New Year skiing.

A snowHead

Thinking about a trip for New Year again. This New Year we went to Flaine and had an ok time despite lack of snow. But don't really want to return.

We would want to leave on the 27th December and unsure of where to go it would be for two adults and two children. So would like half board or self catering, never done a chalet holiday before so unsure about this. ski in ski out accommodation and the main thing being a very family orientated not bothered about party night life, with good runs especially plenty of good blues along with good ski school avoiding the ESF.

I know we are taking a gamble on the weather and hoping this year was just an unlucky year.

Thoughts and recommendations appriciated.

A snowHead

@Linnylou26, the new year week was pretty good, snow-wise - after substantial snow on transfer day. Were you there at Christmas? That was dire, everywhere around.

Lots of places do Sunday/Sunday. Ski Olympic have a good reputation for chalet holidays (we had several great holidays with them years ago, but recent reports on SHs are pretty positive). But wherever you go, NY is very expensive and very crowded. And, as you've noted, a bit of a gamble weather-wise.

Easter is early next year - would be my bet for a school holiday ski trip next season. Cheaper, fewer people, more likelihood of good snow, longer days.

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@pam w, it was ok lots of runs were closed so made the greens and blues very busy. We got to resort just as the dump started so had plenty of snow OH wasn't keen on resort as a whole,

We don't really do summer holidays so hoping to do a New Year and Easter. We are going to Montgenevre in 5 weeks taking children out for a week just before Easter this year didn't get approval but still going.

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hope you enjoy the Easter trip, @Linnylou26. Don't blame you taking the kids out of school; I always did that, back in the day, and went skiing at the cheapest time, early January.

Christmas week is quieter and cheaper than NY - though of course the snow was awful this year. Our area (Les Saisies) had plenty open at New Year but still horribly busy. I went XC skiing. wink

I don't like Flaine much, either. And the only times I've skied there the lower areas were mostly grass - I think other parts of the GM, such as Les Carroz, are probably much nicer than the flaine bowl.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@pam w, The family would never forgive us if we went for Christmas. We probably won't get away taking them out again next year unless the rules change. It was like that again in Flaine towards the end of the week. We had a lot of problems with accommodation was the new PV one and wasn't ready for paying guests. We were ski in ski out but piste wasn't ready for a good couple of days.

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I've found that unforgiving family get used to the idea. OUr first time was because we were getting the keys to the apartment, so had to be there for that. After that they all just had to get used to it. Not sure what we'll be doing next season yet.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

@pam w, @Hells Bells, My life wouldn't be worth it taking the only grandchildren away over Christmas. I would be outcasted and have a very horrible year. Very Happy

New year is good for us as we never do anything.

@Linnylou26, take the grandparents too. wink

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@Linnylou26, How are you planning to travel? If you can access the ski train I'd recommend La Rosiere (Cimes Blanches apartments) or Les Arcs (Arc 1950 or Vallandry). Both ski areas have good snow records and are family orientated. Obviously many people fly to these resorts but it is a fairly long transfer from Geneva unless you get a flight to Chambery.

If you are driving maybe you could look at Les Saisies (Pam W is your expert there) or Avoriaz, although I haven't tried the latter in winter..we've only seen it in summer. Once you've seen Montgenevre you may want to go back there. snowHead

Les Saisies is very busy at New Year. But maybe everywhere is! And, of course, there are no catered chalets - and I do agree that they are a great formula for families.

You know it makes sense.

@pam w, I've had bad experiences in catered chalets and would always choose self catering or a hotel over them. However I can see they are nice if you are a group of friends travelling together and can book the whole chalet.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@snowymum, Thats interesting, I wonder if we were just lucky in our experience this year? What do you mean by bad experiences?

A snowHead

We stayed in a number of catered chalets over the years, and it was always fine. Except one time (ironically the only time we ever did take a whole chalet, with a big family group) when we were told on arrival that because the kitchen in the chalet wasn't suitable for cooking for a large group we would be eating in the hotel next door. That was Alpbach, in Austria. The hotel food was dire (possibly the "proper" hotel guests had edible food but ours was the worst I've ever experienced). And the attitude of the proprietors was awful, too. There had probably been some big falling out between them and Inghams, the tour operator, and they took it out on us. We felt like very poor relations, squished around a too-small table in a dingy corner of the dining room. Sad

We enjoyed the holiday because we were a very happy group, and Alpbach is lovely, but if I'd known it wasn't going to be a catered chalet, as advertised, I'd have cancelled. Which is no doubt why Inghams didn't tell us!!

