February is a great time to go skiing in Europe. About this time you usually get plenty of snow, and the slopes are relatively quiet until the schools break up. This is peak winter season though, so prices aren’t always the most budget friendly.
But saying that, there are plenty of great places to snowboard or ski in Europe in February. And, lucky for you, we’ve summed them up right here.
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Val d’Isere, France
Val d’Isere is the perfect place to ski in Europe in February, and as one of the best ski resorts in the world, you’ll find great conditions pretty much any time in the season.
The resort is located at 1850 metres, with the highest point at 3456 metres, making this one of the best snow sure ski resorts in the Alps. And being famous for it’s premium ski experience, Val d”isere has terrain catering to different levels of difficulty–from beginner to expert. Val D’Isere town offers plenty of amenities, such as restaurants, shops and bars and the apres ski is legendary. This is the home of the original Folie Douce after all…
If you’re looking for something more challenging than just skiing down a mountain slope then Val d’Isere has plenty for you too. You can try ice skating or paragliding; visit one of its many museums; take an excursion up Mont Blanc (Europe’s highest peak); go sledding down Le Brévent with your family and go dog sledding.
Val d’Isere is undoubtedly one of the best places to ski in February in the Alps – so if you have the budget for this top grade ski resort we strongly recommend you check it out.
Find deals to Val d’Isere with SkiWorld.
Sestriere (Via Lattea), Italy
Sestriere is a ski resort in the Italian Alps, part of the bigger Via Lattea, or Milky Way. The ski area also includes Sauze d’Oulx and crosses over the border to France at Montgenevre. Located in the province of Turin, Sestriere is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for skiers and snowboarders thanks to it’s expansive ski area (we’re talking 400 kms of pistes here).
The town itself has a population of around 2,500 people but during winter months when there’s snow on the ground, Sestriere swells with crowds from all over Europe who come to enjoy its slopes. Although some of the lift infrastructure is a little dated and not quite French standards, the Via Lattea is pretty snow sure, with 80% of the resort above 1800 metres. It’s also a short hop from Turin making it great for a long weekend ski trip.
The Via Lattea ski resorts are also well known for their apres ski, especially Sestriere, and of course the food is great (this is Italy after all). If you’re looking for a region with great snow in February, Sestriere and the Via Lattea ski resorts will likely hit the spot.
Find Via Lattea/Sestriere deals on Europe-Mountains.
Val Thorens, France
One of the most popular ski resorts in France, Val Thorens is a part of the Three Valleys (Trois Vallées) region. Sitting at 2300 metres, with the highest runs from 3200 metres, you’ve got some great snow up here. In fact, when it comes to choosing somewhere which will likely have guaranteed snow in February,
The town of Val Thorens is surrounded by mountains and has more than 150 kilometers of ski runs. However, as part of the wider Trois Vallées region, there are up to 600 kms of incredible high Alpine skiing. You’ll be able to ski Courchevel, Les Menuires, Méribel, Brides les Bains and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville.
The high altitude slopes and expansive terrain mean that Val Thorens is both one of the earliest ski resorts to open, and one of the last to close in the Alps. And of course, with excellent and varied ski terrain, it’s well suited to everyone from beginners or family ski breaks, to the more advanced piste munchers and freeriders.
As for the town itself, nightlife is varied and lively, shopping is excellent as is the cuisine (Obviously) and of course there is plenty to do with the kids if you need a non-snow day.
Find some of the best deals on SkiWorld.
St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria
The Arlberg ski region is the biggest in Austria, and St Anton is pretty much the centre of attention here. The town of St. Anton am Arlberg lies at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range, with Zurs and Lech offering a more premium experience within the region.
Arlberg has a ski area covering over 300km of runs and is popular with skiers from all over Europe. Of course Austria is also great for apres ski, and St Anton is probably one of the most vibrant of Austrian ski resorts.
To be honest, St Anton is busy all through the winter, especially on the weekends. Being a short transfer (around 1 hour 20) from Innsbruck, it is popular with weekenders.
But if you’re looking for great ski and snowboarding in February, you’ll be hard pressed to find somewhere more fun than St Anton in Austria.
