 Poster: A snowHead
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Not suggested above so may be a bit 'left field' - At 2 and 10mnths the kids won't really get the skiing thing (though might love the snow) - how about leaving them at the relatives and having a grown up week away.
Not that we did that, just missed out on skiing  until they were old enough to go into lessons and so were exhausted in the evenings - at 4.5yrs my son rebelled at afternoon creche, so was swapped to lessons and from then on has been skiing all day. -
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@JonA - Thats the plan for next year but the 10 mnth old is too young at the moment. Both in creche for full days. Mum insists that its not safe for me to snowboard with them in a baby carrier. 
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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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@Ryan, My first skiing flight was with a 14 month old to La Plagne. We had previously flown in the Summer when daughter was just 8 months old so we knew what to expect.
My personal experience is that I would rather deal with the travelling all in one go. Yes airport, flight, airport, transfer is stressful at times. But if you manage feeding and sleeping patterns around the flight and/or transfer it is not too bad.
Your resort choice is arguably perfect. Short flight and short transfer to keep you and your child happy. We chose Les Gets on our second trip (we then had two kids). Both enjoyed crèche/snow clubs etc. while we skied in the morning.
My daughter as mentioned above is loving skiing at 7 years of age. My son is nearly 5 and had his first taste last year. We ski in the morning while kids have lessons etc. and have family fun after lunch. It’s the best holiday of the year.
Whatever travel you choose, it is worth the effort getting there.
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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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At that age either way is going to be tough. We've driven with our kids since they were 1y8m and nearly 4 respectively. We did drive to Germany with one 8 month old prior to that. Always overnight on the way out, 50/50 on the way back. The advantage for me is the pack, drive door to door, an unpack, having stuff for them to play with, to eat, blankets and cushions to hand, flexibility for stopping, etc. We have other non-kid reasons for wanting to drive too. That said they have flown a lot (non skiing) a lot from a young age too. Requires a different set of organisation but it's not big deal either.
Given your wife wants to fly I would go with that. If you drive she is only going to give you grief, especially if you breakdown or something.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would choose to drive simply because flying involves so much faffing about - parking, checking in, carrying all the stuff little people need, getting through security, potential delays, boarding and that all before you take off. The flight will be no fun with babies or at least one baby on knees on a cramped aeroplane and then there is the other end - disembarking, lugging babies plus "stuff" through immigration, baggage collection, out on to transfer bus, possible delays waiting for pax from some other god forsaken airport and then drive to resort. The bus may not disembark you and babies right outside your own accommodation so you have two little people plus all their needs plus your own baggage to move into the accommodation. I would break the journey into two days travelling from Devon to Chunnel, across to France and then stop at a reasonable family style hotel for the night before doing the next day drive down with as many stops as you need to soothe the fevered brow (yours, the wifes or those of the little people). Hopefully when you get there you can disembark wife and little people to get into your room and relax while you have time to sort out the logistics of getting baggage and baby supplies from the car to your room and then to get the car parked.
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And dig the car out of a snowdrift now and then, struggle with chains, drive for hours at 30 mph behind a snowplough across northern France, get a puncture on a mountain road at dusk.
Stuff can go wrong however you do it. As Layne says. Lugging kids and their stuff in and out of a hotel and getting them to sleep in strange surroundings, especially if they've already slept longer than usual isn't necessarily easy.
As noted above, if Mum wants to fly, I'd go with that.
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Ryan, we took our two kids from age of a few months up to teenagers by all possible routes: train, plane, car.
By far best was car when they were young, and train when teenagers.
We did Portsmouth-Caen/Le Havre overnight ferry, and then drove all day with plenty of stops to arrive in the evening sometime between 4pm and 6pm, depending on traffic and stops.
Overnight ferry does cost a bit more - we always got a cabin - but it was fun, and kids were fine.
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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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We've tried all options and 90%+ of the time we would choose to (and do) fly, and have done since the kids were a couple of months old. As Pam says, stuff can go wrong with any option (our train option was nearly scuppered by the tube train in front of mine breaking down and 30mins stuck underground with no way of contacting my wife!).
To kids, most of the minor flying details are fun (ours take 15+ flights/year and still enjoy it). Putting teddy through the x-ray machine, loading bags onto the belt, collecting from the carousel, smiling at the passport officer etc. The driving details that get omitted (load car, fill up with petrol, get stuck in traffic, refill washer fluid, stop for a pee in a stinky crowded service area, sit around waiting for ferry, dull drive on motorway etc.) are, generally, less novel and less fun.
A key aspect of flying for us is choice of airport (and to a lesser extent, airline). Small airports like Southend or even London City are very family friendly. Gatwick and Heathrow less so, although the kids love the secret 1km long tunnel with travelators (never seen another person in it) at T5 Heathrow...
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In car DVDs have made life easier for parents on long car journeys. The downside, of course is that they tend to sit on your headrest and you have Bob The Builder or Ringo bloody Star ranting on about the Fat Controller in your ears for 12 hours.
I've done both with the kids and, to me, flying is so so much easier. The only reason we drive sometimes is that my wife has a terribe fear of flying.
Cheasyjet or Ryanair and then cheap car hire (Car hire is very very cheap at the moment) is probably the cheapest and certainly the easiest way of doing it. and you get a car in resort and you can stock up with things in a big, cheap hypermarket on the way.
Kids also get hand baggage allowance which is great and saves a bigger bag which cuts down on luggage costs.
Bristol/Geneva Easyjet sounds a very good idea. Turin isn't too far from the Fench Alps either and the car hire will be a lot cheaper in Itlay rather than Switzerland. Just make sure you book booster seats etc.
The best tip I can give to any family flying is, after landing, let one parent shoot ahead and run to the front of the car hire queue and the other waits for the luggage. You have no control over when your luggage comes out on the conveyer belt but you can affect your place in the car hire queue. Car hire queues as airports can take a very very long time to go down.......
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@cameronphillips2000, can't the kids use headphones to Blot the Builder?
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| @cameronphillips2000, can't the kids use headphones to Blot the Builder? |
I've often considered it but little ears and hearing damage and all that. I put the car stereo through the front speakers and try and drown it out. I usually arrive at an uneasy surround sound combo of NRJ feat Bob Builder and Tinky Winky. No wonder I'm grumpy be the time we get there.
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My 2 are now 4 and 6, we used to fly to Geneva, hire a car then drive to Val. After a few delays (one 6 hours sat on the plane!), and also the stress of transferring through the airport to the car hire place with loads of gear and a wayward 4 year old, we now drive. We split the journey up and stay in Dijon on the way down and Reims on the way back. Driving gives you a lot more flexibility on when to stop etc. I don't mind driving, and do 100% of it. If you're not a confident / keen driver then it is a long way so wouldn't recommend it.
Also, we stay self catering so driving means we can fit more stuff in including multiple snowboards to choose from:)
As has already been said, there's no guy or a wrong, just what works for you.
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You know it makes sense.
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Never forget there are only two classes of travel; first class and with children.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Never forget there are only two classes of travel; first class and with children. |
Amen to that!
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Poster: A snowHead
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We're driving with our 2 year old through the night. One major bonus is that we can take more stuff for him and no bother of lugging it around airports etc...
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FAQ
