 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, We've been skiing many times as just a couple (Chamonix, Morzine, Avoriaz usually) but next year we're going for the first time with our daughter who will be 3 and a half.
Would be really grateful for some advice on snowsure family friendly resorts.
I've found flights to Geneva and Innsbruck so at the moment have the option of either and dates are pretty flexible for February/early March but we need to decide on dates soon for work so last minute won't work for us. Would Innsbruck give us a shorter transfer time to higher resorts?
Thanks in advance 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't go to France in the French school holidays which are from early Feb to early March.. Second week of March OK! You won't need a high altitude resort in early March.
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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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@SPeters826
You'll have fasching in Austria early Feb. Not actually been then myself, but could be busy...?
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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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@SPeters826, If Innsbruck, the Dolomites resorts are in easy reach, they appeal to many with beautiful scenery, plentiful & reliable piste skiing and a mix of Germanic and Italian culture & food. Serfaus / Fiss is not well known in the UK but has a big focus on children probably an ideal spot to take a young one for their first ski trip, recent reports have suggested it has got expensive (not alone in that). More traditionally "Austrian" maybe the Zillertal with a number of areas along the valley. If the focus is solely on your daughter then maybe look at Seefeld, very easy transfer from the airport though not a huge amount of skiing but more than enough for a 3 year old, not the highest spot though. February / early March is high season so snow should not be a concern, crowds maybe though less concentrated in Austria than in France due to the spread of visitors from different countries.
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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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Innsbruck is my first choice as an airport, quite small, low people numbers, very fast from touchdown to out the door. I only go in non school holiday weeks so can't vouch for those weeks.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis often comes up as a recommendation for Austrian family ski holiday, so that could be worthwhile.
As @munich_irish says, Zillertal, but if i were you, I'd focus my stay in somewhere no Mayrhofen, you'll find more suitable beginner slopes in Zell am ziller/Gerlos or Kaltenbach/Hochfügen
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Thank you for the responses, we do plan to travel out of school holidays but I didn’t quite realise the French ones lasted so long so thank you for pointing that out. We will go with first week of Feb or second week of March. We have flown into Innsbruck before but not for a ski trip and that’s why I was drawn to that airport over the bigger Geneva to makes things quick and easy.
Will have a good look at those resorts mentioned  Austrian resorts are completely new to us so wanted to be sure we made the right decision. Dolomites also looks beautiful! We are focused on our daughter but we also plan to go and do a few bigger runs too.
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Innsbruck can be pretty grim to fly into over the winter if the weather is poor, last time we flew in there we had a 15 hour delay and the last time friends flew in there they had a 12 hour delay.
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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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| swskier wrote: |
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis often comes up as a recommendation for Austrian family ski holiday, so that could be worthwhile.
As @munich_irish says, Zillertal, but if i were you, I'd focus my stay in somewhere no Mayrhofen, you'll find more suitable beginner slopes in Zell am ziller/Gerlos or Kaltenbach/Hochfügen |
This….particularly Zell am Ziller/Gerlos.
Short transfers and, although Innsbruck can occasionally become weather affected, it wouldn’t put me off (and clearly doesn’t bother the vast numbers of ski tourists and TOs that fly in/out all Winter). I had a flight diverted to Salzburg once which created a bit of a schlepp to the Dolomites….but I did get to chat to Steve Redgrave….who was in the same boat….so to speak 
Fasching is late Feb/early March next year (it was mentioned as a precaution to avoid but I wouldn’t be overly worried). The second week in Feb, next year, also coincides with quite a few of the Austrian State school holidays….that can have an impact on how busy things are.
Link below for school holidays.
https://www.holidays-info.com/austria/school-holidays/2025/
Oh, and welcome to snowHeads 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Origen wrote: |
| You won't need a high altitude resort in early March. |
You clearly didn’t ski this season making predictions like that 
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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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Well all bets are off in a season like the last one!
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| Origen wrote: |
| Well all bets are off in a season like the last one! |
Not convinced it will be a one off… 
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You know it makes sense.
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No, 
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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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| BobinCH wrote: |
| Origen wrote: |
| You won't need a high altitude resort in early March. |
You clearly didn’t ski this season making predictions like that |
Or in France after the school holidays, as the resorts were still pretty full.
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Poster: A snowHead
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All over was full, by the sound of it. Also fuller than usual at Christmas. If people can avoid school hold my advice would be to wait, plan to drive ( thus flexible) and identify destination when clearer about snow conditions. If advance planning means ruling out all but the highest and most snowsure destinations it means ruling out lots of great options.
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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: |
| Innsbruck can be pretty grim to fly into over the winter if the weather is poor |
Fair point. We've been diverted to Munich on 2 out of 5 winter flights into Innsbruck over the years. Both diversions were in January.
But if you do manage to fly into Innsbruck, the mountain views are fantastic in clear weather.
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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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Some really useful info and places for me to look into and thanks for pointing out the possible issues flying into Innsbruck so will take that into account. We had a trip booked to Chamonix last month which we ended up having to cancel last minute (Nothing to do with the destination or snow etc) but really missed it this year so determined to get something planned, Thank you everyone and for the welcome
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