Whether it's your first time skiing or not, you can never go wrong with getting some advice from the experts when planning your trip. You might be going with friends, or you might take this opportunity to get the family together. Whatever you decide the AA has your back! We've rounded up the top ski holidays that are 5 hours from Ireland.
Austria
What about St Anton? It caters for intermediate and beginners, with 300km of ski runs and 200km of off-piste. It also has an amazing open air dancefloor and on slope bar! While there are no direct flights to St Anton, you have lots of airport options such as Zurich or Innsbruck (the flight is just over 2 hours) with transport available from there (another 2 hours to get to the slopes). This classic Tyrolean resort is quite a popular spot, so why not check it out?
Another destination in Austria is Kitzbühel, which is great for more advanced skiers. This location is famous for the Streif downhill ski course and has 234km of pistes. The town remains quite traditional with it’s cobbled streets and it’s mainly car free. It has amazing sights, shops, restaurants and bars. You can fly to Munich which will take a little over 2 hours, and then avail of transport to get to Kitzbühel, which will take another 2 hours or so.
Italy
Not far from Venice, Cortina is a great ski resort suitable for all the family. It has a mix of stores, from sports to hardware as well as traditional eateries. It is hosting the Winter Olympics in 2026 with Milan and has three ski areas that you can access via bus. Fly to Venice to access this resort (about 2 and a half hours on the plane) and then avail of alternative transport to bring you to Cortina (another 2 hours or so). Check out the hot chocolate while you are there, it’s a must have!
Switzerland
Another great resort to bring the family to is definitely Champéry. With hotels, restaurants and traditional chalets, it’s quite a pretty place! Hop on a cable car to bring you from the town to the slopes, which also links to the huge cross border ski area – Portes du Soleil. Why not ski right around all of the resorts in one day? It’s doable and is a lot of fun. Fly for a little over 2 hours to Geneva, and avail of transport there to access the resort (another 2 hours or so).
France
Whether you are experienced or a beginner, Courchevel is for you! It’s part of the world's biggest lift-linked ski area, the 600km Three Valleys. The resort is made up of four villages – Le Praz, Courchevel Village, Courchevel Moriond and Courchevel. They have seven Michelin starred restaurants between the four of them, so you are guaranteed great food. The resort also has the largest leisure facility in the Alps so you can bring the whole family to relax. You can fly for 2 hours to Geneva, and then avail of transport to the resort, which will take another 2 hours or so.
Spain
Planning a weekend trip only? Well then you need to visit Sierra Nevada, and it caters for beginners and intermediate. It’s one of the best weekend resorts because of its excellent ski terrain – it’s one of the highest ski resorts in Europe at 2,100m-3,300m, making for brilliant snow conditions. It has 102km of slopes and if you ski on certain slopes, you will have great views of the Atlas Mountain in Morocco. You can fly from Cork to Malaga (just over 2 and a half hours) and avail of transport from there to the resort (just over 2 hours).
Scotland
Why not check out the largest ski lift system in the UK? Glenshee extends across four mountains, three valleys and has 36 runs/21 lifts. There is a ski school, shop and cafe at the base of the centre and is quite a popular day trip for people living in Edinburgh or Aberdeen. You can fly from Dublin to Glasgow which will take 55 minutes, and then avail of transport to get to the centre which will take about 2 and a half hours.
If you’re planning a ski trip, then you will need travel insurance. The AA can help you with this.
