 Poster: A snowHead
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@Henwc, Briancon is one of the standard answers to questions of this type. Historic town, some marked snow shoeing paths, not at particularly high altitude so there is likely easy valley walking, not stuck at the end of a valley, shuttle bus along the valley, and it is even accessible by train
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@rambotion, Thanks, I'm going to Serre Chevalier next Easter with my son (but not wife) so I'll check it out for Christmas 25. Easy train is a big plus and my wife does like a sleeper train.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@henwc
How about St Moritz. Direct train link from Geneva and Zurich airports, great variety of pistes ranging from blue to black, good choice of cross country and snowshoe trails including cleared winter walking paths. Lovely atmospheric town, easy access to other villages by bus or train and of course the iconic Cresta Run if you want to try the bobsleigh. Also lots of activities on the lake including horse racing etc. Need to choose accommodation carefully as whilst their is a large range of choice, some of it can be quite expensive
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@Chaletbeauroc,
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it doesn't seem to me to offer as much to the non-skier as the Jungfrau area, and honestly at that time of the winter it's quite dark and miserable in the village and the high Swiss side skiing is seriously cold due to the complete absence of sunshine.
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+1
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@nahdendee, Thanks, I'll put it on the list.
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Thanks all, very helpful, I now have a better picture of what I need after discussing these suggestions with my wife. It turns out a 20m+ swimming pool in the village is essential so I'll use that to narrow down the suggestions.
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@Henwc, could you reframe the trip as a winter holiday rather than a ski holiday? And consider maybe Scandinavia? Dog sledding, northern lights, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, skating, winter hiking, saunas and wild swimming in ice holes cut into lakes. With some downhill skiing thrown in as an extra. Then maybe a long weekend for you and your son at another juncture.
I can totally understand where your wife is coming from. I have no interest in e.g. golf, so I’m not sure I’d get much out of going on a golfing holiday.
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@snowdave, Thanks I take your point, we all love hiking so if we did a winter holiday it would probably be the Lake District or the Scottish mountains. I have previously looked into hiring a guide/teacher to do winter mountain skills as a family so perhaps it's worth going back to that plan.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Henwc, We did a family avalanche course for two days with a guide in Chamonix - obviously we're all skiers, so it's a bit different, but having a focal point like that worked really well.
Could you tempt your wife with ski touring? The uphill is easy, and it might lead to her wanting to ski to make the downs easier 
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@snowdave, Ski touring as a family was the original dream but that's not going to happen because my wife is pretty clear about not wanting to ski in any form again. To be fair she has tried a few times and it was not for her which is fair enough.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
I have previously looked into hiring a guide/teacher to do winter mountain skills as a family so perhaps it's worth going back to that plan.
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Sounds a good idea. Many years ago my wife and I did a course at Glenmore Lodge. She did skiing and I did winter mountaineering (I had no interest in skiing then). The winter mountaineering course spent a lot of time on navigation, which was good as we were in fog almost the whole time. Careful map reading, noting even small rises and falls in the ground, step counting and compass work is still revelant today. We also learnt how to use ice axes, crampons, digging snow holes etc. We even spent a night in one (remarkebly cosy).
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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One suggestion, my partner is also a non skier. A few years back we went to Garmisch. There is plenty to do there, plenty of winter outdoor & indoor activities, easy to get to Munich or Innsbruck & elsewhere especially for a German speaker (though English no issue either). Ski jumping between Christmas & New Year (part of the "four hills" series). Skiing is not that great. Guaranteed on the small glacier area on the Zugspitze, less reliable (especially early season) on the lower "Garmisch Classic" area, wouldn't normally suggest it but it might be a sensible compromise here
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@munich_irish, thanks Garmisch is not a bad option, we had a planned summer trip there a few years ago which we had to cancel so my wife would be naturally keen. It's also a bit more her neck of the woods having spent a year or so in southern Germany so would appeal a bit more and get her on on board with planning.
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You know it makes sense.
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"My wife will need an incredible array of both active and relaxing non skiing activities in stunning settings." Right, then!
I'd send here to Tahiti personally.
Just kidding, mostly. Maybe ask her if she wants to ask a nonskiing friend along to take the pressure off you and your son to be perky all day long.
Sounds like you want a medium sized city like, as mentioned, Innsbruck or Aosta or Bergamo. There's a ton of culture in Innsbruck and it's pretty cool at Christmas. The Austrians do that holiday particularly well.
