Short answer
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is one of Germany's best-known ski resorts, just over an hour by train from Munich. Garmisch-Classic has 40 kilometres of pistes and the Ixi children's area on the Hausberg, where children under six ski free with a parent. Up on the Zugspitze is Germany's only glacier ski area, with snow from late November to early May.
Quick facts
- Country / region
- Germany, Bavaria (Werdenfelser Land)
- Ski area
- Garmisch-Classic and the Zugspitze
- Altitude (village – top)
- 740 – 2,050 m above sea level
- Pistes
- 40 km
- Lifts
- 18
- Season
- Garmisch-Classic mid-December – late March, Zugspitze late November – early May
- Nearest airports
- Munich (approx. 1.5 h) · Innsbruck (approx. 1 h)
- Train
- Regional train from Munich, just over an hour, once an hour – some trains stop at Hausbergbahn
- Price level
- ●●●●● (1 = cheap, 5 = expensive)
Family rating
4 / 5
- Beginner slopes The Ixi children's area on the Hausberg is well thought out, with a magic carpet, three beginner lifts and a fun line. The step out into the rest of the area, on the other hand, is steep – a quarter of the pistes are difficult.
- Distance from accommodation to lifts Garmisch is a town, not a ski village. If you stay near the Hausberg or Kreuzeck, it's close; otherwise it's a bus or train to the lift.
- Calm for families There is no rowdy après-ski village here. The evenings are quiet, and the town has shops, restaurants and cafés that are open all year round.
- More than skiing The cogwheel railway and the sledging hill on the Zugspitze, the Eibsee, and a proper town to stay in – there is plenty to do on rest days.
The rating is our overall assessment for families with children based on the criteria above – not a paid placement.
Garmisch-Classic or the Zugspitze?
| Area | Height | Suits | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hausberg (Ixi children's area) | From about 740 m | The youngest and beginners | Magic carpet, three beginner lifts and the ski schools' meeting point |
| Kreuzeck and Alpspitze | Up to 2,050 m | Children who ski blue and red runs | Mostly red runs, longer runs down towards the valley |
| Kandahar | 1,690–770 m | Confident skiers | Black piste no. 5 with the Freier Fall – start at the mid-station to avoid the steepest part |
| Zugspitzplatt | About 2,000–2,700 m | Families who want reliable snow | Glacier, sledging hill and 75 minutes on the cogwheel railway to get there |
Garmisch-Classic and the Zugspitze each have their own lift pass. The Twin Ticket gives you one day in each area.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is at the very bottom of Bavaria, below Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, and just a few kilometres from the border with Tyrol. It is a proper town with painted houses, shops and trains from Munich, not a ski village built around the lifts. For a Swedish family, that means two things: it is easy to get here without a car, and there is plenty to do when legs have had enough.
The skiing is split between two areas. Garmisch-Classic is just above the town, on the Hausberg, Kreuzeck and Alpspitze mountains. The Zugspitze is a little further away and much higher up, on a glacier plateau that has snow when the valley is green.
Garmisch-Classic – where the family starts
Garmisch-Classic has 40 kilometres of pistes on three mountains and just under 20 lifts. The main lifts are the Hausbergbahn, the Kreuzeckbahn and the Alpspitzbahn. The highest point is at just over 2,000 metres, at the Alpspitzbahn top station, and the runs go all the way down to the valley.
The pistes break down roughly like this: 12 kilometres easy, 18 kilometres intermediate and 10 kilometres difficult. That is more red and black than in most family resorts, so Garmisch-Classic suits you best when the children can manage blue runs and want to move on. Beginners stay at the Hausberg.
The 2026/27 season is expected to run from mid-December to 29 March 2027. Garmisch-Classic is low-lying, so the snow on the runs down towards the town depends on snowmaking.
The Ixi children's area on the Hausberg
The children's area is called Ixis Kinderland and is on the practice slope at the Hausberg. There is a magic carpet and three beginner lifts, a small slalom course and a fun line with waves, jumps and tunnels. Four stations with blue cubes come from Felix Neureuther's Beweg dich schlau concept and train balance and concentration, and the signs explain the exercises so you can do them on your own. The mascots Ixi and Mimi often turn up on the slope. Two restaurants with children's menus, Drehmöser 9 and Garmischer Haus, are just a few metres away.
Lift passes for children: children under six ski free when accompanied by a parent. If they go to ski school, they still need a valid ticket, and then the child price applies. The child pass covers ages 6–15 and the youth pass ages 16–18, and families can buy a family pass for children aged 6–18. There is also a Kinderland pass that covers the Hausbergbahn up and down, the magic carpet and the Rimmlermoos lifts – cheaper for anyone who is only going to ski on the children's slope. Current prices are shown when you book.
