How to prepare for your first ski trip

This winter I’ll be going on a ski trip for the first time in my life. If you’ve been on several winter sport trips, you probably already know how to prepare, what to buy and what to pack. But as it’s my first time, I’ve researched all this and I’ve asked experienced skiers and snowboarders. On this page I’m telling you how to prepare for your first ski trip. I’m telling you everything you need to know to make your first winter sports holiday a success. And I’m also giving you a discount on your first ski trip outfit!

Best time for your first ski trip

January is a good month to go skiing because you’re avoiding the busy (and more expensive) Christmas period. It’s often relatively quiet on the ski slopes in January as many people are saving up after the expensive Christmas holidays and most Dutch people have a week of vacation in February in which they go skiing.
March and April area also great months to go skiing in France or other countries in Europe as the slopes are getting quieter and the weather is often nice. And of course you’ve also got more daylight hours in those months.

Best Ski Trip Destination for Beginners

If you’re going on your first ski trip, you want to pick out a destination that is suitable for beginners. You don’t want difficult black ski slopes, but accessible slopes that are easy to descend on.
The French Alpes are a great ski trip destination for beginners. Especially the area Portes du Soleil with the towns Les Gets and Chatel are perfect for novice skiers and snowboarders.
The Portes du Soleil region has a ‘You can Ski’ package for beginners. This package include a lift pass, equipment rental and ESF ski lessons. And in Les Gets you can find ‘The Mappys’ an area dedicated to beginner skiers where you can practise on a safe spot away from the regular ski area. The Mappys area is free to enter for everyone.

Ski Suit

You can’t go skiing without a good ski suit. Your ski jacket needs to be warm, water-resistant and have a good breathability. Because the jackets are often quite big, you probably want a flattering ski jacket. I love the ski jackets from Protest as they come in nice designs and have good ventilation. And as I care about the environment, I love it that their ski jackets are PFC free and that they use an environmentally friendly waterproofing method. I got a leopard print ski jacket and my boyfriend’s jacket is a dark-blue one.

Make sure that you also buy ski trousers. If you’re a beginner you might fall down regularly and you want your ski trousers to be absolutely waterproof!

First Ski Trip Essentials

You don’t only need a ski jacket and ski trousers when you’re going on your first ski trip. You want more comfortable and warm clothes as well, and some useful accessoires. Below is a package list for all your first ski trip essentials.

Ski Trip Essentials:
Ski jacket
Ski trousers
Beanie
2 (fleece) pullies
2 hoodies
Mittens
Thermal underwear
Ski socks

And if you’re not renting your equipment you’ll also need ski boots, skis or a snowboard, goggles and a helmet. You might also want to bring sunglasses, snow boots or suspenders.

I hope you now know how to prepare for your first ski trip. If you’ve got any additional tips, please let me know in the comments below.

Want to explore Europe some more? Check all my Europe blogs here.