 Poster: A snowHead
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We are planning to go skiing with kids (5 and 6) Feb half term for the first time. Do you have any suggestions on the best resort or may be even hotel?
Thanks
Elena
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You won't find any shortage of strong views on this question here!
How old are the kids? If they're young, I'd suggest that proximity to the ski school is more important than the particular resort. And if you're restricted to school holidays, you might want to choose somewhere quiet - kids, crowded pistes and lift queues are a nightmarish mix.
My own experience is that the stereotypes are often true and that many North American resorts are amazingly child-friendly. I think that's it's well worth the extra cost, travelling time and jetlag.
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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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LDA
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Elena, you would all love this hotel http://www.maerchenhotel.ch/maerchenhotel/english.php
4* quality hotel with super food, indoor pool and wellness facilities. You won't find a more child friendly hotel than this. Braunwald is a small resort near Zurich, uncrowded, the kids get transported the short distance to the pistes by horse and cart.
The things my kids will never forget is the slide to get from 1st floor to ground floor and that to get milk at breakfast you had to twist the udders of a full-size wooden cow.
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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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Elena, I agree with Jonny Jones, US or Canada - half-term not such a pricing issue. Great Ski Schools for Youngsters to start in. Good snow for you guys.
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US and Canada sounds good. If in Europe then La Rosiere worked for us because it is sooo much quieter and safer than BIG resorts. All IMHO of course. In addition the ski schools are outstanding (even ESF)
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Elena, The Maerchen gets our vote too, click on "bilderbuch" on their site and see it all !!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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When you're skiing with kids, you need the whole holiday to be right, not just the resort. It's easy to have a lousy time in the 'right' resort. Based on my experience of skiing with a family, here are the questions I'd ask about a potential holiday.
Resort
1. What are the queues like?
2. How crowded are the beginner runs?
3. Are the beginner runs located away from fast-moving intermediate and advanced skiers?
4. Is sheltered tree-skiing available for snowy days?
5. Is the resort traffic free?
6. Is the resort small and safe enough for kids to wander free?
7. Are the lifts family sized? Doubles can be a problem if you have more kids than adults.
8. Does the lift network rely on lifts that need you to take off your skis - gondolas, funiculars, etc. That's very bad news with younger children.
9. Does the lift network rely on t-bars or button lifts? That's even worse news but fortunately becoming rare these days.
10. What's the end-to-end journey like from home? In particular, what time will you have to check in to the airport, and how long will your transfers take? Will you have to wait 3 hours for aircraft to arrive from all over the UK before the transfer bus leaves?
11. Will you suffer jet-lag? This is a big downside for North America.
12. Are the kids likely to suffer from altitude sickness? Some Colorado resorts are very high and young children are especially susceptible.
13. How snow-sure are the beginner slopes? Beginner runs are often at the bottom of the hill and can be prone to patchy coverage.
14. Do the slopes funnel down to one central point, making it easier to find a lost child?
15. How big is the ski area? Small is beautiful, especially for younger children.
16. Do the beginner runs face south? Even with the best gear, kids can get cold very easily so sunny is good.
Ski-school
1. Does the ski-school have instructors who speak English as their first language?
2. Does the ski-school run English-only classes?
3. What is the maximum class size?
4. What is the average class size?
5. How many hours do the kids ski each day? And can this be flexed if the kids want to ski more or less? I wouldn't assume that 4-5 year old kids will happily ski for more than 2 hours per day.
6. How frequently are kids assessed? Some ski schools reform classes on ability after each half-day's skiing; others only allow class changes on weekends - frustrating for fast or slow learners.
7. How granular are the ability levels? The more the better.
8. Is it possible to use the ski-school for occasional days or do you have to book a fixed-duration course? The former is better if you want to ski with your kids some days of the holiday.
9. How does the resort add the fun factor to skiing? For example, Breckenridge has Ripparoo the skiing dog who invites younger kids into his hut for hot chocolate; Panorama has the hidden forest, a play area hidden in the trees that's physically very difficult for adults to reach.
