One of the absolute best aspects of living in Ireland for our family has been skiing throughout Europe. In the past 12 months we have skied Zermatt, Switzerland; St. Anton, Austria; and Les Arcs and Val d’Isere, France. All are unique locations within the Alps and every ski trip with children is different because the more they ski the better they get, which changes the enjoyment level significantly.

The question we get asked the most is, “which place did you like the best?” And the truth is, they were all great in their own ways. But I love ranking our trips, so here’s a few thoughts on the “best of” the Alps.

Best for families – Les Arcs 1950

There are four Arcs comprising the full Les Arcs ski area, and in my opinion 1950 is by far the best because it looks like an old-fashioned French village whereas the other Arcs are more modern. That said, all Arcs have wonderful blue runs that you ski right into the towns. There are no cars allowed and no need even for the bus system – you can move between Arcs as long as the gondolas and chairlifts run.

Every night in the center of 1950 there was either a dance party, snow games competition, or ski instructor jumping competition – plenty to keep kids entertained every day. And if that wasn’t enough, Les Arcs also has a ski zipline, two sledging (aka sledding) tracks, and every residence was ski in / ski out. In the afternoons, the boys would play in the snow outside our chalet and use the ski runs as sledding hills once the skiers were done for the day. The food was much more American than French, which was a bummer, but with so many activities to do each day we had a total blast as a family.

Best Après scene – St. Anton

Ski vacations can’t be all work – you gotta relax too! Admittedly we do not always do a great job of exploring the on-mountain scene every time, but there were major highlights for us. St. Anton had a wonderful mix of on-mountain and in-village restaurants and bars with a great après ski scene. We felt they had the most variety, but La Folie Deuce in Val D’Isere certainly concentrates all the atmosphere of most ski resorts into one major on-mountain party.

Best value for your money – St. Anton

I am only speaking for Europe when I say this, but in general the ski costs were similar across the four resorts we visited. Rental ski gear, lift tickets, ski school – all of that seems to be wildly less expensive than the US right now. However, the countries you’re skiing in can vary widely in cost which affects accommodation pricing as well as your food and drink prices.

We found Austria to be quite enjoyable – the food quality was good, meals were reasonably priced, and beers were cheap. The same cannot be said for Switzerland. Unfortunately, we have been in and out of Switzerland enough to know that no matter which city or town you’re in, the cost is high; it is one thing to splurge on vacation but to spend double or triple the normal price for food and drink at each meal does not make it an enjoyable experience. France landed in the middle between Austria and Switzerland as far as costs go.

Most Unique Experience – All

I am not being annoying when I say this – you really can find amazing benefits at every ski resort in the alps.

Highlights for us: St. Anton night-time sledging run. A wild and crazy ride down from the top of the mountain on a sledging-only track, punctuated by hairpin turns and lots of wipe-outs. It was terrifying and so insanely fun we still talk about it weekly in our house a few months later.

Les Arcs snow zipline. A terrifying and exhilarating zipline over the ski runs in a single or double-basket sling that runs one mile long. I was literally shaking while waiting for the zipline to release me, but I laughed the whole way down and the kids begged to go again.

Zermatt Glacier Palace. Walking through ice tunnels and past ice sculptures at the top of the mountain was such a cool experience. The Matterhorn is one of the most gorgeous ski views in all of Europe, but Glacier Palace was a really cool, unique experience we haven’t seen anywhere else.

Val d’Isere La Folie Douce. As big a party as you will see on a mountain, La Folie Douce was quite the mid-afternoon ski break. We visited on a gorgeous blue-sky day and watched the dancers (both on the stage and in the crowd) for a few hours on a Wednesday afternoon. The kids did not find it as entertaining as we hoped, and you definitely do not need sit down restaurant reservations to enjoy the party.

I hope this breakdown helps you choose an amazing location for your next family ski trip. For Americans, a trip to the Alps is far cheaper than skiing in the US whether you fly from Europe or North America. At the end of the day, our ski trips brought us closer together as a family regardless of where we were, and I am already looking forward to planning a 2026 getaway.

For a more complete list of highlights, check out the full blog post. 

Liz Anderson is an American wife and mother living abroad for the second time. She writes about her experiences as an expat in Europe and Asia at anoceanaway.blog.  She has called Dublin home since March 2024.