Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there, I am Aaron OK skier and beginner boarder.
Found my way here and looks like a decent forum!
I just wanted to ask a question to anyone who might be in the same predicament.
Me and my wife went skiing 3 years ago to Mayerhofen and got completely hooked on it. We have a 4 year old daughter who I take to Snowtrax dry slope in dorset for ski tots and she loves it so I am thinking about taking the plunge and booking a family holiday for next year….here is the catch though. We also have 9 month old twins() so this time next year they will be near on 2.
Has anyone been on a family holiday with a child old enough to put into Ski School and one into a creche and what was experience. If I am honest I am not comfortable with putting the twins into a crèche while we go gallivanting on the slopes it just doesn’t seem right but just really interested on what other people do? I suppose the short answer for me is wait until they are all old enough to do ski school.
Also how does Ski School work? I take it you drop off the kids for a few hours while we hit the slopes?
Thanks to all in advance!
Az
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi
Have a look at ski famille, family ski and sko total. All do child focused holidays.
Andy
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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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AaronBlyth, welcome aboard.
The other name to add to anderoos list is Ski Espirit.
We've been with them since we've had kids to take (now 4 and 2) and they get pretty much unanimous approval from those who use them.
How it works: Your 4yo would be in ski school, you'd drop her off or she'd be picked up by Espirit staff and go off to school, she'd have her lesson with an instructor and an Espirit Snow Ranger, then brought back to their in house childcare with the other kids where they play, do activities and generally run about having a whale of a time. The littler ones too young for ski school go to snow nursery where they basically get the day-nursery experience with the snow nannies. You can come and get the kids at any time so you can spend as much time with them as you want to.
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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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Take a look at Esprit, they provide childcare from 4months old upwards. They provide baby listening service on evenings for their chalet hotels as well meaning that you can put them to bed at a normal time, sign them in and go down for evening meal.
Here is the link to their offers page
http://www.espritski.com/offers/
If you were tempted to go this season assuming your 4 yr old hasn't started school on the 20th you can goto Belle Plagne interconnecting rooms for £1299 for all of you.
We used them when my daughters were 1 & 4 and again at 3 & 6. Overall made very enjoyable family holidays.
There are other family specialists as well, we are try gin Mark Warner for the first time mid April.
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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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Have been with Crystal and used their childcare for a 2 year old. My little one loved it.
Also in Austria lessons can be from 10 until 3.30 with 1.30 hours for lunch. You can pick up and meet for lunch or the ski school will look after and arrange lunch for a small fee.
My daughter now 5 loves the ski school but wants to be with parents for lunch - we tend to put her in for a couple of days lunch and then the rest of the time with us.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks all that is really helpful! Would certainly want play in the snow and do some sledging with the younger ones in the afternoon!
Will definately check the links provided. We won't go this year now but certainly considering for next season. Want to start building some great holiday memories!
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AaronBlyth, Welcome to Snowheads You have a PM (top right - Send/Read Messages)
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AaronBlyth, I am sure you won't regret it. My girls (now 4 & 7) are uber excited about going skiing again in 13days time.
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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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Yes Tallguy I think meeting up and having lunch would be what we would do for sure!
I do remember my firsttime down the slopes and seeing a ski school fly past like a row of ducks, unbelievable how good some of those kids are!
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AaronBlyth, If you enjoyed Mayrhofen then consider going there again . We've used SMT for lessons (and creche) for my daughters for the last 3 years and they've loved it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We've got a 6yo and a 3yo. Last year the 6yo did ski school in mornings, and skied with us in the afternoons, while the youngest was in the creche all day. Since Feb this year, eldest does the same as usual, and youngest does Piou Piou in the mornings, then the ESF staff take him along to the creche where he spends the rest of the day.
I don't know how it works if you book your holiday through a company. We arrange all our holidays ourselves, plus creche and ski school, and it has always been a great experience for all concerned. Mind you, we always holiday in the same place (Oz en Oisans) which is teeny tiny, and very, very family friendly, but with the whole Alpe D'Huez ski domain for skiing.
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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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AaronBlyth -
We had a really good experience with Hillwood. http://www.familyskiholidays.com/. They were recommended to me by another rep that I met in Hinterglemm - She had worked for them the previous season and gave a strong recommendation.
I spent a lot of time looking at trying to get the best experience for the kids before choosing a suitable organisation to book with, and a good starter resort and ski school.
My son was 4 when he first went on a ski holiday (daughter 7), I was conscious that I wanted him to enjoy the experience, and to avoid any of the traditional pitfalls and struggles. The important aspects for me were;
Short flight - its got to be as quicker journey as poss, driving is a no no,
Close to Airport - long transfers with tired children can be a strain
Quality Accommodation close to the slopes - just gotta easy, no busses, just walk to the slopes
Good ski school- trying to create the next Shane McConkey
certified child care - in case they didn't take to skiing.
compact Resort - where we could get back to kids for lunch and final hour of the ski day.
Evening child care - Bier time.. In reality this didn't materialise as we tended to spend evening playing games, cards, etc
Finally settled on Hillwood, in Zauchensee, at the Zauchensee hof.
Short flight, short transfer, 50 paces to the ski school, crèche and child care provided by Hillwood in the hotel, Small (but interesting) resort,
brilliant ski school (run by the Walchoffer family (so the pedigree is there). ski school classes were very small- Michael Walchoffer's sister taught my kids to Ski
We didn't need to use the child care for a very young child, however I do recall that a couple where also there with their first born (about 6 months), They did use the child care each day.
Anyway, we went there for 3 years in a row, kids learning accelerated scarily fast, and both are hooked. Which unfortunately means that I now spend a fortune on ski holidays each year.
Good luck...
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AaronBlyth, welcome to . Some good advice above. Take the kids out of school holidays if you can to keep costs down. Go for a short transfer. Be patient with them when they are trying to ski and be prepared for them to want to, well, be kids and want to muck about and play in the snow. Having a good ski school makes a big difference (if you go to France, be aware the no-nonsense attitude of ESF - they take no prisoners, even if you are only 5). Don't expect to do mega mileage when they are little. They'll soon be skiing well and, if your kids are like mine, they'll soon be better than you!
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