 Poster: A snowHead
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Are there any resorts with a carpet lift that also:
Offer lessons for 2.5 year olds (nothing serious, just a chance for her to have an hour or two on skis)
Has that carpet lift within a very short walk distance of accommodation (ideally an apartment)
Has generally easy slopes (green/blue and maybe some red)
Has some other stuff for little ones
In short, we normally go to a tiny resort in Southern Poland, my wife has had some lessons, but got a bit panicked after falling off a button lift and prefers the travelator type (which also probably works better for a toddler too). As it happens the resort in Bialka we normally go to actually meets these criteria so we will go there again next year, but it would be nice to try somewhere else too for a change.
Not really fussed where, the shorter the journey from the airport the better and we will be flying (from London) then taking public transport (or a taxi) if that makes a difference.
We can avoid the school holidays, so can really go any time, January would be nice, but not really essential, we can go later on in the season.
Is there anywhere suitable?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We have a travellator lift on the nursery slope in Wengen. It's next to the kindergarten where the kids can play and have a bit of a ski if the weather's nice. Lots of accommodation within a few minutes (tiny village).
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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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Lots of resorts have them, off the top of my head Tignes, Val D'Isere and Ste Foy have magic carpets - I dont think its that unusual these days.
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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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Val Thorens have a couple.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Les Gets
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La Rosiere - Eucherts side has one. Don't think the main town does.
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Champoluc
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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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Belle Plagne
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re 2.5yr olds - I'm not aware of any ski school that takes these (tho' happy to be proven wrong) which might mean you have to go private.
Not sure how many 2.5yr olds could handle a 2.5hr group lesson.
My son's instructor was very anti-travelator. His view was that a lot of the beginner learning experience comes from controlling your skis on a lift, where you have constant speed and pressure, and without that progression was materially slower.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yep for clarity I was assuming private lessons for the little one, I know not all do, but from what I've seen its not that uncommon anymore (but may of course not be everywhere).
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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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@vjmehra, I can't think of anywhere that doesn't. (Chamonix, Champoluc, Morzine, Avoriaz, Les Gets, Madonna d C, Samoens, Morillon, Flaine...)
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Ok that's good to know, I haven't been to any alpine resorts for a few years, don't remember seeing any last time, a lot has clearly changed!
So perhaps I should re-word the question slightly...
Where should we stay (i.e. which hotel or apartment complex ideally) to minimise the walk Chamonix for example is quite large!
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You know it makes sense.
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Avoriaz 
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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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Flaine. Easy access from Geneva. Apartments Le Panoramic are right on the piste, and at a lower price Madame Vacances are within 20 metres of the piste. There are also other options, but these are the closest to the carpet lift. There are carpet lifts for the first beginner slopes and then a friendly modern drag for the slightly higher ones. No problem with private lessons for tinies from either American Lynne Stainbrook or French Catherine, both of whom are good with children.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Selva Val Gardena has one, I believe along with a fairly extensive nursery ski area
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Garmish partinkerchin, has one, as does kappl in Austria, both fairly good resorts for learning.
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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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You are correct that a moving carpet is ideal for a 2.5 year old to have a first try on ski's. Les Menuires and Oz-en-Oisans are two places with them that we went to when the children are young. In any case a bit of due diligence is required to make sure the accommodation is in the vicinity.
Not sure it helps your wife particularly as slopes with moving carpets tend to be very short and shallow. I would have thought even after a couple of lessons she would find them too limited. Most alpine resorts these days don't have too many button lifts and most are avoidable anyway. So she should be fine. And if avoiding peak times the pistes should be quiet which should help with her confidence.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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+1 Flaine , just over a hour by car from Geneva
Most resorts have them so your going to have lots of different suggestions
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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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Most reasonable sized resorts and family orientated ones that I have looked at seem to have carpets. Some free
Have a look at this site as I find it good at outlining the lifts in situ at any particular resort so I can try to steer clear of t-bars but will show the lifts and rates the resort for families.
http://www.skiresort.info
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Not sure it helps your wife particularly as slopes with moving carpets tend to be very short and shallow. I would have thought even after a couple of lessons she would find them too limited. Most alpine resorts these days don't have too many button lifts and most are avoidable anyway. So she should be fine. And if avoiding peak times the pistes should be quiet which should help with her confidence.
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The problem is its the going up she's worried about...not the coming down so much...hence the magic carpet lifts!
I am hoping that after a day (maybe 2) she will give button lifts another go and be fine, then onwards and upwards!
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Tignes has a magic carpet in each village (except Les Brev).
This is a well regarded kids ski school in Tignes Le Lac who take the little ones from 2 and a half. Its all they do, friends have used them and they are in the bottom of my building:
http://www.lesmarmottons.com/index.php?id_page=92
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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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@vjmehra, You are right that magic carpets are easier for toddlers to start on than other kinds of lift. Plenty of places have them. But the person supervising still needs confidence and competence on skis. You haven't got a toddler problem. You have got a wife problem. If she plans to regress from a button lift to a magic carpet, she is not going to learn to ski. You need to get her some intensive skiing lessons to build her confidence. Is Polish her first language? If so, probably have the lessons there. If English, then any big resort - as above ^^.
