Best Ski Resorts for Beginners in Europe

If you’re dreaming of your first ski holiday and are looking for the best ski resorts for beginners in Europe, you’re in the right place! The thought of steep slopes and fast-moving skiers can sometimes feel a bit intimidating, but Europe is home to some of the best beginner ski resorts which cater for those wanting to find their ski legs. With gentle pistes, easy-to-navigate ski schools and plenty of après-ski activities, your snowplough skiing will turn into parallel perfection in no time. We’ve hand-picked the best resorts for a beginner’s ski holiday in Europe so you can enjoy your first ski experience with no stress. Read on for the best ski resorts for beginners in Europe.

Alpe d’Huez, France

With a quick transfer time of 1 hour 15 minutes from Grenoble airport, Alpe d’Huez is the perfect place to get a taste of the ski world. The resort’s 131 slopes – 41 green runs and 34 blue runs – make it a keen competitor for the best resorts for beginners in Europe.

The Signal chairlift takes you to an area of gentle, wide green slopes for beginners to practise on. For those who feel ready to move onto breezy blues, the L’Eclose terrain offers long, easy runs where you can master your technique, gain confidence in your skis and marvel at the stunning views of the Alps. Fancy a bit of fun? Head to Marcel’s Farm, a fun family slope filled with gentle moguls, photo spots, tunnels and bells to ring on your way down the piste.

Avoriaz, France

Avoriaz is a family-friendly ski-in ski-out resort with 600 kilometres of slopes, and it’s a solid choice for beginners. Its position in the Alps is on a sun-drenched plateau where you can spend some time in and out of the skis. This snow-sure winter playground in the Portes du Soleil ski area has dedicated beginner zones alongside its green-listed slopes that connect Avoriaz to Morzine.  Here, skiers can not only enjoy the comfort of nursery slopes but can also explore the area without the fear of steep terrain on the return.

The Esserts Area and Zore Nursery slopes are a great place to start! With wide, flat terrain, you’ll have plenty of space to practise your turns without feeling crowded by neighbouring skiers. Once you’ve gained more confidence, you can brave the blues on a whole range of gentle blue runs in Avoriaz.

Cervinia, Italy

One of the best ski resorts for beginners in Europe, Cervinia offers a scenic holiday for those looking to get comfortable with the snow. Located on the Italian side of the Matterhorn in the Aosta Valley, Cervinia is a high altitude, snow-sure resort. Its gentle terrain paired with excellent ski schools makes it a hidden gem for beginners or groups with a first-timer in tow. Here you can enjoy massive, motorway pistes, hearty Italian cuisine and picture-perfect views of the Matterhorn. Unlike many high-altitude Alpine locations, access is easy with a quick transfer of just over an hour and a half from Turin airport. All these aspects make it a great place for beginners to build their ski appetite.

Saas-Fee, Switzerland

Known as the ‘Pearl of the Alps’, Saas-Fee in Switzerland is not only a great ski resort for beginners but also very picturesque. Nestled between eighteen 4,000m peaks on a plateau in the Saas Valley, the slopes here offer breathtaking surrounding scenery. Saas-Fee is a relatively small ski area meaning that beginners and intermediates can quickly familiarise themselves with its 22 lifts and 100 kilometres of runs. The north-facing slopes provide snow-sure conditions which make every day a fantastic ski day.

Another quality that sets this ski resort apart from the rest is its glacier ski area. Not only will its dazzling blue glacier backdrop amaze you but the upper slopes here are perfect for beginners. Even expert skiers will admit that slopes marked as reds would be suspected as blue ranking in other ski resorts. If you fancy a break from the skis, Saas-Fee also offers an exciting 11-kilometre toboggan run from Kreuzboden.

Lech, Austria

Lech is part of the Alberg ski region, one of the largest areas in Austria, which is well set up for beginners. Not only is there an abundance of ski schools and instructors to choose from, but its wide, easy slopes are specifically designed for novices. These learning zones offer the perfect introduction to the sport away from any crowds or advanced skiers.

As beginners gain confidence, they can easily progress from the green slopes to longer blues and discover more of Lech with its beautifully sunlit mountains and Alpine village atmosphere. Lech’s idyllic scenery and snow-sure conditions make it a great contender for the best ski resorts for beginners in Europe.

Myrkdalen, Norway

Myrkdalen is a fantastic family-friendly resort which caters for beginners of all ages. Being the largest ski resort in Western Norway, its wide slopes and relaxed atmosphere make it ideal for building confidence and skiing at your own pace. We suggest starting in its fantastic beginner area, here Blue Run 3 provides the perfect terrain for your first snowploughs.

Unlike other ski resorts, Myrkdalen is relatively quiet, so much so that many come to this resort to introduce their children or relatives to the slopes for the first time. The resort’s ski schools provide tailored lessons to meet the needs of newcomers so they can gain confidence and improve under expert guidance.

We can help you find the perfect first ski resort in Europe for you. Speak to one of our ski experts on 020 7471 7700 to find out more about the best ski resorts for beginners in Europe.