 Poster: A snowHead
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My kids (11 & 9) and I have decided to try a summer activity holiday in the Alps this year. We're excited by the wide array of fun things available from swimming to biking to rafting to zipwires etc, as well as organised kids clubs and the opportunity to make new friends.
Just need to decide which company to book with, so would love some recommendations. So far I'm looking at Alpine Elements, but I always like to compare a few options before booking something.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A lot of alpine towns/villages are very good at putting on activities or having things to do. We've done loads and just decided on different things to do each day and booked/turned up when we want to do them.
I can highly recommend Saalbach, Schladming and Alpe d'Huez for this sort of thing. If you're going to have a car, Andorra as a whole place is excellent because there are loads of activities within a 20 min drive (traffic dependant!).
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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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Yes, it might be better to arrange a trip independently - the tourist offices are generally very good. If you give a bit more thought to what you want to do you'll get lots of good advice here about activities and alternatives. And it might be cheaper to do your own thing - worthwhile to compare.
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I'm open to doing it independently (and self-driving) but I guess the appeal of using an operator is that we'd end up in an accommodation with lots of like-minded people. As it will be just me and the kids, my hope is that they find other kids to play with and get to know over the course of the week doing activities etc.
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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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@davehas, I hear nothing but good reports about this place. https://www.central-flachau.com/ BA and Ryan Air fly to Salzburg through the Summer and that's only a 45 min transfer.
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| Quote: |
the appeal of using an operator is that we'd end up in an accommodation with lots of like-minded people.
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that makes sense.
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@davehas, UCPA here does loads of stuff in Serre Chevalier in the Summer.
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If UCPA do family weeks in the summer that would be ideal, but I don't think kids are allowed normally? My daughter and family did a UCPA family ski week in La Plagne and loved it. They had a family room for the 4 of them and met other families to play games with after skiing.
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Are the Alps necessary? My two aged 16 and 13 went to Outward Bound near Fort William for 3 and 2 weeks respectively. A very well respected outdoor and development curriculum, groups of others their age, and neither of them wanted to leave after. They arrived by train themselves (station right outside) from Manchester Airport, then we collected the younger one and stayed nearby for a week waiting for the older one.
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@pam w, kids by the shedload in the Summer !!
Totally different to skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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German Centre Parks? or is that parcs 
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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 DIY and stop in Bourg St Maurice. Lovely town. Do rafting and water stuff there (booking direct) then go up to Tignes for a day of their activities and Les Arcs for another. Could do another resort if we wanted. You just need to be organised to sort things yourself.
We drive though which helps.
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Weathercam's UCPA suggestion looks ideal.
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You know it makes sense.
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We quite a few of those kind of holidays when I was a kid/teenager.
Mum and dad went hiking, I did kids or teenager club and did loads of outdoor activities. Sometimes Dad had to do the more adventurous activities with me  With no siblings close in age I loved these holidays.
I'm talking like 25+ years ago so the information is going to be out of date, but Headwater offered this type of holiday and we did a good one in the Jura, and we also tended to book direct with French hotels that offered activities. Some where near Lake Annacy had a good one. Les2Alps was fab as can do all the summer activities plus ski in the morning on the glacier (is that still a thing with global warming?!)
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Weathercam's UCPA suggestion looks ideal. |
Can't find anything on their website
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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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| Orange200 wrote: |
| Are the Alps necessary? |
A strong preference. The kids have done PGL camps in previous years, but this one is a holiday for me as well, and there's nowhere I'd rather be than in the Alps!
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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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@davehas, it might be worth phoning Action Outdoors who market UCPA trips in the UK.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We went on a summer alpine club med holiday to Valmorel a few years ago and my kids enjoyed the teen club. The only drawback with club med alpine holidays in summer from my perspective is that to get your moneysworth it helps to be into downhill mountain biking and I was glad to try it but preferred other activities such as walks to waterfalls, fitness classes etc.
Other years we have booked apartment and ferry with Peak Retreats who we also use for ski holidays and booked activities separately in resort. Of the resorts we have been to with them in summer I would recommend Les Gets, Samoens and St Gervais/Les Contamines.
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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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Area47 in Ötztal should be ideal!
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