Find the best deals to St Anton and Austria with Snowtrex.
Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt is a great place to ski in February. Although it’s not the biggest resort in Switzerland (thats the 4 Vallees/Verbier), it is one of the prettiest with the Matterhorn dominating the skyline and the pedestrianised resort of Zermatt below.
Being this deep in the Alps, it’s always good for fresh snow, even if everywhere else is lacking. But Zermatt is snowsure in February and easily one of the best places to ski in Europe at any time of the winter season.
Granted, it’s not the cheapest option. But you can often find great ski deals on sites like Snowtrex and Skiworld.
If you’re looking for a more affordable option, look at Breuil-Cervinia in Italy, which is just over the border and shares it’s ski area with Zermatt. Same terrain, less expensive!
Crans Montana, Switzerland
While Verbier, St Moritz and Zermatt get all the headlines, there are a number of great ski resorts scattered around Switzerland that are excellent in February. One of these, Crans Montana, is an absolute gem of a ski resort, with the highest point topping out at just under 3000 metres.
We checked out Crans Montana in December 2023, and can attest to the high quality of the terrain and the town itself, as well as some of the great freeriding to be found within the resort.
Read our full Crans Montana review.
Whats more, despite it’s premium reputation, Crans Montana falls very much into the bracket of surprisingly affordable ski resorts. It’s also easy to reach by train transfer from Geneva airport.
Other options along this stretch of Switzerland include Azere, Grimentz and Les Diablarets – all of which offer fantastic snow sure terrain.
Val Gardena/Alpe di Siusi, Italy
Val Gardena is a great place to ski in February, located in the high altitude Dolomites in Italy. And as part of the Dolomiti superski, you have access to an insane 1200 kms of pistes (not interlinked, but easy to get between them all). You’ve got most of the resorts here at an altitude of around 1500 metres, with the highest points being over 3000 metres.
If you want to learn how to ski or snowboard, this is a great spot for beginners because of its wide range of slopes and easy access from the village at Alpe di Siusi. It’s also good for families with small children since there are many parks and lifts for kids that have shorter queues than the main ones.
The snow coverage is excellent here – on average there’s 80cm (31in) per season!
Smaller resorts in the area such as Ortisei make a great place to explore the Dolomite region, and also offer some budget ski packages for some incredible ski terrain.
Take a look at Snowtrex for some tasty deals to Val Gardena and the Dolomites.
Andorra
It’s not just the Alps! The Pyrenees also often get a good dump of fresh snow around this time of year, making a trip to the expanse of Grandvalira or the smaller Ordino-Arcalis well worth it. We loved our trip to Andorra (which was in late February) and the terrain is perfectly suited to both beginners and intermediates, with plenty for the expert and off-piste crowd too.
The mountains here don’t quite match the Alps for height, with the top line at 2640 metres. But with 210 kms of ski terrain in Grandvalira, not to mention options to ski Ordino-Arcalis and Pal-Arinsal as well, with the same pass, you will have plenty to explore in Andorra. And February is usually pretty snow sure here.
To add to this, the apres ski in Pas de la Casa is excellent, with pockets of excellent and relatively cheap apres ski in other Andorran resorts such as Soldeu. And… If that wasn’t enough, you will also find some great deals to Andorra around this time of year.
Keep an eye on Snowtrex for some excellent Andorra ski offers.
Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy
Cortina D’Ampezzo is a great place to ski in February. It’s another resort in the Dolomites, the largest ski area in the Alps and there are over 120km of pistes that wind through this Italian resort town. Speaking of the town, the resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo is a mixture of traditional and luxurious, with this resort often being compared to Val Thorens in France or Lech in Austria. As such, it’s great for ski and snowboard with a luxury element, especially in the height of the season around February.
Off the mountain, the apres ski is excellent, and there are a number of winter sport activities from tobogganing to ice skating. This is all thanks to the towns pedigree as a previous host of the Winter Olympic Games (granted it was ages ago in 1956).
Despite being premium in feel, there are actually some great deals on Snowtrex.
