 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello everyone,
Planning to spend Christmas / NYE on the slopes this year – it’s our 10Y wedding anniversary on the 30th too, so somewhere special would be lovely.
We’d love to take our kids too (I now, I know … but no forthcoming childcare offers) – our 6Y has just started tackling reds and our 4Y has 1 week under his belt (so can do greens / easy blues).
Key requirements :
- 5* hotel in a traditional European resort (so Lech and Zermatt are potential options)
- relatively family friendly
- extensive ski area
- variety of runs
- good English speaking schools that can accommodate both kids for both the AM and the PM (if they offered lunch too then great)
A fallback option is Whistler, I know it’s not European or traditional BUT we know it very well and we spent 2 months there as a family in 2012 – their Adventure Camps are great as they run between 8:30 and 3:30. But flights are nearly £4K at that time of year …
Any advice / thoughts and kids’ ski lessons / childcare options most welcome.
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Two great hotels in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, which are both traditional Austrian villages. 200km+ of pistes with plenty of variety and challenges.
Saalbach - Alpinresort Sport & Spa. 4* newly-renovated all-inclusive hotel in the centre of the village. 5 mins walk to any lift. You can ski back to the hotel. In-house ski school and rental (Snowacademy) with English-speaking instructors and full-day programme, including lunch.
Hinterglemm - Alpine Palace. 5* hotel directly next to the Reiterkogel lift. In-house ski school and rental (Snow & Fun); all instructors speak English and full-day programme. Their website currently shows the programme for last Christmas/New Year, but will give you a flavour of what to expect.
Both hotels can be booked direct (book your own flights with Jet 2 Manchester - Salzburg, then Holiday-Shuttle.at for a private VIP minibus transfer) or they are also on a couple of TO programmes. Try Nielsen or Inghams.
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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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Thanks quinton, will have a look at these. Never been to Saalbach but definitely one to consider.
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franga, Alpine Palace is superb for adults. Can't comment re kids as we didn't take ours.
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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 there. If you are still interested in Zermatt, a number of the hotels I suggested is this thread
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=110676
Would work. If it were me, I might look especially at some of the more luxury end suite hotels, such as the Firefly, or maybe suite hotel Zurbriggen (you get an Olympic ski champion thrown in there as the proprietor!). Five star slope side luxury would come in the form of the Riffelalp resort, but it is up the mountain and a train ride back down to the village for anything you might to do.
Summit is a British ski school and Stoked have a high number of British/English speaking instructors. Stoked has a crèche up on the mountain at Schwarzsee also.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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WOW - Apline Palace as well as the Firefly and Zurbriggen look superb. Thanks for the tips.
scotsgirl - have sent Stoked a quick email, they offer full day lessons inc lunch which is an option for us.
We're now starting to lean towards Europe v Whistler as TBH the latter doesn't feel that special as we've been there a few times. I've skied Zermatt on a long boys weekend and loved it, I'm sure my OH would as well.
Thanks for your help everyone. 
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quinton, what's the skiing like in Saalbach? Wife and I are mileage-hungry skiers (strong intermediates / can ski almost anything on piste) ... Have you skied there in December, seems relatively low so just wondering how much of a risk we'd be taking if we booked the Alpine Palace now?
scotsgirl, thanks for the Zermatt recommendations, have emailed Stoked as well as some hotels so just waiting to hear back.
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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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Just a couple of thoughts on Zermatt with kids, if you do decide to take that option further - assuming you are flying from the UK and transferring to Zermatt by train, the children will travel for free with a family card, you just need to request that at the time you buy your Swiss Transfer Ticket. The children also will ski for free, under 10's don't pay for a lift pass. Good luck planning, sounds like it will be a great trip, wherever you decide to go!
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franga, Saalbach- Hinterglemm is fine for Christmas/New Year. The villages are at 1000-1100m, but the vast majority of the skiing is above 1500m and there has been a huge investment in snow-making, snow management and lifts - we're talking €200million + over the last 10 years - so good skiing is about as guaranteed as it can be for the Alps. I've skied there every New Year for the last 10 years and never had a problem. As for mileage, you've got 250 km of pistes, plenty of reds and blacks, and a whole circuit to explore. Saalbach-Hinterglemm is an Intermediate's paradise and if you want to explore the off-piste stuff, book a session with a good guide such as Florian from Alpin Ski (or as you're in the Alpine Palace, one of the top guys from their in-house school Snow & Fun).