My wife doesn't ski anymore but she is just happy to be in the mountains, have a lie-in and a late coffee -- and not be at work. She will do a little snowshoeing or hiking or gentle XC. She particularly likes the Dolomites for all of that.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Pasigal, We do usually go with the Tahiti plan (well sending her wild swimming in the Mediterranean or something like that). The friend suggestion is a good idea but my wife very much enjoys Christmas as family time. I think you are right about a medium sized city being a good option.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Henwc, as I said previously, if you're looking for a good ski resort with great scenery and lots to do for a non skier then I'd stay with my Jungfrau region recommendation.
If you're looking for a medium sized city location with easy public transport access to nearby skiing then I don't think you can do better than Innsbruck. It's particularly nice at Christmas. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Alastair Pink, Thanks do you know if any of the villages in the Jungfrau region have swimming pools open to the public where my wife can swim lengths? An internet search gives varied results as to what is there.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Alastair Pink wrote: |
| I don't think you can do better than Innsbruck. It's particularly nice at Christmas. |
It is indeed.
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Considering the collective love that Snowheads have for the Dolomites, I'm surprised there haven't been more recommendations for any of the usual names here!
Ortisei is a great for non-skiers - large & pretty village, a big swimming pool complex, a Christmas market, plenty of shopping, plus <1hr ride down to Bolzano for a real city w/ museum etc, bigger Christmas market. Lots of activities organized by the Val Gardena tourist office & there are great winter walking options both at the valley level (you can walk along an old rail trail all the way up to Selva if you wish), plus multiple gondolas to ride up for high altitude walking paths - your wife could easily meet you & your son for lunch on the slopes, even if you are skiing further up the valley, as local transit is good. The Rasciesa funicular leads to one particularly easy path with great views. You can a good idea of the walking from here: https://www.valgardena.it/dl/stchristina/pdf/Winterwanderkarte_groeden.pdf
The quality of the resort supermarkets is good - I think it would be a pleasure to cook there, the local supermarket chain Conad has always impressed with their quality, plus there's a proper greengrocer too.
Bruneck/Brunico would be another good option: you can ski at Kronplatz while your wife explores the Pusteral valley by train. The immediate scenery isn't as good as in Val Gardena or Alta Badia, but Bruneck is a lovely miniature of Innsbruck & Drei Zinnen, Pragser Wildsee, San Candido etc would all be great places to visit/go for a walk.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Henwc wrote: |
| @Alastair Pink, Thanks do you know if any of the villages in the Jungfrau region have swimming pools open to the public where my wife can swim lengths? An internet search gives varied results as to what is there. |
I've swum in the indoor pool in the Victoria Lauberhorn in Wengen which is open to non residents for a fee. You can see a couple of photos of the pool in the link. It's very nice, with sections with whirlpool currents and a part where you can swim to the outside, but it's not lane swimming. However you can swim a reasonable length avoiding other people (particularly if you go during the day when it tends to be less busy as most people are out on the slopes). There's an open air pool in the village with lane swimming but that's only open in Summer I presume.
Being a larger town Grindelwald may have more options as regards swimming pools, but I have no personal knowledge of that. However a quick internet search shows that the swimming pool in the Sportzentrum in Grindelwald looks like it's set up for lane swimming. Also I see that with the guest card you get with staying in accommodation in Grindelwald you get half price admission, and it will be a lot cheaper than the Victoria Lauberhorn in Wengen. So if you are looking at the Jungfrau region then for your needs I'd suggest staying in Grindelwald.
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I'm surprised no-one has mentioned Mayrhofen and the Zillertal. Plenty of hiking/walking/snowshoeing/cross-country skiing, etc., the Erlebnisbad Mayrhofen indoor pool, the railway from the bottom of town all along the Zillertal valley all the way to Innsbruck, and from there onwards (day trip to Munich?), getting a bus up to the Hintertux Glacier, paragliding, skating, curling, etc...
Here's a link for activities off the slopes:
https://www.zillertal.at/en/winter/activities/off-the-slopes.html
Skiing's not bad too...
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@Alastair Pink, Thanks very helpful, for some reason I missed the pool in Grindelwald when I searched.
@AndreaC, Thanks, that does sound good. I hadn't really looked into Italy but seeing as good food is at the is a big part of Christmas for us Italy seems a good fit.
@MajorQ, Thanks, that is another good option, the train to Innsbruck would be a bonus.
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Definitely a vote for St Moritz from me for this one, if you can find reasonable accommodation.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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i will put Kaprun instead of Zell am See here.
If you find accommodation near the K Connection you are almost ski in ski out, and you wife could spend enoucht time in the tauern spa
https://www.tauernspakaprun.com/de
except that Zell am See is also easy accesible for some walks etc. and Salzburg also
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@afterski, Thanks St Moritz is on the possibles list
@turms2, Thanks, I'll check out Kaprun
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Henwc, to be honest, if your wife felt "left out" because she wasn't skiing, this is just not going to work however nice a place you find. I have been sailing for two weeks with two people whose spouses don't like sailing! But Christmas is supposed to be a peak happy families time of year ( though we all know the stats about divorce and Christmas  ). There are often family tensions about how to spend Christmas, and who with. If you've generally gone along with your wife's preferences she could surely go along with yours, once in a while, without moaning!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Life is a compromise!