10. Is a pick-up or drop-off service available or, better, a pre-school and post-school club? That's a controversial one, though - personally I like to spend time with my kids on holiday but not everyone feels the same way (cue fireworks)!
Accommodation
1. How far away are the slopes. This is the single most important factor - it's really tough to manage a tribe of kids and their equipment.
2. When will the kids eat? Younger children get hungry and tired very early after a hard day's skiing.
3. Who will the kids eat with? Will you be embarrassed by their table manners in front of a bunch of childless couples?
4 What will the kids eat? Lots of kids just don't appreciate fine cuisine.
5. What will you do to entertain the kids when the slopes shut? A swimming pool is perfect, especially if it has a hot tub next to it.
6. Do you want your kids to make new friends on holiday? If so, you probably need a child-friendly chalet.
7. What will you do when the kids have gone to bed? Apartments and small chalets are often more practical than hotels.
8. What are the sleeping arrangements? Many tour operators won't guarantee that families will have adjacent rooms in a hotel.
9. Will the kids be able to watch English language TV in the evening?
My advice? If you don't want to see your kids all week, use a company like Esprit. They'll take care of almost everything on my list and they'll magically whisk your kids away so that they have the holiday of a lifetime. The only downside - and it's a big downside - is that you might just want to share in your childrens' happiness. The alternative - our preference as a family - is to rent an apartment and use the resort's experts for the one thing that you can't do properly: teaching the little 'uns to ski. Spend the first and last hour of the day skiing with them and give them a few days off ski school so they can show you what they've learned.
And if I had to choose one resort, it would be Panorama in Canada. But there are loads of other good places to go.
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Elena, for half term next year you should move from the planning to booking stage quickly.
Ski schools, in particular, are booking up already.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Jonny Jones, A stonking and well thought out post 
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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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my nieces first time was courchevel 1650 which ticks quite a lot of the boxes for Jonny Jones..but they staid in the hotel right at the bottom of the nursey lifts and had lessons with New Gen..
with mum living 1 hour from dover my sisters family drove - friday eurotunnel, ovenight nr lyon and up the mountain early the following day...they had a a great time..so much so they went back the following year.
Jonny actually has this spot on - he should polish it up a bit and submit to the sunday times travel section...
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi there, Try La Rosiere. We've been twice in the last 6 years with 5 kids from now 8 to 13 years old. We drove with an overnight stop and booked some great up market accommodation through La Rosiere's tourist website - which was really helpful and they did it all for us........and as a resort it not too expensive. Definately a family recommendation. Good luck.
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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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Elena, just as a thought - have you considered Easter (which is end of March in 2008). Prices are slightly cheaper, temperatures are typically less severe, the days are longer and the snow conditions should be just as good (if not better) than the Feb half term.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Valmorel/St Francis LongChamp is possibly the resort with the most green piste in the Alps. It is also flat and huge enough so that you can see what everybody is doing. The St Francis Long Champ end is possibly has the biggest green slope area anywhere to be found.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Elena, try www.snowbizz.co.uk ,although I fear you may struggle for half term?PSV is a perfect little resort to learn to ski and snowbizz tick most of the boxes as a company.I am speaking from personal experience .Ring them up and speak to them you wont be dissapointed.
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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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I second and third snowbizz. PSV is brilliant for the children.
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hedley - i looked at snowbizz and was not impressed. it appears to be self catering so a non starter for us !!! also i was puzzled by some of the practices in the creche - eg no lunch provided and not allowed to administer medicines so parents have to return to give kids calpol ?? !!! no thanks !!! i am intrigued about PSV though - maybe i will look for a catered chalet operator in this resort.
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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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| Quote: |
not allowed to administer medicines so parents have to return to give kids calpol
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That is very common in many nurserys and schools - fear of litigation triumphs over common sense again.
Calpol is often the exception to the rule
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I fourth snowbizz and PSV. We're off at the beginning of April.
