Tell me about your family Christmas ski trips

A snowHead

Have decided that we're going to ski over Christmas next year. Our children will be 10 and 8. We usually spend every Christmas at home, just the four of us. Fairly laid back. Presents in the morning, usually hours of building Lego, insane amount of food, cheesy Christmas movie. No visiting family on the day as none are nearby, but usually a night or two at the in laws between Christmas and New Year.

I'm very excited to ski on Christmas Day rather than fall asleep in front of a movie. I'm curious to know how other families do Christmas whilst away. Any traditions that you've developed?

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Probably doesn't apply to you, as your kids are older. We leave a note for Santa under our home Christmas tree saying we are away and asking him to bring the smaller presents to us in France and leave the bigger onces here. This way kids get a nice welcome back home presents.

Also when everyone is in the car ready to go, I do the final checks to make sure everything is locked and turned off while also munching up the mince pies with milk and hiding the carrots back into cupboard.

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Really what Pam says. However when the kids were small they wanted to wake up at home so we would leave in the early afternoon of Xmas day, or early Boxing day, but then we had that flexibility when towing our accommodation behind us Smile

I still decorated the caravan by taking Xmas tea towels, Xmas kitchen rolls and other little Xmassy things where possible.

In more recent years when the kids were all young men they were very happy to be in the Alps skiing over Xmas. We did a secret Santa with a small set value so that we each had a small present on the day, I took crackers, and made a Xmas cake. Pretty much everywhere we have stayed either in s/c or chalet/hotel had decorated for Xmas.

2 reports for Xmas trips which may contain some things of interest.

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2188938&highlight=rosiere#2188938

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2435740&highlight=rosiere#2435740

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We did it slightly different to others here in that we took Christmas day off the slopes and had a 'traditional' Christmas day. We were in a SC chalet in Chamonix and it worked really well - it was still Christmas but with ski-trip either side of the main day...
- I drove the car (s-max) with all luggage and hidden presents whilst the rest of the family flew hand-luggage only (sounds heroic but can you imagine 2 days on your own in mid/late December - bliss)
- I dropped everything at the chalet and picked them up from GVA
- Christmas eve had all the excitement of our 'typical' at-home Christmas plus the magic of spending the evening in town, snow, lights, vain-chaud, santa, etc etc
- The morning was presents, bucks-fizz, sledging
- Christmas dinner was at a very good local restaurant @2pm - lovely atmosphere
- The evening was our own little party back at the chalet
- Boxing day it returned to a ski-holiday
- It was a good snow year for Cham with everything open so we did a lot of skiing on the other 5 days
- We had 12 of us from 3 sibling families

With no family nearby can you persuade them to join you to make it a special Christmas?

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Living out here in Cham, I love our Christmases with my GF and our friends. It's pretty traditional - salmon and eggs for breakfast, open presents and usually get out skiing for 10.30 or so (in our new ski socks). Find a nice spot and crack open the prosecco about 12... I find it very hard to concentrate on the skiing as my mind is fixated on the bird I left on low that morning. Get home for 2 ish and spend the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen (cooking christmas dinner with a glass of red is one my favourite times of the year!) We don't have a telly so after dinner it's wine, whisky and board games until we pass out at 1. Obviously we don't have kids...

Last year we had 12 of us in our flat and two of our swiss german mates were a last minute addition as their plans fell through. They asked us that afternoon if they should bring anything and we just said anything christmassy we don't really need anything. They rock up at about 6 with a massive real tree in tow! Apparently this is completely normal Very Happy

Certainly made out little one look a bit sorry for itself, although you had to dodge branches everytime you left the table.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

We have been away almost ever Christmas since our son was a baby. We take some small presents, but no more or buy something in France.
Usually we have a traditional Christmas eve dinner (chicken or roast beef in the apartment oven is too small for a goose, oysters if they are not too expensive a Christmas pud if anyo e can face it) then Christmas day is out skiing, but I phone my sister in the evening. She is exhausted we are tired in a much nicer way.
New year is the same, big meal on the eve out skiing on new year's day

After all it is free

These all sound lovely. I am definitely looking forward to leaving behind the tradition of falling asleep in front of that years Julia Donaldson adaptation (I try so hard to watch it every year!).

We're doing our first extended family holiday ever in three weeks. So we'll see how that goes before I consider inviting them for Christmas!

Thanks for the links!

head to austria. Krampus, Sleigh Rides, Schnapps, xmas markets, gluewien, etc.

