 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All,
I would be really grateful for any feedback, good or bad, about travelling with Mark Warner. In particular if anyone has ever stayed at their ChaletHotel Le Val d'Isere.
We are expecting our first baby in December and so are hoping to slot in an end of season week in April when the baby will be 4 months old and so 'qualifies' to go in the nursery (and I have recovered a decent level of fitness!!)
We normally travel independently so this will be a new experience for us but we have heard very good reports of Mark Warner and now we need good quality childcare this appeals to us.
Any advice welcome! Thanks!
Sarah
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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 went to Courchevel with Mark Warner last year - I was very impressed and I would certainly be happy to travel with them again if the circumstances arose. (Like you, I normally organise my own trips rather than use a tour operator) Good food and wine, firendly bunch of people, ski guiding during the day, etc.
No chldren myself, so can't really comment on the child care facilities but all the parents seemed happy.
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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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sarah, from my experience of the Cygnaski from 1990 I would advise against Mark Warner. Grandpa, Mum and Dad had a great time - for older children Mark Warner is great - but for 18 month old Rosie it was not a fun time at all. Mobile vocal kids are very demanding and have to be attended to or they will tell their parents of the nasty nanniesl. Younger kids need just as much attention, but can be left to cry, coz - hey - who's to know? Now, things may well have changed, but back in 1990 they just did not have enough nannies to cope. Ski Esprit was a much better organisation for small children.
Over the years we have tried lots of childcare: granny, take-your-own-nanny, creches, company-nanny-in-the-chalet, shared care with friends. All worked well for us except the Mark Warner Creche. The best by far is Granny.
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Hi Sarah,
We had a baby last December and squeezed in a couple of ski holidays last winter. One was with Ski Hillwood and was OK but I probably wouldn't use them again. The other was with Ski Beat (to La Tania) and the childcare was excellent.
We're going with Ski Beat again this winter and are also trying Ski Esprit because we've heard a lot of good things about them.
Good luck!!
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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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sarah, you need to consider altitude when you are skiing with such a young bairn. Probably best below 1500m up until 6 months unless you like sleepless nights, its though babies get altitude sickness at lower altitudes because if their immature oxygen carrying capacity. April pushes your choices a bit though - Megeve is a definite no no.
I would also caution against big holtels as they harbour so many more germs in one building. Could you persuade granny to come and help you in self catering?
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Sarah,
We went skiing (here in Austria) when our little girl was 5 months old. Most of the childcare would only acccept children from 6 months old. As Martin says, high altitude is an issue with babies. To be honest the wife was so attached to the baby that she didn't mind not skiing at all. We found a place with a good swimming bath and I played in the snow as they splished and splashed down at the baths.
Some babies are more dependent on their mothers and don't want to be left with somebody they don't know, some mothers are less willing to leave their babies with someone else at such a young age but you won't know untill after the baby is born.
Bear in mind that you will most likely be .....
1. Breast feeding - you will have to come off the hill to feed the baby (every 2-4 hours) in accordance with the baby's demands.
2. Getting up in the middle of the night to feed the child (every 2-4 hours). Skiing can be tiring enough without the added duties of parenthood.
My advice would be to see how you and the baby are nearer the time and book something last minute.
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I'm fairly sure that when we went with Ski Hillwood with our 6 month old, there was someone there with a 4 week old!! Mrs Z couldn't believe that anyone could be able to ski that soon after childbirth, but there you go.
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4 month old! Any reputable firm will do. its not like the kid will remember. Fed , watered, changed, a few toys, and a bit of attention, and their happy
I do remember on 1 Mark Warner holiday of a parent complaining that "Diddums" was not getting any "structured" play  . I have also been on a holiday when a 10 month old was taken out in a back pack. Please do not even consider this.
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Sarah, DB makes some very good points re: breast feeding and be woken in the night.
As he says, it might be best to leave off booking until after you've had the baby. I think Beth was a few weeks old when we booked (and 11 weeks when we went) but she was already sleeping very well. If we'd only been getting a couple of hours sleep then we might not have gone.
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Sarah, This subject usually makes for lively debate on this forum. My two pennies worth is that I'd be surprised that you'd really want to go away with a four month old baby. A new baby is very stressful and at four months you may only just be getting into a routine. It was only at about that time that we got any sleep at all when our daughter was born. If it turns out that you have to have a caesarian (which with the way that hospitals seem to work these days is sadly quite likely (sorry if this is not what you want to hear!)) you probably won't be up to skiing and I doubt that any insurance you get will cover you if you decide to cancel because you're not up to travelling and skiing because of a c-section if you book before the birth. Babies respond badly to flying and altitude etc. I personally don't reckon that you'll actually want to go.
Don't underestimate just how much having children affects your life. Nothing will ever be the same again and you won't know this until your baby is born. This all may sound negative but children are fantastic and just the best thing, but nothing prepares you for how much everything changes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Young babies tend to do one of two things at altitude
1. Sleep for most of the time
2. Scream for most of the time
If you are lucky enough to get the former everyone will have a great holiday, if the later be prepared for a lot of very black looks from the other sleep deprived guests at the accomodation, a healthy drinks budget may go some way to helping pacify your neighbors
Definately keep to a sub 1500M resort.
