Family Ski Holidays in North America

Skiing in Canada and the United States is different to what it is in Europe. Distance is one obvious difference – a flight to Colorado takes around 10 hours. But the outlook is different too: skiing here is a service industry, with the resorts' raison d’être being to provide you with what you want – something that can’t always be said of some places nearer home.  Ski schools are there to make sure youngsters have a good time, so there are no shrugging shoulders from indifferent instructors. Hotel rooms and condos are huge by European standards. Many resorts have exceptional slopeside villages, but even if you do need to travel to the slopes (which isn’t regarded as unusual here), that is part of the adventure. If you want ski-in ski-out accommodation, check before you book.

Long-distance flying these days can be part of the adventure too, with seat-back TVs and games to keep kids entertained. But should you choose to ski on the East Coast, flight times are as little as six hours and, with short transfers, the journey is less than gruelling. There are few North American resorts where children can’t have a good time – they have, almost without exception, fantastic crèches and childcare, kids' ski (and increasingly snowboard) programmes, and restaurants with kids’ portions almost as large as adult meals in other countries.

It’s hard to go wrong here. The extra effort (and expense) it takes to get here pays off with the double bonus of a ski holiday and an American holiday rolled into one – you can explore in your hire car, visit cities such as Denver and Montreal, spot moose, meet cowboys and so much more.

Check out our guides to some of the best ski family resorts in North America – Whistler and Tremblant in Canada and Vail in Colorado in the USA – and see any special offers and latest deals with North America family ski holiday partners Crystal Ski Holidays. 

Scroll down for our expert family ski holiday tips.