8 lesser-known ski resorts to book for half term and Easter 2025 to avoid the crowds
Small can be beautiful, and that applies to ski resorts. Sometimes you want an intimate resort with bags of charm, especially during the school holidays. Not everyone will need hundreds of kilometres of pistes to explore, particularly beginners. While some resorts are completely contained, others can be a quieter and more laid-back back door to a larger ski domain, giving you the best of both worlds. It’s also worth going beyond the usual suspects in the French, Swiss or Austrian Alps.
Deals for February half-term ski holidays are rapidly disappearing, so get moving if you want to take the family to the slopes. Easter is a relatively late affair this year, and can fall after many of the lower-altitude resorts have closed for the seasons. But have a look at some of these lesser-known resorts for inspiration on where to have a February half-term or Easter ski holiday.
Read more: Why you need to head for the Greek ski slopes this winter
Ruka, Finland
Ruka is right near the Russian border, and it’s proper winter wonderland territory. There are only 19km of slopes, and you won’t get the air-thinning heights of the Alps, but you’ll have tons of snow and charm in the log cabins dotted around the village. It’s celebrating its 70th anniversary this season, offering not just downhill skiing but also cross-country skiing, dog-sledding, snowmobiling and reindeer sleigh rides – as well as a new restaurant with an indoor sauna.
Iglu Ski has an Easter break at Ruka Village Ski-Inn Hotel and Apartments in the heart of the pedestrianised village next to the lifts. Seven nights’ self-catering from 17 April costs from £849pp, excluding flights and transfers. ruka.fi
Jasna, Slovakia
Slovakia’s largest ski area has only 50km of slopes, but Jasna in the Tatra Mountains manages to pack in a lot of variety as well as value for money. Easy and intermediate pistes mingle with the sort of black runs that feature in World Cup races, along with a challenging freeride area.
Jasna Adventures’ Dragon’s Lair chalet has self-contained apartments as well as double and family rooms. Seven nights’ half-board accommodation departing 15 February costs from €741pp, including six-day ski hire and free shuttle to and from the lifts. Flights are extra. jasna.sk
Read more: The best ski resorts for late season snow
Le Grand Bornand, France
Cheese and charm are in great abundance in Le Grand-Bornand in the Aravis Mountains. Only an hour’s drive from Geneva, this lovely little village has all the rustic Savoyard ambience you could wish for, along with cheese farms where you can pick up rounds of reblochon. The 90km of slopes include good beginner slopes as well as a few blacks and night skiing at neighbouring Manigod. Hop on the ski bus to La Clusaz for even more variety.
Peak Retreats has a week’s self-catering at Le Village de Lessy, which is a short walk from the ski lifts and has a wellness centre with an indoor pool. Prices for a one-bedroom apartment from 15 February start at £2,867 and include a Channel crossing with Le Shuttle. legrandbornand.com
Baqueira Beret, Spain
Tucked into the Spanish side of the Pyrenees, Baqueira Beret has 160km of pistes across three ski areas: Baqueira, Beret and Bonaigua. There’s something for all levels of skier – from novices on nursery slopes to experts who fancy some hardcore off-piste terrain. Ski tourers can get away from it all on several demanding mountain itineraries in the Val d’Aran.
SNO has a week’s half-board at the centrally located five-star Hotel MIM Baqueira, which has an indoor pool and spa with hot tub and sauna, departing 16 February, from £1,879pp. The price includes flights and transfers. baqueria.es
Read more: The best apres-ski holiday destinations in Europe and around the world
Alpbach, Austria
Alpbach usually appears on lists of Austria’s prettiest villages – all traditional Tirolean architecture and wooden chalets covered in snow, and connected to equally pretty neighbours Inneralpbach and Auffach. It sits within Ski Juwel’s 128km of slopes, offering a good range for all abilities, and it’s less than an hour from Innsbruck airport. Non-skiers in the party enjoy the fact that the mountain restaurants and their open-air terraces are accessible by gondola, and there’s also a 5km toboggan run.
Crystal Ski has seven nights’ B&B at the friendly family-run Pension Fürstenhof, departing 15 February, from £2,048pp. The price includes flights and transfers. alpbachtal.at
Les Carroz, France
The Grand Massif ski domain is often in the shadow of its bigger, glitzier neighbours such as the Trois Vallées. Most skiers usually head to the big resort of Flaine, but if you prefer traditional Savoyard beauty to Flaine’s brutalist architecture, base yourself in the attractive village of Les Carroz. You’ll have wooded slopes just above the village as well as the big bowls of the Grand Massif itself. When you’re not ice skating or dog sledding, relax in the village’s Aquacîme spa centre.
Erna Low has a week’s self-catering at the Chalets de Léana in the centre of the village, which features an indoor pool and spa. For a 15 February departure, prices start at £2,803pp and include flights and transfers. Accommodation only starts at £1,802pp. lescarroz.com
Read more: How to have a ‘grown-up’ ski season in your 40s
Mürren, Switzerland
Mürren is exquisite, a gorgeous little village that happens to have superb views of the Eiger, Jungfrau and Mönch. And then there’s the Schilthorn run, whose 88 per cent incline is the steepest in the Jungfrau valley. The famous Piz Gloria restaurant at the top of the Schilthorn, which Bond fans will recognise from 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, has been closed all season while a new cableway is being built. But come at Easter after the new cableway reopens in late March.
Iglu Ski has a seven-night break at Hotel Blumental in the centre of the village, with prices including breakfast starting at £721pp. Flights and transfers are extra. muerren.ch
Monterosa Ski, Italy
Another underrated ski domain, Monterosa Ski spreads out across the Aosta Valley south of Cervinia, with three ski villages to choose from: Champoluc, Gressoney and Alagna. You’ll have the resorts pretty much to yourself during the week before Italian weekenders arrive on a Saturday. While there’s a good variety of terrain throughout, Monterosa’s big draw are its off-piste and heli-skiing.
Ski Solutions has a week’s half-board at Chalet du Lys, which is a short walk from the ski lifts and features a spa with a hot tub, sauna and steam room. Prices start at £1,295pp for accommodation only for a 12 April departure. visitmonterosa.com
Read more: Make the most of your snow sports holiday with TravelSmart
