 days at popular resorts, but some resorts charge less. You’ll also need ski and boots hire (if you don’t have your own) and ski lessons are optional but highly recommended if you’re brand new to skiing.

If you book a half-board hotel you’ll only have to pay for lunch. Restaurants on the mountain can be relatively expensive depending on the resort. I usually make a ham and cheese baguette from the breakfast buffet and put it in my bag, or grab something from a bakery, although we’ll occasionally indulge ourselves with a mountain restaurant lunch. Heidi offers tons of self-catered apartments which are cheaper up front than half-board or all inclusive, and you can be as frugal as you like -or treat yourself to meals out in the evenings. Supermarkets at resorts do tend to be a bit dearer than in the UK though.

Then the only other thing is local/city tax, which is much the same as if you were doing a city break to Barcelona, for example. This gets paid directly to the hotel at check in or check out.

These are the core costs for a package ski holiday, and then there’s ski clothes, helmet, goggles, suncream, toiletries etc. which you may already have.

Hi @curiousTee - Yes of course, we offer ski lessons at all of our most popular resorts (and many less popular ones too). This includes group lessons where you are part of a group of other skiers, as well as private tuition. Private lessons are the pricier option but you get that one-to-one service.

When you do a search on the Heidi website, you can use our ‘lessons available’ filter which will only show you holidays where you can include lessons in your package. You can then add them on when you reach the extras section, or after you book if you’d prefer.

I would recommend booking your lessons early though, as unlike ski hire and ski passes, there is finite availability, so it’s best to get them sorted, especially if your holiday is on popular dates like February half-term.

Hi @DorotheaDiamond - On all of our packages you can choose to add the bags that you want while booking, or post-booking. When you get to the Heidi extras section you’ll have the option to add bags, and if you do this here, the flight that gets booked will include bags. When you go to check in via British Airways, you would then be able to link your Avios account to the flight and get your gold card benefits.

The reason we don’t include bags in the price from the start is that many of our customers go for short trips and don’t need a cabin bag each, or might just want to add one cabin bag between 2 people, for example. Personally, me and my partner just take a backpack each and stuff our ski clothes into a ski bag with her skis, so we don’t need the 23kg cabin bag.

This gives Heidi users the flexibility to choose and pay for only the bags that they actually want.

Where is best for a 4/5 day budget ski break in December? Preferably not somewhere that will be dark really early.

Hi @hannahp1209 - Not necessarily no, but it’s important to set your expectations low. Ease them in with an hour or two on skis and don’t force them into enjoying it. Some young kids love it straight away, others don’t enjoy the experience of wearing lots of layers and not particularly comfy boots.

At 4, trying out skiing is more about the exposure and fun. Take a toy, and some snacks, and make a game out of it. Even just walking along a flat bit of snow in skis will help them get used to it. Of course, some children might absolutely adore it and want to tear down a slope as fast as they can, but this isn’t necessarily the goal at a young age.

Hi @TealPombear - The only real ‘hidden expense’ for a package ski holiday would be local/city tax, which you pay to the accommodation upon check in or check out at locations where this applies. Oh and perhaps also the lift pass card, which is normally something like €2 to cover the plastic card.
With a Heidi ski trip package, you can book everything you need like ski hire, ski passes and ski lessons up front, with the prices all clearly displayed. You can also lock in your trip for £99pp up front, then spread your payments into monthly chunks if that helps with budgeting. So, you should know exactly how much everything is going to cost, and then obviously budget for your meals or any non-ski activities that you might want to do.

Hi @BlackCatsAreBrilliant - There are lots of great options that cater for beginner/learner skiers as well as non-skiers. La Clusaz in France is a really nice, traditional town that has lots of shops, cafes and restaurants for you to wander around. There’s also a goat farm and an outdoor ice rink if that’s up your street! The skiing itself would be really well suited to your kids, as it has a dedicated beginner area and the wider ski area is pretty big at 210km of pistes for when they’ve gained their confidence and want to ski further afield.

Les Houches, also in France, is a small village just down the valley road from Chamonix and you can get a bus from Les Houches to Chamonix in 10-15 mins. Chamonix ticks all the boxes for non-skiers; it’s a really big town relative to most resorts and has loads of lovely shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes in a really striking, mountain-backdrop setting. Then there are caves, nice walks, a mountain tramway, and the Aiguille du Midi cable car for pedestrians is a must.

