 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking to take family including grand kids, 9 and 6 yr olds.. so am looking for an italian resort which might be best for them, plus it needs something to do during the day for me and wife whilst baby sitting 1 year old kid. i get to ski in the morning then baby sitting duties . orginally was thinking of Santa caterina but seems there's no T/O packages going there at the moment, that was where we took our kids 18 years ago.....has anyone experiance of Pila ? any suggestions would be apreciated please.. ta
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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: |
something to do during the day for me and wife whilst baby sitting 1 year old kid
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Hmm. I've done a lot of that in ski resorts. Can't advise on Italy in particular, but mostly you would be doing exactly the same thing you'd do with a child that age at home in the middle of winter. Playing indoors - whilst occasionally getting them all togged up in outdoor stuff and pushing them somewhere in a pushchair. Do a bit of shopping (their patience for this is generally low), maybe have a coffee somewhere, buy them a bun to keep them quiet.
On one holiday, I remember 16 month old loving to play "buckets and spades" in the snow on the terrace. 12 month old kids will vary in their balance/mobility for this. But if it's really cold and windy outside play time needs to be quite short.
The most successful activity of all time, with a baby just under a year, was taking all the little chocolate bars (mini Mars etc) out of their plastic basket and tossing them all back in again. She did that for a week, endlessly, and never realised they were edible, much to the amazement of her siblings.
If your resort has a few shops and cafés within easy pushchair reach of your accommodation, and some snow to play in outside, there's little else you'll need. For the older ones, proximity to the ski school meeting place is the key essential. The importance of that can't be overestimated.
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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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Pila is a bug as I understand - it's a half hour Gondola ride up from Aosta to get to the resort
Passo Tonale might be worth considering
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thats why i was thinking of Pila, never been sking there but did spend 12 days in the hospital...!! wife said the town was ok. on the piste there is a hotel called the Lion Noir which has a pool etc. so thought about that, no idea how the beginners skiing is there though... i go to champoluc and would not take them there to learn
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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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Pila would be OK, I guess - but not Aosta. Ski school a logistical nightmare from Aosta! I wouldn't worry about terrain for beginners - that's the ski school's problem. Lots of school trips go to Pila and at 6 and 9 years old your grandchildren are an ideal age for learning - the quality of ski school (and size of groups) is more important than terrain. When are you going?
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A top tip for entertainment to take with you for a toddler is pack a packet of balloons. These take minimal space / weight. Blow them up out there, no end of fun to play with.
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Take a look at Selva Val Gardena. A traditional little village in a beautiful location, with plenty to see/do. Easy transfers from Innsbruck. Extensive nursery slopes a walk from the village centre, so good for pickup/drop off/lunch etc. Several mountain-top restaurants accessible by non-skiers.
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We have been to Pila for the past 2 years. It's a good resort to ski with children as it's quite compact so very easy to get back to meet the children after ski school (no mad dashes across valleys hoping that lifts don't stop!) Tried both ski schools, preferred Sci Evolution (though had big issues with them, but not regarding the children's lessons). We tried the Scuola di Sci Pila the first year and didn't feel the children learned much at all. We stayed up the mountain in Pila itself. They have a snow park area which may help keep the 1 year old entertained (we didn't use it so I'm not sure if there is a minimum age). We don't tend to do much on ski holidays except ski, then crash out in our apartment, but I didn't get the impression that there is much to see/do in Pila itself, and it's not the easiest resort to get around on foot as it's on a few levels.
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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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Most 12 month old kids enjoy a bit of gentle toboganning - not always easy to find the right spot though. Proper waterproof all in one snowsuit and at least two pairs of mittens essential. French babies always wear sunglasses and look super cute. Most of our lot just tore them off at first opportunity (not easy in mitts, so they have to pull those off first, and surreptitiously drop at least one out of the pushchair).
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Cheers folks....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Check out Madesimo, great learner slope with chair lift from street level across the road from the hotel!
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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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We go to Pila most years and find it great though not huge amounts to do for non skier.
There is a huge learner area which is high up and snow sure accessed by the Large Gondola opposite ski school start. Yes loads of British kids learn there but they are generally with Interski direct. Local choice of Ski schools (2 off) are both good.
Look at pilaski.co.uk and Carole would sort it all out for you and advise direct. Just organise the flights and she will do the rest. We used to go Leeds-Geneva but now use the Manchester-Turin flight as it is so much easier getting to resort when over there.
Loads of info about Pila on here and many go regularly
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I've not got any kids but I was quite impressed with Ski-2 at Champoluc. They're not cheap but their ski school is excellent and the child care looks like it'd be pretty good too.
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You know it makes sense.
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Cortina.
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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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@Whitegold, is quite correct. Socrepes area is perfect for 1st timers.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@yorkshirelad, what’s wrong with Champoluc to learn?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cortina doesn't work if you want to be able to pop out and take kids to ski school, then back to baby sit, then go out to collect them. Ski area and town/accommodation separated by gondolas.
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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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Really, you need accommodation which is pretty well ski in/out AND right by the ski school meeting place. Anything else and you'll spend all your time commuting.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Really, you need accommodation which is pretty well ski in/out AND right by the ski school meeting place. Anything else and you'll spend all your time commuting. |
So Pila then
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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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Well Pila sounds good, but I'm sure there are lots of other good possibilities - I know very few Italian resorts. Cortina is a great place to "fare la passeggiata" with lots of people in mink coats, or buy a very expensive statue, but not for commuting little kids back and forth to ski school and snatching a quick hour or two out on the slopes when the opportunity presents itself.
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@pam w, sorry Pam but you are mistaken. There are hotels piste side on the learner slopes in the Socrepes/Pocol area. These slopes are absolutely perfect for any child's 1st ski experience and there are adjacent slopes to progress onto. It's the best beginners area/slopes that I've come across in any alpine resort and I'll be taking my young grandchildren there in a year or two once they are old enough to learn.
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The hotel lion noir in pila seems to tick the boxes, as its on the piste near the ski school, although the ski school does not actually concern me and the wife, as we are babysitting the 1 year old, i might be allowed on the piste for the odd hour or so skiing if wife allows, as my son will be sorting out the older grandkids...
im open to suggestions that do NOT include france , seems hotel needs to have a pool as well
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