For those organising school ski trips, there are many different options available across Europe, with plenty of value for those who want to shop around. Italy is becoming more popular as a venue for school trips as many of the French resorts that are comfortable for larger groups can quickly get booked up, and Spain, Austria, Slovenia and Bulgaria are a little further away. Italy offers the full package: great food, great facilities and a great selection of resorts. Accommodation can take the form of anything from small family-run establishments all the way to large hotels, many of which are close to the resorts.
Here is a rundown of the best Italian resorts for those organising school ski trips:
Beginners:
Folgaria - The resort of Folgaria is located on a plateau in Trentino, in Northern Italy, around 15 km southeast of Trento. Folgaria is well-known as a fantastic ski-resort and its well sheltered nursery slopes are great for those learning to ski. Alongside these nursery slopes, there are some fantastic pistes for more experienced skiers; so while ideal for beginners, Folgaria is also a very good option for mixed ability groups. The resort is home to around 100 km of marked runs, with the longest run around 2.5 km.
Mixed Ability Groups:
Andalo - Another resort in Trentino, Andalo is a top-quality medium sized skiing venue on the edge of the Dolomites. The facilities in the area are absolutely top-notch, and make it a joy for mixed ability school ski groups. There are enough slopes for beginners to find their feet, but intermediates with a taste for exploration should be able to cover the whole resort within a week. Andalo is home to around 60 km of marked runs.
Chiesa - A traditional resort that provides almost a kilometre and a half of vertical descent, Chiesa is a great place for school groups to learn to ski. It is popular with both snowboarders and skiers, meaning there is plenty of choice for school ski groups. A traditional mountainside village in Lombardy, Chiesa is a great all round destination.
Folgarida - Another great resort for groups of differing abilities, Folgarida is subject to a local micro-climate which, combined with the north and east facing slopes, means that the area can provide superior snow to other venues at this elevation. This beautiful resort links both the Madonna di Campiglio and Marilleva resorts and provides 52 individual pistes.
Advanced Groups:
Cesana - One of the resort better suited to more experienced groups, Cesana is home to a huge variety of runs - with particularly challenging and exciting advanced runs. The 'Milky Way' ski region is a huge complex of over 400 km of piste.