 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys - just joined so please be gentle ...
I am looking to take my family away this January for their 1st Snowboarding holiday.
My wife and I are experienced snowboarders but my 9 year old son and 4 year old daughter have never snowboarded and I want to take them to a nice resort - preferably France - not Bulgaria ( But Each to their own  )
After a bit of research I've narrowed it down to the following options
les 2 alps
les menuires
avoriaz
puy st vincent
PSV is leading the pack due to the cheaper price for a weeks pass ... plus husky rides, good ski school, outdoor pool etc
Doesn't need a lot of apres and having done seasons in Val and Alp D'Huez the resort doesn't need to be that big, our focus is more on getting them up and running and enjoying the snow
Any advice would be greatly appreciated x
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@davidfendick, welcome to Snowheads.
Are you looking for ski or snowboard lessons for the children? I remember finding it difficult to find any ski schools in France willing to teach children under 8. I had no problems in Austria (my then 5 year old learnt in Niederau, but I am sure that it wasn't unique in offering lessons to young boarders). I'm sure someone will have a better idea than me as to why snowboarding lessons (and appropriately sized rental kit) aren't generally available in France but you may find it easier to get them started with ski lessons first or try somewhere other than France.
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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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Having skied with a number of families with kids (having none myself), the big plusses were (in no particular order):
1. Ski-in & ski-out (or close to that) so there was no walking with the kids for 15 mins in ski boots and/or catching a ski bus.
2. Some sort of Kids Ski Club, so you can sign them up for the whole week, and they have some sort of mini-competition at the end where all the kids get a chocolate medal and certificate. You will need to check that the resort has instructors for your kids' ages.
3. The kids ski area and/or meeting area being pretty central, so mum & dad can scoot off and then pop back when it's time to collect the kids.
Plus I think your idea of having other activities — pool, husky rides etc — is excellent.
Have fun! 
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@davidfendick, welcome to snowheads. In many resorts private lessons would be the only option for a 4 year old. However, I remember seeing an enthuiastic reports about a ski school in Les Gets which specialises in littlies. If nobody comes up with it, send a PM to Nadenoodlee who lives in Morzine and knows everything worth knowing about the area.
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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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@davidfendick, Welcome. Don't know what your budget is like, but I'd suggest someone like Ski Espirit or Family Friendly Skiing to take a LOT of the heavy lift off of you and your wife. We've used them for our family ski/snowboard trips and found them both excellent, particularly around the childcare and social aspects for the children. Espirit in particular go out on the lessons with the kids to help out the instructors and act as the "Tail-end Charlie" helping pickup fallers, wipe noses, put back on gloves and goggles and all the other 1000 other things you need to do when you're shepherding kids around in the snow. Plus it gives you time to enjoy your holiday without worrying about the wee'uns too much.
As for snowboarding... the eldest, no problem. Plenty of choice for instructors - for me, I'd look for a school who specifically concentrate on snowboarding whenever possible, rather than the more generic schools who often tend to concentrate on skiing and whoever draws the short straw gets the beginner snowboarders (ESF, looking at you...) As for the little one, 4 could be tricky - many won't take them riding until they're 6, so you might have to look at a private lesson, if you can fine an instructor to take her. If you went for skiing for her though, then the problem is a lot easier - mine both went into ski school from 3/4 and loved it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi - we are in a similar position this year and looking at Tignes Les Boisses as the accommodation looks good and it is ski in ski out. Good luck!
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Arc 1950 for young families. 4*, ski-in/ski-out, pedestrianised, convenience, self-catering/good restaurants, good shops, cashpoint, swimming pools, spa, happy-hours, some familiar TV channels, Wi-Fi, sauna/steam rooms, good ski schools, kids club, organised nightly activities (hot choc and marshmallows round the firepit etc)...and all built on a 2-storey car park.
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@davidfendick, @pam w,
Ski Ecole 360 take from 4 upwards in Les Gets and were great with our 2 grandchildren a couple of years back. We shall be using them again this year. with 4 of our grandchildren ranging between 4 and 7.
Ski Famille (which seems to be a well respected family oriented chalet company) have used them consistently as their ski school of choice for the last few years.
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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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Welcome to
+1 for Austria if you are looking for skischool for young children, Austrians seem to learn to ski before they can walk so teaching 3-4yr olds is quite normal and schools have good facilities. The other advantage in Jan is that you are better sheltered with good tree lined options. I have horrible memories of trying to learn in an arctic blast at 2000m in France, many Austrian villages have nursery slopes in and around the village. Less good at Easter when they can be soggy brown messes but very good if it is cold.
There are plenty of good options, Westendorf might tick the boxes (fly to Innsbruck, Salzburg or Munich). We are skiers, but the area seems to be boarder friendly, there is a big park which holds national level competition so boarding is quite prominent. "The Reds" school get good feedback and have mini-snowboards for 9yr old. 4yo would probably be on skis but would start in a great kids park in the village centre and therefore not too cold. Not strictly ski-in but very little walking from most of the accomodation in the village centre to the nursery slope and ski-school.