The skiing in Chamonix caters to more advanced skiers but Les Houches is really well set up for beginners, which gives you the best of both worlds. One of our most popular affordable hotels there is the RockyPop which I’d recommend.

Zell am See in Austria is again a lovely town with plenty going on: spas, shops, lakeside winter walks, and activities like ice-skating and an alpine coaster. There are plenty of easy slopes for your kids to progress on, and some stunning scenery.

I’d recommend doing a search on the Heidi site and then using the filters to select ‘beginners’ and ‘great for non-skiers’. You can then get a good idea of options for your budget, dates, and preferred departure airport etc. Or give Heidi a call and we’ll send you some options that will suit you down to the ground.

Skiing on snow is different to artificial slopes (and much more enjoyable) so your kids will absolutely love it. You could also filter for ‘intermediates’ if they are already at a decent level. All of the options I listed above also have plenty of slopes if they are a bit more advanced than ‘beginner’.

Im a rubbish and reluctant skier in a family full of ski killed snow lovers ! Dh snowboards well and both dcs are very strong skiers. While I can get down a blue or easy end of black runs without causing myself a mischief, Ice accepted I don’t really enjoy skiing and additional lessons aren’t going to fix that problem.

So given that, is there a good resort for skiing that also is good for non-skiers to enjoy the day while the skiers are being overly active?

What facilities are around for a young adult with learning difficulties to access any snow sport with support?

Best time to go for a quieter time on the slopes - or is it always busy ? - Are there slopes where numbers are kept to a safe minimum ?

Is skiing really expensive? I've never been so have no idea how to cost it up and that puts me off. I imagine it's for wealthy people.

Hi, I've been on a couple of ski holidays but have developed a phobia for chairlifts - is there a resort you recommend where I can avoid them, using blue/green runs?

Hi, I’m looking for a ski resort in France that’s easy to get to without a car, is high enough to have reliable snow around Christmas, and isn’t crazy expensive. Any recommendations? Tx!

Hi @Seagulldancing - Chamonix in France is our most popular resort with a short transfer. It only takes an hour on a good day from Geneva and has brilliant slopes for confident skiers.

Morzine, Avoriaz and St. Gervais in France; Bad Gastein, Kaprun and Seefeld in Austria; Trysil in Norway; and Courmayeur in Italy are also all great options.

There is a hidden gem in Austria called Igls which is only 20 minutes away from Innsbruck, although the ski area is quite small.

For a long weekend, I recommend using Heidi’s ‘early departure / late return’ filter. You then might be able to get an afternoon of skiing in on the first day, and a morning on the slopes on your last day. You can also use the ‘short transfer’ filter to only see resorts with a transfer less than 2 hours.

Hi @saffysabir - It can get expensive, yes. But it doesn’t have to be. It all depends how frugal you want to be really, and which resort you choose to go to. If you’re happy to sacrifice a bit of luxury when choosing your accommodation, Heidi offers some really great value trips - from as low as £250 per person for a long weekend at a budget-friendly hotel.

After the initial package and extras cost, it can be quite easy to keep costs down. If you get a self-catered apartment and do an efficient supermarket shop for your evening meals, there’s not an awful lot else you need to spend money on. The good thing about a ski holiday is that for most of the day you’re on the slopes and don’t really have the time to spend money, and then if you’re happy relaxing and recharging at your accommodation, you should be able to keep your money in your wallet.

I suppose it’s the same as any holiday in that sense really. If you’re happy to spend money, there’s no shortage of shops, restaurants and après-ski bars to enjoy. But if you’re content with a bakery baguette for lunch and are more interested in resting after long ski days, then you can actually do it cost-effectively.

Hi @salemaxo - There isn't necessarily a minimum age, but as a rough guide, most ski schools start taking children from age 3, sometimes 4, and these are usually run as kids' clubs rather than a lesson in the traditional sense. It's more like snowball games and getting comfortable in boots before anything resembling ‘proper’ skiing.

How ready a child actually is comes down to the individual, not their age on paper. Some kids click with it almost instantly, others need another year or two. The best approach is going in with low expectations - this age bracket is about a positive first experience, not necessarily getting really good at skiing.