 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Can you give me some pointers for some European locations that have good towns for keeping busy for those who wont be skiing on a 7 day trip?
Basically, were a family of four, all of which will be skiing/ boarding (lessons) but we will be taking a set of grandparents to help with logistics whilst away. To make sure there is plenty for the grandparents to do during the week, is there anywhere that comes to mind that has good access to a sizable town for them to have a look around/ get breakfasts or lunches and a bit of window shopping??
I have previously been to Morzine a bunch and this area certainly fits the bill but I wanted to see if there was any where else that is similar to give us more options
Thanks in advance
Ash
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you were on the Swiss rail network then that gives plenty of opportunity. e.g. stay in Wengen but days out to Interlaken and boat trips on the lakes. Also some very scenic mountain rail trips from many of the resorts
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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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Welcome to Snowheads!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Do they not want to go skiing?  ️
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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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If you stay in Arc 1600 (or 1800, with a ski bus), you can take the Funicular down to Bourg St Maurice.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lots of options in Austria - or are you looking specifically for France?
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Chamonix is great for non skiers, spectacular, historical, more bars, restaurants and shops than you can shake a stick at, the low altitude means that low level is more likely to be viable as well. Not my favourite for actually skiing
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| Gored wrote: |
| Lots of options in Austria - or are you looking specifically for France? |
No, were not specifically tied to France. Where in Austria would you suggest I look?
Thanks for all your reply's!
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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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At various price levels, Serre Chevalier/Briancon, Davos, Innsbruck, Aosta may be suitable.
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| AshFinch wrote: |
| Gored wrote: |
| Lots of options in Austria - or are you looking specifically for France? |
No, were not specifically tied to France. Where in Austria would you suggest I look?
Thanks for all your reply's! |
Lots of options & most resorts are only an hour or so away from a major town.
Also well catered for people on foot to meet for lunch, etc. Zell am see/Saalbach, the Ziller Valley, Tyrol resorts near/around Kitzbuhel, etc.
Most have good rail & bus links, so not difficult in getting around for a day out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Is mentioned above and some colleagues also just came back from Innsbruck. Couple of smaller ski resorts to discover, they went skiing at Patscherkofel and really liked it for beginners. And a proper town for the non-skiers.
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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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Depends a bit on what "logistics" the grandparents are needed to help with. Aosta/Pila might not work well if, for example, they were needed to take kids to ski school and pick them up afterwards (which is a very useful grandparent role). Aosta has lots to offer, but once they're up that gondola, Pila doesn't have much to offer non skiers. Multiple gondola trips would get expensive - and the drive up is too long to be easy to nip up and down by car.
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Also depends what amuses the grandparents. My mother was happy to have a coffee and cake, look at lovely scenery, do gentle walks, watch the skiers, read a book. She wouldn't have bothered with shops or spas. She came with us a few times, but in later years was very nervous about slipping on icy pavements. Good "crampons" for walking boots, together with a pair of ski poles, make a big difference.
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You know it makes sense.
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Zermatt i'd imagine would tick the right boxes, depending on finances
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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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| Quote: |
To make sure there is plenty for the grandparents to do during the week
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| Quote: |
is there anywhere that comes to mind that has good access to a sizable town for them to have a look around/ get breakfasts or lunches and a bit of window shopping
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Sounds like a contradiction here. What are they going to do for the other five and a half days?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'm with @pam_w in wondering just what role you're expecting the grandparents to play and what your and their expectations of the day are. If you're expecting them to take the children to ski school and pick them up and be on call for any problems and then babysit the kids in the afternoon then realistically, they aren't going to have much spare time anyway. Basically, you're using your grandparents as substitute day care. This profile means they need to be nearby just in case and must be comfortable with negotiating icy pavements and getting to/from learner pistes etc. If so, then they won't need anywhere special because they're tied-down to being near the kids - probably just a reasonable selection of bars and cafés will be enough as they're not going to be going on any major excursions to nearby places of interest. Personally, I think that you'd do better to go for a family holiday operator and let them cover all of this, then if you want the grandparents to come along - and they're still interested in the idea - it'd be much more of a holiday for them and they'd be there for the social contribution they can make, rather than as cheap babysitters.
If what you're after is a ski holiday like it used to be before you had kids, then consider a separate outing for just the two of you, in term-time, with the grandparents looking after them at home. Still have the family ski break dominated by the children's schedule, with you only having limited time on your own while they're in ski school. That way, you can focus on them on the family trip and on yourselves on your adult trip.
