There is no need to go to best/biggest ski resorts for this. The kids being beginners, all they need is a decent ski school. Since you are at Singapore, go to NZ or Australia.

tbh come to austria

if you want to see crazy mountains and your kids are rly into learning it

should be a 1-2 hour ride from the airport but it’s worth it and u can rent some amazing lodges around here

best skiing in the world hands down

Where do you live because the options will vary depending.

I will say that the large European ski resorts will often have more to do than the North American ones which are very focused towards skiing/snowboarding.

Depends on where you are.

I recommend Japan if it is not that far from you especially Hokkaido to start with. Snow is usually consistent, May be pushing it a bit in mid December but a few day before Xmas snow should be okay most of the time.

Japan is also cheaper for everything. Hokkaido generally has more ski-in ski out resorts compared to Honshu but more expensive. You can go budget with places like Prince Hotel Naeba. Ski school are not expensive either. (It is Cheaper for us Australians to go to Japan and stay in ski-in ski out than staying in ski in ski out in Australia if you don't count the plane ticket. But hospitality is night and day as the snow quality). You can also swing by Tokyo Disney land before going.

If you want to not worry about additional spending, you can try Club Med in Kiroro/Tomamu/Sahoro. We have been to Kiroro, won't say it is best value for money (apparently food is better in Tomamu, you can try Hoshino resort in Tomamu which is cheaper but bit older but has same access to everything, just not all inclusive). Group lessons are included which means kids gets lumped with kids with same skills and similar age. Which also means they make friends and disappear after dinner with their friends so even less childcare for you.

(disclaimer, I know very little about Europe/USA/Canada skiing though. I hear some European places are great too.)

Yes. As a Korean, skiing isn't worth it in Korea. I live in Canada now and I will never ski in Korea again. Japan will have better snow, mountains, and prices.

I’m just curious as to how other people plan ski trips with kids as mine are very young and this will be their second trip.

When I’ve booked trips just adults I’ve just picked ski areas I’d like to go then sorted flights then accommodation.

But now I have to factor in lessons and I am finding that complicates things quite a bit last year for example struggled finding somewhere that would take my 3 year old or ski schools that did less then a whole week. So what order do people book stuff if they are not using a tour company

You should definitely consider Montgenevre. It ticks all your boxes except you’d fly into Turin(easy from Gatwick) and it’s just over an hour transfer. Small, family friendly resort with affordable accommodation close to the lifts, great snow record, good ski schools, and the pistes are ideal for kids.

I know you've said GVA but consider somewhere in Austria? They have specific "kinder" hotels which cater to kids your age.

My brother just went with his 3 year old to Serfaus and it was magic. Short transfer from Salzburg if you could fly there instead.

All the French resorts close enough to GVA can struggle with snow in December (depending on how early you go). Otherwise you are into the Tarrentaise and 3.5 hour transfers.

Avoriaz, great for families especially around Christmas / New Year with lots going on and normally decent snow.

All good. Also megeve/st Gervais/ Les contamines area a huge ara with lots of variety. Next to this is the space diamant with 200km of runs.

Hi. I can't believe no one else has suggested Beaver Creek yet! It's the perfect family destination--friendly learning terrain, great children's ski school, SUPER easy access if you fly into Eagle County (EGE)-- a 30 minute drive from the airport. And it's not nearly as crowded as the Summit County resorts (Keystone, Breck). PM me if you want more info!

I agree w one of the other posters if money is no concern, Aspen or Vail. Aspen has a great beginners mountain (Buttermilk) which in addition to having the right terrain, also would not have a bunch of advanced skiers flying through your area wreaking havoc. Vail also great, and near Vail is a mountain called Beaver Creek, also a great option, but still in the pricey realm

A little less pricey but still a great town is Park City Utah w several great options. The logistics getting in/out are the absolute best. While Aspen and Vail (and Steamboat) have airports as someone said, they are small regional airports that are at risk for closing if the weather is bad. You could end up stuck traveling in (or out)

Salt Lake City Intl (SLC) is 45 mins from Park City UTah and is MUCH larger and a much more reliable airport. The town of Park City itself is terrific and will feel unique. There is a lot of great snow and trails for beginners at either Park City Mountain or Deer Valley resort nearby.

Good luck hope you enjoy and your kids are blown away when they see snow!

Look into skiing Monarch, Wolf Creek, Sunlight, or Granby Ranch in February or March.

The best time to go is in winter. It will be cold for you, but there will be snow to ski on.

Keystone in Summit County Colorado always had a great kids ski school. To be fair most major resorts have great kids programs

I think of places like Park City, Whistler, and the big Colorado resorts for easy access and tons of things to do for non skiers. Personally I would stay in the alps for that type of ski trip and avoid the flight. Regardless I recommend powderhounds.com when researching a new ski destination after you’ve narrowed it down to a few. 

Does anyone who has responded actually have a 14 year old that skis?

• group lessons - the problem here is it can be very hard to get lessons at the right level. Not as much a problem at a big resort but there you are looking at a big outlay - 250+ a day. My kids hated group lessons and they took them at all the big Epic mountains

• private lessons??? That’s like a grand a day!

