But what are the real pros and cons of skiing at Easter? And what do you need to look for in terms of the resort you choose?
We’ll answer both of those questions in this article.
What are the pros and cons of an Easter ski trip?
Pros
- The weather's usually better than during February half-term (there's nothing like skiing in the sunshine, and the views are epic in spring).
- Prices are generally lower than during February half-term.
- The slopes tend to be less crowded than during February half-term.
- Statistically, March is now the best month for snow conditions for many resorts across Europe.
Cons
- Prices are still higher than if you were able to ski during term time (because you're still competing with families, individuals and other school groups all trying to ski at the same time).
Generally, if you’re able to ski over Easter rather than February half-term, then we’d recommend that you do.
You’ll enjoy better weather (usually), less crowded slopes and lower prices.
If Easter is a bit later or you are concerned about snow conditions, you just need to be careful to choose the right (and we’ll help you do just that).
What should you look for in an Easter ski trip resort?
- High altitude
- Generally, higher altitude resorts offer better snow quality because it stays colder (because of this, you also tend to find high-altitude resorts have longer ski seasons).
- North or north-east facing slopes
- Slopes that face north or north-east remain shaded for longer, so snow doesn't melt as quickly in warmer temperatures.
- Modern snow-making facilities
- When Mother Nature doesn't play ball, snow cannons can step in to provide artificial snow (so, resorts with high coverage by snow cannons can keep more pistes open if there is a lack of snowfall).
- Long season
- Typically, resorts that boast a long season can do so because they're consistently able to stay open well into the spring (so, they can be a pretty good bet for an Easter ski trip).
- Glacier resort
- Resorts with glaciers often offer late-season skiing, so we can help you work out which one is the best fit for your group.
Where are the best destinations for a school ski trip during the Easter holidays?
| Resort | Country | Why ski here at Easter? |
| Madonna di Campiglio | Italy |
|
| Prato Nevoso | Italy |
|
| Voss | Norway |
|
| Bansko | Bulgaria |
|
| Les 2 Alpes | France |
|
Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio in Italy is always popular with our school ski groups at Easter for the key reason that it offers the chance to enjoy the slopes in the sunshine, without any fears over snow conditions.
That’s because it’s both a high-altitude resort (reaching up to 2600m) and the fact that 95% of the pistes are covered by the resort’s snow-making facilities.
Set in the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Brenta Dolomites, Madonna di Campiglio is nicknamed the ‘Queen of Snow’, thanks to its elegance and regal links (the resort was one of the most popular of the Habsburg Empire and a personal favourite of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife ‘Sissi’).
The resort is best known for its incredible location. Surrounded by the dramatic Brenta Dolomites, the valley is heavily wooded, adding to the atmosphere, and the village’s buildings have all been built in the traditional Alpine style.
Despite being one of the quieter resorts that we offer, Madonna di Campiglio boasts some incredible skiing. Connected to both Pinzolo and Folgarida-Marilleva, the total ski area accessible from Madonna di Campiglio is around 150km of ski runs, with 57 lifts capable of carrying over 31,000 people per hour. There are numerous long, easy runs, which are perfect for building up confidence and, for the snowboarders in your group, there are also five snowboard parks.
For beginners, the Campo Carlo Magno beginners’ area will allow them to find their feet, before progressing on to the blues at Pradalgo. For intermediates, there are more challenging runs, both in Madonna and in Pinzolo, which is just a 16-minute gondola ride away. Your pass will also cover the nearby resort of Folgarida-Marilleva.
For the experts, the 3-Tre piste is not to be missed. It begins as red, before turning into a steep black as it becomes the famous Canalone Miramonti, a World Cup slalom course.
This chic village is a safe base from which to ski the surrounding area and yet still offers a great variety of après-ski activities that will keep your students from getting bored. You can choose from ice skating, swimming, snowshoeing and even dog sledding.
The village itself is compact, so school groups can enjoy it safely, particularly as all through-traffic bypasses the centre and the nightlife is typically Italian (so you don’t need to worry about rowdy revellers partying all night).
Most of the accommodation in the resort is family-run, providing school groups with a safe and comfortable atmosphere. And all the accommodation we use in this resort is close to the lifts and slopes, so you can get skiing as soon as possible each day.
Prato Nevoso
Part of the Mondolé ski area, Prato Nevoso is one of our favourite destinations for school ski trips, especially at Easter. Still relatively undiscovered by British tourists, you get a real flavour of Italy here, alongside a warm, friendly welcome and quieter atmosphere.
Importantly for Easter ski trips, with a top altitude of 2000m, Prato Nevoso is generally pretty reliable when it comes to snow cover. Plus, 95% of the pistes are covered by snow cannons.
Part of the huge Mondolé ski area, Prato Nevoso offers access to 130km of skiable terrain. It’s also known for its high level of piste maintenance, so the slopes are always immaculate and a real joy to ski on.
The skiing in Prato Nevoso is best suited to beginners and intermediates (which normally make up the majority of school ski groups). There are limited options for advanced skiers in Prato Nevoso itself, but easy access to the trickier runs in Artesina means there’s plenty to keep them entertained too.
Prato Nevoso is a real haven for beginners learning to ski, and most can expect to be tackling long blue runs by the end of the week. The instructors from the local ski school are super friendly and speak good English too.
Intermediates will find the greatest choice of runs here, so Prato Nevoso is also fantastic for those who’ve skied before and want to progress. Many of the runs are pretty wide, allowing for great progression.