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| Frank Spencer wrote: |
| Arc 1950 for young families. 4*, ski-in/ski-out, pedestrianised, convenience, self-catering/good restaurants, good shops, cashpoint, swimming pools, spa, happy-hours, some familiar TV channels, Wi-Fi, sauna/steam rooms, good ski schools, kids club, organised nightly activities (hot choc and marshmallows round the firepit etc)...and all built on a 2-storey car park. |
Yes we stayed here with very young kids, first time skiing, it is a brilliant resort. Book ski school in 1950 as opposed to 2000 as for first timers and kids the ski out is a little steep so you will have a short walk with gear up to the gondola (dependent on your apartment location) if you are taking them to ski school in Arc 2000. Better nursery slopes in Arc 2000.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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add Ste Foy to your list.......
u7 free lift pass
9 years old cheap lift pass..........same to be said for you and the wife
Jan will be very quiet
2 nursery slopes with travellator which is FOC
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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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Me n mine are off to PSV with Snowbizz early January for our first Family Ski holiday this year.
We have two six year old girls we're skiing though rather than boarding.
I don't know what they offer for boarding lessons but I'd recommend giving them a call as they're really helpful and won't try to sell you something you don't need. There are quite a few threads on here about them, all of which are glowing.
The plus for me is the fact that they're a small, family run business, only in that resort and the owner is on hand to welcome the children back and answer any questions from the parents. Also you drop them off at 9.30 and pick them up at 1 - Bonus!
Having done more web research than is healthy into this first holiday we came to the conclusion that PSV is the place to go for their very first experience. The tuition is all through snowbizz and supported by the 'Pink ladies'. It's all english speaking too which is important to us and harder to find out of british holiday times. Once they've got a good grounding there then we'll able to just take them wherever we fancy.
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I tried to find snowboard lessons for my son aged 8 - Only decent place I could find was Mint Snowboarding in Morzine \ Les Get.
I would not recommend ESF in any resort for Snowboard lessons.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks so much for all your help so far guys - much appreciated. Going to have a look a Ste Foy and Austria now
You guys and girls are a very helpful bunch xx
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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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Depends on your budget a bit, but I would recommend Sass Fee in Switzerland. Its a cute village, you get there by public transport, great nursery slopes away from the main slopes and they have a really good program for very young kids (all 4 of my kids have been to it). There is enough to keep both adults occupied - including some little known but spectacular off-piste (before I get lambasted, there is plenty that is NOT on the glacier).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Have a look at Kinderhotels in Austria - stayed in one over February half term with my then 3 year old twins and my 8 year old nephew - it was fantastic - ski lessons were included for over 4s and the hotel cost included adult list passes as well - will definitely be going back
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Austrians seem to learn to ski before they can walk
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but the OP is looking for snowboarding, not skiing.
If you're a good boarder and willing to teach her ourself, and spend that time with her, it could work. I have occasionally seen parents and very little boarders having a lot of fun but I think you'd have to aim to just have fun and not too many tears.
Would it be worth seeing how she got on with a skateboard? Suitably padded up? If she's tough, she might cope. My 4 year old grand-daughter has had some very painful crashes on her bike and scooter in a skate park and it hasn't put her off.
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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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Go to Les Gets and get your kids skiing lessons  Seriously, its very family friendly with lots of dedicated kids areas. You can access Avoriaz where the snowboarders live easily from Les Gets. Avoriaz doesn't strike me as particularly family friendly - lots of young raucous party animals on the slopes and out at night.
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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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My kids learned to ski before boarding and felt that they progressed faster on the skis and had more fun. After two or three days we had an afternoon of boarding which they felt a bit daunting as it is so much harder to make progress.After a year or two they can decide themselves which they prefer but being kids they will be very competent and fast at both.
I think your plan of PSV is excellent. I think that the lift pass gives you a day in the Serre Chevalier which is well worth it if you can make it over.
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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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+1 for Austria. Would look at Schladming. Excellent ski / boarding schools for kids. Very reasonable place to stay, drink and eat. Real beauty for families is that the main beginners areas are near the top of the mountain so really easy to meet up for lunch etc. The village pool is also universally loved by kids.
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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 have heard great things about Mint Snowboarding in Morzine- they start them from 3.
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I have heard great things about Mint Snowboarding in Morzine- they start them from 3.
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| 5RED wrote: |
| Go to Les Gets and get your kids skiing lessons Seriously, its very family friendly with lots of dedicated kids areas. You can access Avoriaz where the snowboarders live easily from Les Gets. Avoriaz doesn't strike me as particularly family friendly - lots of young raucous party animals on the slopes and out at night. |
I've never been but always assumed Avoriaz to be really family friendly - it's all ski-in ski-out, ski schools with a good reputation and dedicated slopes like Village des Enfants, and that huge indoor water park Aquariaz must be perfect for kids.
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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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Courchevel 1850.
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Been to Puy 4 times, amazing for a family, nowhere is more than 100m from anything. Snowbizz did an amazing job, instructors and Pink Ladies were fabulous. I don't have enough superlatives for how much I rate Snowbizz. We're going somewhere different this time (in 2 weeks so could be hiking!) but it's with a heavy heart as our now 7 year old has so many great memories.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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when our kids were younger esprit did a great job. crystal are also good with their various clubs/childcare. i'd agree with @Whitegold and @Handy Turnip, c1850 and avoriaz would be great choices.
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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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The simple truth is that for beginners, the vast majority of resorts will be just fine. All will have a beginners slope and a ski school and something gentle and blue to progress onto. With little ones something ski in ski out or accom close to the ski lift to minimise walking will be very helpful.
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FAQ
