A Guide To Planning Your First Family Ski Trip

Feb 9, 2022

Last Updated on: Aug 27, 2025

Adventure

As parents, you naturally want to make the most of the time you spend with your kids. After all, they won’t stay young forever. Every opportunity you have to go on family trips should be taken advantage of. Thankfully, there are various activities, hobbies, and interests you can try with your family.

You can go to the beach, plan a weekend hike, or book an out-of-country trip. If your family likes going on adventures and thrills, a ski trip will fit the bill. It’s an excellent way to enjoy the winter season while also bonding over ski boards, sleds, and other outdoor pursuits you can do in the mountains.

Just thinking about all the wonderful times you’ll have is already making you all giddy and excited. However, don’t forget that, like other vacations you have as a family, a courageous ski trip will require a great deal of planning and preparation.

First-timers like you may find the planning stage pretty intimidating. Don’t let that get in the way of piecing together a fantastic trip that every member of your family will enjoy.

First Order Of Business: Choosing A Ski Resort

Being new to skiing is tricky because you don’t have the slightest idea of where to go or how the trip will go. Your best bet is to rely on your research skills, starting with the resort where you’ll be skiing and staying. Since you’ll be with your family, it’s crucial that you pick a spot that suits everyone’s needs and preferences.

You can begin your search by identifying the different ski spots in the country or where you plan to go. You can ask your friends who’ve been on a ski trip before, or you can also browse the internet to get an idea of the best ski locations.

Be sure to check out the best ski slopes in the US that suit first-timers like you. Look into the amenities, rates, and other related information you need to know.

Smaller ski resorts may be ideal if you don’t consider yourselves seasoned skiers. Such areas are relatively less crowded and have lower rates and fees. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, it’ll be easier to decide on a final pick. You can ask your family about their opinion or even vote on a resort to ensure you’ll go with the majority’s choice.

Scheduling Your Trip

After picking a ski location and resort, another decision you need to make is when you’ll be scheduling the trip. Before anything else, you need to check with the family first about their availability. Some may need to file for a leave from work, while others need to consider their school calendar before going on a vacation.

If you’re after lower accommodation rates and airfares, you might want to consider avoiding holidays and school breaks. However, if the budget isn’t an issue, you can plan your trip according to your preference or based on your family’s availability.

Up Next: Packing Your Stuff

When you’ve pinned down your desired destination and ski resort, you should also go ahead and book your accommodation, plane tickets, and other fees you need to pay for. That way, you no longer need to worry about forgetting anything. Once you’ve secured those aspects, you can start packing your luggage.

You may assume that since you’ve been on countless family trips before, you’re already a pro at packing everything you need. However, don’t forget that you’re going skiing, and that requires a different set of items that you need to prepare and fit into your bags. To give you an idea, here are some tips you could use when packing for your first family ski trip:

  • Prepare or shop for enough winter clothes for every member of the family. Dressing in layers is the best way to go if you want to stay warm throughout your trip.
  • Aside from clothes, think of headwear, footwear, and other accessories such as gloves, scarves, neck gaiters, underwear, and socks. For extra cold weather, a balacava may also come in useful. This will protect your ears and cheeks, which can both suffer from frostbite if left uncovered. In addition, consider investing in thermal layers to keep your body protected against the elements. You could also check out these heated gloves for women and men for an added boost of warmth.
  • Bring enough food and water that’ll last at least until you’ve reached your destination. If you have babies or toddlers on formula feeding, make sure you pack all their essentials too.
  • Ensure there’s enough space for all your ski gear and accessories, including snowboards, ski gloves and goggles, and helmets.

If you plan on renting your gear, make it a point to reserve it early on. There should also be a separate bag where you’ll put your essential belongings, such as passports, plane tickets, IDs, wallets, and credit cards.

Creating An Itinerary

You may be going on a family ski trip, but that doesn’t mean all you’ll be doing in the mountains is skiing. Of course, you need to take breaks and alternate other activities for a well-spent holiday with your family. That’s why choosing a family-friendly destination is important. You can create your own itinerary based on the activities and amenities that the resort has.

For example, kids and young adults can enjoy snowmobiling, skating, dog sledding, ice climbing, and snowshoeing. They can do those in the morning before skiing or after lunch when they’re fully rested.

Plan the activities based on the number of days you’ll be spending at the resort. Of course, you also need to consider the kids’ interests and what they find exciting.

On the flip side, adults can go on food and wine tours or try cross-country skiing. Don’t forget to include relaxing activities such as spa treatments and other fitness or wellness features available in the area. At night, you can swim in hot tubs, enjoy a bonfire, or gather around the fireplace with hot cocoa mugs in your hands.

Final Words

Deciding to go on your first-ever family ski trip is one thing, but planning and preparing for it is another. You might find the process tricky, which is normal. You’re not alone in such a predicament. But as they say, there’s always a first time for everything.

Don’t worry, though, because you can surely make it through the planning and execution if you arm yourself with enough tricks and intelligent moves.

You don’t have to wait for another year or a few more months before you can experience the holiday of a lifetime. With the tips mentioned above, you can have a fun, memorable, and worth-all-the-fuss skiing adventure.

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