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Ranked: the world’s best ski resorts for beginners

Calling all novice skiers – here’s where to head for those bunny slopes

Liv Kelly
Written by
Liv Kelly
Contributing Writer
Austrian ski slopes
Photograph: Shutterstock
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There’s a misconception that skiing is only for those who grew up hitting the slopes, but trust us: it’s never too late to learn. Sure, it can be intimidating to share the snow with experienced skiers, but there are heaps of resorts offering easier runs and support for beginners. 

Remember when we reported on the world’s best ski resorts last week? The same study, conducted by transport booking platform Omio, also evaluated factors specific to new skiers, including the distance of easy courses, the skiing schools on offer and customer reviews. 

According to Omio’s findings, the best resort in the world for novice skiers is western Austria’s Ski Arlberg, which encompasses St. Anton, ​St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, ​Zürs, ​Warth and Schröcken. This vast skiing area has 130km of easy courses and received an overall score of 98.56. 

In fact, Austria claims an impressive five spots in the top ten, including the top four spots overall – SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental came in second place, with a total score of 98.44, and Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn came in third in place with a score of 98.20. 

The best ski resorts in the world for beginners

  1. St. Anton/​St. Christoph/​Stuben/​Lech/​Zürs/​Warth/​Schröcken – Ski Arlberg, Austria
  2. SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental, Austria
  3. Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn (Skicircus), Austria
  4. KitzSki – Kitzbühel/​Kirchberg, Austria
  5. Les 3 Vallées – Val Thorens/​Les Menuires/​Méribel/​Courchevel, France
  6. Tignes/​Val d’Isère, France
  7. Arosa Lenzerheide, Switzerland
  8. La Plagne (Paradiski), France
  9. Serre Chevalier – Briançon/​Chantemerle/​Villeneuve-la-Salle/​Le Monêtier-les-Bains, France
  10. Sölden, Austria

If we do say snow ourselves

Whether you’re keen to hit the slopes in Austria, ItalySwitzerland, or anywhere not too harsh on the bank balance, we’ve got a guide for that!

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