Fun dancing in ski boots in the aprés bar Hohenhaus Tenne, Schladming, Austria
How a Non-Skier Chooses a Ski Resort
By Gillian Boyd Published 25 March 2026
This post contains my top tips for choosing a good ski resort for a non-skier.
Why would a non-skier go on such an expensive holiday, when they are avoiding the primary activity and purpose of the holiday? Now this sounds like a daft thing to do but it is something that I have done many times.
Why? I used to ski, Graham and the rest of my family still love it. Even though it can be so beautiful in the mountains in the snow, my confidence evaporated after a skiing accident and I’ve not skied since.
In order to spend time with my family and friends, I still regularly tag along on ski holidays. Often, I’m the only non-skier in the group so here are the things I look for to have a good holiday too. It was hard to get information, so even though this is not a backpacking trip, I’m sharing my knowledge with you.
Top 10 Tips for Non-Skier
1. Good Apres
From 4pm onwards, I’ll be spending time with my family. I tend to arrive early and grab a big table at a lively apres bar with good music, sing along tunes and maybe even have a little dance. Austria is particularly good for this while France tends to focus more on late night clubbing in the towns with early apres on the slopes.
2. Spa
A spa is a must for me. The hotel or chalet must have good spa facilities. The minimum is a sauna but we have also stayed in places with superb facilities such as Infra-red sauna, Finnish sauna, Hamam, indoor and outdoor pools. Alternatively, I look for a day spa I can visit, or if a top hotel nearby offers day passes. France has a number of these. For the equivalent cost of a ski pass I can usually spend 2 full days at the spa and have 2 different massages and treatments. I have loved working my way through the entire menu. I am so relaxed by the end of the week I’m like jelly.
3. Sports Centre
If there is no spa then check out the sports centre. Does it have a swimming pool or sauna? What else do they provide?
4. Central Location
A busy town with a central location just has more facilities, more activities, things to see and do, and restaurants to give me a variety of venues for a coffee and lunch. I want to be able to walk to most things so I dislike ski-in, ski-out accommodation because I’m a non-skier.
5. Good Food and Accommodation
Good fresh food is always a requirement of mine. In the Alps in Austria that means tracking down the best Gulaschsuppe, Gröstl, Knödel and Apfelstrudel. See 4 Guided Winter Hikes for more info. Food in the mountains can be very expensive, particularly in France and Switzerland, so we always try to find chalet or hotel accommodation that includes breakfast and evening meal within the cost, as it is much cheaper than eating out. Self-catering is an alternative but we are all just too exhausted after a full day of activities and as the non-skier, there is the danger they would all look to me as chief chef.
Freestyle Show in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria
6. Events
On various ski holidays I have been to free events organised by the Tourist Board, saalbach.com usually in the evenings. These have included free style ski and snowboard big air demonstrations, fireworks, free concerts of live music or DJ, New Years Eve parties, a Classic Car Rally and torch-lit processions. When I have dragged my tired family to these, we have all had a great time and they are energised. A friend told me of Hot Air Balloons taking off at night in Zell am See, Austria which I would have liked to see.
7. Winter Hiking
In the early holidays I used to look for a lake that you could walk around such as in Tignes in France or Zell am See in Austria. Recently I have become better at finding winter walking trails that I can do by myself or join a group. In Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria the Tourist Board provided Free Guided Winter Hikes from Monday to Friday which I loved.
8. Bus Service
Can I use the ski buses to get around? Or local buses? Is it easy to get to another town? In the 3 Valleys, France I took a bus to the other towns and explored, then met my family for lunch.
9. Other Sports
In the past, I’ve been tobogganing, bowling and ice-skating but now I focus on winter hiking. Graham is keen to try out paragliding in the Alps.
10. Cosy Place to Read
Does the accommodation have a warm, cosy place to read, ideally with a log fire and comfy armchair? If my place doesn’t have one, I’ll check out the local hotels. I don’t mind paying for a coffee or two to sit there instead.
Final Thoughts
Non-skiers in a ski resort are a rare breed and have often been overlooked as tourists. It is possible to enjoy a winter holiday with the right information. And where do I find out these things? Mainly from the Tourist Board website or app of the ski area, by chatting to other non-skiers about their holidays (over many years), hotel reviews and travel company websites. So please help me broadcast the word on Winter Hikes.
Never miss an Adventure!