Want to get some fresh air with your loved ones? Discover our selection of the best family ski resorts in the Alps.
Why not take a break at altitude on your next vacation? With its legendary peaks, exceptional flora and fauna, typical villages and succulent gastronomic specialities, the Alps are a unique territory. Divided between several countries, including France, the massif culminates at the latter’s border with Italy.
Naturally, the specific characteristics of this sublime mountain range have enabled our beautiful country to envisage the creation of leisure areas. Take ski resorts, for example: there are several dozen in the Northern Alps alone. Some are more sporty and party-oriented than others, making them perfect for a family visit.
Would you like to discover them? Here’s our top list of the best family ski resorts in the Alps. You’ll have no excuse not to go!
1. Les Orres
Your kids will love Santa’s arrival by torchlight on December 24.
Les Orres is definitely THE family ski resort in the Alps. Located in the Hautes-Alpes département, it boasts 35 downhill ski runs for over 100 kilometers of skiing pleasure. Its modest size, scenery and activities are ideal for families.
Divided into three different altitude levels, everyone can have fun on the slopes. While older skiers can enjoy the more challenging runs, younger skiers can learn to ski in dedicated areas. And if stick-slinging doesn’t interest anyone, head for the sledging area!
Then it’s off to the resort center for an exquisite fondue.
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2. Megève
Your kids will love the Caboche tobogganing area and… its conveyor belt, so they won’t get tired!
Megève is a green jewel in the summer, transformed into a pristine paradise in winter. It’s one of the most beautiful villages in the Alps. Its ski area faces the region’s colossus: Mont Blanc.
Perfectly suited to a stay with the little ones, Megève also has a distinctly authentic feel. Rustic wooden chalets, friendly shops and boutiques make the resort a must. In addition to the slopes for everyone, you’ll enjoy strolling through the pedestrianized center with its medieval cobblestone streets.
Our tip? Take the chairlift up to Mont d’Arbois, which dominates the village, and admire the panoramic view while sipping a drink in the sun.
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3. Les Houches
Your children will love the many fun activities on offer at the media library.
Right in the heart of the Chamonix valley, Les Houches is a family resort in the Alps, set directly on Mont Blanc. The picturesque ski area is modest in size, but particularly well-suited to budding sports enthusiasts.
The little ones can take advantage of ESF lessons, while parents can test their mettle on tough runs like the “Verte des Houches”, for example. This downhill slope hosts world competitions!
As far as accommodation is concerned, we naturally recommend taking advantage of the traditional chalets in the hamlet. Some have been perfectly restored, and some have been here for centuries: if you stay here, you’re guaranteed an unforgettable stay.
4. Vars
Your kids will love the 1,027-metre Caribou toboggan run.
Vars shares the Forêt Blanche ski area with Risoul. These two resorts have remained true to themselves, blending into a stunningly beautiful environment. Located at an altitude of 1,850 m in the heart of the Hautes Alpes, Vars is surrounded by the peaks of the Ecrins, Ubaye and Queyras.
There’s a terrifying kilometer-long slope, but also… quiet green slopes where you can discover the joys of skiing. This family resort in the Alps offers something for everyone, both on and off the slopes.
The resort’s highest point even offers a panoramic view of Lake Serre-Ponçon: exceptional selfies guaranteed!
5. Le Grand-Bornand
Your kids will love the 800 m² ice rink
Le Grand-Bornand is a family-friendly ski resort in the Alps between Annecy, Chamonix and Geneva. It’s a pearl of Haute-Savoie, nestled on the slopes of the sumptuous Aravis massif.
It has managed to remain a picturesque, traditional mountain village with modern facilities and infrastructure. Le Grand-Bornand Village is a typical Savoyard hamlet, while Le Grand-Bornand Chinaillon is the resort proper.
Le Grand-Bornand Village offers accommodation and delicious meals in its restaurant. The latter is the perfect place for the whole family to have fun in the snow.
There’s also one of the best tobogganing areas in the region.
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6. Les Menuires
Your kids will love the Club Enfants Montagne, where they can make lots of new friends.
At the heart of the 3 Valleys, considered the world’s largest ski area, Les Menuires is like a bubble, because it has remained a remarkable family ski resort in the Alps! Conviviality and smiles are the order of the day. A wide choice of slopes make the resort a multi-faceted playground for pros and novices alike.
Younger guests can try their hand at the joys of sliding, go tobogganing or take part in a variety of workshops. The resort also offers a wide range of seasonal sporting and cultural activities to keep everyone entertained. Enough to convince you?
7. Praz-de-Lys Sommand
Your kids will love the Odyssée des Enfants, a sled dog race dedicated entirely to budding mushers.
What majesty, what splendor, what a colossus! Yes, it’s Mont Blanc you’re looking at. It faces Praz-de-Lys Sommand, a ski area in Haute-Savoie perched at an altitude of 1,500 m. With 55 km of pistes, including two beginners’ sectors, it’s a great family ski resort in the Alps.
If you’d like to try Nordic skiing in the company of friends and family, you can also take advantage of over 60 km of dedicated pistes. It’s the perfect opportunity to glide under the larches while admiring the scenery. Just be careful not to wake the marmots hibernating nearby.
8. Les Saisies
Your kids will love the Montagne des Elfes, a three-hectare children’s area with lots of surprises.
Les Saisies is one of the finest family ski resorts in the Alps. With its typical architecture, landscapes evoking the purity of the Tyrol and generous snow cover, it’s a must! With 77 km of pistes, there’s something for every taste and level.
If you or your children are beginners, don’t worry: the ski area is perfectly suited to them. The discovery slopes are all located on the outskirts of the resort. The Espace Diamant runs, on the other hand, require a higher level of skiing to be tackled safely!
9. Morzine
Your kids will love the Chemin des Zouzous, a trail featuring reproductions of wild animals.
It’s a thing of beauty! Morzine lies between Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, at an altitude of over a thousand meters. It is unique in that it offers both a Swiss and a French side. This family-friendly ski resort in the Alps stands out for the quality of its ski area and its picturesque character. Its Haut-Savoyard character is assertive: wooden chalets and slate roofs punctuate the sumptuous landscapes.
What’s more, it’s home to some of the region’s finest gastronomic establishments. Fondue, raclette and good cheer are all on the agenda! As well as the slopes of the superb Portes du Soleil ski area, it’s for the warm, cheerful atmosphere that you’ll find it here. Are you tempted?
10. Val d’Arly
Your kids will love Opoualand, a mini amusement park to explore on skis.
Just north of Savoie, Val d’Arly is a family-friendly ski resort in the Alps. Young and old alike will be captivated by the exceptional panoramic views of the Aravis, Beaufortain and Mont-Blanc mountains. Set in unspoilt countryside, the resort is made up of several authentic village resorts.
Crest-Voland offers excellent hotel facilities and gentle slopes in the foothills of the Beaufortain. Flumet is a magnet for heritage lovers, while Notre-Dame de Bellecombe appeals to lovers of traditional villages. Famous centuries-old inns are housed here. But don’t forget to go skiing!
Here you have it: the most family-friendly ski resorts in the Alps! So, which one are you going to choose?