Ski school – the age limits
Several ski schools meet at the Hausbergbahn valley station. The rules are much the same:
- Half-day lessons from age four. Skischule Zugspitze-Grainau, for example, has groups for children aged 4–12 from half past nine to half past twelve, every day from 14 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, with its own children's park with a carousel and magic carpet.
- Full-day lessons from age six. The youngest rarely have the energy for more than a morning anyway.
- The lift pass is not included. Buy it at the ticket office before the first lesson.
Over Christmas, New Year and the German winter half-term week in February, it is full. Book ahead, and it's worth reading the guide to the first ski trip with kids before you decide how many days the children should go.
The Zugspitze – the glacier above the clouds
Zugspitzplatt is Germany's only glacier ski area, at between 2,000 and 2,700 metres. Here you'll find 20 kilometres of pistes and snow from late November to early May. The 2026/27 season is expected to run from 27 November 2026 to 2 May 2027.
The journey up is part of the day. The cogwheel railway leaves from the Zugspitzbahnhof in Garmisch, a few minutes' walk from the main railway station, and takes 75 minutes to reach Zugspitzplatt. Faster is the Seilbahn Zugspitze cable car from the Eibsee, which goes up to the summit at almost 3,000 metres in about ten minutes. From there, the Gletscherbahn takes you down to the plateau in five minutes.
With small children, there are a few things to bear in mind. The air is thin and it is colder than in the valley, so expect shorter days and more breaks. The glacier has a sledging hill, and sledges, bobsleighs and helmets can be hired on the plateau. The Sonnalpin and Gletscher 2600 restaurants have sun terraces. If you want a day in each area, there is the Twin Ticket, which gives you one day in Garmisch-Classic and one on the Zugspitze.
Kandahar – for the adults, or for watching
Kandahar is one of the World Cup's best-known downhill courses. It has been on the World Cup circuit since 1970, and the Freier Fall section has a gradient of 92 per cent – the steepest on the entire World Cup. The course is black piste number 5 and runs from the Kandahar Express top station at 1,690 metres down to the Kreuzeckbahn valley station.
It can be skied by experienced and brave recreational skiers, and anyone who wants to avoid the steepest part can start at the Kandahar Express mid-station. Otherwise, for a family, Kandahar is mostly something to look at from the lift – and a good goal for the teenager who wants something to tell people about back home.
How to get to Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- Train from Munich: the regional train runs about once an hour and takes just over an hour. You can travel without changing all the way to the ski area, as some trains stop at Hausbergbahn.
- By train all the way: from Sweden you take the night train and trains down through Germany to Munich and change there. How the changes and the luggage work is explained in train to the Alps – how it works.
- By air: Munich is the nearest major airport, about an hour and a half away. Innsbruck is on the other side of the border and is an alternative.
- By car: the car parks at the Hausberg and Kreuzeck are closest to Garmisch-Classic. Local buses run to the Kreuzeckbahn and the Eibsee.
Garmisch or Austria?
Garmisch-Partenkirchen suits families who want to take the train, stay in a proper town and combine skiing with day trips. Anyone who wants a large, linked area with lots of blue runs will more often find it on the other side of the border. SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser and the other resorts among Austria's ski resorts are the obvious comparisons, and there are more alternatives in skiing in the Alps. What the children should bring is in the ski trip packing list.
Packing for Garmisch – things that are easy to forget
Frequently asked questions
Is Garmisch-Partenkirchen suitable for small children?
Yes, if you stay near the Hausberg. That's where you'll find the Ixi children's area with a magic carpet, three beginner lifts and a playful fun line, and the ski schools meet at the valley station. The rest of Garmisch-Classic has plenty of red and black runs, so it suits you best once the children have made some progress.
Do children ski free in Garmisch-Partenkirchen?
Children under six ski free when accompanied by a parent. If they go to ski school, they still need a ticket, and then the child price applies. Children aged 6–15 ski on a child pass, and families can buy a family pass for children aged 6–18.
From what age do the ski schools take children?
The ski schools at the Hausberg have half-day groups from age four. Full-day lessons usually start at age six. The lift pass is not included in the lessons, so buy it at the ticket office before the first lesson.
How do you get up to the glacier on the Zugspitze?
By cogwheel railway from the Zugspitzbahnhof in Garmisch, which is next to the main railway station. The journey to Zugspitzplatt takes 75 minutes. Faster is the cable car from the Eibsee up to the summit and then the Gletscherbahn down to the plateau.
How do you get to Garmisch-Partenkirchen by train?
The regional train from Munich runs about once an hour and takes just over an hour. Some trains also stop at Hausbergbahn, so you can travel from Munich to the ski slope without changing.
When is the 2026/27 season?
The Zugspitze is expected to be open from 27 November 2026 to 2 May 2027. Garmisch-Classic is expected to open in mid-December and close on 29 March 2027. The dates depend on the snow.