You don't have to self-cater but can eat in one of the pubs/restaurants. We've always used catered chalets in the past but to be honest self-cateirng was easier here. We were there with 5 year olds. Breakfast was hassle free there is a supermakret an easy undercover walk away and a bread shop etc. Of an evening we fed the kids and then dropped them off at kids club while we went out to eat and then collected them and brought them back to the restaurant for hot chocolate. If they were too tired for kids club we'd put them to bed and get a take away or if they wanted to they came for dinner with us. Its all very child friendly and all an easy walk from the apartments.
I'm not a big fan of medication but the resort is small and you could be back at the creche from anywhere within 5 to 10 minutes excluding lift time. We didn't use the creche - apart form evening kids club but the children of all ages seemed to really enjoy it and the nanies struck me as being very practical.
I wouldn't go to PSV unless I was travelling with snowbizz as they have the best ski school and nanny service which is exclusive for their guests.
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backhojo, Snowbizz are great. We've been skiing with them for about 4 years now. You can go half board, which means the meals are provided in the Petit Chamois restuarant where you can go and have breakfast and an evening meal. We used the creche and kids club - all excellent examples of these kinds of services.
In the afternoon we ski as a family while in the morning everyone has their ski school lessons or can do their own thing. It's more family focused than the "dump your kids" holiday companies which cater to those who would prefer not to ski or eat with their little ones. So if that's what you're looking for then it may not be the right choice. There was a debate on here last year about family ski holidays and I think it's clear there are two very distinct groups who have different needs. PSV itself is small enough to feel safe but large enough to be interesting. I agree with ashton parker, there's no advantage to going there without Snowbizz since what they provide is exclusive, although the ski school may be different now since the owner of snow bizz now owns the ski school and will more than likely be providing a commercial ski school service.
I'm not sure on the Calpol position but I would imaging that is standard insurance terms so not likely to be different anywhere else.
They are very friendly at Snowbizz, most guests (like us) return year after year. They also get booked up quickly so they must be doing something right!!
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You chose to have the kids, you look after them.....there, that's that sorted then
Next question.....
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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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Elena, welcome to Snowheads. I would second Ray Zorro's suggestion. Half term is the worst time to go skiing, in France particularly but generally in resorts where lots of English families go. There's a lot to be said for Easter.
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Elena, another thought. Is it the first time for all of you, or just for the kids? Makes a difference to the answers!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Jonny Jones,
I think thats a great and accurate post but there is a couple of things I would slightly disagree with/ expand on from my experience of going with children every year oldest one now 13.
With lifts I've never found gondolas too much of a problem and the children often like the privacy that a gondola brings, what young children really don't like is crowded cable cars and funiculars where there are lots of people crammed into a tight space and they can't see anything.
With south facing slopes I kind off agree with you in the early season but towards Easter being too cold is rarely a problem and they often get very warm on south facing slopes and whereas beginner kids cope with slush a lot better than beginner adults they still prefer good snow.
With ski school I'm not too bothered about the 1st language of the teacher as long as they speak a bit of English, empathy with the children is way more important and in my experience is not language related.
Likewise I am not too bothered if the lesson has different languages in the class though if they are the only English speaking child int he class this can be disheartening.
Position of accommodation, A lot of people want to be close to the slopes but there is often a considerable price premium for such places. I have usually tried to go to places where you can drive to the lifts or ski school meeting places. I can generally get cheaper and far more spacious accommodation by doing this and the extra space is great in the evening. By leaving the skis and poles in the car it is not really nuch more difficult to get out in the morning . If the resort does not have parking close to the lifts this is hopeless though.
