 Poster: A snowHead
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We're looking to book a trip for next season and it'll be the first with our new baby (c.18 months when we travel). We usually travel independently so all this is new to us!
We want to do two weeks back to back but Esprit offer no discount for a fortnight. I'm sure the flights/transfers aren't a huge part of the cost of the holiday and they're costed into the price regardless, but intrinsically it feels wrong to get no discount when you're effectively not using 3x return flights and transfers. Preference is France / Italy and current favored resort is La Plagne / Les Arcs.
Any other suggestions / recommendations of companies with good childcare and nurseries?
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Dashed,
You could look at kinderhotels if you are open to ski in Austria.
We have used them in Serfaus for 3 years and there are geared up for looking after your child all day in great surroundings and will also offer outings etc to keep them occupied.
They provide mountain buggies, built in baby monitors in the rooms as well as other paraphernalia. English is widely spoken. You’d have to organise own travel if that suits. Probably slightly more expensive than Esprit but maybe better value over 2 weeks. Serfaus is part of a larger well linked and modern ski area with plenty of skiing and other amenities.
https://www.kinderhotels.com/en/kinderhotels-family-holidays.html
(This is the summer site and you will need to navigate / find the winter pages)
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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 need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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we be travelled with esprit this season twice and it's very good next season we're going with them again but also going to go with crystal as they offer the same service in some of their resorts. not sure how well it's ran though ask me next year and I'll tell you
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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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We were very happy with the Family Ski Company Family Ski Company
They don't do flights, so you get yourself to Geneva and they take you on from there (or you self-drive, or take the train). Best to give them a call, the office staff are very friendly and helpful.
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....or drive, rent a nice apartment, perhaps use a crèche for a few hours in the morning and then chill with your offspring in the afternoons. Life moves on and ski holidays will not be what they used to be. They get better!
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VIP Ski were great for us. We used them in La Plagne and in St Anton. One on one nanny service.
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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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Snowbizz in Puy st Vincent if you can cope with self catering/eating out. Their childcare/ski school really is second to none. They offer self drive prices.
Small but pretty resort. We are going back for a third year next year (Also have a diy trio somewhere in easter)
Maybe do them before La Plagne if you want to move on to a bigger resort ?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks folks - will take a look at all the suggestions.
| PP wrote: |
| ....or drive, rent a nice apartment, perhaps use a crèche for a few hours in the morning and then chill with your offspring in the afternoons. Life moves on and ski holidays will not be what they used to be. They get better! |
Indeed, and that is the plan for another trip next season.
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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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Ski Magic in La Tania - catered chalet with nannies
Mark Warner are another option - good child care
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We are on our way back from Champoluc in Italy after spending another great week with Ski-2. They have a fantastic nursery and crèche and our three children have been looked after really well there over the years. DS (3) didn’t want to come home. They have their own ski school with English speaking/British instructors. The lunch vouchers save £££££ also on the mountains and off piste is brilliant. See my pics on Instagram
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You know it makes sense.
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Another recommendation for Snowbizz in Puy St Vincent.
We've used them for the past 8 years, have self driven each trip, during term time, children were 11 months & 4 years old on our first trip, now 8 & 11 years old and much better skiers than us! We are heading elsewhere next year (DIY trip, driving to Italy) as we will be tied to half term holiday (oldest will be at secondary school). But we will all miss Puy and the fantastic Snowbizz staff.
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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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| gaschick wrote: |
| We are on our way back from Champoluc in Italy after spending another great week with Ski-2. They have a fantastic nursery and crèche and our three children have been looked after really well there over the years. DS (3) didn’t want to come home. They have their own ski school with English speaking/British instructors. The lunch vouchers save £££££ also on the mountains and off piste is brilliant. See my pics on Instagram |
what kind of rates do ski-2 come out at?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Dashed, what time of the season are you planning to go?
Seems incredible that Esprit don’t take off the cost of flights not used!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@PeakyB, out of interest I looked at another family operator. May have been Ski Famille. They allow you to take your own flights, but only deduct £50 per adult and you then have to get your own transfers, so I guess if it was similar for Esprit, the reduction would be negligible.
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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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BEen with Ski Famille twice , both good and childcare exemplary.
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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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+ 1 for https://familyski.co.uk/ with chalets in Les Coches, for Paradiski.
Also http://familyfriendlyskiing.com/ ....and I think La Tania is a great base with children, with access to 3V skiing.
Not very far between the two areas, so a two-centre fortnight quite easy.
However, if going low season (January, mid March etc) then I'd be tempted to wait for late booking reductions with Esprit. They always seem to have late availability with significant discounts.
You then know where the snow is good. A good base they offer is Peisey, not too high an altitude with an infant and easy access to both Les Arcs and La Plagne skiing.
If going in February, during French school winter holidays, I'd recommend Italy, especially the Dolomites and preferably a village on the Sella Ronda circuit. 