If you are going for 2 weeks, it's worth considering upgrading your lift pass to a Ski Alpin pass for one of the weeks. This allows you to ski in Zell am See and Kaprun/Kitzsteinhorn Glacier as well as S-H if you want some variety, although you'll need a bus or expensive taxi to take you there. Reading the reviews on Tripadvisor, it appears that the Alpine Palace runs a guided tour to Kitzsteinhorn as one of their weekly activities, so you could ask the hotel. If you only think you'll ski one day in Zell/Kaprun, then it might be cheaper to just buy a day ticket on the day.
Tripadvisor also has some interesting comments about the rooms that are offered to some UK T/O guests - there is a 3* annex that seems to be where some guests end up, so either book direct or insist that the T/O books you in the 5* part of the hotel. Of course, the facilities and food etc are the same, so for some folks, this is not an issue.
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is also the resort with possibly the longest resort thread here on Snowheads - see http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2402083&highlight=saalbach#2402083 for last season's thread or use the search button (at the top, on the left).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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quinton, you're a star, many thanks for taking the time to write ...
Decision time over the next few days.
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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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All booked!
Christmas in Zermatt proved too irresistible in the end.
We’ve opted for the Coeur Des Alpes which does look absolutely stunning (the Firefly came a very close second, maybe next time).
Thanks everyone.
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I'm sure you will have a great time, the Coeur des Alpes is a lovely property, although to be honest I'm sure you wouldn't have been disappointed with most of the properties at that level. If you need any suggestions for eating out, kid friendly places and so on, feel free to ask !
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks scotsgirl, that would be great.
No restaurant in the hotel as you probably know so any recommendations for kid-friendly restaurants as well as good mountain options would be good.
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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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In the village, with the kids, we find it hard to persuade them past Sparky's at the Matterhorn Hostel (across the bridge from the church, turn first right, follow your nose, it's on the right, just opposite the Firefly, as it happens!) Sparky is a really great guy who runs this family friendly bar serving nachos, chicken wings, delicious curries etc, all very simple but well done, and very good prices for Zermatt. He also plays ski/snowboard videos on the loop, which my lot love watching. Other more low key places include the Cafe du Pont, at the south end of the Church Square for fondue etc, or the Pizzeria Romana or Vieux Valais for pizza/Italian. The Bubble does good burgers also. Down by the Sunnegga lift there is the snow boat which is a nice apres place and serves burgers etc on the ground floor (there is a more upmarket restaurant downstairs) There are of course numerous quality places to eat too, Le Mazot, the Stockhorn Grill, the Schaeferstube at the Hotel Julen are examples of the more traditional Zermatt lamb/grill type of places. There is michelin star dining also, if you want, just let me know your preference!
On mountain you are spoiled for choice. All of the restaurants in Findeln are worth a stop. Chez Vrony is perhaps the most famous, and is indeed very good, but so popular now that they have two sittings for lunch and to be honest for me it has lost a little of its former charm as a result. Definitely worth a visit on your first family trip however. Don't ignore the others in Findeln however, Findlerhof, Enzian, Adler (spit roast chicken) and Paradies are all good, though the latter has a little steep bit just after it that can catch the unwary!
On the Gornergrat side Alphitta is nice (still cash only, don't get caught out) and on the Klein Matterhorn/Schwarzsee side there is a good pizzeria in the lift station at Trockener Steg, and the restaurant at Schwarzsee has had new life breathed into it since the new proprietors have taken over, live music being the main draw. Ditto the Gandegghutte, usual off the beaten path place that has had a face lift in the last year or so. Stafelalp is another nice one on that side with great and unusual views of the Matterhorn.
If your kids do go with Stoked, they will likely spend a good deal of time on the KM side, and in theory if they are there til 3.30 you have time for a trip over to Cervinia and a lovely Italian lunch over there. Just a word of warning though to keep an eye on the weather - don't want to get stuck over there if your kids are in Zermatt! You sound as though you are strong skiers but even so I would suggest if you are over there to be heading back by 2.30 really at the latest to make sure you are up and over in time…
I could go on with recommendations, but that's probably enough to keep you going for now!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Fab, thanks
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