 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Can anyone recommend a family friendly resort in Europe? My children are 6 and 2 and we will be travelling outside the school holidays (don't tell the headmaster!). Would like decent ski school to encourage my 6 year old. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
we will be travelling outside the school holidays (don't tell the headmaster!).
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Don't blame you. We did this quite often, but you do need to tell the headmaster and get permission, which they are unlikely to refuse. Aren't you worried that your 2 year old's A level performance will suffer, though? My kids all got First Class degrees, it didn't do 'em any harm!
Don't forget that the French hols go on longer than the English ones, and can be even more crowded. Best go last week in Jan or first week in Feb - the whole of the rest of Feb will be very busy anywhere in France, and in places like Italy where French skiers go.
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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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The end of Jan, to beginning of Feb is my favourite time to ski. The days are just starting to get a bit longer, and the weather is still cold enough for the snow to be perfect.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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marky, I have said it before but La Rosiere and any of the ski schools float my boat.
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Go to Austria in Feb. It will be lower and less cold for the nippers. Stay close to a nursery lift(s). Try Zell am See.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
| It will be lower |
Yep so low you won't see any snow 
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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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| gwaelod wrote: |
| Whitegold wrote: |
| It will be lower |
Yep so low you won't see any snow |
Feb is peak Winter. There will be plenty of snow.
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marky, late Jan/early Feb is a great time to ski, not crowded and sensible prices. AS FTS says la rosiere is a terrific option, especially for kids, 3 good skis schools and some super terrain to learn on. Check out our website www.tracksvacations.com for some really good deals in January.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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marky,
I would say it depends on exactly what you want for:
1) Your own skiing
2) Your child care particularly the two year old will you be looking after him/ her or the tour operator or a resort creche.
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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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| T Bar wrote: |
marky,
I would say it depends on exactly what you want for:
1) Your own skiing
2) Your child care particularly the two year old will you be looking after him/ her or the tour operator or a resort creche. |
Thanks for all your replies. Great stuff.
1) This will be our first ski trip as a family and whilst my wife is an advanced skier and I'm a intermediate we want to make sure the kids have a good holiday as well. So if we can have 2-3 hours to ourselves on the solpes in the morning that would be a bonus but we are prepared to maybe take it turns looking after the kids if necessary.
2) Hoping to find a creche for the two year old in the mornings. We will take him on trips (or weather permitting on the slopes) with his older brother in the afternoons.
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You know it makes sense.
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| marky wrote: |
| T Bar wrote: |
marky,
I would say it depends on exactly what you want for:
1) Your own skiing
2) Your child care particularly the two year old will you be looking after him/ her or the tour operator or a resort creche. |
Thanks for all your replies. Great stuff.
1) This will be our first ski trip as a family and whilst my wife is an advanced skier and I'm a intermediate we want to make sure the kids have a good holiday as well. So if we can have 2-3 hours to ourselves on the solpes in the morning that would be a bonus but we are prepared to maybe take it turns looking after the kids if necessary.
2) Hoping to find a creche for the two year old in the mornings. We will take him on trips (or weather permitting on the slopes) with his older brother in the afternoons. |
We stayed in a Village called Montchavin in the La Plagne area, also got great access to the vanoise Express which links to Les Arcs. There was a French run nursery in the village and I beleive the village ski school will take the kids for lunch as well.
http://www.montchavin-lescoches.com/uk/welcome.html
Also worth a look
http://www.safehandsfrance.com
Have seen people try and share the kids and ski, seems a waste of a lot of money and a good skiing holiday. It is selfish to abandon the kids but its only 6 days and they will get over it.