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@Origen, it seems to me that the OP is perfectly content to accommodate his wife's preferences, if possible.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Origen, I agree no matter what happens the feeling left out element can't be fully overcome. The aim here is to get a really good idea of what the options are so we can decide as a family if it will be a good Christmas or not.
If it's not a viable compromise for Christmas 2025 I might leave it a few years until my son is a teenager, I have a feeling that my wife's preferences may shift a bit in favour of Christmas in the mountains when the alternative is the rainy UK with a grumpy teen
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Thu 11-07-24 11:20; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Henwc, 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Origen wrote: |
| I have been sailing for two weeks with two people whose spouses don't like sailing! |
We did this for the first time last year. Neither of them had sailed before, he was quite keen, having expressed a desire to maybe get a boat of his own and sail the Irish sea (he lives on the IoM) which we quickly explained was a project only for maybe a few years down the line if he started now. She was less so, but hey! the Greek Islands!
As it happens it was far from our best trip, with poor weather, limited harbour (nobody wanted to anchor off in that weather) sailing South from Corfu for a week and one day an actual 'Medicane' although where we were it only got up to about force 7. Anyway, we survived.
She still never really like the actual sailing part, but guess what? They're coming out again this year, this time from Lefkada so a shedload more places to go. So she didn't hate it.
OK, so not so relevant to the point here, but what I was going to get to was that it's not really comparable to a non-skier on a ski trip, as everybody is in the same boat ll the time anyway, do nobody is being excluded at any time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Chaletbeauroc, I didn't explain myself at all clearly. The spouses were left behind.....
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Origen, Shane. They clearly don't know what they're missing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
They clearly don't know what they're missing
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They certainly do. My two companions sailed for years WITH the spouses, extensively in the West Country, the Scillies, Channel Islands, Brittany and the Morbihan. They know exactly what they are missing. The skipper's wife prepared a very nice lot of drinks and snacks for when we got back yesterday as he lives within a couple of minutes of the marina.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| @Origen, Shane. They clearly don't know what they're missing. |
Indeed, a robust bounty hunter may be the tough love non- skiers need.
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@Dave of the Marmottes,
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@Dave of the Marmottes, 
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As a skier and a sailor I have seen a lot of instances of people being determined that their partners WILL share their passions. Being enforced to endure the undoubted discomforts of sailing or skiing is pretty grim. I had three kids and was always pregnant out of choice but often thought that pregnancy and childbirth would be terrible things to endure against your wishes. What I do find difficult to understand is the apparent impossibility of some partners to spend more than five minutes apart. Solo trips for work, or for recreation/holidays, are often a sensible answer. I have just been sitting on my balcony with a glass of Gavi watching a stupid women trying to bully her poor dog into the pond. He clearly had no wish to go into the water, and seemed a very sweet dog, obviously not wanting to upset his mistress (he kept coming back when she called him) but equally reluctant to actually take the plunge after the pointless bits of stick she kept throwing in. I am not a great dog lover but felt really sorry for the poor creature. I'd have happily thrown her in!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
@Henwc, if the cost of holidaying in Switzerland is no bar, it would be hard to beat the Jungfrau region. Trains go to umpteen places, non-skiers can meet skiers for lunch in lovely mountain-top restaurants, the possibilities are limitless. Grindelwald probably has more to offer within the town itself - it's quite a big place - but personally I prefer to say in Wengen, because it's positioned more centrally between Grindelwald and Mürren, and because it's car-free.
Another Swiss possibility might be Crans Montana, but that's French- speaking. |
Hi - sorry to interrupt another thread. I am reading this with interest (and your hotel suggestion) but just wanted to check a few things with you if you dont mind. We would only ski for 3 days - so you think the travel via zurich (probably hire car and leave in lauterbrunnen) and then train to Wengen would be a pain for these few days?
Also the kids have skied quite a few times but are only semi confident skiers (if that makes sense), they both skied in the dolimites fine but prefer cruisy blues and not too hard reds. V sensible! Do you think that would be ok for them?
thanks so much if you can help?
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A few years ago we had 2 non skiers so chose Courmayeur as a compromise resort.
Skiing was poor and didn't enjoy it all so should really have got the bus to La Thuille everyday where I'm sure it would have been better.
Non skiers loved it and everyone enjoyed the vibe of the town at xmas.
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FAQ