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The Christmas Day large meal is a British thing, most French will have the big meal on Eve

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Sorry I should have said, if it’s snowing on Christmas Day in your village, it really is like a movie scene & something very few actually get to experience. The kids will be blown away, in fact I’m sure I seen my wife crying with joy

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Austria is our plan. Hoping that it will feel really festive with the markets etc.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I loved going away at Christmas, we'd usually hotel and fly so small pressies and stuff bought in resort. We'd either have a Xmas early st home first or when we got back depending when the hols fell. The snow etc is magical and the resorts do some great festivities, mulled wine and santa etc.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

There should be trip reports for Geilo and Trysil in Norway which we have done for Xmas and New Years. We just take a small gift for everyone and a Xmas pudding and birds brandy sauce. Then the kids get to pick a big chocolate bar or bag of sweets at the airport- which usually keeps them occupied for an hour comparing everything.

Chocolate for breakfast. Everyone is in ski school for the morning and then lunch and ski a bit in the afternoon with games in the evening - rummikub and unstable unicorns last time.

Last Xmas they spent their time learning to body board and surf at the wave machine in Trysil at 5.30pm which they loved as well as tobogganing down the slopes and chilling in the spa (lot of self catered attached to hotel in Norway). Pretty magical Xmas and it usually snows as well.

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We used to have 3 Christmases. One with MIL before we went, one out there and then one with my mum in January. The kids didn't complain.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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always been Austria. There is a Christmas Mass for those that way inclined late on the 24th, then when the children were younger and had gone to bed we would leave out presents, stockings full of silly things, put glitter on the floor, with footsteps, a half eaten mince pie and and half a glass of milk for Rudolph. On 25th there was early skiing and always a big Carol service with lots of Brits and locals, the usual sermon readings, lots of music, possibly a couple of beers after, I always left the supper in the oven early on low and sometimes it was a hit and sometimes less so.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

We always ski on the day.
If you’re lucky it will be snowing on Christmas Eve. Wonderful to go for a stroll through a village checking out the lights etc.

After all it is free

we ski at Xmas, wife 2 young daughters and I.
Im happy leaving everyone back in the UK to do the usual repetitive same old same old Xmas crap,
Presents come with us, santa prefers the alps. The ski villages always make a bit of a show for xmas a new year.

Enjoyed 4 Christmas ski holidays as a family in catered chalets. We took a few presents plus Santa sacks (from childhood) to leave under the tree. We also made surprise gift bags for the chalet hosts who were so pleased as unexpected novelty wigs, socks, Haribos, foot masks etc... Tinsel (not usually a fan) good to decorate helmets & battery op fairy lights are great for the chalet. Recall taking lots of Quality Street chocs stuffed into a bag in ski boots!
Great time to ski as much cheaper & quieter than New Year. In France Christmas Eve is their special celebration so look up 'what's on' to ensure the Children don't miss seeing the main man. Very Happy

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We did it once around 14 years ago.

The Kids were much younger, ranging from teenagers to being too young to ski - and we went to the Radisson Apts in Arc 1950, which were absolutely lovely - being much more like what you'd get in Canada. This is not surprising, as Arc 1950 was built by Intrawest.

For those who don't already know, Arc 1950 is a bit like a Disney Ski Resort Theme Park. It looks just how you imagine an Alpine "village" should look - all wood and stone - and with everything exceptionally handy. We could put our skis on outside the boot locker and ski to the lift. The ski school - Spirit 1950 - was excellent.

We packed as many presents for the kids as we could fit, as we wanted Christmas to feel like Christmas.

On the first day, 2 of the kids had a lesson at 2pm...so I took them to hire skis. The first place we went to was chaotic, with too few staff - and after about an hour or so, people got so fed up waiting, they started helping themselves!

We then made our way to a second place. Again, it was total chaos - and after another hour with nothing happening, we took the lift up to Arc 2000. Here at least they were better organised, with an orderly queue and people getting properly fixed up.

When I finally got them kitted out, we just had enough time to make it to their 2pm lesson!!

That year, the snow was poor during Christmas week - so much so, that after damaging my skis, I decided to hire - Some very nice Rossignol Zenith Z9s.

I spent a lot of the week skiing with the SCGB (they could still lead groups back then).

We looked to eat out one night, but everything was booked out for the entire week.

Overall, despite the negatives, we had a good time. The accommodation was brilliant and had a pool, the Ski School excellent, the weather was decent and we could ski in/ski out.....and we had a lovely Christmas Day. It did finally start snowing the day we were leaving - which is typical.

Back then, I got the feeling that the resort had more people than it could comfortably cope with...but I'm sure they've got their act together over the last 14 years.

Help!!

Tell me about your family Christmas ski trips

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