Spring Skiing Means Sun, Snow & Savings
If you’ve not yet made it to the slopes this season or are tempted to go back for more, we bring you the best spring skiing resorts for an an unbeatable experience.
The benefits are many – longer daylight hours, warmer weather, and quieter slopes, just for starters. Add to that the fact that snow builds up all winter, often peaking in March before the spring thaw starts. Plus, the vibe on the slopes is relaxed and fun, with mountain restaurant terraces perfect for catching some sun without freezing.
This season, there’s even more to get excited about, as ski holiday companies are highlighting the latter half of March 2025 as the best-value weeks of the season.
With Easter weekend falling late this year (19–21 April), there are almost no school holidays across Europe in March. Most schools only start breaking up on 4 April, providing a quieter and more affordable experience for skiers.
Choosing Your Spring Skiing Destination
Where to go in spring depends on when you plan to ski – March, April, or even May – and the type of experience you want.
If long days skiing into the afternoon are essential, opt for ski areas with plenty of terrain over 2,000m altitude (and ideally over 3,000m) if you’re heading to the Alps, particularly for an April or May trip. Alternatively, consider travelling to the far north – Scandinavia, Canada, or Japan are excellent options.
The resort’s altitude is less important if its ski area extends high, with quick lifts to transport you there. Switzerland’s Engelberg is a great example. Although the resort is at just 1,000m, lifts take you to glacier-topped slopes at 3,000m, which remain open into May. However, if you want to ski back to your resort in late April, aim for a high-altitude destination like Tignes or Val Thorens.
For a more relaxed approach to spring skiing – perhaps focusing more on festivals or enjoying activities like hiking, biking, or sunbathing in the afternoons – nearly every ski area will fit the bill.
Late March and Late April Offer the Best Prices This Season
This season, the latter half of March offers better value than January, which has traditionally been the cheapest time of year for skiers. This shift has emerged over recent years as more skiers book January for snow reliability, lower prices, and quieter slopes compared to the December holidays. The increased popularity has driven up January prices and led to busier slopes.
Additionally, the final weeks of the season, after the late Easter break, offer significant discounts to maintain skier numbers. However, by late April, there is less terrain open, and even high-altitude skiing is usually only ideal in the mornings.
“The second half of March will be the best-value weeks of the whole season. January was busier than usual,” said Xavier Schouler, head of ski holiday companies Peak Retreats and The Ski Collection.
“The end of March is currently the best-priced time to ski this winter. We’re advising bargain hunters looking for the best possible price to choose the last two weeks of March,” agreed Richard Sinclair of ski holiday travel agency SNO.co.uk.
If you’ve not hit the slopes yet, it’s definitely not too late to enjoy a fantastic trip to the mountains for some snow and sunshine – all at the best prices of the season.
Most ski areas offer spring skiing, but some are better choices than others. Here are some of our favourites:
Andorra – Grandvalira
The Pyrenees are a lovely place to be in springtime. You can feel the proximity of the Mediterranean as you enjoy the sunny slopes and relaxed atmosphere while taking in the views from the mountain restaurant terraces. Andorra’s Grandvalira ski area, home to Soldeu, Arinsal, Pas de la Casa and others, is the largest in the region and often stays open the longest into springtime, with its slopes reaching up to 2,560m. This year it goes officially to Easter weekend, but it often extends its season by a week or so if snow conditions allow.
Austria – Mayrhofen/Hintertux
© Mayrhofner Bergbahnen
Austria has more high-altitude glacier ski areas open late into spring than anywhere else. Still, it also has its giant lower-altitude ski areas where spring comes earlier and the party atmosphere ramps up to the max. The Ziller Valley brings these two extremes together, with low-lying Mayrhofen running three weeks of successive Brit-organised ski, music and comedy festivals – The BRITS, Snowbombing, and Altitude comedy festivals. Nearby is the Hintertux glacier, one of only two ski areas worldwide where skiing continues year-round on slopes up to 3,250m high.
