- La Plagne has more green and blue runs than any other resort researched
- Les Arcs, Alpe D’Huez and Les Deux Alpes are all good options for first-time skiers
- Beginners should steer clear of Zell am Zee and Les Gets – Morzine
Picking the right ski resort can often be tedious and difficult but that doesn’t make it any less important – especially for beginners new to the realm of snow sports.
One of Europe’s leading holiday operators, Sunweb, has analysed the number of green and blue runs in 16 of Europe’s top ski destinations revealing the best location for fledgling skiers, with La Plagne emerging as the most beginner-friendly resort, with a total of 79 green and blue runs, allowing new winter sports enthusiasts to make the most out of the trip.
Situated in the Paradiski ski area, almost three-fifths (59.8%) of La Plagne’s slopes are suitable for beginners, while Les Arcs, Alpe D’Huez and Les Deux Alpes respective pistes are offer new skiers plenty of slopes to carve up.
For the more experienced skiers, there’s no shortage of red and black runs in the aforementioned resorts, with La Plagne alone offering 53 intermediate slopes.
Top 16 resorts by total Green + Blue runs
In the middle of the pack, Cervinia Val Thorens and Tignes are separated by just three runs, with all being perfectly viable options to set off on a skiing journey.
Les Deux Alpes has the highest beginner to intermediate ratio with 70% of the total slopes being green or blue, with La Plagne (59%) and Alpe D’Huez (58%) also tailored heavily to skiers starting out.
The worst spots for beginners are Zell am Zee (Austria) and Les Gets – Morzine, with just 20 runs suitable for novices. Vallnord Pal-Arinsal only has 25 runs, and the Andorran resort is also comprised of just 63km of slope, so beginners should steer clear of that resort as they may find the variation and quantity of slopes somewhat limiting.
Spokesperson for Sunweb, Jack Bolus, said: “Choosing the right destination when you’re a beginner is vitally important and you don’t want to have to waste time getting a bus across to another resort, just to find the right slopes.
“At a time when the cost of living will undoubtedly impact holidays, at Sunweb, we’re determined to ensure all our customers get the most out of their holiday from both a financial, and a skiing, point of view. That’s why we include the lift pass with all our ski holidays, making sure that beginners and experts alike can enjoy the slopes with as little hassle as possible!”