It’s well-known that February Half Term is the most popular week to go skiing, with families trying to fit in a visit to the slopes during the school holidays. While family time on the snow is brilliant fun, what’s less enticing, is over-crowded pistes and long lift queues. It is, however, possible to escape the crowds with the right choice of undiscovered ski resorts. Read on to discover the quietest ski resorts at half term.
Les Menuires, France
If you are looking for the quietest ski resorts at Half Term, but don’t want to compromise on size of ski area, Les Menuires ski resort is a fantastic choice. The resort has direct access to one of the world’s largest ski areas, the Three Valleys, with over 600km of piste. Often overlooked for the likes of Val Thorens, Méribel and Courchevel, the village of Les Menuires sits at 1,850m, just below Val Thorens and has its own ski area, comprising of 160km of beginner-intermediate runs.
It goes without saying, that if you venture into the wider Three Valleys, you’ll find the slopes are very busy over Half Term. However, around the lesser-visited Les Menuires, the slopes remain fairly quiet. This creates a family-friendly environment, where children can learn to ski in the local area, away from the crowds. In fact, the French tourist board has awarded the resort the ‘Family Plus’ label, for its family-friendly offering. Ski schools, children’s clubs, tobogganing and husky rides are all part of the fun.
Stay At:
The contemporary Hotel Le Kaya is found in a lovely part of Les Menuires at 1,850m, with stunning views of the Cime Caron.
Claviere, Italy
Located in the Milky Way ski area, Claviere has brilliant uncrowded slopes. If you buy a full lift pass you can ski an impressive 400km of slopes. The terrain is perfect for beginner and intermediate skiers because of its gentle nature. In addition, the pistes are in great condition because of the ski resort’s snow-sure location and high altitude of 1,350m-2,823m. The short queues and quiet slopes are very appealing to those that want a relaxed ski trip.
Off the slopes, the village has brilliant restaurants that are influenced by French and Italian cuisine, because the ski resort is so close to the border. The après is very low key but you can have a civilised drink at the classy hotel bars in the area.
Stay At:
Hotel Bes is a charming four-star hotel with a spa and restaurant in Claviere.
Trysil, Norway
Norway ski resorts are fantastic for family-friendly winter holidays, with all sorts of activities on and off the snow for a magical week. Despite this, compared to the Alps, you’ll find some of the quietest ski resorts at Half Term here, with blissfully uncrowded slopes.
Trysil is Norway’s largest ski area and has regularly been voted Norway’s best family resort. The resort is home to more than 70km of pistes, full of varied skiing with cruisy blues, tree skiing and wide-open bowls. Trysil has a unique area known as Knettsetra, which is a hub for all skiers at lunchtime, helping to create a really vibrant atmosphere.
The majority of accommodation is ski-in ski-out, which makes getting everyone onto the snow a relatively straight-forward affair each day. The après-ski scene is fairly laid back, and families will love the water park at Radisson Blu Resort.
Stay At:
The upscale Radisson Blu Resort in Trysil offers its guests first-class facilities in a ski-in ski-out location.
Wengen, Switzerland
Wengen is an attractive, pedestrianised village that oozes charm and offers a remarkably warm welcome. It’s easy to see why families love it here. A traditional mountain railway takes you up into the magical village. Situated in the spectacularly scenic Jungfrau ski area, the views over the Eiger are incredible. It’s one of the quietest ski resorts at Half Term and certainly one of the most magical.
Families looking for something a little special will love the peace and quiet here. Wooden chalets, cosy mountain huts and beautiful tree-lined pistes make for the perfect Alpine retreat. Off the snow, try out one of the resort’s tobogganing runs. Or for something a little different, have a go at curling on Wengen’s natural ice-rink.
Stay At:
The Hotel Regina in Wengen has a reputation for serving some of the best food and wine in the resort.
Westendorf, Austria
The resort of Westendorf is one of Austria’s quietest ski resorts at Half Term. However, by no means does it compromise on ski area. The ski resort is part of the SkiWelt – one of Austria’s largest linked ski areas – with more than 280km of piste.
The village itself is very family-friendly with fantastic nursery slopes for beginners, right above the village. There are excellent ski schools here that make a real effort to ensure learning to ski is fun. Parents can feel confident leaving their children in ski school and heading off to explore the wider SkiWelt area. The slopes across the area tend to remain quiet and are unintimidating, making this a great area of intermediates too. The mountain restaurants are mostly family-run and more than welcoming. Plus, there’s the added bonus of being easier on the wallet than French and Swiss resorts.
