Skiing might appear glitzy and glamorous from the outside but, when you're in the process of learning, the reality of it doesn't exactly make you feel like James Bond. Soggy bums, slipping off of T-bars and ploughing into strangers may make up a fair share of your slope debut, so you want to ensure that you’re learning in a place that nurtures you (and your compromised balance).
So, where are the best mountains to learn how to ski and snowboard? We’ve put together a guide for the best resorts for alpine newbies, including those with plenty of easier blue and green runs, English-speaking ski schools, beginners-only areas, and children's snow gardens. Spend a week on these slopes, and you’ll be mastering the moguls like Mikaela Shiffrin in no time.
From the gentle slopes of the Spanish Pyrenees to the uncrowded trails of Beaver Creek, Colorado, these are the best ten ski resorts for beginners. Plus, we’ve included our pick of the best hotels, hostels and chalets to stay in. Ski ya there.
The best ten ski resorts for beginners
Baqueria Beret
Spain
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Perhaps better known as a destination for sunbathing than slope shredding, Spain actually lays claim to a neat 250-mile stretch of the Pyrenees Mountains between Navarre, Aragon and Catalonia. The country’s largest ski resort, Baqueira Beret, is a great destination for beginners – where over half of the 100 miles of linked slopes are either green or blue runs, meaning first-timers need not be confined to a small portion of the resort like other destinations. Plus, there’s British BB ski school, among other local alternatives, with English-speaking instructors available if you want to get some hands-on tuition. Oh, and did we mention it’s probably got one of the best food scenes of any ski resort? Slopeside jamón ibérico baguettes, steaming bowls of lentejas and huevos estrellados on tap. Ski ya there.
Where to stay
Eurostars La Pleta - rooms from £146 per night
La Plagne
France
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Whether you’re a first-timer carving up the slopes, joining a group with varying skill levels or skiing with little ones, La Plagne is a good bet. Situated in the French Alps, the 11-village resort is a beginner’s paradise – with a specific learning experience that caters to complete novices. For £29 per day, you get access to five beginners-only areas, plus a fetching learner’s bib to ensure people steer clear when you’re skiing. With nine green runs, 67 blue runs, free ski lift passes for beginners and dedicated kids’ snow gardens and nursery slopes, you’ll be mastering moguls in no time.
Where to stay
Hotel Les Balcons Village - room from £196 per night
LES 2 ALPES
France
If you’re a fool for a view, but not too steady on your skis, Les 2 Alpes delivers. The resort’s easiest runs are surprisingly at its peak, skimming the forgiving gradients of the Glacier du Mont de Lans. Counting 44 blue and 14 green slopes among a total 80 pistes, Les 2 Alpes’ elementary attitude is mirrored in its ongoing development of a new beginner’s zone, due for completion in 2024. Those with more mountain aptitude can pick up speed on an exhilarating, 7,441- foot non-stop mountain descent before swerving into mogul-filled black runs. Postpiste, head to Le Diable au Coeur for a mountain-brewed beer.
Where to stay
The Peoples Hostel - rooms from £64 per night
Vail
Colorado
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Denverites will tell you that everyone starts skiing in Vail. Sure, this beast of a Colorado resort has over 5,300 skiable acres, a whopping four-mile run on the mountain, terrain parks, backcountry bowls, basins and peaks filled with adrenaline-pumping slopes, but the picturesque resort town also serves up a snow-kissed platter of easy-going runs. More Aspen than Crested Butte in its sophisticated set-up, Vail has a roaring hospitality trade, too. Self-medicate sore legs with a shot of moonshine at the 10th Mountain Whiskey Tasting Room.
