 Poster: A snowHead
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We have skied but not travelled since started having kids - now have 3 aged 1, 3 and 5. Not sure if we're mad looking to travel with such a gang. Anyone got any views on resort hotels in either Austria or France that have good all inclusive packages and good facilities for young kids?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There used to be a hotel in Flaines (Les Lindarets?) which catered specifically for families with young kids. It sounded great, from what I remember. Didn't go there, don't know if it still works like that, but worth a Google.
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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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try Ski Esprit a UK tour operator who only do family ski holidays
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SarahAKH, welcome to Snowheads. You're not mad, but you are quite brave. Do it now, before you are stuck with school holidays - so you can go at a quiet time. If you've not got the money for one of the all-inclusive efforts, or don't want to leave the kids with strangers, can you enlist some grandparents (whether skiers or not)?
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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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SarahAKH, try looking at Kinderhotels for Austria http://www.kinderhotels.co.uk/ never tried them but they look good. Or look at all the other smaller family ski specialists, a few names come to mind: Snowbizz, Ski Magic, Family Ski Company, Ski Famille, Esprit as already mentioned, Mark Warner.
Welcome to  s.
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Would also recommend Esprit. We have been with them 3 times now, and are off on our 4th in just over a week to La Plagne Hotel Deux domaines . We've been twice to the Peisey chalets and to one in Morzine which they no longer use. The place in Morzine was pretty bad accommodation, but they obviously agreed and removed it from their program. But then it was cheap and it was definately a case of you get what you pay for. Look for their special offers though as if you can go last minute they have massive reductions but can work out quite expensive once you've added in all the nursery/ childcare etc.
Make sure you know how much space is in your room/suite they can be very cramped with a cot. And \i think it is worth paying for a suite if you can so you have more space and separate slepping area for the children.
I've not been with any other similar child friendly company but met some people on an esprit how had been with Mark Warner, they described it as 'Mark Warner make sure the parents have a good holiday by taking the children away during the day and Esprit make sure the parents have a good holiday by making sure the children are having a good holiday too.'
When our first was a small and I was pregnant we went with a group of friends (also with kids) with Total, which was ok but only because I wasn't skiing so childcare wasn't an issue. But it was really really hard work for everyone else.
Our kids this year are almost 5years, 2.5years and 5 months. Yes it is crazy and hard work but Esprit are great and try to make it as easy as possible and we always try to take it easy and ski half days to do other things with the children or take a bit of time to take advantage of them being cared for. And you will come back more tired than you went.
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If you have a bit more wonga then Mark Warner are excellent.
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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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Do Esprit do deals over the Easter holidays?
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SarahAKH, Esprit gets a good name, and you should look into the kinder hotel 'chain' as sarah, sugested. We have 3 kids (older than yours) and it's not crazy taking them away. It will probably just be your 5 year old that will ski but get a family orientated hotel/resort and the younger two will love it. Have a look at Serfaus in Austria and you'll find a couple of the kinder hotels (a child friendly kite mark almost) there. We thought about going to Lowe or Baer hotels in Serfaus - softplay, great slides into pools etc - for this years trip but as I'm missing the boys trip to St Anton we're going to Stuben instead. Many of the hotels in Serfaus have child care included and there is a fantastic looking outdoor area for all ages http://en.serfaus-fiss-ladis.at/winter/familie/ Good luck with your search
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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SarahAKH, Club Med may be worth looking at. Not everyone's cup of tea (not mine, really), but from my experience of a summer hol with them, the childcare is excellent, and the set up in general is excellent for families.
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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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I agree with the Mark Warner comment - can't comment on their summer stuff but Winter they seem great with kids.
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Oberlech might also be a good option, kindergarten is free if you stay in hotels there. The kids also really enjoy the toboggin run.
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You know it makes sense.
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SarahAKH, welcome to snowHeads
Another vote for Esprit. Have been with them on 4 occasions all in La Rosiere. Plenty of ski in/out options and their set up on the West of the resort makes life much easier IME.
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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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lizski, Think the creche in Oberlech is only free to kids over 2.5? Would highly recommend it though if SarahAKH, has the dosh. Hotel Sonnenburg has an in house nanny and great location. Have stayed at the Montana twice and is fantastic (especially the food). Don't think it would be as child friendly for the ages SarahAKH, 's kids are though as there's no playroom etc. Last year our freinds had a 1 year old with them and they went lot's of walks and shared the skiing/child minding. One or two days they hired a NZ nanny to look after their daughter and it all worked out fine. Would happilly recommend anyone to Oberlech for a family holiday - definitiley our best family ski experience to date, unfortunatley though it does come at a price 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hopefully Mark Warner have changed - but they used to insist on kids having early meals. Some of us - and most French and Italians actually seem to enjoy having kids around at dinner time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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 agree Esprit with little ones
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| tizzyb wrote: |
| Would also recommend Esprit. We have been with them 3 times now, and are off on our 4th in just over a week to La Plagne Hotel Deux domaines . |
Can't beat the location of that hotel either - probably no more than 1 minute walk to the steps upto the peisey lift. The child-care arrangements seem pretty good too (from observation) - for example when the Esprit Nannies/Reps takes the kids to club piou piou, then get 'signed over' to the the ESF instructor in charge which I thought was good practice...