• 14 year olds dumb stuff all the time. They also get bored. Not a good combination on piste

I’m sure a big reason your child was turned on to skiiing on a group trip was the camraderie of skiing

Your best bet is to get another family to join you or to bring a kid friend. That’s probably cheaper than daily lessons. I’d do a lesson the first day.

Also you’ll probably need an epic or ikon pass w/o blackout dates- the mountains in this thread are like 200+ a day during Xmas week.

14 is a tough age to travel with kids - as annoying as my kids are when they are with their friends they so much prefer that than 100% parent only trip.

I’m also kinda of shocked that no one gave OP a reality check on cost - this is like a $5k-$10k week to ski - at these resorts

1k pass 200 rentals 300/ night rentals - 2k a week 200/ day for food - 2k a week Flights Rental car Lessons

Take your kid to Whistler and pop them in the big group lesson - the village has more than one good restaurant/cafe/bar so you won’t get bored parked at the same table all week, facilities are Olympic quality, and the people watching is A-1. You won’t be the only person camped there waiting for the skiers in their party too - loads of facilities in the village for the non-skiing crowd from wine tastings and clubbing to ski-doing and axe throwing.

Logistics: fly to Vancouver international and book a bus or a car service to Whistler - it’s a really smooth transition as these companies are used to working with international tourists and the drive to the village is a scenic 2 hours next to the coast.

Whistler is good but Big white in Kelowna BC is also a great mountain. Much cheaper than whistler. 45 mins from an international airport and they have shuttles to the mountain from the airport so you won't need to rent a car. Once you are at the mountain you won't need a car to get around. Not as big of a village as whistler either but enough to do for sure.

Whistler is ideal.

Just want to note OP said "North American resort", not "US resort". As a US citizen I feel obliged to point out that Canada also has ski resorts.

100%. There are many many great resorts in Europe. Much much cheaper. Better skiing. Better snow. Shorter queues.

Val D'isere is a good shout.

Off piste? US resorts' off piste areas are avy controlled and patrolled and part of the ski area.

We took our kids at those ages to Mammoth, Killington, and Vail/Beaver Creek. All of those had great stuff for kids. You'll probably get the best conditions in December at Mammoth but I just asked my kids (9 and 11 now) and they both said the best Christmas trip was Killington. They had activities every night in the main lodge so they remember the skiing but also the tubing and crafts and all the other stuff.

Aspen, but it's going to be pretty bad that time of year.

If money is no issue, Deer Valley or Park City. Something for everyone. And check out Woodward Park City for some extra fun with the kids.

Smaller more economical ski areas tend to be better for kids and families because most families need it to be cheaper.

Places like Loveland, sunlight or ski cooper in Colorado are good.

Steamboat

Got it yellowstone is off the list. Colorado cant be the only family friendly / budget friendly option. The wife thinks Vermont is a good alternative. I'm thinking maybe Hawaii and some choice waves are sounding better. Seems the only useful help here is Jackson Hole and no skiing in yeller

Unless your budget is massive or don’t care at all where you stay the odds of finding a ski in ski out this close to your dates is gonna be tough. Along with the fact there is no skiing in Yellowstone. There’s big sky which is awesome but pry not the most family friendly. Honestly your better off going somewhere in Colorado.

Hold the phone there, pardner. Unless Vail just blew a resort out of their ass in the last 2 weeks, there’s zero skiing in Yellowstone NP. Plus the Rockefeller is likely closed/snowed in just past Colter Bay in GTNP. Do yourself a favor and head to Colorado and get a mountainside cottage in keystone or steamboat springs. They have wonderful night skiing. If you think you want to go to snow king in JH, bang your head against the wall until that thought has vacated your noggin. Good luck my friend

A couple of the lodges in the park do stay open year round but you'd have to take snowmobiles or the snowcoach to get to them. I'd personally recommend going to big sky or Jackson hole this time of year as they're are much easier to access. If you aren't prepared for a relatively rugged and remote stay, winter yellowstone could be a mistake. And thr only skiing is backcountry and cross-country, something you don't want to do with kids, especially that young

Just remember, Yellowstone is a National Park not a state. Wyoming and Montana have great skiing, as do Colorado and Utah and California. I have been enjoying the Jackson Hole area for years in both winter and summer. If you do decide to visit the greater Yellowstone region (Teton Wilderness, etc.) you won’t regret it.

There’s no skiing there though

Skiing is expensive, especially at big time resorts with good terrain. You dont need that. 3 and 4 its a waste, and if the older ones havent skied same for them.

Steamboat is super family friendly, and has the correct terrain, but is moderately pricey. Air bnb will be cheaper than resort lodging and most hotels.

Salt lake city and driving is your highest quality cheap option.

Also look at Tahoe. Heavenly is usually pretty reasonable, especially if the wife likes to pull slots or poach tourists at card tables.

I'd also recommend Apex for a BC option. For the Alps, have you considered Austria? There are many options in the Salzburg / Tirol regions - the Austria ski infrastructure is significantly more developed than in BC (from experience), including kids camps, dining options etc. It can also be more affordable than BC, depending on whether you get the regional pass (SuperSkiCard), or a specific mountain.

