Accommodation
Quick answer: Åre suits skiers wanting Scandinavia’s largest and most complete ski area, families and groups who want a genuinely metropolitan village with strong shopping, dining and nightlife, and adventure seekers keen on activities like dog sledding, ski touring and paragliding alongside downhill skiing. It is less suited to those chasing high-Alpine scale or glacier skiing.
Quick resort facts
Ski area: 100km of piste (90 runs), 41-50 lifts · Altitude: 390m to 1,274m on Åreskutan · Ski pass area: Åre, Björnen, Duved, Tegefjäll · Longest run: 6.5km · Nearest airport: Åre Östersund (100km) · Season: November to May
Åre is Sweden’s leading ski resort and the largest ski area north of the Alps, built around a traditional mountain village on the shores of Lake Åresjön beneath Åreskutan mountain. Unusually for Scandinavia, the treeless upper slopes give genuine wide-open riding freedom, and the resort’s World Cup racing pedigree has repeatedly seen it named among the world’s best by international travel media. The resort has hosted multiple FIS Alpine World Ski Championships events, cementing its reputation as one of the most serious racing venues outside the Alps.
Skiing here links Åre with the neighbouring Björnen, Duved and Tegefjäll areas on one pass, giving genuine scale by Scandinavian standards, while the village itself has a metropolitan feel rarely found this far north, with serious shopping, dining and nightlife alongside the slopes.
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Terrain split: gentle village-level runs for beginners and families; extensive cruising across Åreskutan’s mid-mountain for intermediates; open, treeless upper-mountain terrain and steeper race pistes for advanced skiers.
Best for: skiers wanting Scandinavia’s largest, most complete ski area; families and groups wanting a metropolitan village with strong shopping, dining and nightlife; adventure seekers keen on dog sledding, ski touring, paragliding and other activities alongside skiing.
Not for: those chasing high-Alpine scale or glacier skiing, since Åreskutan tops out at 1,274m; skiers wanting guaranteed deep powder conditions, as Åre’s snow record is solid but not in the same league as the high Alps or Japan.
Åre’s ski area covers around 100km of piste over 90 runs, served by around 41-50 lifts including drag lifts, chairlifts and high-capacity gondolas, with runs spread across Åreskutan mountain from 390m up to 1,274m. The same lift pass also covers the neighbouring Björnen, Duved and Tegefjäll areas, giving a genuinely large network of skiing by Scandinavian standards. A free ski bus links the various base areas and linked resorts, making it straightforward to explore beyond the main Åre village without needing a car.
Unusually for Scandinavia, the upper mountain sits above the treeline, giving wide-open, treeless terrain that feels closer to an Alpine bowl than a typical Nordic forest resort. The longest run stretches to 6.5km, giving intermediates and advanced skiers a genuinely satisfying descent by Scandinavian standards.
Beginners have gentle, well-groomed runs close to the village, with a strong ski school infrastructure to match. Intermediates get the most out of Åre, with extensive mid-mountain cruising across Åreskutan and the connected areas offering enough variety for a full week.
Advanced skiers can head for the open, treeless upper slopes and steeper pitches that have hosted World Cup Alpine races, giving Åre a genuine technical edge that belies its relatively modest overall altitude.
Åre is snow-sure from November through to May, helped by its northerly latitude and around 70% snowmaking coverage across the ski area. January and February bring the coldest, most reliable conditions and the shortest daylight hours, while March and April offer longer days and milder temperatures without sacrificing snow cover. Because so much of the upper mountain sits above the treeline, wind and visibility can occasionally affect lift operation, so it’s worth having a lower-mountain backup plan on stormier days.
Lift passes are managed by SkiStar and cover Åre alongside the linked Björnen, Duved and Tegefjäll areas. As with most Scandinavian resorts, early and flexible booking through the SkiStar website typically offers the best value on both passes and accommodation packages. Multi-day and season passes generally offer better value than single-day tickets, particularly for visitors planning to explore the linked Björnen, Duved and Tegefjäll areas.
Åre has a well-established, English-speaking ski school catering to all levels, alongside strong rental facilities throughout the village covering everything from beginner packages to performance and touring equipment, reflecting the resort’s broad appeal to different types of visitor.
Åre offers one of Scandinavia’s widest accommodation ranges, from ultramodern, design-led hotels and fully self-contained resort complexes to romantic 19th-century hotels, hostels and cosy chalets complete with fireplaces. Much of it sits within easy walking distance of the lifts and village centre. Booking well ahead is advisable during the Swedish sportlov (winter school holiday) period in February, when domestic demand is at its highest.
With around 75 restaurants across the resort, dining ranges from cosy mountain lodges to smart Scandinavian and international cuisine, and the village’s nightlife is genuinely lively by ski resort standards, with bars and clubs that keep going well into the evening. World-class shopping, including quality Swedish design brands, adds to Åre’s metropolitan feel. Åre’s reputation as something of a Scandinavian trendsetter extends to its dining scene, with several restaurants drawing visitors from well beyond the immediate ski crowd.
Åre’s broad range of activities makes it well suited to families and mixed-ability groups, with cross-country skiing, ski touring, snowmobiling, dog sledding, ziplining, paragliding, swimming pools and spas all available alongside downhill skiing, a scope and diversity rarely matched elsewhere in Scandinavia.
Åre is served by two international airports within around an hour’s transfer: Åre Östersund Airport and Trondheim Værnes Airport in neighbouring Norway. Direct flights of around two hours run from both London Heathrow and Stansted, making Åre almost as quick to reach from the UK as many Alpine resorts. A hire car offers useful flexibility for exploring the wider Jämtland region, though the resort’s own shuttle and rail links cover most day-to-day needs without one.
Åre stands out as Scandinavia’s most complete ski resort, combining a genuinely large ski area with a lively, metropolitan village and an outstanding range of non-ski activities. It won’t match the scale or altitude of the high Alps, but for a well-rounded, easily reached winter trip with real character, it’s one of northern Europe’s strongest choices. Its combination of genuine scale, racing pedigree and an unusually complete range of activities make it the clear benchmark for Scandinavian skiing.
Åre covers around 100km of piste over 90 runs, with the same pass also covering the linked Björnen, Duved and Tegefjäll areas.
Direct flights of around two hours run from London Heathrow and Stansted to Åre Östersund Airport, with Trondheim Værnes in Norway also within an hour’s transfer.
Yes. Gentle beginner terrain, a strong ski school and an unusually wide range of non-ski activities make it a well-rounded choice for families.
The season runs November to May, with January and February offering the most reliable cold and snow, and March and April bringing longer daylight hours.
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