But other than that, in a range of chalets, from budget-style to more luxurious (last minute booking, no kids.....) we always felt we had good value for money and enjoyed the company of our fellow guests.

I don't like hotels much. It always irritates me to have to pay for every drink, whether a cup of tea or a beer, at bar prices, and I dislike crowded bars with Muzak and big lounge areas. I much prefer the informlal atmosphere in a small chalet, where people sit around in their base layers drinking endless cups of (free) tea after skiing. We also enjoyed some of the guided ski groups though I know those are much harder to find, these days!

A snowHead

@pam w, @snowymum, my daughter has a couple of allergies and coeliac disease so SC is safest for us. My OH is unsure of a catered chalrt with people he doesn't know he's not really one for small talk, me I can talk to much Confused

I have just found a holiday back to Montgenevre leaving 27th same apartments we will be staying in soon with Neilsons. Depending what we think we probably will go back. Looking to the following year Christmas falls on the weekend back to school early also. Not that I'm wishing the years away to fit in the ski holidays.

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@CaravanSkier, I think to be honest I have probably been unlucky with my chalet experiences.

Eg. 1 Neilsen Chalet in Val Thorens at New Year - ages ago pre kids. Chalet host never got up in time to make breakfast and did not do a brilliant job with the other meals. We all complained to the Resort Reps but they seemed powerless to do anything.

Eg. 2 Simply Ski Les Coches - again many years ago - early February with our then ten month old. Holiday advertised as upmarket chalet experience in a chalet specifically for families with children and childcare in chalet nearby. Arrived to find the other guests were 5 chaps, and one couple who appeared to hate children! The nanny said she'd been recruited at the last minute through a temp agency and seemed unhappy and unsuited to working in the Alps. Chalet host made a huge fuss about having to provide separate food for a 10 month old and made my son's meal so late he was too tired to eat it (admittedly my son was a fussy eater at this age). Our son slept very badly, developed an ear infection by the end of the week and every time he cried in the night I could imagine that the couple were hearing him through the paper thin walls. This must have been around the time Simply Travel were taken over by one of the large TOs and they ceased to exist soon after. However we were not to know their situation when booking. Whilst a holiday with a child this age is never going to be easy it would have been a whole lot less stressful if we'd been in an apartment.

Experience 2 was so bad that we didn't go skiing again for a few years.

Even though our children are now much older I still find self catering far more relaxing. We stay in nice apartments (usually CGH MGM type) with more space than you'd get in any catered accommodation. We enjoy the pools and spa. We do very easy meals at times that suit us and eat out some of the time. When the children were younger we didn't have to worry about baby monitors or babysitting as the children were in the next room. I do like meeting and chatting to new people on holiday but we have managed to do this while self catering. Often we chat to people whilst enjoying the pool etc. or at mountain restaurants.

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Avoriaz is ski in ski out and lots of activities for children during Christmas/new year and half term

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Linnylou26, No comment on Neilson - see my post above! Toofy Grin

However I suspect Montgenevre would be a good choice for your New Year holiday! snowHead

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@snowymum, that's one of the reason we like SC. We can go to the pool spa like yourself and relax go back to apartment bung on tracksuit ect cook what we want and like. Go to bed early the children slept very well during New year I would hate to bein a chalet and worry that my children would be annoying them ect it wouldn't be very relaxing for me.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@snowymum, that does sound miserable. Not surprised you went off chalet holidays. 10 months is a bit young, perhaps.

