Nothing beats a ski holiday with a group of your closest friends! No matter if half the group wants to tackle black pistes and the other half is still on nursery slopes, you can be sure everyone will get a chance to bond at the après-ski. Loads of ski resorts make it easy to book group packages that include accommodation, ski pass and even rental equipment. All that's left is to narrow down the top ski areas for a group holiday with friends!
The most popular ski resort in the Ötztal valley has pistes for beginner and advanced skiers alike, and as soon as early afternoon hits the après-ski bars get going here in Sölden-Hochsölden. Party it up in the classic umbrella bars and if you're lucky you might even catch an edition of the Electric Mountain festival, an outdoor music festival which takes place right on the slopes.
Les Deux Alpes is an ideal spot for a ski holiday with the lads. Beginner and expert skiers and boarders alike will find something to satisfy them on the slopes here, and the ski area is relatively inexpensive by French standards. Perhaps most importantly, Les Deux Alpes is home to La Grotte du Yeti, one of the most famous après-ski bars in France. From December 14-21 you can also hit up the annual Rise music festival.
Kitzbühel & Kirchberg offer almost 180km of pistes between the two of them, as well as a rousing après-ski scene that will keep you partying until late in the night. Kirchberg is perfect for the first-timers in the group, as it has free nursery slopes for making your first turns on skis. Overall, the ski area has something for everybody.
Andorra is a British destination par excellence when it comes to ski holidays with friends, and El Tarter offers ski holidays slightly off the beaten track. Take a day trip to Pas de la Casa if you and your group have the ski legs for its, then return to El Tarter to après-ski with the locals at the base of the slopes. The whole country is basically set up for one big giant ski holiday and you can't go wrong no matter which resort you stay at!
Mayrhofen is one of the most popular student destinations in Austria. The village is part of the Ski Zillertal 3000 ski area, which is best suited to intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Experts can try their hand at the steepest slope experience in Austria, the Harakiri piste. Freestylers can head to the Vans Penken snow park, and for après-ski there is no shortage of bars including the Ice Bar and the Brück’n Stadl. If snow cover is lacking, the nearby Hintertux Glacier will save the day.
St. Anton am Arlberg is officially the birthplace of après-ski, home to the legendary Mooserwirt and Krazy Kanguruh pubs that started it all. The skiing is not too shabby either, with more than 300km of slopes to explore in the massive Ski Arlberg linked ski area. You'll need a full wallet to take a ski holiday at St. Anton but the craic will be well worth it.
The beautiful ski resort of Val Gardena in Italy is a favourite with Brits and it's no wonder why: sunny slopes, Italian hospitality and those gorgeous, unique Dolomites... See it all with a lap of the Sella Ronda ski circuit, the perfect activity to try with a group of friends that have more or less the same ability level. Ski holidays in Italy have a special flavour all their own... oh right, pizza!
The highest ski resort in Europe and home to La Folie Douce, Val Thorens is one of France's premier destinations for après-ski. The village lies smack-dab in the middle of the ski area and gives easy access to all levels of slopes. Experts also have the entire Les Trois Vallées to explore. This is one of the biggest linked ski areas in the world, boasting more than 600km of pistes.
Châtel is an authentic French mountain town located in the famous Les Portes du Soleil ski area. This massive linked ski area straddles the border between France and Switzerland, with skiing in both countries. This village is more about the skiing than the après-ski, and perfect for more serious groups that want to rack up the piste kilometres during their ski holiday.
Another ski resort that's perfectly suited to students is Superdévoluy, dirt cheap by alpine standards and boasting a pretty little town with ski-in, ski-out accommodation. Après-ski here is a cosy affair, with not many bars - perfect because you have less chances of losing your friends during your night out! The ski area has around 100km of pistes, the perfect size for an intimate ski holiday with good friends.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