But if the grandparents are keen to come just for the shared experience, and you're not expecting them to child-mind the whole day, then of course, that's a different situation. In that case, it'd be useful to know whether they'd be interested in some snow shoeing (we see a lot of grandparental-aged couples doing this in our village) or whether back home, they swim and would be interested in doing this while on holiday as well. Are they interested in cultural outings? Would they like to explore the ski area on foot? If all this is the case, then there are resorts like Verbier: you can cover a lot of the area on foot using the gondolas, it has a big leisure centre with wellness and swimming, there are some nice snow shoe walks to be had, and the public transport connections to Martigny and Lausanne are good as well. Martigny is a Roman town with intersting museums and a cultural centre with an outstanding collection of impressionist and modern sculpture garden. It's a nice excursion by train to the Chateau Chillion and Lausanne on Lake Geneva. Etc.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 6-03-23 11:34; edited 7 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'd suggest you go with someone like Ski Famille and let them do the heavy lifting !
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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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Saas Fee might be a good option, the village is a good size with a reasonable amount going on and the scenery is fantastic.
The youth hostel would be a good option to stay in because it has an onsite spa and swimming pool and is also very close to the bus station allowing easy travel down the valley for short days out.
It can be a bit dark and cold early season because of the shade from the peaks but is a good option late season when the lower valleys below will potentially be warm and pleasant.
There is also a whole gondola and surrounding area dedicated to non-skiers I think although I'm not completely sure what it is used for in the winter.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@AshFinch,
What time of year are you looking at?
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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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| swskier wrote: |
| Zermatt i'd imagine would tick the right boxes, depending on finances |
We were thinking of doing a trip with my OH's parents, who are in their 70's and we were looking at Zermatt. It would have been expensive but being able to take the train up the mountain, and passenger gondola up to the highest peak, really meant they could experience the mountains in a way that you can't really do with other resorts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That sounds nice and people in their 70s can often afford more expensive holidays than their kids. I certainly can, especially now that I only have to pay for one of me.
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My wife and I are in our 70s
We've just been away with our family ..
My wife has given up skiing but I like to carry on and ski with my granddaughter.
We did an AirB&B in Crans-Montana, it was a great place for walking but very heavy on the pocket.
If or whenever we get to go with them again, I think that we would be better off in a Hotel Half board.
Where to go is going to be a problem for us as well, I have to negotiate it with my daughter.
I noticed someone suggested Chamonix, that could be good.
I fancy Italy, because I like Italy and it might be a bit cheaper.
Someone also mentioned Pila, that could be a good shout, having a city and a supermarket at the bottom of the gondola.
Not a fantastic ski destination though.
Sorry I'm not much help here am I?
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| Quote: |
Sorry I'm not much help here am I?
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A number of us have tried, but with far too little information to go on, so any kind of interesting speculation is perhaps better than nothing. Was Crans Montana expensive because you ate out? We catered very simply for ourselves in the evenings in our apartment in Aosta.
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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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Likewise @DrLawn, @pam w, think it offers more fabric to perspective and discussion.
Something a few years back, specifically Italy, organised a group trip to Sauze d'Oulx, there's clear and often given view on how rowdy and poor reputation it did have, but feel there's much more to it than that superficial skim view offered repeatedly.
Notably, it was second week of march, there was quite a umber of Italian families of multi generation there, with quite a few non skiing, smallest children playing in the snow, grandparents in deck chairs, some wearing fur coats etc. It just seemed like perhaps a family here going to the beach as a group 
Lively but friendly village, excellent food both day and evening, with families all out eating together. Just seemed a very good mix to me.
Had some of my best ski tuition there too, part time instructor, an electrician out of ski season that worked for Fiat at motor show display etc. Had a great way of discussing and demonstration, followed by practical implementation, learnt so much from him.
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Hi @pam w, It was very expensive for me to go to Aldi each morning and get a loaf and 4 "choc aux pain" ...
Its just a currency thing really. We did eat out on quite a few occasions ... the best event was lunch times at the "Zero Dix" where my wife could join us for lunch at the bottom station in Crans. Good fun wearing Cowboy hats to keep the sun off us and complimentary sunglasses.I recommend the ribs.
@ski3, I've never been to Sauze d'Oulx ... perhaps thats one for the list.
You paint a good picture of it there.
