Norway
Ski Holidays

In Norway, you’re never too young to ski, most children learn as soon as they’re able to walk. The majority of Norway’s best ski resorts such as Trysil, Hemsedal and Hafjell are super family-friendly, with children’s slopes and ski schools, parks with jumps and rails. And there are sleigh rides in Geilo. Hotels are family friendly too and many are situated right by the slopes for ski-in, ski-out convenience.

In Norway first timers can look forward to wide, quiet and perfectly groomed slopes through beautiful pine forests. In Hafjell there are easy runs from the top of all lifts and a beginner area at the bottom. Both Beitostølen and Trysil are also great resorts for beginners as they can be explored almost entirely via easy blue runs. Hemsedal meanwhile is home to a 6km run that’s suitable for beginners and a practice area near the base.

In the Scandy countries it’s not height that counts so much for snow security but latitude – and Norway certainly benefits from its northern location. Its resorts typically top out between 1,100m and 1,500m, offering a vertical drop between 400m to 800m – more than enough to keep most family and intermediate skiers happy. Norefjell however has a vertical drop of 1,008m.

Norwegian mountain cuisine features lots of game and fish. Expect to see elk burgers, locally cured meats and fish served on a wooden plank, to Suppegjok – a goulash soup served in a bowl made from bread. With fish so prominent in their diet, they also do good sushi made with Norwegian salmon, shrimps and surimi. Warming ski snacks are also very different from you'd expect in the alps. Think lots of waffles with cream and berries, and of course coffee with cinnamon buns. Just be aware that alcohol isn’t the cheapest in Norway – a hangover isn’t the only thing you have to worry about after several drinks. Top tip: there is a duty-free shop by the baggage reclaim at Oslo airport. Get fully stocked with your allowance here.

Don’t expect to come to Norway and find the riotous party scenes that you get in the French Alps. The prohibitive costs of alcohol partly curbs that. (Wily travellers stock up on duty free.) That said, most resorts have bars and clubs with live music or karaoke at the base of the slopes or rustic pubs with tons of atmosphere, serving not just beers and cocktails but great food too.

Among Norway’s southerly ski resorts, Hemsedal offers some of the best off-piste, thanks to its steep slopes, ease of access and a vertical drop of 800m. The area is also a great place to explore the wider mountains and try backcountry skiing (away from the resorts) with a mountain guide. Beyond the slopes, Norway is home to 1000s of kilometres of cross-country tracks, many going through areas of real wilderness.

Norway is perfect for a weekend hit. It’s a two hour flight to Oslo and there can be as many as two flights a day from the UK going out Friday and returning Sunday. From Oslo, your best bet is to head to one of the closer resorts such as Norefjell, just under two hours by car. There is also the option to fly into Bergen, which is closer to some of the more westerly resorts such as Voss.

Norway has a longer season than the Alps but daylight hours are worth considering. The resorts start opening as soon as the snow settles, usually in November. The season can then run until as late as May. December to February is great for the snow, but the days are cold and short (many resorts have floodlit slopes). March onwards offers longer days and the slopes are often still in great condition.