A family resort is about more than green runs. It means a nursery that takes the very youngest, a snow garden a short walk from the chalet, free lifts for those first turns, and an altitude that suits your children’s ages. The lists doing the rounds tend to settle for small, inexpensive resorts. We took a different approach: the official label, resort by resort, the age at which childcare begins, and what the health authority says about babies at altitude.
Family resorts at a glance
- Famille Plus label: Courchevel, Val d’Isère, Tignes, La Rosière, Les Menuires and Val Thorens, plus Les Houches in the Chamonix valley.
- Childcare for the very young: from 3 months in Les Menuires, 6 months in Courchevel, 9 months at Arc 1950, 10 months in Megève, 18 months in Méribel.
- Snow garden: from around 3, depending on the ski school.
- Free lift pass: for under-5s in Les 3 Vallées and Megève, for under-8s in Val d’Isère and Tignes.
- Babies: under one year, France’s public health council, the Haut Conseil de la santé publique, flags a higher risk above 1600m.
Famille Plus, the official benchmark
Famille Plus is a national label. It was created by three associations of tourist towns, with state backing, and is awarded on application, after an audit, for three years. Each resort commits to six things: a welcome designed for families, entertainment for every age, prices that work for everyone, activities to enjoy together or apart, shops and services close at hand, and staff who pay attention to children. According to the label, 42 mountain destinations hold it.
Among our destinations, Courchevel, Val d’Isère, Tignes, La Rosière, Les Menuires and Val Thorens hold the label, as does Les Houches, at the foot of Mont Blanc. Méribel, Megève, Les Arcs, Sainte-Foy and Chamonix are not on the official list, which does not stop them looking after children very well: the label is a guide, not a verdict.
The best family ski resorts in the Northern Alps
Courchevel
A Famille Plus resort since 2010, Courchevel has the advantage of villages stepped from 1100m to 1850m, so you can choose your altitude to suit your children’s ages. Two municipal day nurseries, at La Tania and Moriond (1650), take children from 6 months. At Moriond, the ski school welcomes 3 to 5-year-olds in a secure area. Beginners will find wide, gentle runs around Pralong, Ariondaz or Bellecôte, and 1850 has its Family Park, with themed runs. Children under 5 get a free Les 3 Vallées lift pass, and free shuttle buses link all the villages.
Val d’Isère
Also a Famille Plus resort, Val d’Isère, at 1850m, has put its children at the heart of the village. The snow garden, on the front de neige, takes 3 to 4-year-olds in small groups of eight at most. Three lifts are free for beginners, including the Savonnette drag lift, where parents who don’t ski can watch their children progress from the village. On Solaise, the ValKids area welcomes children with an igloo and a mini zip line, and the Tignes-Val d’Isère lift pass is free for under-8s. The village crèche takes the youngest children up to 3; the starting age, 12 or 18 months depending on which tourist office page you read, is confirmed when you book.
Les Menuires
A Famille Plus resort since 2006, Les Menuires, at 1850m, looks after babies from 3 months, at the nursery of the La Croisette ski school. The label describes it as “100% ski-in ski-out”. On the Montagnette green run, arches and totems guide young learners, and for children under 20 months the nursery asks for a medical certificate confirming they are fit for group childcare above 1800m.
La Rosière
A Famille Plus resort for more than ten years, La Rosière, at 1850m, makes the most of being a village on a human scale. The Galopins club takes 3 to 12-year-olds, two Piou-Piou clubs welcome 3 to 7-year-olds, and the Lutins carpet lift and the Manessier drag lift are free for beginners. There is no crèche open to holidaymakers, but a nursery nurse will look after children where you are staying from 3 months. Everything is covered in our guide to La Rosière with the family.
Méribel
It may not be on the label’s official list, but Méribel has plenty going for it. Seven free lifts are spread across the lower slopes, the Inuits and Animaux runs keep little ones entertained, and Mottaret, at 1750m, is built at the foot of the pistes. The day nursery takes children from 18 months to 3 years, and the child’s health record (carnet de santé) is required; for younger children, the tourist office keeps a list of babysitters. The snow gardens welcome 3 to 5-year-olds, and the Les 3 Vallées lift pass is free for under-5s.
Megève
Also missing from the official list, Megève relies on its village and its neighbourhoods. The village crèche takes children from 10 months to 4 years, the leisure centre takes 3 to 12-year-olds, and the ski school starts children from 3. Beginner lifts are spread across Rochebrune and Mont d’Arbois, the lift pass is free for under-5s, and after skiing there is the ice rink, dog sledding and a reindeer farm to share.
Les Arcs
In Les Arcs, each altitude has its own character. Arc 1600, more intimate, appeals to families; Arc 1800 strings together four pedestrian villages; at Arc 1950 you stay on your skis, and the kids’ club crèche takes children from 9 months to 3 years, followed by the kids’ club itself from 3. At Arc 2000, a day nursery looks after little ones up to 6.
Tignes, Sainte-Foy and the Chamonix valley
Tignes, which holds the label, shares Val d’Isère’s lift pass, free for under-8s, but its villages range from 1550m at Les Brévières to 2150m at Val Claret. Sainte-Foy, at 1550m, is an authentic, unspoilt village where first lessons at the ski school start at 3 and a half. In the Chamonix valley, it is Les Houches, at 1000m, that holds the label, with a nursery for 3 to 11-year-olds 200m from the snow garden.
A family ski resort at the foot of the pistes
With children, being at the foot of the pistes changes everything: no shuttle bus with the little ones’ skis, back at the chalet in time for an afternoon snack, parents who can take turns. Les Menuires bills itself as entirely ski-in ski-out, Mottaret is built on the edge of Méribel’s pistes, at Arc 1950 you keep your skis on all day, and in Val d’Isère the Savonnette front de neige runs right up to the village. Our chalets at the foot of the pistes are gathered in one selection, with dedicated pages for Courchevel, Méribel and Val d’Isère.