I was an option 1 from above when I was first taken out at 4 months, I've also had the stress of being in a room next to an option 2 which was no damn fun whatsoever
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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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Chris, my wife had a caesarian and was skiing 11 weeks later. She OK'd it with her doctor first obviously but they didn't see any problem at all.
As I've said, I'd suggest that Sarah waits until after the birth, but our experience was a positive one. We had one of DG's type 1 babies though!
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You know it makes sense.
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I live in Alpe d'Huez at 1780m and I had our baby in January this year. We go up and down the mountain when we have to and take the journey slowly, babies don't know how to swallow so you need to either feed, give him a dummy or finger to suck to encourge swallowing - and ear popping. She has been fine here and lots of people have babies here!!! So I am a little dubious on the Altitude thing!
I have heard good reports about the Mark Warner here, but I have to say even better from Crystal. Don't forget about the local creches, where numbers are kept farily low, with qualified people and nurses with bags of experience of babycare. I think you need to check requirements in terms of injections, and if you chose not to have a certain one required, for us it was the equivalent of the MMR (I think) and we had to have a note from the doctor before the creche would accept her.
Whilst I aggree with many of the above ideas, there is nothing more tempting when you see a beautifully groomed slope - farily empty and the sun is the only thing in the sky, leaving babba for a couple of hours is B""*dy bliss!!! And even if you didn't ski every day, there are plenty of things to do with a baby in a decent resort!
See how you feel 
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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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Sarah
Have look at this link http://www.familiesonline.co.uk/article/static/403/ . I have had similar experiences to Sarah above with a four month old (stayed at 1800m) and then again a year later and was also lucky to have a type 1 !! However we do have friends who are very go anywhere do anything parents and they had a nightmare with virtually no sleep for the week and the entire chalet suffered as a result. From past experience of French resort accomodation if you want to consider your fellow guests its worth finding out if the chalet or hotel you will be staying in is newish (the older flats can have paper thin walls, although its probably unlikely that a company such as Mark Warner would have anything other than good accomodation). We are now in an identical position to yourselves with a baby due in a couple of weeks. To be on the safe side we have booked Morzine (1000m) for March which is a good working town with plenty of alternatives if either or both of us are not skiing. To be honest we both felt the right thing to do was wait until after the birth but went ahead and booked it anyway ?!?!? I think this makes us Snowheads....
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Poster: A snowHead
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| sarah@alpedhuez wrote: |
| I am a little dubious on the Altitude thing |
The difference is that your baby was born at altitude. It is not reccommended to take babies to altitude in the first few months. Their lungs are not developed. Better to leave him at home with gran and grandpa. In any event don't give babies any tap water at Val d'Isère (for formula milk) and protect from the strong sun and cold. Especially eyes.
Altogether it sounds like a bad idea.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Martin Nicholas wrote: |
| April pushes your choices a bit though - Megeve is a definite no no. |
I have skied in Megève in April in each of the last 6 or 7 years. There's usually been good cover and fresh snow. The season before last I had to dig my car out of a drift in the village. The beginning of the season can be dodgy though.
Sarah Congratulations!
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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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We took our daughter at 8 months. We always travel with Skibeat 'cos of the excellent nannies - all english qualified with english ratios and purpose built creche and generally stay at La Tania (1300). I'm always recomending them and have put more details on travelling with children on another thread. Skibeats minimum age may be six months so check the website.
My top tip for travelling would be to arrange a private transfer from the airport to the resort. Yes it is more expensive but you can put the babe in a proper child seat rather than in your arms for the journey so both of you are likely to be able to sleep. as a parent sleep is the most precious thing in your life and you will pay 100s of pounds for a couple of hours sleep.
but definitley wait 'til the last minute as people above have advised.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ashton - Ski Beat do take them younger than 6 months. Beth was around 13 weeks old.
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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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I agree with Chris Read on what he advises. As the father of a two and one year old I find that the best solution is for mummy to let daddy go on his own with his mates, leaving mummy some quality time to bond with her off spring. 
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sarah, I took my baby to Val d'Isere at much the same age, and he went to the local nursery where he was well cared for. I don't remember excess crying, or sleepless nights (any more than usual at that age). I do remember how good it was for me to get out on the mountain and ski again. He's been skiing with us every year since, for 18 years, so it obviously didn't damage him!
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I have to say we took one child on a long distance flight age 3 weeks and both of them skiing at about 5 months and neither seemed to suffer very much. I have to say though that they did not have particularly well established sleep patterns and what with jet lag and one thing and another their parents skiing suffered slightly . great holidays though.
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Sarah
my wife is due on dec 5th and we are having the same dilemma - interesting to know what you decide
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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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FAQ
). After my first I felt worn out for the first 6 months. Baby didn't do anything but feed and cry and my hormones were all over the place. Kept bursting into tears! Don't forget, sleep deprivation is a well-known form of torture 
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