Italy and Norway: Two standout ski destinations for group trips next winter
From the dramatic peaks of the Dolomites to Norway’s snow-laden plateaux, two winter heavyweights are vying to be next season’s ultimate group ski escape with Crystal Ski Holidays
While Italy and Norway often share the spotlight on the Winter Olympics podium, they are also standout favourites for Crystal Ski Holidays groups.
Whether you're drawn to Italy—with its famous Dolomites and the welcoming slopes of Bardonecchia and La Thuile—or Norway’s adventure-filled hubs like Geilo and Gausta, the focus is on quality time together. Both destinations offer spacious stays and easy-to-book group activities through Crystal Ski Holidays, guaranteeing a brilliant shared getaway regardless of which mountain range you choose.
One thing Crystal Ski Holidays doesn’t offer is the stress of organising your own onward travel. No fearing you’ll miss the last train. No hunting high and low for buses. And no weeks of research into rental cars with winter tyres or the correct snow chains (which you’re not entirely sure how to fit anyway).
With Crystal Ski Holidays flying from 19 regional airports, it’s easy for friends to connect for a ski holiday, even if they live far apart in the UK. After all, what are friends for if not skiing?
With the proviso, of course, that there are no friends on a powder day. Dawdling companions are best left at breakfast when the fresh snow beckons.
So, with Crystal Ski Holidays having taken most of the stress out of organising group travel – and with booking early strongly advised, as getting friends to commit to the same dates can be like herding cats – where should you go?
Dolomites
Watching the Olympics, you can’t help but be smitten by the beauty of the Dolomites, as a dusting of fresh snow clings to the mountains’ pinkish rock faces. Cortina, where the Alpine events are being held, is one resort that Crystal Ski Holidays will take you to, so you can recreate the magic you’ve been watching – perhaps at a slightly gentler pace.
There are plenty of other Dolomites resorts offered by Crystal Ski Holidays, too. Selva Val Gardena, Corvara, Colfosco and Val di Fassa are among the bigger ones on the popular Sellaronda circuit – a full-day, intermediate-level loop around the spectacular Sella massif. You can also discover the fascinating history of the First World War here, either on skis or on foot, exploring old trenches and tunnels, and visiting the museum on the Marmolada glacier.
Further north are Kronplatz and Drei Zinnen, which hopes to link up with the Austrian resort of Sillian in the near future.
Bardonecchia
Smaller and less busy than the Via Lattea, Bardonecchia has pleasantly wooded slopes and two sectors, both with quiet runs and short lift queues for laid-back skiing.
The two beginner zones are at either end of town, so you won’t have far to go for lessons. For intermediates, most of the mountain is made up of confidence-boosting reds.
Because it’s a proper town, Bardonecchia has plenty going on off the slopes, with traditional Italian food a particular highlight.
La Thuile
This ski area offers a taste of two countries – as well as exploring La Thuile’s wide, uncrowded, intermediate-friendly slopes, you can head over the French border to explore La Rosière.
The village of La Thuile itself is a quiet spot, with a smattering of bars, and the scenery is a major highlight – you can see the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc from here.
Meanwhile in Norway...
Geilo
Geilo is one of Norway’s larger resorts, with 34km of fairly easy slopes rising on either side of the town, the two areas linked by ski bus.
The big draw is the range of other activities: dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, fatbike tours and high-altitude winter walking trails.
Crystal Ski Holidays’ apartments and hotels here often have swimming pools and saunas to relax in after all those excursions.
Beitostølen
Like Geilo, Beitostølen has cross-country trails across high-altitude plateaux with beautiful vistas that intersect its 25km of downhill pistes. Cross-country skiers can easily join the rest of the gang on the slopes (the lift operators will slow the chairlifts for you).
With Crystal Ski Holidays, you can also pre-book airboarding, snowshoe walking, ice fishing and snow rafting – so there’s something different for non-skiers to do every day.
Gausta
Another small, snow-sure area is Gausta, with 35km of downhill pistes. A unique attraction is the mountain tramway inside the legendary Gaustatoppen peak, which takes you to an altitude of 1,800 metres in just 15 minutes.
Norefjell
In Norefjell, a snowshoe wildlife walk is also available. With 23km of pistes, the resort is said to be home to Norway’s toughest run, with a 600m vertical drop. Norway’s brilliant Olympic skiers must have learned their craft somewhere…
So whether your group is drawn to Italian long lunches and dramatic rock scenery or Norwegian adventure and Scandi simplicity, both deliver brilliant shared memories on and off the slopes. The only real challenge? Getting everyone to agree on one.
From Italian peaks to Norwegian plateaux, find the perfect backdrop for your shared memories. Explore all our group ski packages here.
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