Which mountain resort is best suited to families with children?

The best mountain resort for families with children is rarely the one with the most ski lifts. When travelling with children, the week is determined by completely different factors: how many metres it is from the door to the lift, how easy it is to get a place at the ski school, whether there’s a gentle practice area that isn’t intimidating, and what you do at three o’clock when everyone’s run out of energy. Anyone who chooses a resort based on the number of kilometres of slopes almost always gets it wrong.

Here, we compare five resorts that all market themselves to families – Sälen, Idre Fjäll, Kläppen, Branäs and Vemdalen – based on the criteria that really make a difference in everyday life. Are you already looking for family accommodation in Sälen The section on distance further down is the most important part of what you’ll read.

A quick comparison: five contenders for the best mountain resort for families with children

Here’s how the towns differ in the things that matter most when you have children:

• Sälen: the widest range – four resorts, each with its own children’s area, the most places at ski schools and the country’s largest selection of accommodation right next to the slopes.
• Idre Fjäll: Compact and easy to navigate, with accommodation clustered close to the slopes and excellent snow conditions.
• Kläppen: Small-scale and short distances, everything within sight – it’s easy to keep the family together.
• Branäs: The smallest of the five areas, but very family-friendly, and the shortest journey for people in western Sweden.
• Vemdalen: Björnrike is one of Sweden’s best slopes for beginners, but you’ll need a car to get between the three separate areas.

Neither place is unsuitable for children. The difference lies in scale: the larger town offers choice, whilst the smaller one offers a sense of familiarity.

What really matters when it comes to children is distance, not the number of lifts

A five-year-old can manage to carry their own skis for about fifty metres. That figure sets the tone for the whole week. If your accommodation is situated so that you can step straight out in your ski boots and make your way to the lift without a car, you’ll get two extra runs a day and avoid the worst of the whingeing; if it’s a ten-minute drive away, every morning becomes a logistical nightmare involving parking, packing and wet gloves. That’s why a small resort in a perfect location almost always beats a large resort in a poor location when the children are young. Prioritise holiday cottages within easy reach of the slopes above all else, and then let the location be determined by what else is available.

Beginners’ terrain and green runs by resort

All five resorts have green runs, but they are designed differently. Sälen has several large, wide and very gentle practice areas with carpet lifts, spread across all four resorts, plus long green runs where children can ski a good distance without encountering any steep sections. Idre Fjäll and Kläppen have concentrated beginners’ areas near the bottom stations, which is convenient but can get crowded during the school holidays. Björnrike in Vemdalen has unusually even and extensive beginner terrain and is considered by many to be Sweden’s most family-friendly ski resort. Branäs has the smallest range of options, but also the shortest distances. One detail worth checking out when you’re there: how the children can get from the green runs to the blue runs without being forced down a slope they can’t manage. Read more about child-friendly slopes in Sälenfjällen for specific examples.

Ski school, childcare and toboggan runs

The ski school is the area where the larger resorts really pull ahead. Sälen offers the most sessions, the most instructors and, consequently, the best chance of securing a place at your preferred time, even if you book late – in smaller resorts, places for the school holidays sell out quickly. Childcare for the very youngest children is available in various forms at all five resorts, but with very different age limits, opening hours and booking rules; it’s always worth phoning to enquire rather than relying on a website. Sledging slopes and play areas are everywhere, but do distinguish between a groomed, marked-out sledging slope and a slope behind the car park. We’ve put together a guide on how ski school and childcare is discussed in Sälen in a separate article.

Days without skiing: swimming, dog sledging and indoor activities

With children, at least one day a week ends up being a non-skiing day, whether due to the weather, tiredness or a cold. This is where the resorts differ significantly. Sälen offers the widest range of activities in the country, with a water park, bowling, dog sledding, family snowmobile tours and a large number of restaurants within a reasonable distance. Idre Fjäll and Vemdalen have swimming facilities and a few activities, but on a smaller scale. Kläppen and Branäs have fewer options and, in practice, require a car journey. If you have two weeks or are travelling with children of different ages, this is often the deciding factor. See which ones activities for the whole family which is available when the slope is closed.

Accommodation: ski-in/ski-out versus driving every morning

The range of accommodation varies more between the resorts than the slopes do. Idre Fjäll and Branäs are dominated by flats and small holiday cottages clustered close to the slopes. Kläppen offers a compact range of similar accommodation. Vemdalen has holiday villages of a good standard but few really large houses. Sälen offers both: everything from simple cottages to large mountain houses with saunas, dining rooms and space for the whole family, many of them with ski-in/ski-out access. For a family of four, this matters less; for two families travelling together, or for grandparents joining the trip, it’s often the deciding factor in where the week can be spent.

When a smaller town is the better choice for you

If you have one or two children under the age of six, are going away for just one week and simply want to keep things simple, a smaller resort is often the wiser choice. At Kläppen, Branäs or Idre Fjäll, you can see the whole resort from your chalet window; you never have to worry about which part of the resort to head to, and the crowds are easier to manage. If you’re coming from Gothenburg or western Sweden, Branäs is also much closer. And if you’re looking for perhaps the country’s most beginner-friendly slope, Björnrike in Vemdalen is hard to beat, even if the journey there takes a couple of hours longer from the Mälardalen region. If you want to get to know the other valley in depth, there’s how Idre Fjäll differs from Sälen described separately.

Summary – the best mountain resort for families with children depends on the children’s age

With children under six: choose the shortest distance between the bed and the cot, and a destination you can reach in a single day. With children aged between six and twelve: prioritise variety, so they can progress from green to blue to red runs in the same week without changing resort – this is where Sälen really shines. With teenagers: let them ski freely, and instead prioritise a resort with a park, longer runs and things to do in the evening. The best mountain resort for families with children is therefore the one that suits the age of your youngest child, not the one with the largest ski area. Please do get in touch if you’d like help finding a holiday home in the right location for your children.