The Mountain Journal

Notes from the Alps

Long-form writing on the resorts, hotels, and rituals that make a family ski holiday memorable.

Verbier or Zermatt for a family New Year?

destinations

Verbier or Zermatt for a family New Year?

Two of the best New Year ski holidays in Switzerland, and two completely different ways of welcoming the year in. One is built around a famous, electric party. The other is quieter, car-free and built around the Matterhorn. Here's how a family chooses between them.

30 June 2026 · 5 min read

Skiing in Cortina: what the mountain is actually like

guides

Skiing in Cortina: what the mountain is actually like

Cortina has the most beautiful mountain setting in the Alps and some of the most enjoyable skiing on the continent. It is also, if we're being honest, not the resort for every kind of skier. Here's what the mountain actually delivers.

29 June 2026 · 6 min read

Val d'Isère versus Verbier: which is right for your family?

destinations

Val d'Isère versus Verbier: which is right for your family?

Both are serious resorts, both are expensive, and both come up the moment a skiing family starts looking beyond the Three Valleys. The question is which one actually fits as they're more different than they first appear.

11 June 2026 · 7 min read

Cervinia: the luxury family ski holiday that flies under the radar

destinations

Cervinia: the luxury family ski holiday that flies under the radar

Snowsure, sunny, gentle enough to flatter any child, and quietly better value than its glossier neighbours. Cervinia is the luxury family ski holiday discerning families tend to find later, then return to. Here's why it's worth knowing about.

28 May 2026 · 6 min read

A more sensible approach to February half-term

family tips

A more sensible approach to February half-term

February half-term is the busiest week of the British ski calendar. It does not have to feel like it. A practical guide to where the crowds actually go, where they don't, and how to plan a half-term week that feels like a proper break instead of a school-run on snow.

8 January 2026 · 9 min read

Why we keep returning to Courchevel 1850

destinations

Why we keep returning to Courchevel 1850

The most expensive resort in France is not the obvious choice for a family ski holiday. After ten years of going back, we put together the case for why it might be the right one anyway, especially if you're choosing one big week and want it to count.

28 December 2025 · 8 min read

Cortina d'Ampezzo for non-skiers (and reluctant ones)

guides

Cortina d'Ampezzo for non-skiers (and reluctant ones)

Potentially not everyone in your family wants to ski. Cortina is one of the few alpine resorts that is genuinely worth visiting whether or not you're a skier. Here we explain why a non-skier can have a brilliant week in Cortina and everything it has to offer non-skiers.

4 December 2025 · 6 min read

Meribel versus Courchevel 1850: which is right for your family?

guides

Meribel versus Courchevel 1850: which is right for your family?

They share the same lift system and roughly the same skiing, but the experience on the ground is quite different. We break down which Three Valleys resort suits which kind of family week, with a few practical pointers we wish someone had given us early on.

20 November 2025 · 6 min read