 Poster: A snowHead
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My first post - and i need help
I want to take the family to the Alps for Christmas
We are looking for a White Christmas with a day or 2 to try skiing
Kids 5 & 2 - I did like Morzine unitl i saw the altitude and not the gaurentee of snow
So if anyone one knows of a good resort - Snowsure and a family Hotel
We would really appreciate the advise
Thanks
Crow Family [/u][/b]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi, Welcome to SnowHeads 
I started skiing in Obergugl (Austria) as an early teen. Its high, traditional, expensive but we did a couple of Christmasses there.
We used to drive (via North Sea Ferry) & stay in a hotel (gasthof Muhle) in Untergurgl - a short drive to Obergurgl or Hochgurgl.
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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 CrowJersey,
An option that worked well for us was to a very nice 4* hotel in Switzerland whose owners were so family orientated that it was a real children's playground (Maerchen hotel in Braunwald - a small resort 2hrs by train from Zurich). There was a swimming pool with monkey bars over the top + slide into it, a separate babypool, a huge games room (for kids of all ages), another room with bouncy castles, if you did want to ski, there was the free use of a nanny in the hotel to look after any non-skiing kids in the mornings, my children loved the fact that there was a slide from 1st to ground so they didn't have to go down the stairs, there was a storytime (by the hotel owner - in English and German), and the thing my kids really loved was that at breakfast you got your milk by twisting the udders of a full-size wooden cow in the dining room. The hotel laid on free use of a horse and cart to take the kids the 500m to the ski slopes (there and back). The details are here , in case you or any others are interested. There was lots for the adults too, including a wellness centre and excellent food.
Braunwald was a small resort and not busy. It isn't a high resort, but recent history is that the east of Switzerland/Austria has had better early season snow than France. (Of course that may not be the same this year).
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CrowJersey,
Welcome to
Hmmmnnnn, very difficult to say... I'd assume that the idea of Xmas in the alpes with family has a romantic ideal attached.
No one can give you snow garauntees and the best chance is to go high to a resort with a glacier. As it is a family trip rather than a typical holiday you could choose a family type resort like Wengen in Switzerland, picture post card in snow and pretty out of it. there should be enough snow at that time to satisfy a curiosity even if it wouldn't be the skier's ideal.. It doesn't have a glacier by the way, but ticks other boxes. Besides, you may be lucky and we get a bumper year early.
How many days for the trip, flying from where, or alternative travel, bare in mind that most hotels are HB etc...!!!
Resorts that cater for the non-skiing, or rather not totally dominated by the skiing would be...off the top of my head.. Zermatt, Wengen and Megeve. Maybe Saas Fee is a good choice but I haven't bent here.
Lots of reading to be done and there should be loads of ideas on here to work through...
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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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CrowJersey, I have just noticed that at the bottom of the hotel website there is a link to here which is a listing of family/kids hotels in Switzerland.
There is a drop dow menu with a list of resorts/hotels.
Hope this helps.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Firstly thanks for all you prompt replies
I was hoping to stay n France, Mainly due to the drive as we live in Jersey and would face a 10 hr drive even to Portes du Soliel area, we just want that white christmas, family kind of thing as its only me who skis (Badly)
Looking at the comments it seem higher the better!!!!
But any feedback back is geatfully recieved
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CrowJersey, you could try La Rosiere, it's high - 1850 metres and has a very good snow record. For a family hotel I would recommend Le Relais du Petit St Bernard, it's a 2 star family run hotel right back the main lifts, so it's ski in-ski out. La Rosiere is also a great resort for children and there are always lots of activities over Xmas, Santa on his sleigh with small gifts for tiny guests etc. If you want info on La Rosiere, go to www.larosiere.net, the hotel can be contacted on 0033 4 70 06 80 48 or www.petit-saint-bernard.com, we always use it for guests who want an extra night or so in the village. La Rosiere is not a difficult drive from Paris, autoroute all the way to Alberville and a reasonable road from there to Bourg St Maurice, with just the final 23kms up to the village on mountain roads.
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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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CrowJersey, I'm a bit concerned that your younger child is only 2, which is probably too young to start skiing (most of the local kids start at around 2.5 or 3). Also it can be very cold in December. You could go by train or by air, rather than just drive. Austria or Switzerland is more atmospheric at Christmas (sorry to say it).Ray Zorro,s hotel sound perfect for your needs. 
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Thanks for the concern
But its not planned as a Ski Holiday - we just want to be in the snow for Christmas - walk out the door and there snow
The kids can Taboggon!! And we Have to Drive
As i said i like Morzine but thinks its a bit risky that time of year!!!!
CrowJersey
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you don't want a ski holiday, why go to a ski resort? It's going to be peak-season expensive, quite possibly not a lot else to do, and everything will revolve around skiing. You could feel a bit left out.
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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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Lizzard,
the poster said he is a skier and wants to go skiing for a day or so and implies he gently wants to intorduce the family to skiing..!!!!