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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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@motherhucker We paid £4548 for 5 of us for Easter week, half board. 3star hotel. Included airport transfers, ski school for 2 eldest, ski hire for two eldest, lift pass, nursery for youngest, lunch vouchers for all of us for the week to use in mountain restaurants (usually buys something like pizza and a drink/panini/pasta and a drink, or used as part payment for a larger meal), and use of the amazing Monta Rosa Therme for a half day for all of us. We got flights to Milan Linate with BA from T5, and paid about £200/person return. Other options are available! They will pick up from all local airports and you can come/go any day if accommodation is available. There are some great 2star hotels to 5star hotels depending on your budget. Most people in resort are returning customers of theirs.
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what kind of rates do ski-2 come out at?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Used Esprit for several years now. The childcare is great and the kids are happy. I have compared their offerings to most of the other 'package' service providers that are mentioned above and I have never found any of the others to be as cost effective. If the lack of a discount is sticking in the throat, then you may end up paying similar or more to avoid Esprit.
I have stayed in their accommodation in both Les Arc 2000 and Peisey. There is slightly more to do in Les Arcs 2000 as you have access to 1950 but either would be suitable as you wont be eating out much. Getting to La Plagne from Les Arcs 2000 is really easy too. A couple of lifts, some easy slopes and you are at the VE in 30-40 mins. Likewise on the return.
The accommodation in Peisey is slightly more modern, but both locations are very close to the first lift. If booking Peisey, choose one of the chalets higher up as there are lots of steps to the ones further down the valley. Not fun when carrying a toddler up and down each day.
Hope that helps.
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@gaschick, must say that the Ski2 operation always looks very professional. They’ve done a great job of opening a niche resort that had pretty much become, more or less, mostly forgotten by the mainstream.
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| Quote: |
@gaschick, must say that the Ski2 operation always looks very professional. They’ve done a great job of opening a niche resort that had pretty much become, more or less, mostly forgotten by the mainstream.
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They are very, very good at what they do. The only grumble I had about the holiday we had was that there wasn't much hot water in the evening when everyone was coming back from skiing. Ski-2 organised some fresh powder and sunshine for us - which was nice
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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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@gaschick, as I understand things, the hot water situation will be a function of the property, not strictly Ski2... while it is their reponsibility, true, Champoluc isn’t exactly overflowing with hotels...
And many of them are still in ‘70s thinking.
Mind you, on a brighter note, Crest gondola being replaced for next winter 
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We've used Family Friendly in La Tania a couple of times when the boys were going enough to need half day care after PiouPiou and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. If you are in London / SE we got there by Eurostar day train and La Tania is only 25 mins up the hill from Moutiers. Door to door via Ashford ir was 9 hours for us in zone 5, sw London - much more civilized than flying.
I have a funny feeling they had a longer stay discount too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you like to DIY, go to North America. It's what we did when our kids were little because it was so much easier. Once you've survived the flight, American/Canadian resorts are really geared-up for high quality childcare as almost all of their punters are DIY travellers. The hotels are typically geared up for kids, too, with huge swimming pools, huge rooms and family-friendly restaurants everywhere.
I'm in Whistler as I type, and I see that they have four official resort childcare centres that take kids from 18 months. And the hotel I'm in offers an evening babysitting service, too. If it's anything like the facilities we used to use years ago, the quality will be breathtaking.
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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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@Dashed, just a slight tangent. As much as I love Paradiski and go there a lot when the kids are young (either not skiing or just starting) it's a good time to visit/explore smaller ski areas. You will be more tired, won't to venture so far and when they start skiing neither will the kids. As others have mentioned it brings a different dynamic. When they get older (ours are 10 and 12) now if they've gone regularly from a young age they'll ski all day/anywhere and you can really make use of places like Paradiski again. Apologies if you've already figured this out - it's just something I didn't realise/think of. Also stay low, ski high, it helps the kid(s) stay healthy/comfortable.
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| Quote: |
Mind you, on a brighter note, Crest gondola being replaced for next winter
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I know!!!! They are dismantling it AS WE SPEAK! They are only running a few times a day to Crest, the rest of the day you will have to go to Frachey. No more walking up to the next station, as the new gondola will finish higher up the mountain and start lower in resort.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Jonny Jones wrote: |
| ... I'm in Whistler as I type, and I see that they have four official resort childcare centres that take kids from 18 months. And the hotel I'm in offers an evening babysitting service, too. If it's anything like the facilities we used to use years ago, the quality will be breathtaking. |
Just interested... What facilities did you use when your kids were small?
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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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@Ray Zorro, we used the resort childcare facilities in Breckenridge one year which were pretty good. Our youngest boy was Just old enough to ski so we dropped him at the crèche first thing, they took him to a short morning ski lesson and collected him, and then we picked him up at about 4.00pm iirc. We also did something similar in Big Sky, and the hotel there offered evening kids clubs that we used once or twice.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Ray Zorro,  - you caught me feeling a little provocative there! No inconsistency though, just a change of tone.
We waited until all our kids were old enough to take ski lessons before we went skiing and, between the three of them, we used a grand total of six half-days of childcare and about three hours of evening clubs. We really quickly decided that family holidays were more fun when we stuck together as a family. However, that short time gave me some experience that I thought was worth sharing.
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