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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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| Guvnor wrote: |
You chose to have the kids, you look after them.....there, that's that sorted then
Next question..... |
thats rather a simplistic view. we spend 51 weeks a year revolving round the kids and do everthing for them and with them. i dont think it is unreasonable to look for a holiday that meets their needs AND gives us a break. we are not the type to leave them at home with grandparents (as many skiers do) but as one is only 1 and the other 4 then they cannot ski with us. I am really looking forward to the day that they can ski with us and really looking forward to being shown up by an 8 year old. But, for now that cannot be. therefore i wish to ski happy that my kids are looked after AND having fun - last year my eldest really enjoyed skiing and snow club and mentions it all the time - "when can i go back to snow club". we are lucky that he likes it as some kids there really looked liked they didnt want to be there !!! i want a large resort to satisfy my wanderlust and want to come home to someone doing the meal planning and preparation. i am afraid self catering is not for us.
thanks for all your advice - i am gradually investigating the options. i have travelled with esprit, ski beat and ski magic before but the later two were before we had kids. please keep your suggestions coming if there are anymore. thanks
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Thank you, guys, for all your replies. It's been a great help. We are considering Easter now - everything seems to be booked up for Feb. However, I worry about the snow quality - our school hols do not coincide with Easter next year, so, it's beginning of April, not end of March. We do not want to get rid of the kids for the whole day but want them to have good lessons in the morning, so they get to like skiing. I also found that some tour operators are not totally honest with some info they provide about their hotels or chalets, that's why your opininon is so important.
Thanks a lot again 
Elena
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Guvnor wrote:
You chose to have the kids, you look after them.....there, that's that sorted then
Next question.....
thats rather a simplistic view. we spend 51 weeks a year revolving round the kids and do everthing for them and with them. i dont think it is unreasonable to look for a holiday that meets their needs AND gives us a break.
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Not at all - if the kids are enjoying themselves then you're doing your job well IMHO its good for the kids to have a break from their parents! Its just important that the kids are actually happy not being forced to do stuff they don't want to do
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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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Elena, The beginning of April should not be a problem. Both resorts heavily recommended here (La Rosiere and PSV) are quite high and there shouldn't be an issue with snow cover in resort at all. My brother went to PSV when my niece was small and she loved it - they weren't keen, but the week was a success. I've been to La Rosiere and it's a super little place and has a fab snow record. I don't actually think LDA would fit your bill BTW. It's better in summer for small kids - they love that!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Elena, given that your kids are both beginners & so close in age, it could be worth considering private lessons. These usually cost pretty much the same for two people as for one, and your kids will get lessons based around what they want & are capable of... thus producing happy & very competent skiers!
(This is based on the experience of holidays with our friends & their kids - doubtless there will be other views, but our experience has been totally positive  )
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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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orinoco, That is so dependant on 1) The school, 2) the child.
Our youngest started on skis at 3 yrs and 3 months, but that was 1-1 1/2 hours twice a day in what was really a snow-creche and groups of no more than 3. I don't think he would have coped with a large ESF group. He loved it and still loves skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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orinoco, it depends on the child. We took a skiing break when our kids were little and returned to the sport when about a month after our youngest son's fourth birthday. With hindsight, he was too young to learn to ski at that age - he found skiing difficult, he got tired very quickly and he was very upset that his older brothers were better than him. The next year he was raring to go and he hasn't looked back since. However, our experience isn't universal - some people find their kids do really well at that age.
Three is very young and most ski schools won't start teaching i8until a child reaches four; until then you're more likely to be offered childcare instead. Don't expect your lad to ski for more than 1-2 hours per day and maybe even that will be too much. Make sure that you have a backup plan if he doesn't want to co-operate.
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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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T Bar, my list isn't perfect and it's good to see some insights besides my own. I think that I agree with you more than you think, even on the points where you've added a fresh perspective.
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| With lifts I've never found gondolas too much of a problem and the children often like the privacy that a gondola brings, what young children really don't like is crowded cable cars and funiculars where there are lots of people crammed into a tight space and they can't see anything. |
This probably depends on how many kids you have and how old they are. Our three are very close in age and I have horrible memories of trying to juggle masses of skis whilst making sure no kids were left on the gondola station. Now they're a little older it doesn't matter too much.
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| With south facing slopes I kind off agree with you in the early season but towards Easter being too cold is rarely a problem and they often get very warm on south facing slopes and whereas beginner kids cope with slush a lot better than beginner adults they still prefer good snow. |
You're totally right. Late season, sunburn can be an issue on south-facing slopes, too.