Where to stay
Gravity Haus Vail - rooms from £228 per night
Dolomiti Superski
Italy
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Listen up: snow-covered slopes aren’t just for skiing. If your boots are causing blisters, take a rest from the 1,864 miles of pistes running throughout the pinnacle-pierced Dolomiti Superski area and attempt a run-through of this vast region’s restaurant scene. Across the 15 ski resorts in this northeastern corner of Italy, the food offering is as plentiful as the bunny slopes. Alta Badia dazzles with Michelin accolades, Cortina d’Ampezzo dishes up hefty canederli dumplings at rustic agriturismos, and if you thought the skiers on Val Gardena’s slopes seemed wobbly, put it down to the town’s well-stocked wine cellars. Pick your poison, and make some tracks – all of the resorts are connected by cable car.
Where to stay
Aurela Mountain Chalets – rooms from £830 per week
Beaver Creek
Colorado
Think that big mountain feeling is out of reach to beginners? Think again. At Vail’s little sister, the recently opened McCoy Park offers freeski-worthy vistas without the need to hurl yourself off an icy precipice. Perfect the basics at Haymeadow Park, then head to McCoy’s laidback beginner’s learning environment for uncrowded green trails with knock-out views of the Sawatch Range. Once you’ve pizza’d your way down, get back into Beaver Creek village by 3pm. Charmingly kitsch, with an ice cream parlour to boot, this out-west mountain town has a daily tradition of handing out freshly baked complimentary cookies to visitors.
Where to stay
The Pines Lodge - rooms from £171 per night
Grau Roig
Andorra
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Condense everything the Alps has to offer into one ski spot and you get Andorra, a mountain microcosm. Sure, the principality’s ski scene was once as notorious for its nightlife as the Magaluf strip, but time (and investment) have helped to improve that reputation. Spectacular mountain ranges hide seriously underrated terrain. For somewhere to suit a range of abilities try Grau Roig, a central hub for the wider Grandvalira ski region’s 124 miles of piste. With 36 slopes of various difficulties, freeride zones and even a few cross-country routes, it ticks all the boxes. Word to the wise for beginners: you might want to skip the Speed Skiing World Cup slope for now.
Where to stay
Hotel Grau Roig – rooms from £172 per night
SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM
Austria
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Hot tip: for Dutch courage in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, head to Asitz Bräu, a historic 1930s mountain inn that brews a famous beer to a secret recipe. Not that skiing around here requires bolstered bravery: it’s a newbie’s nirvana. Hinterglemm has numerous nursery slopes, and the jaw-dropping surrounding peaks are packed with 74 miles of blue runs. The Reichkendlkopf is a good starting point. Mixing too much ABV and altitude before your first attempt? Sober up with a stomach-stretching portion of Kaiserschmarrn at mountain-top Thurneralm. Come 4pm, you’ll be stomping ski boots on tables at Hinterhag Alm, recounting slopeside triumphs.
Where to stay
Das Zwölferhaus – rooms from £266 per night
WHISTLER-BLACKCOMB
Canada
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Alright, admittedly Whistler-Blackcomb would fit easily into any category we were rounding up. The largest mountain in North America ticks every box, from neverending Narnia-esque glades to broad and beautiful bowls to brilliant backcountry, but it also has plenty of terrain for those that are looking to figure out the fundamentals, with 35% of its 200 trails marked for beginners. Easy rides don’t have to be boring, either; the green Burnt Stew Trail is a tasty scenic descent. Off-slope, but not off mountain, there’s also ziplining, snowmobiling and snowshoeing.
Where to stay
Adara Hotel - rooms from £95 per night
PAMPOROVO
Bulgaria
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A ski trip to Europe’s southernmost ski resort? Sign us up. This under-the-radar Rhodope mountain resort is uncrowded, unintimidating, and despite its compact size, serviced by more than ten ski schools. And just because it’s sun-soaked doesn’t mean the white stuff is poor quality; Pamporovo has excellent (if erratic) snowfall. Pair that with a plethora of gentle slopes winding through spruce forests, and you’ve got yourself a winter playground. Plus, prices around here are no steeper than the slopes. The short of it? The Balkans are a no-brainer, delivering beginner skiers and snowboarders serious bang for their buck.
Where to stay
Malina Pamporovo - rooms from £227 per night