Kitzbueheler Alpen, Austria
Kitzbueheler Alpen is a popular ski resort in Austria, located in the Tyrol region. It’s easy to get to from Munich, Innsbruck or Salzburg and it’s a great place to go skiing if you want something more than just downhill runs. The resort has lots of different slopes for all levels, including some for beginners as well as many challenging black diamonds for experts. There are also plenty of activities outside of skiing such as snowshoeing and ice skating!
Almost anywhere in the Austrian Alps is perfect for skiing in February, but we think Kitzbuhel is one of those ski resorts that everyone should visit at least once!
Lillehammer, Norway
Lillehammer is a great place to ski in February. It has lots of snow, and you can get there by train from Oslo in about two hours. The resort is also great for families with kids, who will love all the activities on offer at the resort–from tobogganing to ice skating and snowmobiling!
Norway is also a relatively under-explored ski destination for Brits, and it isn’t the cheapest option. But there is lots to love. The Norwegians are great fun, the country is stunningly beautiful and you might even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights!
If trekking into deepest Norway doesn’t appeal, there is also a ski resort in the city limits of Oslo! Tryvan, or Oslo Vinterpark, offers 9kms of skiable terrain, and you can commute from the city in 20 minutes. A fun day out!
Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy/Chamonix, France
If you’re looking for more of a European experience, Courmayeur is a great option. It’s not as crowded as other ski resorts in Europe and it’s also close to Chamonix so you can take advantage of the variety of terrain.
If you want to spend your February skiing down through the Alps with less people around, Courmayeur is an excellent choice! There are plenty of runs for beginners and intermediates alike–and if you’re feeling adventurous, there are some challenging black diamonds available too!
Chamonix is always popular, due to its proximity to Geneva, and a great choice to ski or snowboard in February. The problem with Chamonix in February is that it can be very busy, so consider other options nearby.
But don’t just think about the slopes when it comes time for February skiing in Italy/France; there’s also plenty going on off-hill at night as well! Chamonix is known for great apres ski too.
Read our guide: All about apres ski
Grindelwald/Jungfrau, Switzerland
Grindelwald sits in the shadow of the mighty Eiger, one of Europe’s tallest mountains. The highest point in the ski resort is actually around 2500 metres, with 154 kms of skiable terrain. But you’re in a great spot for some of the best snow in the Alps, excellent terrain, and with a surprisingly affordable resort too.
The Jungfrau ski area includes three resorts, of which Grindelwald is just one of them (but the biggest and best).
Find some of the best prices for Jungfrau ski area on Europe-Mountains.
To be honest, anywhere in Switzerland is a good spot for skiing during the peak winter months. And while many people might shy away from Switzerland because of the perceived cost, there are actually plenty of snow sure but affordable ski resorts in Switzerland.
Check out our article: Cheapest ski resorts in Switzerland.
Where to ski outside of Europe during February
Want to head further afield? Well, its not just snowing in Europe in February. If you have the time and inclination, jump on a long haul flight to one of these great ski resorts.
- Alta Ski Area, Utah, USA: This is where you’ll find the largest vertical drop at any resort in North America (2,000 feet). It’s also home to more than 1,300 acres of skiable terrain and over 500 different trails–all within a few hours’ drive of Salt Lake City. If you’re looking for something different from your typical European mountain experience, this could be just what you need.
- Whistler/Blackcomb, Canada: Arguably the best ski resort in North America, and definitely the biggest, Whistler is a ski and snowboarders dream. If you want snowsure, stunning views and great food, this is a must visit. Oh and you won’t need your school French either.
- Hakuba Valley (Hakuba), Japan: This Japanese skiing mecca offers some great off-piste opportunities that would be hard to come by elsewhere on this list. The unique geography here makes for an unusually steep slope profile; so if challenging runs are your thing then this place might be worth checking out!
However, conditions look good in Europe for the rest of February 2024. Read our winter 2024 weather update.
In Summary
There are plenty of places to ski in Europe in February. In fact, as this is peak season, pretty much anywhere in the Alps will be a good spot for some snow terrain. Of course, check the weather forecast to see when the latest snowfall was and when it’s expected again.
If you’re looking for an afforable package, we love Skiworld – who offer fully inclusive deals with flights from the UK.
For best prices, check out Snowtrex and Estiber, who both offer great ski packages with lift passes included.
