Two years ago, I was you. I’d never seen snow, had no idea what a snowplough was, and was googling "what do I even wear?" at midnight before my first trip. I was your classic Brisbane girl whose idea of "cold weather gear" had always been a cardigan. Now, as a self-certified ski newbie who's been to Thredbo and Perisher, I've taken it upon myself to write the beginner's guide to a ski holiday I wish I'd had.

In this guide, I'm covering what to pack, where to stay, the mistakes I made so you don't have to, and why lessons might be the best money you’ll spend on the whole trip. So, buckle in (or clip in, I suppose), and let's get into it.

As a legendary procrastinator when it comes to packing, I underestimated just how much time and thought goes into preparing for a ski holiday. I'll admit I had it slightly easier not having to figure out how to fly with skis or a snowboard, but I still had to answer the big question: how cold is "cold," actually? Enter thermals, the absolute godsend of ski essentials. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: buy the thermals. Buy them early. Wear them proudly.

The good news is you don't need to subscribe to the "all the gear, no idea" philosophy before your first trip either. If you're not ready to invest in a proper ski jacket and snow pants, hiring your outerwear is a completely legitimate option, and a much friendlier one for the bank account than buying a full kit you might use once a year.

That's exactly the plan I went with, thermals as my own, everything bulky and expensive picked up at the rental shop instead.

One decision that made a bigger difference than I expected was choosing to stay on the mountain at Thredbo rather than down in the village. I still had a short walk to the chairlift each morning, snow boots on and skis over my shoulder, so it wasn't quite a roll-out-of-bed-and-go situation. But this meant no driving, no shuttle buses, and no working out how on earth to put chains on a set of tyres I'd never touched before in my life. As a total newbie, that alone made the whole trip feel a lot more manageable.

If I were to suggest anything to someone in my position, it would be to look for proper ski-in, ski-out accommodation. I’m talking the kind where you clip straight into your skis and go, rather than walking to the chairlift like I did. Now that I've got a trip under my belt, I'd love to try basing myself in the village next time for the atmosphere and nightlife, and I'd feel a lot more confident navigating ski shuttles and timings too. It's less about one option being better than the other, and more about picking whichever takes the most pressure off you as a beginner. For me, that was staying on the mountain, it's a small detail, but exactly the kind of thing worth thinking about when you're picking where to stay.

Nobody warns you about the boots. I want that on the record. My first morning went something like this: I eagerly sat down in the ski rental shop, confident, ready, only to discover that ski boots are less "put your foot in" and more "engage in a wrestling match you did not agree to." There was grunting. There may have been a small, undignified hopping motion around the rental shop. By the time I'd wrangled both boots on, I felt like I'd already done a workout, and I hadn't even seen the chairlift yet.

Once I was upright, clipped in, and on mountain, things didn't improve dramatically. There was falling. There was a moment of genuine confusion about which way "downhill" was. But here's the thing: every skier gliding effortlessly past you started exactly where you're standing, mid-battle with their boots, wondering if this was a mistake. It wasn't. It just takes a morning (or four) to feel human again.

Somewhere between the second and third fall, you realise being out in the snow is every bit as magical as you’d hoped. With mountain views, the fresh air, and the excitement of throwing yourself into something completely new, it's surprisingly easy to forget you've spent half the day falling over. Almost.

Looking back, booking lessons was easily the best money I spent on the entire trip. Not because I suddenly became an Olympic athlete (spoiler: I did not), but because I got to enjoy skiing sooner, instead of spending my first three days trying to work it all out on my own, boots and all. A good instructor can do things no amount of YouTube tutorials at midnight will.

They’ll take your group to areas of the mountain you'd never have had the nerve to try solo, plus get you access to beginner friendly magic carpets not everyone can use. And, if you are lucky, they can occasionally jump you ahead in a lift queue too. Our instructor somehow noticed exactly what each of us needed to hear, even with a group of total beginners wobbling around in front of him. Whatever he said to fix my brand of chaos wasn't the same thing he told the guy next to me. It turns out "confused and slightly damp" becomes "actually having fun" a lot faster with a professional involved than it does with pride alone.

Here what I wish someone had told me before I went:

• Pack lip balm. Your lips will thank you.
• Wear sunscreen, even when it's freezing. The glare is sneaky.
• Drink water. Altitude and dehydration are not friends.
• Give yourself an afternoon for ski hire; don't rush it.
• Don't schedule a massive ski day straight after travelling. Ease in.
• Book your lessons before you go, not once you're already there.
• Don't stress about top-of-the-line gear on your first trip. Entry-level hire skis or a board do the job just fine; you can worry about upgrades once you know you're hooked.

A ski holiday as a total beginner is equal parts chaotic and brilliant, and I wouldn't change a thing about how mine went, boot battles included. The trick is knowing which bits to prepare for and which bits to just laugh through, and that's exactly were having a team behind you who've done this before comes in handy. If you're planning your first snow trip and want it to go a little smoother than mine did, get in touch with our ski travel specialists. We've been there, we've packed the thermals, and we're ready to help you plan yours.

Blog by Hannah Everingham
Last Updated: September 2026