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| With ski school I'm not too bothered about the 1st language of the teacher as long as they speak a bit of English, empathy with the children is way more important and in my experience is not language related. |
You're right that empathy is most important. My feeling, though, is that the fewer barriers to communication, the better.
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| Likewise I am not too bothered if the lesson has different languages in the class though if they are the only English speaking child int he class this can be disheartening. |
This is where we disagree. In my view, the need to repeat instructions in multiple languages really slows down lessons.
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| Position of accommodation, A lot of people want to be close to the slopes but there is often a considerable price premium for such places. I have usually tried to go to places where you can drive to the lifts or ski school meeting places. I can generally get cheaper and far more spacious accommodation by doing this and the extra space is great in the evening. By leaving the skis and poles in the car it is not really nuch more difficult to get out in the morning . If the resort does not have parking close to the lifts this is hopeless though. |
We've generally been fortunate enough to be able to afford the price premium, and I stupidly assumed everyone else is in the same position. As you rightly say, the main thing is to attempt to minimise walking distances.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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backhojo, As others have said on this thread as well as myself PSV and SNOWBIZZ really do a great job of making skiing fun for families.They are more reasonablly priced than a lot of similar companies as is PSV and are big enough to make your holiday interesting but small enough to be approachable both here and in resort.I have skied all over the world at some of the biggest named resorts/areas but still feel I am missing out If I dont get my PSV/Snowbizz fix once a year.Try them
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I have used Snowbizz in the past and psv is a great ski area with friendly locals,only bad point is Psv 1600 which does resemble a well known council tower block complex in Sheffield ie tower hill,the town in the valley below Psv is Vallouise whcih in total contrast to Psv is a charming true mountain resort.Does anyone know if the new chairlift for the La Balme area has been built yet?
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My youngest started skiing at 4. Looking back, he was *very* young, as others have said, it was more childcare, bit of gentle ski school for an hour then between my legs on the green runs in the afternoon (which he loved). This was with Snowbizz and we have taken the children there every year since. They seem to get it right for the young ones. I think one needs to be realistic; young children do get frustrated if they can't ski and if it's cold and misreable and they can be inclined to give up and not want to go at all. We were lucky, close attention from the Snowbizz team, good weather, and a child who wanted to learn all helped.
I would say you need to be realistic with younger children. If you put some time in with them the benefits will come in later years. I can't say my afternoons on the green run were the most challenging skiing I'd done, but it was fun and we learnt and played together. Now, only a few years on, we're all skiing together on blues/reds and looking forward to more this season. I think if you have young children you need to allow them to learn; you can pick up your (possible more committed) skiing again when they're older (and they're probably likely to out ski you anyway). I now have two boys who are both into skiing as much as I am, which makes booking the holiday a lot more fun.
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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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i looked up PSV in our where to ski and snowboard guide and i am still not convinced about its potential to keep us entertained for a whole week. 60km of pistes and 16 lifts sounds more like a weekend location to us. we are used to 3 valleys, porte du soleil, paradiski and vail resorts so dont think 60km of piste is enough for us. Infact i went to Soldeu for a long weekend and ran out of pistes despite skiing pas de la cassa as well !!! I am sure many of you have had great hols in PSV but we tend to ski from 9-5 with only 30 mins for lunch so need a good size of resort to keep us interested. maybe we will try it for a weekend sometime !!! but we are all individuals and enjoy different things so i hope those of you that choose PSV, for whatever reasons, enjoy it !!
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backhojo, I'd agree with you there, perhaps once you are actually skiing with you little ones, it may be big enough, as they will probably need a more relaxed day. I have a place in Serre Chevalier just down the road, so I know the area, nice for a day or so, but not for a week. They're your kids though, even if you are on holiday, and you will have to be prepared wherever you are to be able to be contacted and return to the creche if there is a problem. If you don't want this inconvenience, take a nanny or a grandparent with you instead. Resprt creches, and particularly tour operator creches are not run along the same lines as a workplace nursery.
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FAQ
Still, I'll bookmark it for next year 
, or put them off for the next couple of years 
!?