See polar bears in Finland
Perfect for nature lovers and fans of Lorek Byrnison - the armoured bear in His Dark Materials - this adventure takes you to Ranua Wildlife Park, the most northerly wildlife sanctuary in the world. Home to lynx, moose, eagles and magnificent polar bears, expect an in-depth tour full of interesting facts the kids can wow their friends with back at school. There’s even the chance to help staff feed some of the animals. Other snowy activities include cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and when it comes to sleeping in the wilderness, the delightfully-named Gulo Gulo Holiday Village will be your cosy hideaway.
Book with Activities Abroad.
Enjoy a husky sleigh safari in Lapland
The ultimate fun winter activity? Racing through a sparkling snow-laden landscape on a sleigh pulled by a team of beautiful huskies is definitely up there for bucket-list experiences. You’ll also get to drill holes in a frozen lake to ice fish, snowmobile through a forest, feed reindeer, warm up by a campfire with traditional hot berry juice, and maybe even see the Northern Lights. Dreamy.
Book with Regent Holidays.
Stay in the ICEHOTEL in Sweden
Go full-on Narnia with a stay in a magical hotel carved from ice. Rebuilt every year, it’s completely unique and will blow your kids’ minds - there’s no age restriction but ice rooms are recommended for children aged six and over, while families with tots can stay in the hotel’s considerably warmer cabins. Spend your days dog sledding, ice sculpting and learning to ski on the gentle slopes, before tucking yourselves up in sleeping bags and reindeer furs - you might even get the chance to enjoy a mulled wine at the ICEBAR if the kids crash out early from all the activities.
Book with Best-Served Scandinavia.
Learn to ski in Austria
Tyrol’s a fantastic spot for families and beginner skiing, so it’s a win-win. Make your base the Wiesenhof Hotel in Pertisau, a pretty village on the shores of Lake Achensee at the foot of Karwendel Mountains. Handily, the pistes are on your doorstep, with a ski lift 300 metres from the hotel delivering you to ski school plus 14km of wide, easy runs to navigate. Tobogganing and horse-drawn sleigh rides are cool options post-skiing, then it’s back to the hotel to hit the two pools and playroom (kids) or the spa and lounge with roaring fire (you).
Book with Inntravel.
Snowboard and spa in France
Courchevel 1650 in the Trois Vallées has officially been designated a family-friendly resort, so it makes sense to head here for a break with your brood. Check into stylish yet kid-welcoming Le Portetta Hotel for ultimate ease - it’s ski-in, ski out, there’s a ski school across the road and it’s run by the owners of Lime Wood, possibly the UK’s best spa hotel, so expect quality massages when you return from the pistes, which are a divine mix of blue and green and less crowded than flashier resorts in the area. Family loft rooms sleep 4-5, including a sitting area with sofa bed and separate room with bunks.
Book with i-escape.
Ice skate on a frozen lake in Switzerland
Lake St Moritz, the birthplace of winter sports, is THE place to go for all the most glamorous snow-based activities like skating, ice polo and, err, snow-kiting. Stay at the outrageously decadent, family-loving Kulm Hotel and your kids can enrol in the Very Important Kids programme, which includes free ice skating, and ski and snowboard lessons up to the age of 12. You might be interested to hear there’s a nanny service to supervise children’s dinner, meaning you can relax and get ready to hit the Michelin-starred fodder.
Book with Inspiring Travel.
Snowtube in Canada
Whistler is hands down one of the best winter resorts in the world, not least because it offers so many extra fun things to do, including tubing at the Coca-Cola Tube Park on Blackcomb Mountain. This exhilarating activity involves hurtling down a long icy slope in, you’ve guessed it, a rubber ring and is more fun than you can shake a snowy stick at. Book a stay at Westin Resort & Spa and they won’t be bored for a second, with swimming pools to dive into and ski school to attend (they can start from three years old), while you appreciate the spa and aprés ski in the FireRock Lounge. One-bedroom suites sleep up to four, there’s baby-sitting on request and a kids’ club too.
Book with Tots Too.
Fatbike in the French Alps
Avoriaz is one of the top winter family resorts in Europe: it’s car-free, ski-in, ski-out and offers 130 blue runs. Among the many snow-based things on offer is eFatBiking - yep, pedalling along snowy trails on a bike with oversized tyres and switching to electric power on ascents is enormous fun. Other things to keep teens and pre-teens on an adrenalin high include snow-scooting on a racetrack, split boards (a snowboard-ski hybrid), snowmobiles and night sledging. Stay at the Fontaine Blanches, four-star self-catering apartments in the centre of the action and a snowball’s throw from the lifts, ski school, hire shop and mini market.
Book with Peak Retreats.
By Amanda Statham
December 2022