After all it is free

@pam w, Has to be said it wasn't our most successful holiday but my now 12 yr old son likes to say he first went "Skiing" at 10 months snowHead

He now eats and sleeps very well Very Happy

@snowymum, I completely understand all your points. All the things you mention are reasons, along with cost with 3 children, are why we did not do catered chalets. I was just very pleasantly surprised as to how it worked in our chalet this New Year. I did miss not having a pool/sauna and (yes maybe I'm odd lol) doing the cooking. The meals were not great and a Number of times I simply wanted to cook for the whole chalet because I missed cooking. Indeed on the staff night off I did do a raclette for those who chose to stay in

It is a different type of holiday but it has more pros than I would previously have thought!

Ski convenience wise I would always chose to stay right at the lifts, or on the edge of the piste, or with car parking in a similar position. Walking/busing with kit and kids is not a good part of a ski holiday!

We did not do ski holidays with one as young as 10 months. 14 months was the youngest, unless you count the twice I was about 3 months pregnant lol. And we were lucky because we had family living in the foothills of the the Jura so just did holidays in the Alps with a bit of skiing till they were no longer babies or toddlers.

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@CaravanSkier, walking and bus that's what we had at new year before the ski in ski out piste was opened. A good 5 min walk uphill to the ski bus stop the. Some how squeezing on to a very packed ski bus. This time we are right near the slopes.

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@Linnylou26, Hopefully that will be a better holiday for you, but at the end of the day all experiences you share with your children are precious. Strangely enough some occasions when things are a little stressful at the time turn out to be the ones that everyone remembers fondly and laughs about years down the line!

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@CaravanSkier, Very Happy

We laughed, years later, about the time my OH went off to get local currency in Nairobi airport, taking the 2 year old with him. And came back without him. Wasn't quite so funny at the time though. rolling eyes

You know it makes sense.

@pam w, That must have been really scarey at the time!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@CaravanSkier, my OH came back with an absurdly self-satisfied look on his face, having got some Kenyan shillings. That look soon disappeared when I enquired politely what he'd done with the baby! Who was quickly located strolling round the airport, hands in pockets, looking like a seasoned international traveller.

A snowHead

@pam w, Yikes!!

@Linnylou26, is avoiding the ESF a must? If not I have been going to the same place in France, Val Cenis, for the new year week for the past 7 years. My son was just under a year when we first went, and he's 7 now. He's also coeliac. The reason we keep going back is twofold - cost, and the kids ski school minibus. All you have to do is have them ready on time in the morning and they are taken to ski school from the door, collected afterwards and driven back, and the same again in the afternoon if you want. It's a short walk to the slopes, or the ski bus stops at the door, and ski back to the door for all but absolute beginners.

Cost - €470 per adult, that's full board, hot lunch and dinner with unlimited wine, and INCLUDING ski pass!! Travel extra, but lots of cheap options. Reductions for kids according to age, under 3s are free, and they don't charge under occupancy supplements for single parents. It's very French, so the food is good, and they cater really well for my kids, both of whom are coeliac. It's not luxury by any means, but it's perfectly adequate, has a good lively bar and entertainment onsite, and a kids club. They do a fantastic night for New year's Eve. There is a wellness suite, but I've never used it. There are also apartments attached for a bit more privacy but we prefer being in the main building.

Would that sort of thing suit you?

A snowHead

@Pending, yes that sounds great. Thank you.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Great

What ages are your kids?

Here's the website of the accommodation, which has a virtual visit button for a good look around. There's usually an English version of the website, but the link doesn't seem to be working now.

http://www.cis-valcenis.com/fr/sejour-ski-vanoise-alpes,4.html

The resort is http://en.haute-maurienne-vanoise.com/

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@Pending, they will be 11 and 8 and this will be thier 3rd week on the slopes. Plus any time we do at the snow dome or dry ski slope.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Cool

hope you will join us next year! We've had varying numbers, from only 9 last year, to a max of 40! It's a very loose arrangement, make your own way and meet up there, or some link up for transfers etc. I normally fly to Geneva and drive down, or get a train. Turin is an option too, as is Paris since it's only 4 hours on the TGV. The train station is Modane, and there's a bus up the mountain.

We've had pretty good experiences with ESF, and the skiing is pretty varied. It's a great spot for beginners and intermediates with lots of lovely blues and a green run from top to bottom but there's enough to keep advanced skiers busy too.

Any other questions just ask

Help!!

New Year skiing.

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