 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, have been advised that this is the place to get all the best skiing advice! We're hoping (I'm insisting..) to go away skiing next Christmas for the first time since the children were born. They will be 3, 5 and 7. Husband is competent, I've been skiing since childhood but not at all for the past 10 years. Our last holiday was in Chatel week before Xmas and the snow was a little dodgy, so I am nervous of going back there. We'd ideally like to go self-catering to somewhere that has a nanny service and a decent ski school that will take the 3 year old. Sadly we don't need apres-ski or anything too exciting going on; a swimmin pool would be nice but apart from that we're easy. I just want good snow for us all. Kids will have done some dry-slope lessons before we go so they've got the basics in hand.
Any thoughts? Oh and we're driving (I've read too many horror stories about transfers to even risk it) so I'd rather not be heading off too far. Most of my skiing was done in Austria and Swizerland which I'm excluding on distance and cost respectively. I like the Portes du Soleil for closeness but is there something better closer? I'm leaning towards Morzine...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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bigmamaskis, Welcome to 
Slightly further afield, you might want to consider the 3 valleys, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Val d'Isere, Tignes. All have good snow records, are high, and plenty for all levels.
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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 bigmamaskis
Portes du Soleil isn't the safest place I'd have thought at Christmas. It is the closest ski area to the UK. Morzine isnt the safest resort at christmas. From what Ive heard it suffered hurrendously in the season 2006-7.
I think the potential problems that could arise in the transfer, are outweighed by a long drive through boring French countryside. A personal opinion though.
I think Patch, has advised you with some of the best resorts for begginers and snow at christmas. I wouldnt have thought Val d'Isere from what Ive heard for begginers and young children. Not sure what the Tarentaise valley is like christmas week, which all those resorts are accessed from.
Other places I know that would be good for christmas and begginers are an extra hour and a half.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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bigmamaskis, Welcome!
Morzine could be fine (we ski in Les Gets every year just after Christmas and have only been disappointed once and that was 2006/2007 Christopher, when MANY places suffered) but you might want to be prepared to travel up to Avoriaz which might be a pain with three youngsters. So if you don't mind what the resort looks like (!) then Avoriaz and Flaine (also a close drive) offer great snow & skiing for families. If you want a typical village with festive atmosphere then Les Gets is fab at Christmas and have also heard good things about La Clusaz, even nearer. Also Samoens, Morillon, Les Carroz also have good access to Grand Massif if needed.
I would prefer a long drive with three children than a drive to the airport, check-in, security queue, flight, transfer etc etc any day!
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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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Lou, My skiing didnt suffer in the southern French Alps at 1800m.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Christopher, Good for you.
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Thanks - I had looked at La Plagne initially when we thought about going for a package holiday with one of the tour operators, but I was put off using people like Mark Warner etc as they don't seem very flexible about allowing you to eat with your kids. I'll look into nanny services in those resorts as well.
Dirving in the car with the kids is fine as long as they have their DVD player - 15 minutes with my youngest in an airport would quickly change your mind about bad transfers. The idea of her on a coach for 3+ hours makes me feel physically ill 
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bigmamaskis, Welcome to Snowheads
Your best bet if budget will allow is Arcs 1950. However you have stated that you are excluding Austria & Switzerland on distance and cost. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but most if not all of the French resorts are now more expensive than the ones in Austria & Switzerland also the popular taranteise destinations will certainly take as long to get to as the Swiss and Austrian resort's (i.e. going through Albertville etc).
Just another point have you found a dry slope that will give lessons to your 3 & 5 year olds.
Sorry to sound like Grinch at Xmas, but thought you should be aware of these things, whatever enjoy 
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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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bigmamaskis
Just another point have you found a dry slope that will give lessons to your 3 & 5 year olds.
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5 year old yes, 3 year old no but then I'm hoping that she can just go into a kindergarten type place in the afternoon to muck about mainly; I will be taking her out for a few hours each morning to teach her. Some of my earliest memories are of skiing and she's so little that I can manage her between my skiis. Should be fun. Husband thinks I am nuts but that's how we all learnt back in the day!
Off to check out a few Swiss resorts now if they're not that much more expensive.
Flaine is not on my list - I did it on a school ski trip and it is VERY ugly!! Not sure I fancy spending Christmas there...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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bigmamaskis, welcome to Snowheads and to the tricky world of skiing with children. Especially at Christmas. The bad news is that practically nowhere is snowsure so early in the season; the good news is that there should be some snow in most resorts, unless you are very unlucky! If you are ruling out Flaine on grounds of aesthetics that probably rules out Avoriaz too, though both are very good for lots of convenient apartments and lack of bussing/walking with kids.
Tignes is as snowsure as anywhere but that's because it's very high. So, can be a bit cold and bleak at Christmas and is every bit as ugly as Flaine. Val Thorens is convenient, high, snowsure, full of Brits, lots of facilities, but that's ugly too. Hence you might need to think a bit more about your priorities.