Some options I'd recommend looking into.
- Zauchensee- Flachauwinkl

- Fieberbrunn

- Zell am See

- Schladming

So sun peaks is more resort-y, as is big white. It mostly attracts tourists and would have less of a community in the village from what I’ve seen.

Fernie and Rossland (Red) would be my top Suggestions based on your list, as they both have towns that meet the vibe you described and are great ski hills. If I was picking between them I’d probably pick Red, but that’s partially because seasons passes at fernie are ridiculously expensive.

Revelstoke is a great town and hill, but it is a pretty advanced hill so it might not be ideal for more beginner level kids as the beginner terrain is quite limited.

Additionally, Kimberly is a much smaller hill then the other bc ones mentioned and might be a little small for what you’re looking for based on this list.

Another ski hill that might appeal is Apex. It’s a good hill and the village is small with a pretty strong local community. It’s a little lesser known so it’s got a little less touristy feel

Rossland is nice quiet town and red mountain is a good ski hill, Also may want include Nelson, B.C., it is a charming town and close to whitewater ski resort. (to get a feel for the town, see the movie Roxanne w/ Steve Martin, it was filmed there). Kelowna B.C is centrally located to several ski hills and the climate is generally mild compared to other B.C. ski areas. Kelowna is in Canadian wine country and there are many golf courses in the area.

Stay in Innsbruck. Explore Tyrol and the Dolomites in italy. Prettiest place on the planet. It’s mainly groomers, and the altitude in most places is not super high, so if dry pow is your thing, go to BC. That said, the snowmaking there is amazing, so you’ll always have decent on-piste conditions.

Thanks all for your really helpful comments. We’re now looking at spending 3 months in Japan and heading to BC for 9-10 months, taking in the start of the 2027 ski season. Nelson is our current front runner as our base for this time. Looks amazing, just working on logistics, schooling, accommodation options etc

All the big ones are kid friendly. Breckenridge is my kids’ favorite.

Just got back from FS Vail and really enjoyed it. They have a chalet right at the gondola where they bring/store all your ski stuff (and also have a bunch of hot snacks/coffee) so it makes it pretty easy. A shuttle takes you there from the resort or it's a 10min walk.

Could put them in ski school for half a day?

Nice pool with s'mores by the fireplace, a big kids room with TV/Pool table and computers/gaming consoles. Service was great. Food in town was pretty good and they also have an ice rink in the winter in town and decent shopping. Doesn't match 100% what you're looking for but I think it's worth a look.

How old is your kid? Would they be skiing too? A lot of resorts have some form of childcare/camp but often times it caps at 6 years old (most older kids are in ski school). Beaver creek has a club for older kids (like 11-17). It’s a pretty kid friendly mountain but about 2 hours from Denver (if it’s snowing and there’s traffic… god speed).

Not a drive from Denver but by far the best childcare set up for skiing I’ve found is in Europe.

PH beaver creek. Are you a Hyatt member? Great use of points. Ski in/ski out.

Second Beaver Creek! Two hour drive from Denver and the mountain is fantastic/amazing to learn on.

Do you have a pass or are you free to go wherever?

If you’re looking for good intermediate terrain in Colorado, I think you’d be happy at Vail, Breck, Beaver Creek, and Snowmass as far as the big resort mountains go.

Deer Valley in Utah has also got a lot of fun intermediate terrain but obviously can be a little pricey if you don’t have an Ikon Pass.

Tremblant has a great village, but you run the risk of it being frigid cold and/or not having very much snow depending on when you go.

You cant beat Tremblant/Tremblant Village on the East. Honestly that would be a great place for the holidays. Tremblant is on Ikon.

Other options: Attitash or Cranmore in NH. North Conway is a great little ski town and you should find plenty to do there! Cranmore is a nice local mountain. I think it’s still independent. Attitash is on Epic Northeast Value Pass. Double check black out dates for Attitash. Good terrain for intermediates.

Smuggler’s Notch in VT is great for families, will have good terrain for you, and has a chill vibe. It’s a little more isolated, but they’ll have things to do over the holidays. Doesn’t really have a ski town or village that would compare to Tremblant or North Conway, but we love it there. Smuggs is not on a pass.

Stowe has a nice village area although it’s more geared toward adults. I’m sure they’ll have things for families over the holidays. There’s plenty of terrain for intermediates, and the towns of Stowe/ and Waterbury are gems. Ben and Jerry’s factory tour, Cabbot Cheese Store, and Cold Hollow Cider Mill for cider doughnuts are a few things to look forward to! Stowe is on Epic, but you’ll need to buy the full pass to avoid blackout dates over the holidays.

Okemo, also on Epic, but w/blackout dates unless you buy the full pass, is another good family oriented resort in VT. Ludlow doesn’t have as much to offer as North Conway or Stowe, but it’s a fun mountain.

Avoid Utah at that time of year they often get snow later. Colorado was great last thanksgiving and had good snow into Jan

Jimminey Peak

Okemo