France – Avoriaz
France, of course, has plenty of high-altitude, purpose-built resorts and ski areas like Tignes and Val Thorens that stay open into May. The lifts at Avoriaz in the Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc region don’t go so high, but at an altitude of 1,800m, it is a snow-sure choice right through March and April. It also has a lovely relaxed atmosphere in springtime with lots of fun events to enjoy, including the Snowboxx and Rock The Piste festivals in March.
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Italy – 3 Zinnen Dolomites
©wisthaler.com
The Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are wonderful to visit at any time of year, but in springtime there’s no better place in the skiing world to take in the incredible scenery from the slopes or a mountain restaurant’s terrace. The 3 Zinnen Dolomites area of the Dolomiti Superski has become an increasingly popular destination in recent years, investing heavily in new lifts (this season brings a new six-seater chair lift, “Porzen”) and snowmaking to offer a state-of-the-art ski experience, while you can stay in one of the beautiful traditional villages at the base of the slopes.
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Japan – Hakuba
© Hiroya Nakata
Japan is famous for its deep powder snow in mid-winter, and this season is turning into a bumper one, with the country reporting the biggest snowfalls in the world. Springtime brings a shift – the powder dumps usually taper off, leaving the slopes metres deep in snow as the bamboo and birch trees burst into leaf and the world-famous cherry blossom arrives. Most of Japan’s biggest resorts stay open for ‘Golden Week’ over the final days of April and early May. Spring skiing might not mean powder, but it’s a serene time to visit ski areas like Hakuba with quiet slopes and the soothing onsen baths still bubbling away.
Canada – Banff
Banff’s three ski areas of Norquay, Sunshine and Lake Louise are some of the most snow-sure destinations in the world, starting their seasons in early November and staying open well into May. That’s North America’s longest non-glacial ski season. While temperatures are usually bitterly cold here in mid-winter, springtime brings a balance of warmer weather, more daylight hours and excellent snow conditions. Sunshine also hosts the world’s longest-established pond-skimming competition each spring, the almost century-old Slush Cup.
Norway – Narvik
© Rune Dahl visitnarvik.com
Narvik is one of the world’s most spectacular ski destinations. The slopes sit on the coast, giving the impression of “skiing into the sea” along with breathtaking views. Sometimes, the experience is enhanced by the northern lights dancing above, creating a truly unforgettable moment in the snow. Due to its location, Narvik stays open into May, and recent investments in new lifts make skiing there seamless. It is also gaining stature in Alpine Ski Racing, having hosted the World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships in 2020 and being selected to host the full World Alpine Skiing Championships in 2029. Consider visiting this spring before the secret gets out.
Sweden – Riksgränsen
Known as Europe’s “spring skiing capital,” Riksgränsen is so cold and dark in winter—located 200km north of the Arctic Circle—that its ski season doesn’t even begin until late February. While some Alpine resorts are winding down, Riksgränsen is still buried in winter-like conditions through March and April. By May, you can ski under the midnight sun, with 24-hour daylight offering a truly unique experience. The season lasts until late May, with so much snow that the resort typically reopens for midsummer skiing for a few days in late June. Located on the Norwegian border, about an hour from Narvik by train, consider combining a trip to both.
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Switzerland – Mürren
Mürren-Schilthorn by David Birri © Jungfrau Region Tourismus
Spring 2025 could be the perfect time to visit Mürren’s iconic Schilthorn as the resort’s Schilthornbahn20xx project nears completion. This season opened with the world’s steepest cable car from the valley floor, and now a new lift connecting Birg to Schilthorn is set to open on 14 March 2025. This gives spring skiers five weeks to comfortably access one of the world’s great ski runs before the season ends on Easter weekend, 21 April 2025. With lifts reaching 2,970m, Mürren remains one of the Alps’ most snow-sure destinations.
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USA – Mammoth
California’s world-famous Mammoth Mountain is one of the planet’s top snow destinations. Known for its heavy snowfalls, the resort often stays open until late spring, sometimes reaching US Independence Day on 4 July, or even into August. It’s a standout choice for a spring ski trip, with excellent snow conditions paired with the relaxed Californian sunshine vibe. Later in spring, you can pair your ski trip with Pacific beach days, mountain biking or golf, and even access Yosemite National Park as closed winter passes reopen.
