Skiing

Considering taking your family on a ski vacation? Check out these five family-friendly lodges we have identified around the world with slopes for all ages and skill levels along with other exciting winter activities. Perfect for budget-conscious travelers, these resorts have programs to help you keep costs low while providing many different opportunities for families to have fun together on their winter holiday.

Australia
Although the name is a bit silly, Dinner Plain offers families great deals on holiday vacations packed with fun among Australia’s fairy tale mountains in Victoria. Besides groomed ski runs for every skill level and the charming ski village full of kid-friendly activities, parents will also appreciate the babysitter services so they can relax at the spa or kick up their heels at the local nightclubs.

Chile
Families who visit the Portillo Ski Resort often leave saying they will never ski anywhere else again. Not is the skiing top notch, with 23 trails accessed by 12 ski lifts, but the ski school is considered one of the best in the world. The leisurely atmosphere is perfect for relaxing together and during their special “Family Weeks” they offer special discount packages and offer a host of activities to keep the whole clan happy. Make your reservations well in advance, though, this resort keeps its atmosphere intimate by only allowing 450 guests per week and with the added value of the low exchange rate in Chile, the accommodations stay booked well in advance.

(photo by hubby at the Unterberg)

Norway
Known for decades as one of the most snow reliable mountains in the world, the Myrkdalen ski resort outside of Voss is full of family-friendly activities. Kids have their own supervised play area where they can participate in art projects or strap on their skis and use the mini-lift and moving carpet for classes in downhill and cross-country techniques. Advanced skiers appreciate the 12 ski lifts that lead to 18 beautifully groomed slopes.

Switzerland
Located in the beautiful Lake Geneva region of the Alps, Villars is an authentic Swiss town that’s perfect for families with beginning skiers. There are plenty of the gentle slopes and 77 ski lifts to take advanced skiers on to more challenging runs. A favorite of English speaking vacationers, children under nine ski for free and appreciate all the fun ways to get on the slopes like the moving carpet, the carousel and rope tow.

USA
The Lone Mountain Peak in Big Sky, Montana offers families over eight square miles of ski runs and a winter wonderland full of exciting activities. Kids ages 10 and under ski free and the variety of trails and short lift lines guarantees everyone has plenty of “vertical time” on the slopes. Try snowing tubing, taking a zip line across an alpine ravine or climbing aboard the coach for a guided tour to nearby Yellowstone. When you have had all the outdoor fun you can take, warm up with a spa treatment before you settle into your cozy Mountain Village hotel or fully-furnished cabin.

Guest Post: Megan Gates is an active blogger who provides written work to the blogosphere pertaining to New York Real Estate,Manhattan Homes, home improvement and the latest architecture, design and fashion.  Follow her on twitter @MEGatesDesign.