Why You Should Skip the Alps This Winter, and Head North Instead

There’s a pattern that plays out every January. Skiers in the Alps post pictures of slush, bare patches, and queue systems that look like airport security during the school holiday. Meanwhile, a little further north, much further north, in some cases. The snow has been falling since October, the slopes are empty, and someone is quietly eating reindeer stew by a log fire wondering why everyone else bothers with Méribel.

One of Trysil's mountain views over Norway

I’ve skied in both, and increasingly I find myself drawn back to Scandinavia. Not because the mountains are bigger (they aren’t), or because it’s cheaper (it’s complicated), but because the experience is just different, in ways that matter. The snow is better, the crowds are thinner, and there’s a sense of genuinely being somewhere, rather than just somewhere high up with a gondola.

More British skiers are waking up to this. Bookings to Norway through major operators grew significantly through the 2024/25 season, and new charter routes continue to open up the region. So here’s a proper look at what Scandinavia has to offer, country by country, and why it deserves a place on your radar.

Let’s Start With the Snow

Scandinavian resorts sit at relatively modest altitudes compared to the Alps. Trysil in Norway tops out at around 1,100m, and Levi in Finnish Lapland peaks at just 531m. On paper, that should mean worse snow. In practice, latitude does the work that altitude does further south. Temperatures stay reliably below zero throughout winter, which means no freeze-thaw cycles and no slush. The snow that falls in November is often still there, powder-dry, in April. Levi even has a 7-month snow guarantee!

The Alps, by contrast, have had a difficult run of seasons. Warmer winters have shortened seasons and left some lower resorts vulnerable. Scandinavia is increasingly seen as the snow-sure alternative, and not just by holidaymakers. Academic research at the University of Surrey has pointed to northern Sweden as a potential long-term beneficiary of climate shifts that are causing Alpine seasons to shrink. Some resorts in the region run from October through to May. Meanwhile in Finland, Levi had a record-breaking 2024/25 season spanning 227 ski days.

Norway: The Biggest Slopes in Scandinavia

Norway is the natural starting point. It has a skiing culture that runs bone-deep, the country has won more Winter Olympic medals than any other nation, and its resorts reflect that. The terrain is more varied than people expect, and the après-ski, while not Verbier, is warm, unpretentious and very good fun.

Trysil is Norway’s largest ski resort, sitting close to the Swedish border and around two hours north-east of Oslo airport. It has over 70km of slopes running down three sides of the mountain, ranging across all ability levels, and a smattering of cosy slopeside cabins that give it a very different feel to a purpose-built Alpine resort. The snow record here is exceptional. I’ve skied it and found the conditions impeccable, a winter wonderland where you find that dream grippy, dry snow that makes every turn feel effortless. [More on Trysil in our dedicated resort guide — link below.]

Hemsedal is often cited as Norway’s most Alpine-feeling resort; the terrain is steeper, the off-piste more interesting, and there’s even a genuine après scene. Hafjell, north of Lillehammer, has Olympic credentials and suits all abilities. Norefjell offers a quieter, more local feel with easy access from Oslo. Geilo, straddling the Oslo-Bergen railway line, is one of Norway’s most accessible resorts and brilliant for families and cross-country enthusiasts.

Finland: Arctic Skiing with a Twist

Skiing in Finland is a different proposition altogether. The fells are gentler, the landscape more open, and the whole experience is wrapped in something that feels genuinely Arctic. This is where you come for the Northern Lights, for reindeer, for husky sledding between runs, for saunas that are a genuine cultural institution rather than a hotel afterthought.

Levi, in Finnish Lapland, is the country’s flagship resort and a multiple winner of Finland’s Best Ski Resort at the World Ski Awards. It sits north of the Arctic Circle, which effectively guarantees snow from October through to mid-May. With 44 slopes, 27 lifts, 230km of cross-country tracks and over 880km of snowmobile routes (and yes, we tried them), there’s no shortage of things to do. The slopes themselves suit beginners and intermediates best, steep it isn’t, but the overall package is extraordinary. The 2024/25 season set their all-time record with 590,000 skier days. [Full Levi resort guide coming soon.]

The light in Finnish Lapland is also worth mentioning separately. In early and late winter, the sun only creeps above the horizon for a few hours a day, casting everything in a candy floss pink glow that is unlike anything you’ll experience in the Alps. It’s one of the most memorable things I’ve ever seen on skis.

Sweden: Accessible, Underrated, and Worth Your Attention

Sweden tends to be the overlooked member of the Scandinavian ski family, but it’s developing fast. Sälen, home to the SkiStar group of interconnected resorts, is the country’s most popular ski area and a favourite with families. The opening of Scandinavian Mountains Airport, which straddles the Norway-Sweden border, has made the area far more accessible from the UK, with direct flights connecting to both Trysil and Sälen in a single transfer (thank you EasyJet).

Further north, resorts like Åre, one of Scandinavia’s most serious ski areas, with a genuine town and lively nightlife. And finally Riksgränsen, which sits 200km above the Arctic Circle and offers Europe’s most northerly skiing and midnight sun runs in late spring, all give Sweden a range that surprises most first-time visitors. Åre in particular punches well above its weight: good vertical, interesting off-piste, and an après scene that makes it a legitimate destination for experienced skiers.

The Honest Trade-offs

Let’s be straight about what Scandinavia is not. If you’re an advanced skier who lives for long, steep, sustained descents, couloirs, or the mega-linked ski areas of the French Alps, you will find the vertical here limiting. Trysil is Norway’s biggest resort, and an experienced skier could cover the pistes in a day. The off-piste exists and can be good, but it isn’t the Vallée Blanche.

Cost is also worth addressing. Norway and Finland are expensive countries, and while lift pass and accommodation costs are broadly comparable to the Alps, eating and drinking out (particularly in Norway) can be eye-watering. That said, if you book packages in advance, travel outside school holidays, and take advantage of self-catered options (the cabin culture in Norway is superb), you can absolutely manage the costs!

Getting there requires a bit more planning than flying to Geneva, but it’s genuinely manageable. Direct charter flights to Scandinavian Mountains Airport serve Sälen and Trysil in less than an hour. Kittilä airport is a short transfer from Levi, and Oslo and Stockholm are also well connected from most UK airports, with resort transfers available from both.

Why It’s Worth It

What Scandinavia offers that the Alps often can’t is space. Space on the slopes, space in the restaurants, space to actually experience where you are. There’s something about skiing through forest trails in Norway at dusk, or standing on a Finnish fell watching the Northern Lights with your goggles up, that puts a lift queue in Val Thorens into sharp perspective.

The food is also genuinely excellent and often overlooked. Reindeer, elk, Arctic char, cloudberries, lingonberries … Scandinavian mountain cuisine has its own identity that’s a long way from the burger-and-vin-chaud playbook that dominates most Alpine resorts.

And then there’s the sauna. Non-negotiable. Absolutely transformative after a day on the slopes. Don’t fight it.

If you’ve been skiing the same circuit of Alpine resorts for years, Scandinavia is the most interesting detour you can take. It won’t replace the Alps. But it might make you question why you ever needed them.

Further Reading

Our guides to individual resorts and stays: