Beginner friendly skiing in northern Sweden
I dare say it’s never too late to learn to ski!
The first time I went skiing was in 2022. I was not sure how I was going to like it – but I ended up having so much fun!
This year, in 2024, we happened to visit Åre in Sweden for the second time for a skiing holiday with friends for a week in a cosy cabin in the mountains.
Table of Content
- Beginner friendly skiing in northern Sweden
- What I like about Åre
- Where to stay in and around Åre (Sweden) and when to visit
- Good skiing areas for beginners in Åre
- Cross country and Classic skiing
- Trying a snow scooter for the first time: A tour with Åreguiderne
- How we got to Åre: The night train from Stockholm
- Conclusion
What I like about Åre
What I like about Åre is that it is possible to get there quite easily by night train!
Because I am a beginner still, I couldn’t go skiing as much as my partner and friends were. I also had to choose certain areas that were suitable for my level. Thankfully, the others were again very helpful in showing me some slopes/tracks that fitted my level and skills.
As I haven’t taken any skiing lessons yet, I have learned everything from the others. A 1.5 hour private 1:1 skiing lesson would cost 650 Danish crowns, roughly 90 Euros, but I learned so much from the others that I did not feel the need to pay an instructor yet. Maybe next year it will happen, if I don’t continue to progress.
Where to stay in and around Åre (Sweden) and when to visit
We stayed in two different towns this year. First we stayed in Tegefjäll in a cosy hytte (cottage). Afterwards we stayed in an apartment in Åre by, right at Åre Torg with lots of shops and restaurants. Both places were rented through SkiStar, and the prices differed A LOT!
My favourite place to stay in a cottage/cabin was definitely in Tegefjäll. It has a nice beginner slope (like Minitege) where you can *warm up* and get to know the skis. There is a ski school for kids, but it does not seem so busy like Björnen or Rödkullen.
I really liked the cosy feeling of staying in a cottage/cabin in a small town like Tegefjäll. Björnen and Rödkullen could also give you that feel, I would have to give it a try another year!
In Åre town we had everything close by – a large supermarket, the train station, lots of outdoor and ski equipment shops, bars, restaurants, and Bergbanan that would take us up to a festive and fun Afterski at Hotel Fjällgården.
Prices change depending on the timing with the Swedish winter break
The Swedish winter holidays are quite long, but the prices seem lower in January than in February and March. When the winter holidays occur, the prices may be higher. In January you may get lower prices, but you will also have fewer hours to go skiing.
During the first week of our stay, the lifts opened at 9:30 and closed at 15:30, the following week they were open from 09:00 to 16:30, which meant that already an extra 1.5 hours were gained!
The weather during winter in Åre
When skiing in Åre in January we have had quite cold weather (down to -15 degrees Celsius during the day!) – this year we had *warmer* days with -5 to +2 degrees – but there is quite the temperature range! We were rewarded with lots of snow, and there has been no need for snow making (snow guns) when we have been visiting those two years 🙂
As a bonus info, I suggest you collect your skis in the place where you are staying. You can order them beforehand if you know your metrics, or you can be measured and guided when you arrive at the ski rental shop.
Good skiing areas for beginners in Åre
In Tegefjäll (select ‘Duved’ on the SkiStar map, see map number 1 below) there is a good beginner slope (the green one). There are also 3-4 blue slopes, my favorite being the Vildmarkstigen (En: The Wilderness Trail), but it is difficult unless you have mastered your turns and swift/abrupt breaks.
For skiing otherwise, I really enjoyed Rödkullen (see map number 2). There is a really nice and long track where we saw reindeer twice! The slope is also quite flat, which means it is actually a transport slope/track. It is a good place to enjoy nature while being on Alpine skis. The view is also gorgeous from the top 🙂.
Björnen (‘the bear’) is another great beginner place (see map number 3). It is however very popular amongst families with children, making it quite busy with kids attending ski school. It can be a bit difficult as a beginner to share the space with kids. Especially if you are a complete beginner! 🙂
All three places are easy to reach with the ski busses. Remember, the ski busses are included in the price of a valid ski pass.
The three schematic maps below are screenshots from the SkiStar app. These are to show you the areas where I went skiing in 2022 and 2024. As a newbie I have only tried blue and green slopes.
As a reminder; Never go skiing alone, and please always check the weather before heading out! As you can see in the SkiStar app, the weather changes quite a lot depending on which side of the mountain you are on. It will likely always be chillier and more windy up at high altitude. Have the emergency numbers ready at hand, you can collect them from the map boards around the skiing areas. Always travel with travel insurance, that covers international travels. Especially when performing sports in a semi-hostile environment 🙂
Should I try alpine skiing or cross-country skiing as a beginner?
If you are a beginner, I suggest you focus on choosing between either alpine or cross country. Beginning to learn both can be quite challenging – as you will learn two very different techniques.
Everyone (mostly) can do alpine skiing, you don’t need to be in good shape for this – although it helps as you have to carry heavy gear around! Cross country skiing is much more demanding on your overall fitness, and will be more fun if you do regular exercise at home.
Cross country and Classic skiing: Knowing you own limits
Two years ago, I tried cross-country skiing for the first time!
We had zero guidance, except that we watched some YouTube videos with some pro’s showing the most important things; how to go forth and how to stop..
We decided to do it on the two coldest days we had in Åre – it was down to -15 degrees Celsius during the day. Quite chilly!
I remember that two years ago, we were doing quite well out there. This year however, in 2024, it was quite a different experience.
On the first day we did cross-country this year, we went after being on snow scooters for several hours (read more about this experience below!), already being a bit tired from focusing on staying on track. Therefore, I did not have a success experience on the first day this year! We also began on a more difficult path than recommended for beginners.
The following day, I went alone with cross-country skis first thing and on an easy and short track (1-3 kilometers). I am writing this interval because I somehow lost my way and ended up doing maybe 1.5 kilometers rather than the 1 kilometer track I set out in first 🙂
We had chosen multi-rental and had cross-country skiing included in our ski rental, making it possible to swap back and forth between the two (alpine and cross-country). Note that you may not want to wear as much clothes when you are on cross-country skis than when you do alpine skiing!
I recommend wearing a helmet if you are a beginner in cross-country, as you can fall quite a bit, even if you may not have as much speed than when you are on alpine skis!
Trying a snow scooter for the first time: A tour with Åreguiderne
There had fallen so much snow the previous day and night – so it was practically a snow blanket that covered the snow scooters when we arrived for our tour in the morning! We were greeted by the guides when we arrived in time for the tour, but we were asked if we would help digging out the snow scooters.
Because of the heavy amounts of snow, we were asked if some of us would drive the petrol scooters instead of the quiet electrical scooters… My partner insisted on taking the more *powerful* petrol scooter, but I was wishing we had just taken the *quiet and peaceful* electrical one!
Anyway, it was thrilling to try the snow scooter. I did not feel much for driving the thing, but it was for sure a big lesson in cooperation to sit two on a snow scooter. We had to synchronize our movements when we were taking turns or going around a corner on a hill. We visited some of the same areas as the cross-country skiing tracks are found, which calls for a closer connection with nature, getting outside the alpine skiing areas.
But it is not the same to blast through the snow on a noisy snow scooter than skate silently through the cross-country tracks :-)…
How we got to Åre: The night train from Stockholm
As I mentioned at the top of this post, it is quite convenient to reach Åre from Copenhagen.
We embarked on the first train at the Copenhagen Central Station, which was bound for Stockholm. Arriving in Stockholm (Sweden) in the evening, we changed to the night train, which would arrive in Åre town at 9 am the following morning.
What I love about the Swedish trains are the bistros. They have bistros on their long-distance trains, making it a very relaxing trip as you don’t have to worry about buying food or drinks. We got plenty of coffee, as you get free refill!
We pre-ordered our meals with the ticket just for comfort. There was plenty of options available when we picked it up, so it is not necessary to book beforehand. We also had our breakfast in the bistro, where we watched the sunrise through the snowy landscape as we came closer and closer to our ski destination.
There is also free WiFi and a power outlet at every seat. Even the bathrooms were plenty and in alright conditions. In general the Swedish trains are in better condition than the Danish ones. Sorry to say!
This was my third time with a night train in Sweden, and I must say – if you are traveling with a partner or one or two friends, a two-three person cabin is the best! It is also possible the sleep in a 6-person cabin, which you would probably share with other people, depending on how busy it is.
Conclusion
We had an adventurous skiing holiday in the chilly northern (north-central) Sweden, staying in both a cosy cottage in Tegefjäll and in the town of Åre. The Åre skiing areas are for professional skiers and beginners alike. There are plenty of different areas to go skiing in, and encounters with nature can happen anywhere. Being it reindeer on the slopes, moose at dusk or dawn, redpolls and magpies flying about in town, and if you are lucky you may encounter a ptarmigan (a pure white hen-sized bird) on the slopes (one of our friends saw a couple of them!). Åre (and Duved, Tegefjäll, Björnen and Rödkullen) all make the perfect boundaries for a cosy winter holiday with lots of outdoor experiences waiting to be explored just outside your door.
I hope this post has inspired you to consider an adventurous holiday in winter wonderland, and experience the slow-travel by taking the convenient night-train from Stockholm (or even the train all the way from Copenhagen like we did!).
*None of the mentioned places or experiences in this post were sponsored.
© All photos are my own unless stated and may not be used without permission.
Traveling Female Ornithologist 