Oma & Opa could stay in a hotel and the kids can do what they want.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There are so many permutations - possibilities are endless. The OP suggested that grandparents were needed for help with "logistics, but gave no details. So all we could do is speculate and chat. Not that that comes difficult to us..... We took my kids grandmother to the Alps several times (skiing and not) and I myself have done extensive ski-grannying. Including one gruelling ski school pick up of two tired little girls, on a very snowy day, when I didn't have my chains in the car and unexpectedly heavy snow meant my 4 excellent winter tyres refused to take us up the last big bend to our apartment. I had to dump it, in a poor position, with several others in the same predicament, walk the girls up - a good 15 minutes, in a blizzard, keeping their spirits up, then make them hot choc, sit them in front of a video, made them PROMISE to do absolutely nothing (they were really a bit young to be left alone), hike back down to the car, clear enough of the rapidly accumulating snow to get the chains on, drive the car up into the garage and hare back to the apartment before they set the place on fire. That was ski-grandparenting beyond the call of duty.
Discussions about facilities for "non skiers" are often pretty pointless. Some people want "entertainment", others are more self-sufficient. I was once in the friendly but not very cosmopolitan tourist office in Les Saisies when two English women "d'un certain age", elaborately made up, walked in and without even a "bonjour" demanded "Where's the nail bar". The girl had no idea what they were talking about. I explained, with some miming (my vocabulary of French beauty treatments being limited) and she told them the nearest was in Megeve! I found it hilarious, and could just envisage their husbands having assured them that whilst they were out skiing all days, the wives could be "pampered".
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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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Sounds like Edina & Patsy arrived
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You know it makes sense.
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I was thinking more like two ladies from viz
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| I was thinking more like two ladies from viz |
San and Tray. Better not use their collective name for fear of upsetting the woke (on two grounds).
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| I was once in the friendly but not very cosmopolitan tourist office in Les Saisies when two English women "d'un certain age", elaborately made up, walked in and without even a "bonjour" demanded "Where's the nail bar". |
I think I've skied with them. It was in either La Plagne or ADH on a SCGB holiday in 2005 or 2006. We had just arrived in resort and were in the queue for ski hire. They were on the same trip and next to me in the queue and one announced to the other that she was going to go and find the nail bar when they had got their skis. I kept a good distance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Austria.
Saalbach is bigger than Hinterglemm but they both have plenty of winterweg hiking trails, a free bus connecting them till 17:00, a sunny pedestrian pass allowing 2 daily ups and 2 downs on local gondolas and nice walks to local restaurants from the mountain station.
For my non skiing OH it was a pleasant week, and so was in Zermatt. But way more expensive of course.
Folks here also recommended Kitz and Zell am Zee.
In France you have Briancon, a real village with plenty of apartments and hotels near the gondola. With an old quarter nearby, but with steep streets.
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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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@DrLawn, Don't know what it's like now but Davos used to do a pedestrian pass for the valley which included busses and trains where you could meet up, watch the X country , sledging etc and was very popular when I went there a couple of times with my mother and our young kids. Not a cheap place to stay though.
Zermatt was not a popular choice with my in laws when we went with my parents in law and my sister in law , husband and their kids. Place is obviously very attractive but they found the steep sided valley and single view a bit monotonous. Briancon was popular with both lots of parents.
Obviously everyone's experiences /wishes are different but just to highlight that not every non skier finds Zermatt a great place to be.
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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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| DrLawn wrote: |
| We had an appartment in St Gervais a few years ago ... the location was superb…. |
Impressive. I thought our place was pretty conveniently situated but it’s at least 50m from the tourist office (and the ski bus stop, and the bank machine, and the taxi rank…)
Sounds as if your apartment was in the building we look out at, the opposite side of the market square.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Currently in Alpe D'Huez with 6 others - all mid to late 70's.
4 ski, one well, 3 happy on the blues and greens closer to ADH. 2 class themselves as walkers.
They all meet for lunch every day at a mountain restaurant. There are numorous lifts for pedestrians and their pass is free as they are over 70 (I think thats the cut off?)
The skiers get a massively reduced pass too.
So, if the OP's OAP wanted to get around the mountain, Alpe D'Huez could be an option.
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In Pila last week I just got a few bob off the normal adult cost (I'm 76). In Les Saisies in a few weeks I'll get a few bob off again, bringing the cost down to the same as a 16 year old. Given that I shall use many fewer lifts than the average 16 year old, I'm not overwhelmed by that generosity. I shall have to look into the practicality of points passes.
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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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Hi @pam w,
I thought most places in France gave free lift passes one you have reached the tender age of 75 ...
I know they do in Tignes ...
I'm disspointed for you .. and me as well as I'll be there in a couple of years.
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| Quote: |
I thought most places in France gave free lift passes one you have reached the tender age of 75 ...
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They used to. But 75 is the new 59
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