Always wanted to get into snowboarding? Or maybe you want to try skiing, and this is the year? When it comes to getting started with your snow sports experience, you want to make the best start. And the best way to do this is to book a beginner holiday package with snowboarding or skiing lessons included.
I’ve been on a few packages which include lessons, and these are often the best way to both get insider advice about how to progress quickly, and make sure you’re not hurting yourself trying to work out what YouTuber lessons are telling you.
If you want to book a ski or snowboarding learner package, I’ve put together a list of some that I’ve experienced, and some other options too.
Note: There are a few affiliate links in this post, meaning we earn a commission if you do buy via them, at no additional cost to you.
Ski Hostel: Liddes, Switzerland
If you’re looking for personal tuition for skiing and you want to find a budget beginner winter sports package, I can highly recommend Ski Hostel. Based in Liddes, Switzerland, they offer a number of packages tailored to the budget crowd and are lots of fun.
Their beginner ski holiday packages include 4 hours of tuition, more than enough to get you up and skiing.
Most of the lessons take place in the Pays St Bernard resorts, which are a network of 3 ski areas across the Valais region of Switzerland. However, they’re also very close to Verbier and the 4 Vallees, one of the best ski resorts in Switzerland (and by extension, the world), and we did get to head there for a few days too.
If you’re already thinking that this sounds expensive, you might be surprised. Packages start from €950 per person, and include transfers to the resorts, half board lodgings and even transfers from Geneva Airport. (skiing or snowboarding at Verbier is extra)
It’s an excellent deal to be fair, and we thought Stefan and the crew at Ski Hostel were great fun. If you’re looking for a learn to ski holiday with all you need, this is a great option.
Check out the details at Ski Hostel.
We also had fun at La Fouly, which is one of the Pays St Bernard resorts. Check out our review of La Fouly.
Whiteside Holidays: Zakopane, Poland
As far as affordable ski and snowboarding beginner packages go, we think Zakopane is hard to beat. We did actually learn to snowboard here at the Bialka Tatrazanska resort which was great. Gaz and Monica at Whiteside are also passionate about both snowboarding and Zakopane, which makes the experience even more fun. They even took us out for some fairly wild apres ski.
Zakopane itself is a great town for beginners, with lots to do off piste, from budget dining and drinking, to museums and cultural experiences.
Take a look at our Zakopane review.
As for those beginner ski and snowboard packages? Whiteside offer a full package with all the stuff you need for £499. They fill up fast though, so book in ASAP if you’d like to take advantage.
They’re great for both adults and kids, and the terrain is perfect for beginners too. We highly rate them for top notch snowboarding holidays for beginners…
View the details at Whiteside Holidays Poland.
Les Deux Alpes Beginners Week: France
If it was down to me, I’d snowboard in Les Deux Alpes every season. If you’ve read my review of Les Deux Alpes, you’ll have noticed that I LOVED IT. There is arguably some of the best terrain in the Alps, with a glacier, some very friendly beginner terrain and a mixture of runs for all abilities. This basically means that Les Deux Alpes is one of the best resorts for your money.
And when it comes to finding snowboarding beginner packages, or first time ski holiday deals, there is a great offer from SkiWorld.
They offer an all-inclusive deal with flights, transfers, accommodation, instructors and basically everything you need to go from snowboarding zero to snowboarding superhero. And trust me, there are few places better to discover how much fun snowboarding (or skiing) can be than Les Deux Alpes.
The package with SkiWord is currently £1369 per person, for the 2023/24 season. But we think it’s an AMAZING deal considering what you get.
If you’re looking for one of the best skiing holidays for beginners, or best places to learn to snowboard, this might be the one.
View the full details of Les Deux Alpes beginners week on Skiworld.
Borovets, Bulgaria
The Bulgarian ski resort of Borovets is known for it’s budget friendly ski holiday experiences. And if you want to find some of the lowest priced lessons or packages for beginner snowboarders or skiers, this is very much a place to come.
With two hour lessons starting from under £35, you can see why it’s an appealing place to sign up for a beginner ski or snowboard package.
In addition to this, Borovets has some very affordable hotel packages, not to mention great apres ski. If you’re looking for your first experience on snow, or you want to get the kids started in a budget location, check out Borovets holiday packages.
Vogel, Slovenia
I loved Slovenia, and I thought Vogel was a great little ski resort. While it isn’t huge, there is a good variety of terrain and plenty of fun to be had, not to mention stunning views.
Slovenia is also one of the best places to learn to ski or snowboard, with some very beginner friendly terrain, not to mention budget prices. There are some great options for beginner snowboard packages from under £150 for a half day. Check out the ski package in Vogel here, or the snowboard page in Vogel here.
You either choose to stay in Ljubljana and commute to the resort, or stay closer to the action in Bled.
Grindelwald, Switzerland
If you’re looking for only the best beginners ski holiday, with premium mountain terrain, Alpine views and the full ski or snowboard experience, Grindelwald is hard to beat. In the shadow of the mighty Eiger, one of the highest mountains in the Alps, you can enjoy ski or snowboard beginners lessons and be ready to join the snow set on the mountains.
Grindelwald is a gorgeous ski resort, with snow sure terrain, a gorgeous traditional village and a relatively sedate set up – not too many hoardes of learners here.
Check out intensive snowboarding beginners lessons from CHF195, (or here for ski lessons) with a full days tuition, all the equipment you need and the lift pass included.
How much do beginner ski packages cost?
As you may have noticed, beginner ski or snowboarding packages vary in cost from place to place. They will also vary depending on whether you want private or group tuition, the amount of hours of classes you want, as well as where you are having the lessons.
A single hours tuition will likely start from around €30-35, in a group, pretty much as standard. This can obviously go up higher depending on the teacher or location.
A full day beginner ski package for around €200 is about what you would expect. However you would then expect to be ready to go out on your own by the end of that day and start putting your skills to the test. This will also depend on your own appetite for learning to ski or snowboard, and how much you want to put in, effort-wise.
We think these are a good mix of the best beginner ski packages from across Europe, with a bit of something for all budgets. It’s also worth checking out some of the options for cheap skiing in Switzerland.
Want to level up your riding skills online? Check out our list of great snowboarding YouTube channels.