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| vjmehra wrote: |
| The problem is its the going up she's worried about...not the coming down so much...hence the magic carpet lifts! |
Sure but as I say it won't get her very far 
Is she OK on chair lifts and cable cars?
If so, it's a non issue in the most resorts. I certainly rarely use them and even if I do it's out of choice rather than unavoidable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Another possibility could be Lofer in Austria's Salzburger Land (reached via Salzburg or Munich). There there is a magic carpet and beginners' area and the main pistes, accessible by three chairlifts, are well suited for less experienced skiers and for progressing to greater things. There are also two T-bars but you can avoid them; they lead to pistes more suited to experienced skiers who should be able to handle the lifts.
One factor which might not appeal so much is that the main skiing is on the Loferer Alm, reached by a two stage gondola from the valley (there is also a very small beginners' area at the bottom of the gondolas, assuming enough snow). If you are staying down there -the village is very attractive- that means travelling up each day, though I suspect it is possible to leave equipment up the top (especially if you are taking lessons with a ski school). However, the trip on the lifts does let you enjoy the mountain scenery.
The only accommodation I know of up on the Loferer Alm is the Haus Gertraud in der Sonne. Staying there you would just fall out of bed onto the slopes. You can see the magic carpet and beginners' area behind my friend, Irene's, head in this photo, taken while we were having lunch on the terrace at Haus Gertraud.
The Haus Gertraud web site is only in German but, if you are interested, I am happy to help with translation, if needed. A number of snowHeads have stayed in Lofer, I think, so if you use the forum's Search facility, you can find more information about the area.
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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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Val Thorens have a couple they are quite long too so give a decent little run for beginners. Plus they are in a tunnel too.
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The button lifts in Les Gets that any beginner is likely to go near are all in the middle or right at the side of lovely green or gentle blue pistes, so if you did happen to fall off it's a doddle to get back down to the bottom and start again. The lift tracks themselves are well pisted (compared to most resorts I have been to) with no nasty surprises, so the chances of falling off are quite low.
It's an hour from Geneva and served by lots of shared transfer companies, so very easy to get to. The ski hire shops are almost all opposite the Front de Neige with all the lifts so walking in ski equipment is completely minimised. You can then stay almost anywhere in town and use the bus to get to the lifts, if it's walking at all that you want to minimise.
It's also got two magic carpets and a whole area of green runs reserved for beginners or non beginners with children, Le Grande Cry, which really build the confidence. You can also stop at the Indian teepee and get your face painted.
The whole area is pasture land in the summer so there are no nasty steep cliffs or drops to the side of the pistes to put off the nervous beginner. I can't imagine anywhere more gentle and forgiving to learn in France, having learned myself in the big resorts in France with none of the above forgiving qualities.
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You know it makes sense.
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There's a travelator between Sestriere & Sauze D'Oulx - but it's not exactly convenient for anywhere.
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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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Oberlech (expensive but awesome) and Kappl (very child friendly area mid mountain - so would need gondola up/down - or ski if you prefer)
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Sure but as I say it won't get her very far
Is she OK on chair lifts and cable cars?
If so, it's a non issue in the most resorts. I certainly rarely use them and even if I do it's out of choice rather than unavoidable.
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Woooooah...getting way ahead of yourself there!
She's only ever had a few lessons, snow plough turns, so not sure about chair lifts, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...she's fine in sightseeing cable cars...so with ski's should be okay 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you for all the suggestions so far everyone, please keep them coming...I'm googling away but can't keep up
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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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La Rosiere Eucherts side no ski bus required you're pretty much right on the slopes .
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Les Carroz has two covered ones in the middle of the village
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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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Just to resurrect this again, we're now thinking of heading to Austria for Easter (doesn't have to be Austria, but my wife has never been and is keen to go, so would prefer that if possible).
So, what are our options with the following criteria:
Easter weekend time (to maximise time off work)
Travelator/Magic Carpet lift close to the accommodation
Accommodation ideally a 2 bed apartment (so the little one can go to bed early in her own room)!!
Instructors that will take a (nearly) 3 year old for a 30 min/1 hour private lesson just so she can get an idea of skiing (I'm assuming longer than an hour would be too much)...we can stand and watch or disappear depending on what the instructor prefers.
Kids stuff (ringo's, sledging etc.)
Nice to have:
Ideally a water-park or basic swimming place (so long as they allow little ones), would be good too.
Oh and circa 90 mins from the airport would be nice, but if that's not possible, as close to as is.
Given the time of year I'm assuming it would have to be somewhere pretty high and/or glacier, either of which is absolutely fine with us, we're not fussed about long challenging runs, in fact short and basic suits us much better as we'll have to take it in turns to go off on our own whilst the other is parenting (and both of us are still beginners(ish) anyway)!
I don't mind a package or DIY in all honesty, if anyone has any suggestions that come close to that list please shout them out
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FAQ