It’s also a great choice if you have any snowboarders. Prato Nevoso is the home of the Italian Snowboarding Club, and the resort has a great reputation for promoting the sport. There’s a great snowpark here, with a halfpipe and boardercross course too. There’s even a snowboard museum for those interested in its history.
One of the quieter resorts that we offer, Prato Nevoso lacks some of the nightlife of the bigger resorts, which is great news for school groups. Your group will feel safe here, and the compact size of the resort means you won’t worry about losing them.
There are plenty of activity options, as well as some lovely restaurants where you can try typical Italian cuisine.
And we can arrange comfortable accommodation that offers doorstep skiing too, making this a really convenient option for your Easter school ski trip.
Voss
Although Voss is a relatively low-altitude resort, its northerly location (in Norway) means temperatures remain colder than in the Alps or elsewhere in Europe at Easter, so snow conditions are pretty reliable (with fresh, powdery snow the norm).
Although it would be considered a small resort by Alpine standards, Voss is actually the largest resort in Western Norway, and it has a bit of a reputation as the adventure sports capital of Northern Europe. On paper, the 40km of groomed piste may not seem a lot, but trust us when we say a huge amount of diversity is packed into a small area.
The well-kept slopes include plenty of greens for beginners, some lovely flowing blues for intermediates and some brilliantly technical reds and blacks for experienced skiers. There’s also a terrain park and floodlit pistes, allowing for night skiing a couple of times a week.
And if you’re looking for a spectacular resort that’s really going to make an impression on your skiers, Voss is pretty hard to beat. It sits on the north-eastern shore of the gorgeous Lake Vansvatnet, looking across the water towards the surrounding mountains.
Our accommodation options here offer spectacular views of the lake and the mountains, as well as a central location boasting easy access to the lifts and the town amenities.
There are plenty of après-ski activities available in resort to keep your group entertained. But, like many of the resorts we offer, the nightlife here is limited, which is ideal for school groups.
Bansko
Bansko boasts a long season (typically running into May), as well as 90% snow cannon coverage. One of the best resorts in terms of value for money, Bansko offers alpine quality on a budget and remains a real hidden gem.
The beauty of Bansko at Easter is that you can get to the very top (at 2600m) and ski right back down to the gondola station on wide open blue runs (your intermediate and advanced skiers can also access the red and black runs from the top).
The ski school here is very good. Typically, lessons run from 10am with an hour for lunch. They also provide certificates to skiers at the end of the week (which really is a lovely touch).
The ski hire shop is right next to the gondola, which takes you the 7km to the top in 20 minutes.
At the top, there is a wide variety of restaurants to choose from for lunch, as well as a nursery slope where skiers will be assessed on day one before being split into teaching groups. There are also various chair and drag lifts to the other runs.
There are a further five restaurants on the mountain (in addition to those at the top of the gondola) where you can stop for (very good value) snacks and drinks while you soak up the spring sunshine.
Bansko itself is located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria and has seen a huge investment (30 million Euros, no less) to develop it into a modern, efficient resort with excellent infrastructure.
Les 2 Alpes
Les 2 Alpes in France is a glacier resort (it’s actually the largest skiable glacier in Europe) and opens for a summer season, so it should be no surprise that it’s generally a safe bet for Easter trips.
It’s also the second-highest resort in the Alps and one of the most famous in Europe, so it’s earned its place as one of the most popular Easter ski trip destinations.
The resort offers learners a fantastic experience. Somewhat of an ‘upside-down’ resort, much of the easier skiing is located at a higher altitude, giving students the rare opportunity to learn to ski in truly spectacular surroundings. The runs on the resort’s glacier are relatively wide and easy (which means all your skiers can have a taste of glacier skiing).
Previously, there was a downside to this, in that it could be difficult to get back down to the resort after a day’s skiing, as there was a limited choice of tricky reds and blacks, an overcrowded green or a gondola. But this all changed with the opening of the Jandri 1, a new blue run, which linked up to some of the resort’s other blues – opening up 2000m of vertical descent to less experienced skiers.
Les 2 Alpes is also a fantastic choice for snowboarders, as the resort boasts a renowned snowpark complete with halfpipe, kickers, rails and boardercross courses.
Les 2 Alpes offers an excellent range of après-ski activities, making it suitable for students of all ages, including sledging, ice skating, snowshoeing, swimming and bowling. There’s also an ice cave to explore and an alpine rollercoaster for the thrill seekers.
In Les 2 Alpes, the accommodation usually offers doorstep skiing and easy access to the resort centre, providing the perfect base.
Halsbury's tips for planning an Easter ski trip
- Choose a suitable resort.
- Look for resorts with high-altitude, north-facing slopes, good snow-making capabilities or a long season.
- Be flexible.
- Work with an experienced school ski tour operator who can help you choose the most snow-sure resort for your Easter trip.
- Plan early.
- Even though it's less popular than February half-term, you'll still have plenty of competition from other school groups, families and individual skiers.
Next steps
So, we’ve seen there are loads of benefits to skiing at Easter. The weather’s better, it’s a bit cheaper, and the slopes tend to be less crowded than during February half-term.
Choosing the right resort is the key to a successful Easter ski trip. Hopefully, we’ve helped you work out what you need to look for and given you some inspiration with regard to specific resorts.
Of course, there are plenty more that could work for your group, so if you’re thinking about an Easter ski trip, please get in touch, and we’ll be pleased to talk you through some options that could work for you.
And if you’re looking at Easter because you want to make your ski trip as accessible as possible (and you think your school might be flexible with when you can take your trip), it might be worth thinking about term-time skiing. This will reduce the cost of your trip even further, and the slopes will be almost deserted, maximising the time on snow for your students.