Stay At:
With uninterrupted mountain views from its sunny terrace, the superior Vitalhotel Schermer is known for its high standard of comfort and cuisine, as well as its extensive leisure facilities.
Pila, Italy
Visit Pila for peaceful, uncrowded slopes and enjoy cruising around the piste at ease. There are plenty of wide-open pistes, served by a modern and well-connected lift system. Pila is considered the ‘undiscovered diamond’ of the Aosta Valley, with more than 70km of ski terrain catering to all levels. Thankfully, lift queues are almost non-existent, even on the weekend, making it a great ski resort to visit during busier weeks.
Transfers from Turin and Milan are a breeze with both taking just over 90 minutes. Pila is a hidden gem of a ski resort, well worth a visit with superb skiing.
Stay At:
Hotel La Chance is perfectly located with ski-in ski-out access to the slopes.
Norefjell, Norway
Norefjell is a great choice for a family ski holiday. The ski area amasses more than 25km of slopes with 14 lifts connecting skiers to each slope. The Norwegian ski resort is suitable for beginners too, with several learning slopes to develop your turns. For the more advanced skier or snowboarder, there is an excellent snowpark with challenging jumps, rails, and wallrides.
The ski area is nothing but stunning, the peaceful atmosphere is the perfect place to escape to. From the resort’s 1,190m elevation, you can admire the beautiful mountain range and tranquil Lake Krøderen. There’s a great selection of accommodation, bars, and restaurants to visit in the village.
Stay At:
The Norefjell Ski and Spa has an extensive wellness spa area and direct access to the slopes.
Les Crosets, Switzerland
Les Crosets is a quiet ski resort, making it a great choice for those travelling during Half Term. Fortunately, Les Crosets is part of the huge Portes du Soleil ski area, with access to 650km of slopes. Les Crosets itself has more than 100km of varied terrain, with direct access to France in just a few chairlifts. For Franco-Swiss skiing it is unmatched, especially being home to the infamous ‘Swiss Wall’ which is a challenge for any advanced skier.
With so much ski terrain at your doorstep, it’ll be easy to avoid the long lift queues that are inevitable at this busy time of the year. For those ski fanatics, there is the ‘Swiss loop’, which entails a day of hard skiing across the entirety of the Portes du Soleil, a huge feat for any ski holiday.
Stay At:
Mountain Lodge is a cosy four-star hotel in the heart of the Portes du Soleil.
Peisey-Vallandry
Peisey-Vallandry is a collection of small satellite villages within the larger Les Arcs ski domain. The village has a quaint and traditional feel, perfect for families looking for a quieter escape. The ski resort has a selection of bars, restaurants, and shops to enjoy a relaxed drink or two. The village of Peisey is charming, with traditional architecture offering plenty of character, almost a ‘chocolate box’ ski resort.
For exploring the whole Paradiski area, Peisey-Vallandry is an excellent choice. It is well suited to mixed-ability groups, with more than 425km of terrain to choose from. With 170km of blue runs and 166km of red runs, it’s unlikely you’ll be bored during your week skiing! There’s access from Chambery and Grenoble in under two hours, which is ideal especially if you intend to avoid the busy Geneva Airport.
Stay At:
Located in the heart of the Paradiski ski region, Club Med Peisey-Vallandry is the perfect all-inclusive getaway.
Schladming-Dachstein
Located in Central Austria, Schladming-Dachstein is well-connected to a vast number of different pistes and bowls. The ski resort has four connected mountains, which can be accessed from the village centre. At the highest elevation skiers can find the Dachstein Glacier which boasts sprawling views of the epic scenery below. For beginner skiers, there is the charismatic SnowBear Land, which is a fun, different style of terrain, a favourite with children!
The ski area hosts many World Cup events, with many elite athletes visiting the quaint village year after year. The old town of Schladming sits at the foot of the Planai slope and has an appealing square of lovely boutiques, bars, and restaurants.
Stay At:
Stadthotel Brunner is a modern hotel with its own spa in the centre of Schladming, close to the Planai gondola.
Would you like to find out more about the quietest ski resorts at half term? Get in touch with our ski experts for a more undiscovered ski resorts on 020 7471 7700.