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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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Whilst skiing the Portes du Soleil, I always thought Les Gets looked the bees knees for small children.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Courchevel 1650 or 1850. Good British ski schools to choose from (including Ski Supreme and New Generation) who have good reputation for teaching kids, lots of nursery slopes and gentle piste skiing near both villages as well as loads of steeper terrain across the whole Trois Vallees. Both villages have creche facilities which accept kids from 18 months old. There are some nice tree-lined runs down to La Tania and C1650 if the weather closes in and is a bit much for the youngsters. C1850 has a long nighttime toboggan run down to C1550 and back up in the gondola, and a large indoor ice-rink if you're looking to burn off a bit more energy after skiing. There's also early evening tubing/tobogganning for littler ones on the snow front at both C1650 and C1850.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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marky, there's a very good creche in La Rosiere, we've had lots of guets use it, only ever heard compliments. The creche is called Les Galopins, if you click through from our website to the La Rosiere TO website you'll find the details, but I can tell you what I know, they take children from 18mths, however you must have a certificate of good health, I guess you could get that from your local GP. Their age range is 18mths to 12yrs and they are flexible around times, morning or afternoon or all-day. They have their own play area and there's adedicated Jardins des Enfants for 3yrs + where they can learn to ski. They will also take older children to/from ski lessons and kunch can be included in the arrangements. It always amazes me that British parents will happily pay huge sums to TOs with specialist childcare facilities when the same and certainly better regulated facilities are available at a fraction of cost in most French 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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marky, For the last few years we have been going to Vallandry, which is linked to the Les Arcs ski area. We have twin boys (aged 6) and girl aged 4. I'd recommend this resort as a suitable resort for your requirements as
1. Les Arcs has enough to keep most skiers happy.
2. New Generation and Darentasia as good ski schools for kids - have used them both. Note that New Gen don't do kids lessons outside school hols so would be private
3. Good Creche in village (Tom Pouce) which we have used for last 3 years
4. Quieter resort and seems to be more family focused
5. Nice little sledging area at bottom of lifts for kids
Going back in Jan - also taking kids out of school!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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marky, we always used skibeat before our oldest was skiing as they have english nannies and purpose built creches attached to the acommodation. We usually managed to get a free nanny/childcare in Janaury but I do always book the whole chalet.
Last year our oldest was 5.5 and looking for ski lessons so we went with snowbizz in Puy St Vincent. It has a fantastic set up for teaching english kids and managing english family holidays. Resort is small and the accomodatin (good sized, clean and new self catering appartments) shops, restaurnats, creche ski school and lifts were all together requiring a flat walk of c.200 yards. All runs channel down to this area.
Lessons were for 2 hours (11 'til 1) but you could drop the kids off an hour before hand for them to play. Instructors all spoke very good english - snowbizz provided all their group lessons - and were all good with the children. The timing of lessons was very good as well as you had time to get up and ski with the kids if you wanted to or have a leisurely start to the day. We tended to the latter and then had lunch and skied en famille at the end of the day.
Highlight for me was at the end of the second day when we were just finishing skiing. My daugher saw a friend in her class and skied over and said hey you want to come up the mountain with me and they shot off to the lifts. After i caught them up we went up and down the run another half a dozen times. Her second day on skis (and mine).
adult lessons are also very good. I had ski lessons as did all the adults in the group as the area is too small to free ski for a week. I board so it was a real challenge to learn to ski. My wife is a strong skier but benefitted considerably from the tuition and even did some off-piste which really is not her thing. In the afternoon for better(ish) sliders the instructors provide free ski hosting. The kids loved following the instructors through the trees and over the rollers at the side of the run.
The snowbizz resort staff are all nannies and have a sizeable creche and do lots of things with the kids. there is also an evening kids club so you can eat in peace and collect the kids. Ours preferred to go to the club than eat with us. They have a purpose built sledging area with inflatable padded walls which was very good fun for kids (and dads). I don't know how good it was for non-skiing children but facilities seemed bigger/better than anywhere else I have been.
The negatives are:-
small resort - I could board it in a morning
transfer from turin is long and quiet nauseous make sure you are at the front of the bus and have sick bags.
french atmosphere is limited as it is all geared up to make it easy for english families - for me this was a plus
we are booked for next year and I imagine will go there until our youngest currently 2 has learnt to ski competenttly
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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marky, got to Montchavin (France) with Ski Esprit and the Chalet Mont Blanc.
Ski Esprit will organise ski school for you - your daughter will be skiing with other kids from the chalet.
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marky, Been to Les Gets with a large family group for the last 2 years. British owned and run creche (Snowkidz) is superb, and ski school 360 International has been brilliant for the older kids (and excellent value for money).
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| Jonpim wrote: |
marky, got to Montchavin (France) with Ski Esprit and the Chalet Mont Blanc.