It isn't supposed to be the be-all and end-all tho'''''''
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I've been to Saas Fee over New Year and it very Alpine, get the impression that they're more into New Year than Christmas. It's an old village surrounded by spectacularly pointy mountains, it's v. high (2300m) so fairly snow sure. It's about the same drive time from Geneva (2.5 hours) as Val Thorens.
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You know it makes sense.
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CrowJersey, Monetier-les-Bains in Serre Chevalier is at 1500m and should have snow in the village (it did last year), there is a toboggan area at the bottom of the slopes, and lots of walks and cross-country skiing. You can also take a horse-drawn sleigh-ride It is a traditional village and there are several hotels in the village with family rooms, the Rif Blanc is being entirely refurbished for the Winter and is under new ownership. The Hotel Alliey is very pretty, and has apartments as well as hotel rooms, and a swimming pool. The eldest child can learn to ski with a British instructor (Eurekaski.com), and there's the hot springs for relaxation for the adults. It is also only a short transfer from Turin or Grenoble airports (1.5-2hrs maximum). Briancon, a walled town at the bottom of the valley is also worth a visit. Santa is always around on Christmas Eve.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Hoppo, Saas Fee is about as snow sure as it gets, it has a glacier after all, but is about 1800m.
Height is not the be all and end all for December. Last year, Morzine and other low bits of the PdS were better than Val d'Isere etc. It's easier to cover grassy pasture than high altitude rockiness.
Try PM'ing Chris Brookes, he regularly drives from Jersey to Muerren in Switzerland, so he may be able to give you a good steer.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Brian Thanks for the Post, Good to hear about Morzine
Ski CLub GB only gave me info for last year 50 cms on the lower slopes
So i think i might take the chance and hope - Morzine is just such an easy drive and at worst theres always Avoriaz to go to
Thanks for the advice
And i dont konw how or what PM'ing is but will try to find out
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Brian Thanks for the Post, Good to hear about Morzine
Ski CLub GB only gave me info for last year 50 cms on the lower slopes
So i think i might take the chance and hope - Morzine is just such an easy drive and at worst theres always Avoriaz to go to
Thanks for the advice
And i dont konw how or what PM'ing is but will try to find out
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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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CrowJersey, at the top of the screen, just below the snowHeads logo, you'll see an option to send or receive messages. This allows you to exchange Private Messages with other snowHeads.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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CrowJersey, welcome to Snowheads,great to see another Bean here 
We drive each year to Switzerland which only takes an extra hour onto your journey so dont limit yourself to France !
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 20-08-06 21:46; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Chris Brookes, you popped up from nowhere!!!
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CrowJersey, now makes it the third person from Jersey on Snowheads 
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Chris Brookes - I have sent you a PM, I use to work with Emma
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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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CrowJersey, lol....its a small world Justin
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Snow sure... try Val Thorens. Not a pretty resort though, mostly above the tree line so it can be rather exposed. If you get good weather the views are mignificent and there will be snow!
You may have difficulty in getting short breaks in any ski resort. They tend to want a weeks minimum booking.
Good luck..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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CrowJersey, I know some of the Monetier hotels will take less than seven day bookings. Our friends stayed in the Hotel Europe for 4 nights over New Year, and Christmas is usually a bit quieter.
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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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Why not do the whole meet father Xmas thing in Lapland? I have heard very good things about these people. laplandexperience.com. I don't know if they do Xmas at Xmas as it were but it certainly looks a lot of fun and is on my family things to do list.
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Chris Brookes, even if the FC in Lapland idea doesn't appeal (or even makes you fell physically ill), Scandaswegia might be a good wheeze for a Chritmas skiing hol. Norway and Sweden have resorts which are marketed as family friendly and although they are low, I think (but I'm not sure) that snow at Christmas is likely. Not too handy for Jersey, though.
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You know it makes sense.
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CrowJersey,
Assume you will drive past Paris... Most of the Bernese resorts should be with in 8 hrs from there, easily.
I would think 8 hrs would get you as far as most resorts in the Valais... maybe not Saas Fee or Zermatt...the latter being car-free anyway...you'd have to complete by train.
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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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We did Christmas in Morzine one year and although there wasn't masses of snow there was enough to make it a white Christmas, there was plenty of choice for skiing and because it's a proper place rather than a purpose built resort there are things for non-skiers to do. We drove there and having the car would mean you could go elsewhere easily during your stay as well. The telecabines out of Morzine can be used by pedestrians so if the snow line is higher than Morzine you can easily take the children up - crepes sitting outside the mountain restaurant at the top of Super Morzine telecabine on Christmas morning were excellent looking at the snowy view. Father Christmas visited our chalet at breakfast on Christmas morning and the children staying there loved it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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CrowJersey, have you decided yet ?
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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 was thinking Les Gets so very pleased to read about good chancve of snow in Morzine 
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