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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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Another vote for ski esprit (5 hols) but other options to consider are ski famille, premier neige(2hols), snowbizz (2hols) mark warnerand ski beat, all of which I have heard very good things about from familly and close friends. Most of these companied tend to do earlier high teas for the children as a) the children are sooo tired from activities and b) Children tend to prefer plainer food to adults.
Hope this helps
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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We had a bad time wit Esprit but maybe we were just unlucky because a lot of these threads are quite positive.
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hbdesmond, sorry you had a poor one with Esprit, where did you go?
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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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We have 4 kids, they've all been skiing from 5/6yo onwards. We used Esprit until the last one was old enough to not require their level of care. Esprit are the best child care company out there. If you've had an 'average' experience with Esprit, try another company and you'll realise that Esprit 'average' is still way ahead of the others. My Sister still uses Esprit with her kids, we take a whole chalet and therefore still qualify to use Esprit.
We were in Selva with them this December, the level of care was superb. Crystal, three weeks later, were 'average'.
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www.snowbizz.co.uk certainly have a personal,friendly touch.I highly reccomend them and the resort of Puy Saint Vincent for your first forays into skiing en famille.Key to happy holidays is ski in ski out/No walking/ Reasonable prices + good childcare should you require it?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I would also highly recommend Snow Bizz. It is a family run business. The ski lessons are very good and the childcare is very good. They are flexible on travel - you can fly, self drive or travel by train (we did the latter). When we went the nannies were very pleasant and kind. We booked one of the nannies to babysit for a couple of nights and would not have done so if we didn't have complete confidence in them. There are a couple of nice restaurants there so you can eat out sometimes and eat in at other times. The childcare is also very flexible so you can book your children in for some full days in the Snow Bizz creche and some half days rather than having to do one or other all week.
Mollerski. How do you know Ski Esprit are the best child care company out there? Have you tried Snow Bizz, Ski Famille, Family Ski and others. Crystal are a huge company who don't pay their staff that well from what I have heard..am not surprised they don't offer the best childcare. Just because Esprit are better than Crystal it doesn't mean they are the best. I have looked at Esprit's brochure and the childcare does look very good. However we have not booked them as they only offer charter flight packages (no good if you want self drive or rail). Much of their accommodation looks a bit basic (looking at La Rosiere for eg) and you have to pay extra for a room with a bath. Then it is pot luck as to whether you get a good chalet host who cooks the meals on time and like the other families. So whilst Esprit suit your needs they might not suit everyone's needs! Since having children I have found self catering a good option.
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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 went with Esprit when our kids were actually a bit too old to need the service (6 and 8 ) and I was glad we didn't need it.
Due to the Esprit prices we booked the kids into the local ESF (Tignes). The other parents in the chalet were totally scathing about ESF - "ooh no, they'll leave them crying on the slopes" etc. etc. Well actually, our experience was totally different - they didn't have to get picked up by the Esprit rep ages before their lesson and walked half-way round the resort while they collected other children from different chalets, they didn't have to stand around waiting for the various groups from different chalets to arrive at the meeting place, and they had a much smaller group - only 6 kids in their ESF lesson, plus ESF took them to lunch so we didn't have to pick them up till 2pm.
It seemed to me that Esprit for the age my kids were at would have given them a lot less ski-time and more 'colouring in', for me a ski holiday is just too expensive if all it is is glorified childcare.
For me, if mine were not skiing and I wanted to ski, I would leave them at home with grandparents rather than schlep them to the Alps. Yes, they might enjoy the activities on offer, but we saw several very miserable looking toddlers with runny noses, looking freezing cold being pulled about on sledges by the nannies with a sort of 'you will enjoy yourself' mentality. The parents of course were up a slope somewhere happy in their ignorance - and kids that age can't tell you they've not enjoyed it can they?
Sorry, not trying to put you off - just if you have the chance to take a grandparent or to leave the littlies with their grandparents then it is a definite option to be considered before shelling out £00s for the nanny services. Alternatively, if you can afford it, then a private nanny might be better - that way if your child is unhappy they can instantly change the activity without having to placate another 12 toddlers.
Christine
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