With thousands of ski resorts around the globe to choose from, here are five simple pointers to get you started in your search for your perfect family holiday:

1  Location

First of all, you need to decide on Europe, Scandinavia, America or further afield? See our resort guides for help choosing.

Don’t be over-ambitious!  If you have a young family, you probably don’t want to do a long-haul flight either end of your ski holiday.  Nor do you want lengthy transfers to the destination when everyone’s tired, bored and fractious.  Aim for short journey times.

The popular family resort of Grindelwald, Switzerland

2  Size of resort

As a general yardstick, the older your kids and/or the better you all are at skiing, the larger and more ambitious the ski area needs to be.

 3  Childcare

If your children are of nursery or child-care age, it is crucial to make sure you are totally happy with the childcare provided in resort.  Only then, will you be able to go and enjoy the day on the slopes, in the knowledge you have left them happily and safe in good, reliable care.  See our Childcare guide for further advice.

4  Accommodation near the piste/ski-lift

Ideally you want your little ones to be out in a traffic-free environment with gentle slopes for sledging just a snowballs’ throw from your accommodation.    

If they are ski beginners, you want them to be able to ski to and from the door on a nice gentle snowy slope. 

Also, if you are having to carry your youngsters’ kit every day, you want to be   as near as possible to a ski-lift.  There’s nothing worse than having to keep children safe and happy and carry several pairs of skis and poles while winding up the mountain daily in a standing-room-only ski-bus along with hundreds of other skiers.  Believe me, you will be sweating in your salopettes, and your nerves will be frayed before you’ve even reached the slopes. 

 5  Remember it is YOUR holiday too

Snowshoeing in Switzerland

Consider your needs. 

When we’re skiing, we like to have an extensive, snow-sure ski area; some challenging runs; grand vistas at every turn; plus a handful of fine restaurants on the piste! 

Maybe resort life and après ski is more of a priority for you?… a decent spa?… or a variety of off-piste entertainment (sledging, ice-skating, snow-shoeing, curling, etc).