Norway: the surprising answer to every parent’s Easter ski holiday nightmare
If you’re a family wanting a snow-sure ski holiday, travelling during the school holidays is the stuff of nightmares. Opt to visit many of the most popular French resorts during half term at February or Easter and the pistes are packed, the lift queues long and the accommodation prices double the term-time alternative.
But here’s a secret – it doesn’t have to be this way. Trysil, the largest ski area in Norway, is the family ski destination you’ve been looking for. The lure of uncrowded slopes, spacious and fairly-priced ski-in/ski-out accommodation, and laidback Scandi friendliness has certainly changed my opinion of skiing with school-age children.
Long championing the benefits of a winter holiday to Norway (and Sweden) is Ski Scandinavia, a specialist operator whose flagship resort is Trysil. Having spent time there with my husband, six-year-old daughter and my parents, it puts any downsides of a family ski trip during school holidays in the shade.
Snow-sure and crowd-free slopes
Trysil has a very respectable 81km of slopes, which for a week’s family skiing is perfectly acceptable. From the SkiStar Lodge hotel, a swathe of gentle green runs spread out, turning to blue and then red as the Trysilfjellet mountain gets steeper. On the resort’s higher slopes, pine trees drooping with heavy pillows of snow are dotted around. Lower down, the trees become more dense, and steeper runs, including World Cup training-worthy black runs, cut through the forest.
When we visited during the Easter holidays, the longest queue we experienced was for five minutes at the main T2 six-man chairlift from Turistsenteret. The slopes were peaceful, and it was possible to get served in mountain restaurants in under five minutes. The whole place was a far cry from a peak week in the Alps.
As for the late-season snow conditions, one of the joys of Trysil, and skiing in Scandinavia in general, comes from its northern latitude. This means that, even at low altitudes (the resort sits at 350m and the slopes rise to 1,100m), snow is pretty much guaranteed from December through to April. Temperatures stay low well into spring, making Easter the school-holiday sweetspot; in February, temperatures often won’t get above freezing – which can be a challenge if you have young children in tow.
Surprising value
Our only major hesitation before booking a trip to Norway was the question of cost once we arrived – I’d heard rumours of a bottle of house wine costing £100 and a beer over £10. It turned out to be hearsay – speaking to fellow parent Claire Badger, a teacher from Lichfield, on holiday with her husband, two sons and parents-in-law, she was pleasantly surprised to have spent less than they budgeted for, on a mix of eating in, lunches on the mountain and meals out. In reality, a bottle of house wine at the SkiStar Lodge was just under £40.
Good value pricing is where Ski Scandinavia comes into its own. A week’s half-board holiday in a two-bedroom apartment starts from £1,749 per person at Easter, which includes charter flights, transfers, breakfasts, three-course dinners and complimentary childcare. To cut the cost further, self-catering options start from £1,329. Once in the resort, a six-day lift pass is £223 (children under seven ski for free) and equipment hire costs from £71 – prices not too dissimilar to budget-friendly destinations in the Alps.
Family focused
Having been in business for 21 years, it’s not surprising that Ski Scandinavia knows the secret to the perfect family holiday. “I’m really passionate about sharing Norway and Sweden with families,” said Ben Nybourg, managing director. “I’ve raised my own family in Sweden and think there’s so much that the Scandinavians just get right.”
Not least of which is their approach to learning to ski. At the funSki Academy, my six-year-old daughter quickly bonded with her instructor Ella and her small group spent their time weaving between the trees, charging through the Fun Ride snow park, and chasing after Valle the snowman mascot.
Another thing the Scandinavians get right is their preference for having plenty of space and independence on a ski holiday. The majority of hotel rooms at the SkiStar Lodge are apartments and suites. Our apartment with a connecting room gave us three bedrooms (two doubles and one bunk bed room), two bathrooms, plus a large living area with a kitchen and dining table, and the floor-to-ceiling windows provided excellent star-spotting opportunities at night.
At the end of the day, families opt for either the slope-side bar or the hotel’s indoor/outdoor pool. We couldn’t keep our daughter away from the pool, but we also borrowed sledges and built an igloo, plus there’s a free bus to take guests bowling, husky sledding and to more bars and restaurants.
The final secret? A ski holiday to Trysil couldn’t be more convenient. Ski Scandinavia charter exclusive fights from London Gatwick to Scandinavia Mountain Airport, a laughably easy 40-minute drive from Trysil. The airport is so small that, when we departed, we had the place to ourselves. It felt like a fitting end to an effortless family ski holiday.
Essentials
A week’s holiday to Trysil with skiScandinavia costs from £1,614 per person, including half board, flights and transfers, departing April 7 2024.
Rebecca was a guest of Ski Scandinavia.