Ski Esprit will organise ski school for you - your daughter will be skiing with other kids from the chalet. |
Jonpim Last 2 years we stayed with Esprit in La Bovate in Montchavin. Lovely village but this year coming Esprit have mostly moved out of Montchavin and we are going to Plan Peisey. They were not using La Bovate for the kids club and weren't sure what or where they were going to use.
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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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| Quote: |
can recommend La Tania
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I can second La Tania! 
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Success stories with small kids : Les Gets, Montchavin, Valmorel, La Tania, Vaujany
Dismal failures: Megeve, Val D'Isere, Champoussin (I don't want to go to Kerry.....!)
The difference: All the sucesses were in small UK run chalets, all the latter were hotels or big chalets with less personal attention to the kids and rampant viral illnesses.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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marky, another reccomendation for www.snowbizz.co.uk in Puy Saint Vincent from me.We are going back for the fourth time with them at New Year.They are a great little company and will have your kids using chair lifts by day three and from then onwards you can ski as a family in the afternoons,whilst having the mornings free to yourselves.
The most important factor is the fact that the resort is small and compact with nowhere more than 100m from the accomadation.PSV has enough skiing for a family trip and the mountain does seem to expand and runs fan out from the main lift/accomadations at 1600m but most seem to come back to the same area which means it is easy for the kids to find there way back to the main meeting points.
Check them out and speak to them as the staff in the uk all have excellent knowledge of the resort,also if you can go out of school holidays it represents good value compared to many other family specialist companies.
If you need any more advice feel free to send me a PM and I could help point you in the right direction.
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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 have stayed with Ski Beat many times and now with young kids, we seem to be going back to their 8-10 bed chalets in Plan Peisey every year. The kids are happy with ESF so we can dash around les Arcs or use the vanoise express to get to la Plagne. Their chalets might not be the biggest in the world but they suit us and a hell of a lot cheaper than Ski Esprite. A big plus is the area behind the chalets is great for kids bum boarding. Have a look at the videos on their website www.skibeat.co.uk
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brian
brian
Guest
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You know it makes sense.
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| James Massey wrote: |
| I have stayed with Ski Beat many times and now with young kids, we seem to be going back to their 8-10 bed chalets in Plan Peisey every year. The kids are happy with ESF so we can dash around les Arcs or use the vanoise express to get to la Plagne. Their chalets might not be the biggest in the world but they suit us and a hell of a lot cheaper than Ski Esprite. A big plus is the area behind the chalets is great for kids bum boarding. Have a look at the videos on their website www.skibeat.co.uk |
Used Esprit for the last 2 years and booked again for next Jan in Plan Peisey. Wife priced yourselves (sorry skibeat  ) and Esprit and Esprit were cheaper.
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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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Stunning in that Snowhounds recommended Ski Beat, they have told me openly that they are sister companies, associated or something. Sorry, will not bother trying to help with my holiday experiences. Well might do as it seems like a pretty good 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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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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Frosty, no I haven't: kids happy in Peisey for now so will probably stick there when going with them.
Snowhead, understand cynicism: there certainly seems to be a fair bit of advertising etc within replies on the site. I have just checked what I said re Snowhounds: I did not actually say that I have been many places but the truth would be yes I used to go loads of different resorts but that was mainly pre-kids - once you have them you tend to stick with what you (and they) are happy with. I have visited the site a number of times before but not bothered to register.
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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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| Quote: |
once you have them you tend to stick with what you (and they) are happy with.
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James Massey, Can't argue with that. They are happy=We are happy
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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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marky, Meribel is a good option for families if you want to use independant operators. They have a good choice of ski schools catering for the British market. These tend to be a bit more expensive but can be a much better option, especially for the children. The instructors tend to place greater emphasis on enjoying the skiing. We tend to recommend Magic n motion, Ski New Generation and Parallel Lines.
There is also an excellent Brit run Nanny and Creche service, take a look at
www.kidsetc.co.uk . Shirley runs a very professional service, and offers the choice of having a nanny come to the chalet or transporting the children from your accommodation to the creche. You would need to book early as her service is very popular.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Klosters (Switzerland) has a fabulous childrens ski school - the Saas ski school. I've also had good experiences with the Stoked ski school in Zermatt for kids, and Zermatt has pretty much year round snow. Zermatt is a nice train ride from Geneva too, which, when I travelled as a nanny with kids, they loved.
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FAQ
