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Ski lessons & Ski schools
Ski Schools are an institution of highly qualified ski instructors who can teach skiers of all levels and abilities. These instructors have been training for years to gain their qualifications and you will be in excellent hands. There are numerous different ski schools, some of which are very well established covering a huge number of resorts and some are specific to designated areas or countries.
Ski Schools offer a wide range of ski lessons - whether you are a complete beginner or have been skiing all your life, there are lessons available to suit your specific needs and requirements. If you are an absolute beginner, we would always highly recommend booking lessons to learn the basics and gain some confidence before heading out on to the larger and busier slopes. Not only will you gain knowledge, skill, and confidence you will also be creating a safer environment. When you are skiing you share the mountains slopes with everyone else, if you are skiing dangerously you can be putting not only yourself but also others at risk.
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Types of ski lessons
Beginner ski lessons
Beginner Ski Lessons are for those who have never been on skis before. The first few days will be a gentle introduction on the resort’s nursery slopes, building confidence and learning to control your speed with snowplough turns. It is best to check whether your resorts nursery slopes have free access before purchasing a lift pass for the week. If the nursery slopes are free to use, then you will not be using a lift pass until the end of the week which you can pay for daily in resort.
Some resorts have nursery slopes situated at the top of gondolas or lifts in which case you will require a lift pass, just give us a call to check. Once you have the basics nailed down you will head out with your instructor onto the lifts to test out your new skills on some green and blue runs.
Advanced ski lessons
Lessons are not just for beginners, there is always room for improvement and the opportunity to learn new skills or how to ski difficult terrain. You can book general advanced lessons in most resorts which will delve deeper into building confidence on black runs, improving technique and working on fixing bad habits. Some ski schools in certain resorts will also run clinics specific to certain skills, special off piste training lessons and even snow park lessons for those wanting to learn how to use the snow park rails and jumps safely.
Private ski lessons
Private lessons are available to book in most resorts for either a 1 to 1 lesson or just for you and your family. With private lessons you usually pay per session rather than signing up for a full 5 or 6 days, this is good for those wanting to enhance particular skills or just looking for a re-fresher lesson at the start of the week. Most of our suppliers do not contract private lessons but give us a call and we can point you in the right direction for the best ski schools in your chosen resort.
Groups ski lessons
Group Ski lessons are the most cost-effective way to learn to ski. Costs do vary from resort to resort and with different suppliers, but you are usually looking around £150-£200 per person for 5 or 6 days a week. In most countries’ lessons are usually around 2.5 hours a day and are taken either in the mornings or afternoons, afternoon lessons will be cheaper. Austria is slightly different; their common lessons are 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon with a break for lunch. When booking a group lesson the group size usually ranges from 6-12 people and the instructors will try their best to match people with similar experience and abilities into the same group.
Kids ski lessons
Kids ski lessons work in a very similar way to adult group lessons with usually 2.5 hours taken in either the morning or afternoon for 5 or 6 days. A lot of kids’ ski lessons have a minimum participant age which is usually around 5 or 6 but this does vary quite drastically from resort to resort.
We do work with some fantastic specialist family suppliers such as Esprit Ski and Ski Famille who run their own childcare programmes with lessons for kids starting from as young as 3. With these suppliers their childcare programmes are incredibly popular and their spaces in group lessons are limited due to strict ratio numbers, so we would highly recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
Ski schools
Ski schools in France
Ski schools in France arguably have the best instructors around due to the high level of qualifications required to become a Ski instructor here. We have listed below some of the best Ski Schools available in most resorts across France, however there are always some ski school who operate only in certain resorts so do give us a call for further information:
Ski schools in Austria
Ski Schools in Austria are very specific to each area, we have listed below some of the best but do always give us a call to discuss your chosen resort:
Ski Schools in Switzerland
Ski Schools in Switzerland are again very specific to each area, we have listed below some of the best but do always give us a call to check the options in your chosen resort:
Ski schools in Italy
There are some great Ski Schools in Italy which are again specific to each region and resort. Please see below some great options but do give us a call to discuss the best ski schools for your chosen resort:
How to book ski lessons
If you have booked your holiday through us here at SNO then just give us a call to discuss your ski lesson options. We would always recommend booking your ski lessons at the time of booking, especially if you are travelling over a peak week, as spaces in lessons are limited and can sell out. We will always check the lessons that are available through your ski holiday supplier as they will have the best rates and contracts. If your supplier does not have what you are looking for then we can help you get in touch with ski schools directly for you to get these booked independently.
Ski lessons FAQ:
Yes. For a first time skiing you should definitely get lessons as you should learn the basics of your ski equipment and safety on the slope from a professional. Once you have the basics it’s easy to head up the mountain and try to put in the practice what you’ve learnt by yourself.
It is possible to go skiing without lessons however not recommended. If you’re trying to tech yourself on the beginner slopes and are out of control/a danger to yourself and others around you then you will be removed from the learning area and told to get a lesson.
It depends on your natural ability and confidence. Some people will pick up the basics of skiing and be able to get down basic runs in half a day however others can take a week to get the basics. Usually beginners aren’t held back by their ability but their confidence.
That depends on the type of lesson (private or group) duration of the lesson, the ski school, the time of year and the resort.
The best value lessons are during low season – for 6 ½ days of lessons during low season the roughly you’re looking at between €150-175.
You won’t be an expert but you can definitely learn all you need to in a day to be able to ski across the mountain. If you’re with a more experienced group and want to be able to ski with them then it would be worth planning your route to make sure there are enough blue runs as you don’t want to end up at the top of a black with only one way down.
If you’ve got the money then yes. You get uninterrupted attention from a professional skier who will be able to solely focus on you and where you need to improve. Sometimes in group lessons there can be a few people behind the curve who often get more attention from the instructor- they do this to try and keep everyone at the same level but it can often hinder the fast learners.
You can learn to ski at any age and if you haven’t learnt already I couldn’t recommend it enough! The older you learn can make it more difficult mainly due to confidence and being more worried about falling over but if you’re an adrenaline junky you’ll definitely catch the skiing bug.
Everyone’s different. Some people pick skiing up naturally and can heading round the mountain in half a day but for others it is not so easy. The main thing that holds beginners back is confidence – if you’ve got confidence you’ll pick it up quickly.
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