 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Belated happy Christmas to everyone.
We are after some advice please on options for a ski holiday. We’ve been skiing for years but and we took our then 7 yr old to Soldeu in Andorra this year for his first ski holiday and he loved it. Skiing from the mid point down by day 2 and from top of mountain by day 3 !!
We are wondering about next year (Feb 2026) and was looking at Norway as somewhere different.
We'd be looking for a good ski school so he can progress and stuff for us to do as a family. Not apartment but hotel ideally
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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General consensus here is that Andorra is cheap and Norway is expensive, so be prepared!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There are loads of reports about skiing in Norway - do a forum search. It's too sweeping to just dismiss is at "expensive" but it certainly is that for somebody whose idea of a good holiday is drinking lots of alcohol!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Origen wrote: |
| There are loads of reports about skiing in Norway - do a forum search. It's too sweeping to just dismiss is at "expensive" but it certainly is that for somebody whose idea of a good holiday is drinking lots of alcohol! |
our alcohol drinking days are long gone 
we are more looking for something that will work for a family trip where he can be in ski school and then ski with us.
thanks
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@rob and sharon, Geilo is a nice resort in Norway, there's skiing on the slopes on either side of the valley the town is located in. Here's what AI says:
Geilo is a popular, family-friendly Norwegian ski resort situated between Oslo and Bergen, known for its wide, gentle slopes (green to black) across two mountains, extensive terrain parks, excellent ski schools, and abundant off-slope activities like cross-country skiing, dog sledding, and tobogganing, offering reliable snow from November to April and winning awards for its overall experience and family appeal.
Key Features
Terrain: 46 alpine slopes, 20 lifts, catering to beginners (green/blue) to advanced (red/black), plus snow parks with jumps and rails.
Family-Friendly: Multiple dedicated children's areas, ski schools, and childcare services.
Activities: Offers much more than alpine skiing, including 342 hectares of cross-country tracks, snowmobiling, and tobogganing.
Convenience: Free ski buses connect the two sides of the resort, and services like ski rental and grocery delivery are available.
Location: Nestled between Hardangervidda and Hallingskarvet National Parks.
Season: Reliable snow from mid-November to late April, supported by snow cannons if needed.
Good For
Families and beginners, Freestyle skiers and snowboarders, and Those seeking varied off-slope activities.
Potential Drawback
Modest vertical drop and fewer extreme challenges for expert skiers.
You didn't say whether you were looking to go with a tour operator or DIY. Several tour operators go to Geilo, however it's also on the mainline railway from Oslo, so DIY is also quite easy to arrange.
Regarding cost, yes alcohol in particular is very expensive in Norway, however you are allowed a duty free allowance on entering the country, which includes a certain amount of beer, wine and spirits so if that's a consideration make sure you use your full duty free allowance! 
P.S being Norway you'll find that the ski instructors (and other restaurant/shop staff etc) will have excellent English.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Went to Hemsedal last Easter for a week, going to Trysil this year. We had a great time, very calm compared to anywhere else. Slopes great, good facilities, small though but enough for a week. IN terms of costs we didn;t find it any more expensive than the Alps other than for booze and even with that i bought some wine on the way in which we had in the apartment and had a few drinks out. Food was on par with most Alpine places (pizzas 10-14 pounds, main courses 25ish).
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 26-12-25 16:32; edited 1 time in total
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@Alastair Pink, thanks
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Lots of people on here have skied Norway and say good things about what's on offer.
I visited Bergen and the Fjords inland from there in the summer and it is a strikingly beautiful & peaceful country. People are generally quite reserved, but polite and mostly speak very good English.
As others have said, alcohol and eating out is expensive, but if you're self-catering or have a hotel package with food included at a price you can afford and don't drink much alcohol, it needn't break the bank.
It is dark and can be bitterly cold in midwinter, but by Feb it should be getting a bit milder and have longer daylight hours. I think early to mid March would be a great time to go as the snow would still be good, along with brighter weather to see it all.
Many of the ski areas are quite limited in size and there is a preponderance of draglifts, so you would need to choose location carefully. I guess if you have a little one in tow, you won't be needing to race around the mountain anyway, though it sounds like he is making very quick progress! 
Another thing is that many of the ski areas are on low rounded mountains that lack much visual drama in comparison to the Alps, Pyrenees or Dolomites. Might not be a deal breaker for you. There are more dramatic mountains and steep fjords in Norway but the ski areas don't seem to be near them.
Hopefully that's laid out some of the negatives in a balanced way. The combination of downsides has sort of put me off choosing it as a ski destination in favour of places in the Alps, though I would love to go back and see more of the Fjords in Summer.
This might help with your research in comparing and visualising the ski areas: https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/norway/ 
Trysil is the largest with 78km, but one gondola and 6 chairs...and 24 drags! 
But it's only 30miles from the Scandinavian Mountains airport just over the border in Sweden which has direct flights from the UK, so might work as an easy family option in different surroundings at half-term.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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have done family skiing in Geilo, Beitostolen and Trysil many times over the years.
Trysil is the current favourite - more skiing choice and new gondola lift is good. Radisson Blu and Skistar Mountain Lodge are both good hotels for family and at the slopes. In addition to normal rooms they have suites/apartments with kitchentte/kitchens available. Need to book very early though usually. Worth signing up with Skistar to check Trysil accomodation, lift pass, rentals etc
We used ski schools/tuiton in Geilo and Beitostolen - both very good for children. I expect Trsyil would be similar.
If you do want alcohol then the duty free entering at the airport is ok.
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I'd recommend Trysil - lots of terrain to suit a kid that has a week on skis. If you stay on the Turistsenteret side of the mountain, you don't have to use many drag lifts. The ski school tutors will speak very good English. Rent your skis from the ski shop that is just out of town - Trsyil Skishop - cheaper than Skistar. Also, if you do end up booking self-catering accommodation, then make sure you check out websites other than Skistar e.g. Trysil Alpine Lodge.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I went with my family (relative beginners) to Hafjell last year. Flight to Oslo, then train up to lilliehammer, then the bus (about 30 minutes) to the resort. Very easy travel, with no expensive Taxis. The train journey is very scenic.
We were early season last year, and the resort didn't have that much natural snow so it was mostly via snow canons. It was cold (-18 I think was the lowest), but it didn't feel as cold as it sounds (but still, cold). The resort itself was lovely, and very well maintained. Eating out was expensive, and we basically didn't drink at all (not least because we were self-catering and the one time we went to the licenced store to buy some wine it had closed at 18:00 that day!). The scenery was (to my mind) a little less dramatic/impressive than skiing in the mountains, but we were happy that we went, and would recommend it, especially since the travel was relatively easy. We also spent one night in oslo at the start of the trip and one night at the end, as the flights were a few hundred cheaper for those days, which paid for the hotel for the nights. Norway is not cheap (as others have mentioned), but personally I didn't find it much more than, for example, London.
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