Which ski resort for a 2 or 3-year-old?
Ski school snow gardens take children from around 3, depending on the school: 3 to 4 in Val d’Isère and Les Houches, from their third birthday in Méribel, 3 and a half in Sainte-Foy, and in Chamonix children must be out of nappies. Before that, everything hinges on childcare, and this is where resorts really differ. The minimum ages published by the resorts:
| Resort | Childcare from | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Les Menuires | 3 months | ski school nursery |
| La Rosière | 3 months | childcare where you are staying, by a nursery nurse |
| Courchevel | 6 months | La Tania and Moriond day nurseries |
| Les Arcs (Arc 1950) | 9 months | kids’ club crèche |
| Megève | 10 months | village crèche |
| Méribel | 18 months | ski school day nursery |
| Val d’Isère | 12 or 18 months, depending on the tourist office page | village crèche |
Places are limited everywhere: book childcare at the same time as the chalet, especially during the school holidays. To plan the rest of the week, see our guide to family ski holidays.
Which ski resort with a baby?
Altitude is the first question to ask. In its 2026 recommendations for travellers, France’s Haut Conseil de la santé publique states that, up to 12 months, the risk of sudden infant death is high above 1600m, and that high altitude, above 2000 to 2500m, is not recommended for infants. It is not a ban, but it is a good reason to talk to your paediatrician before choosing a village.
And that threshold runs straight through our resorts. Below 1600m: Courchevel Le Praz (1300m), La Tania (1400m) and Courchevel Village (1550m), Méribel (1450m) and Méribel Village (1400m), Sainte-Foy (1550m), Tignes Les Brévières (1550m), Chamonix and Les Houches, at around 1000m. Above it: Courchevel Moriond and 1850, Mottaret, Val d’Isère, La Rosière, Les Menuires, the villages of Les Arcs from Arc 1800 upwards, and the other villages of Tignes, up to 2150m. Within a single resort, then, the choice of village can make all the difference.
Small resort or big ski area?
A small resort has its charms: a village on a human scale, slopes where you soon find the children again, fewer people. Sainte-Foy and La Rosière are good examples. But large ski areas have strengths that are easily overlooked: free beginner lifts, as in Méribel or Val d’Isère, free lift passes for the youngest, and pistes for every level, a real advantage when the parents ski well and the children are just starting. In Les 3 Vallées, from Courchevel or Méribel, everyone skis at their own pace and the whole family meets up at lunchtime.
And Switzerland? The country has its own label, Family Destination, awarded by the Fédération suisse du tourisme. Crans-Montana earned it in 2016, then for 2019 to 2021 and 2022 to 2024 according to press reports, and its holiday crèche welcomes families all winter.
AEC tip. With a baby, talk to your paediatrician about altitude before choosing the village: in Courchevel, Le Praz and Courchevel Village sit below 1600m while still giving you access to the whole ski area. And ask us for a chalet close to the nursery or the snow garden: at 7, children are happy to walk; at 3, every metre counts.
Where to stay
Our chalets are grouped by resort, from Courchevel to Val d’Isère, from Megève to La Rosière. To compare resorts from a different angle, see our guide to luxury ski resorts.
The simplest thing is to write to us: tell us your dates, the number of adults and your children’s ages, and our agents will suggest chalets that suit your family.
The best memory of a family ski week often comes down to something very small: a child’s first turn, cheered on from the bottom of the piste.
What is the best ski resort for children?
There isn’t just one: it all depends on your children’s ages. Among the major resorts in the Alps, Courchevel, Val d’Isère, Tignes, La Rosière, Les Menuires and Val Thorens hold the Famille Plus label. Above all, look at the age childcare starts, the distance to the snow garden, free beginner lifts and the altitude of the village.
What is the Famille Plus label?
A national label created by three associations of tourist towns, with state backing. It is awarded on application and after an audit, for three years, to towns that commit to welcoming families and to providing entertainment, suitable prices, activities and services for children. According to the label, 42 mountain destinations hold it.
Which ski resorts in Savoie have the Famille Plus label?
The major Savoie resorts with the label include Courchevel, Val d’Isère, Tignes, La Rosière, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. Méribel, Les Arcs and Sainte-Foy are not on the official list.
Which ski resort is best for a 3-year-old?
One where the snow garden is close to the chalet: most ski schools take children from around 3, at 3 to 4 in Val d’Isère and from their third birthday in Méribel, but not until 3 and a half in Sainte-Foy. Free beginner lifts, as in Val d’Isère, Méribel or La Rosière, are a real bonus.
From what age can a baby go into childcare at a ski resort?
It depends on the resort: from 3 months in Les Menuires, 6 months in Courchevel, 9 months at Arc 1950, 10 months in Megève, 18 months in Méribel, and 12 or 18 months in Val d’Isère depending on the tourist office page. In La Rosière, a nursery nurse looks after children where you are staying from 3 months. Book childcare at the same time as the chalet.
Can you go skiing with a baby under one?
Yes, but altitude matters. The Haut Conseil de la santé publique notes that, up to 12 months, the risk of sudden infant death is high above 1600m, and advises against high altitude, above 2000 to 2500m, for infants. Talk to your paediatrician before choosing the village: in Courchevel, for example, Le Praz is at 1300m and Courchevel Village at 1550m.
Which family ski resorts are at the foot of the pistes?
Les Menuires bills itself as entirely ski-in ski-out, Méribel-Mottaret is built at the foot of the pistes, Arc 1950 keeps you on your skis, and in Val d’Isère the snow front runs right up to the village. Our chalets at the foot of the pistes are gathered in one selection.
