 Poster: A snowHead
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hi all, Im wanting to take my 3 and 6 year old daughters away skiing for their first foreign ski holiday (they both ski in Scotland). Can anyone reccomend which resort? I would like them both to be in ski school in the morning (ideally with supervised lunch), then we will play (sledge, swim, ice skate etc) in the afternoons. Im struggling to find ski schools that take 3 year olds. esf do but i see very mixed reports, Espirit are no good as the 3 year old lessons would be in the afternoon (where's the sense in that?). Some ski schools only run lessons for 1 hour (which is too short). So can anyone reccomend a good kid friendly resort with lots of other activities to do and somewhere that has a good ski school for both the 3 and 6 year old? all the advise much appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alpbach would be very good. The ski school at the top of the mountain were very good with my (just under) 3 yr old last year. He had private lessons with another child and they also have a play area in the office at the top so just ski back for lunch and pick them up while they are happy playing indoors.
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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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Alpbach would be very good. The ski school at the top of the mountain were very good with my (just under) 3 yr old last year. He had private lessons with another child and they also have a play area in the office at the top so just ski back for lunch and pick them up while they are happy playing indoors.
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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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judet, when are you going? I am taking my 3 yr old granddaughter to St Vigilio (Kronplatz) for a week on 15th March.Ski school will take her (I have spoken to them) but I am keeping an open mind at present as to exactly what to arrange. I suspect that at that time of year, there may be a shortage of 3 yr olds there, so we are thinking of a couple of private lessons for our group, with a day in between to practice
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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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Hi judet, welcome to snowheads!
I'd recommend looking for a good ski school which will take 3-year-olds and then planning the holiday location around that.
I don't know about other resorts but in La Plagne Evolution2 take 3-year-olds in group lessons and Reflex take them in private lessons. Oxygene will also take them provided that they are completely out of nappies. I wouldn't recommed ESF for children this young as they are likely to be in a class with much older children too.
How much skiing has your 3-year-old done? Most of the group lesson options for children this young are play based in kindegarten areas rather than on the slopes. If she can already snowplough turn on a nursey slope you need to call the ski school you want to use for exact advice but I would suggest private lessons if this is the case.
Good luck - hope you have a lovely holiday!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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judet, check out La Rosiere, both the ESF and Evo2 have good reputations for ski school, ESF is probably the best option as Evo2 is contracted to provide ski school for Ski Espirit so they can get very busy. There is a very good creche/nursery Les Galopins who take chidren from 18months p to 12 yrs and fit in a lot of activities around ski lessons, they have a deicated nursery area Les Jardins de Ski, where the little ones can build up their confidence by playing on skis. You can find all the details on www.larosiere.net.
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My now 5 year old has been to ESF since he was 2.
Albeit just playing in the snow when he started but learning the basics non the less...Le Claret in Tignes had a fenced off area on the slopes like most resorts i imagine.
Age gap was never a problem he was the youngest but it never caused any issues.
Feb this year when he was 4 and was took out the play area and on to the lifts in "proper" ski school which he loves so much....again he was the youngest but more than able to hold his own or they would not have took him out.
He is advanced for his age but this is because hes had allot of skiing holidays (6 to date and 7 this xmas) with ESF teaching him from 2
Never to young IMO.
Have a lovely holiday you kids will ! 
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judet, in my experience (which is extensive but I'm already bracing for the backlash ...) it's a rare 3 year who can hack a week of ski school. Taster sessions or the odd hour here and there are generally spot on at this stage. Whilst your 3 year old may be game for more, given that she has already skied in Scotland, most aren't and inevitably this feeds in to what is on offer.
From a position of enormous bias I think that Les Gets is a great resort with young children. There are options for children from three but they're probably not going to match up with what you are after (in essence it's ESF Club Piou Piou or our own taster sessions aimed at 3 & 4 yr old beginners).
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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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Sorry i should have said in my post my lad only did mornings....a full day yes would be to much.
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If you want a good ski holiday , you need happy kids. Whether your 3 year old can cope with ski school will depend on his physical stamina and mental attitude. IMO most 3 year olds can not do a day of ski school but some can.
We have always gone skiing with our children and have tried and tested most of the family friendly options! My eldest in now 13 so we are tied to school hols but until year 6 we did take the kids out of school to ski - usually the first week of Jan where prices were low and our school normally had an inset day on the Monday. So here are my suggestions :
1. Go outside of main school hols if possible - both Ski Esprit and Mark Warner are much cheaper outside of UK hols.
2. Take a look at Family Friendly Skiing and Ski Magic in La Tania. Both are small companies that provide in-house childcare for a cheaper rate than the big companies. Their prices do not include flights so you have the option of train, plane or driving. If your children travel well then Calais to La Tania can be done in a day. The Family Friendly Skiing chalet we stayed in was lovely and nicer than most Esprit hotels. Also, try Ski Adventures in Les Arcs. Again all are much cheaper out of UK hols
3. Pick your ski school wisely. We prefer not to use ESF. Try either New Generation ( in La Tania, Courcheval and Meribel) or Parallel lines in Meribel are all excellent. Or just pay for full kids club and take your little one skiing yourself and pop them back when they have had enough.
4. Another option is to self cater and have a private nanny. Sounds expensive but this is now the holiday we take as in school holidays the main providers are so expensive ! Since we now own the apartment that we go to ( in Brides-les-Bains in 3 Vallees) that helps. But to give you a guide - our prices for a low season week start at €525 for a 2 bed apartment. It isn't ski in/ out but works well for us as we either drive up to Meribel or take the gondola. You should be able to find similarily priced accomodation in other resorts but you will need to check what areas the nanny companies cover.
Last year we opted for a full time nanny for our 4 year old to take and collect her from ski school ( which was only 2 hours a day - from 11am to 1pm). This year we are using Parallel lines ski school but have a private nanny to collect from ski school, take back to apartment. For 5 half days it is £320. If you have two kids or can share with another family, then it gets cheaper per child!
We are using T4 nanny who operate in the 3 Vallees but also other resorts. Merinannies is another one to try.
5. We used to think childcare was expensive - but once you have to pay for both ski lessons and ski pass then the childcare cost suddenly doesnt seem so much. Last year, the nanny made sandwiches for both the children and us in the apartment and brought them up with her for usif we were meeting at lunch time. Saved a small fortune on lunches - nor did we have to carry them around all day.
6. Look at Austria. They take children from age 3 in many resorts and the ski school is very much a mix of play, ski and rest.
If money is no object then for your first ski hol with the little one, I would go for a catered chalet with built in child care ( but not MW or Esprit which are over priced IMO). However, don't rule out self catering and a nanny. It worked well for us last year.
Hope that helps
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I reckon any 3 year old who has already been skiing in Scotland will have little problem coping with a nice cosy ski kindergarten in an alpine ski resort.  However, in general I agree that the average 3 year old might be happier doing a little bit of skiing and a lot of sledging, playing in the snow or (when it's cold and nasty outside) watching a familiar DVD for a bit of a rest.
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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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thanks everyone for all your advise  im super excited about taking my girls abroad (ive been waiting till they were old enough for some ski school). I never imagined that it would be this difficult to find a good ski school for a 3 year old. Ive found a few now - thanks.
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Do they like Après ?
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