For your 5 year old a good English speaking ski school will be vital - either an English ski school like BASS, or a resort with enough Brit tourists to get whole classes of Anglophone kids. The latter requirement would rule out our own resort of Les Saisies, because it is very French and there are no English speaking group lessons. But privates are not expensive, and it's super family-friendly and convenient. Plenty of self catering available. About an hour further than Flaine to drive, the same altitude, pretty snowsure and far, far, nicer. A lot more easy skiing for little ones, and some interesting skiing throughout the linked area of Espace Diament for competent skiers (nothing very tough and challenging, but plenty of nice reds and some blacks, a couple of them quite tricky). So it ticks quite a lot of boxes, but you won't get a nanny service there either - or not an English speaking one, anyway. The ski schools will take 3 year olds in kindergarten "playing around" classes, but the language would be tricky.
It's nice you want to eat with your kids; most people seem to want to dump them practically all day. That's why the likes of Mark Warner can charge such a horrendous amount of money!
In French terms, if you want a big Brit tourist resort, child friendly facilities and a top quality (though not cheap....) ski school, I agree Les Gets is worth a look - it's a bit low, not as snowsure as most, but you just can't have everything. It would be better than Morzine I think, though I don't know Morzine really - we've stayed in Les Gets and skied through (ie bussed across!) Morzine, but never stayed in the village itself.
Finally, last but not least, take a look at La Rosiere which is high and pretty snowsure, and a more traditional and attractive village than the high mega-resorts. Much more limited skiing than the big ski factories, but with the kids you wouldn't do justice to somewhere like the 3 Valleys or the Espace Killy anyway. La Ros is a bit of a Snowheads joke, for various reasons linked to the great enthusiasm of some posters, especially one who runs a chalet there! But that doesn't detract from its advantages - we had a couple of great holidays there with kids. Nothing special in the way of ski schools, I think, but you can get some good advice and recommendations on here.
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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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bigmamaskis, Take a look at Ski Olympic if you plump for La Ros, Chalet Oliver comes highly recommended and Olympic is not over-priced for their service.
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You know it makes sense.
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bigmamaskis,
I would not write off Austria Swiss etc. The drive is not a lot further, you could avoid the tour operator coaches by flying and car rental. The ski schools have on average a better reputation for being child friendly.
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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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bigmamaskis, I've been told that these people are supposed to be very good for child-care. I myself have stayed in the Hotel Rissiou, albeit in an anklebiter-free week, and it was very nice.
One other point, you mention discounting Switzerland on the grounds of cost: until last year, I hadn't been to Switzerland for years, for the same reason, but have now found myself spending less on a Swiss holiday than a French one, and have read similar comments from others on this forum.
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Poster: A snowHead
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If you going to stay in Morzine I'd stay on the Pleney side of town so you can get straight to and from ski school, the drop off and pick up is by far the most stressful part of skiing with kids IMO. Before we had children we witnessed the Ski Esprit set up at Les Arc 2000, it seemed really good as its ski in and out, the creche is in the apatment building that you stay in and ski school was an elevator ride away (not a ski lift). If you like the PDS then other people to stay with are maybe the Family SKi company in Ardent just outside Morzine but in the PDS, their chalets are in a very very pretty hamlet right next to a small gondola that takes you to the centre of the PDS and to the local ski school. http://www.familyski.co.uk/ .
We used to live there and its a nice place for familys for a week.
Welcome to snowheads too 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Can I just say a big thank you - you've all been so helpful and given us lots of food for thought! I'm sure I'll be back with lots of questions (sorry). Les Gets does look very nice; La Rosiere as well. As the small people need English speaking teachers I think we are going to be limited by that. I'm going to look into Austria as well, although my mother has now (!!) waded in and offered to come which means we'll have two geriatrics and two dogs to contend with. Trying to gently explain that it might be more helpful to revert back to her dogsitting than 'helping' without causing WW3.... So driving may be the only way.
Oh for my carefree skiing days as a teenager 
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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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bigmamaskis,
I have done the major French resorts quite a few times and have decided to do something different for New Year.
Valloire, I have never been there but the reviews came back favourably from other snowheads. It is predominantly an intermediate resort, but this suits for a family holiday.
Stats
70% of the 150 km of piste is above 2000m
The place is (so I'm lead to believe) a traditional French resort
The prices in bars, restaurant's etc are far cheaper than the major destinations such as 3V, Espace Killy, Paradiski, ADH etc
It is only a 2 hour drive from Grenoble, Motorway nearly all the way, different route to above therefore hopefully avoiding the melle of transfer day, which you will def get going to above at Xmas.
a 6 day family pass ( 2 adults 2 <17 ) comes in at a bargain basement price of €500
There is a place called Orelle 1/2 hour drive away where the 3 Valleys express gondola takes directly to the top of the Les Menuires sector of 3V
I have booked a 2 bed apartment for £650 for New Year week, flights Gatwick - Grenoble £430 Return for 4 with BA therefore ski carriage included (they are now double this, what did Fred Pontin say "Remember book Early", showing my age here) and Astra Estate for £220 a week hire. So all in £1300 for New Year in a 2 bed appt next to Gondola for 4 inc flights & car hire.
Will decide on lift pass when I get there if conditions are poor I will opt for the 3V option. You pays your money you takes your chance.
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