 Poster: A snowHead
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There are often questions about whether resorts are family friendly. We've been skiing since our kids were 4 and 6, they are now 12 and 14. I have thought about what we look for in a resort, particularly when the kids were small
Short transfer time
Plenty to do other than skiing - particularly a pool with a slide
Good choice of runs, including trees and runs set out for children
Easy access to slopes
Child friendly lifts for blue / red runs
Learning areas up the mountain, not at the bottom
Friendly times for kids lessons
Interesting village with plenty of walks
A good record of sunny weather but with 'guaranteed' snow
Space away from the main slopes for bum boarding / snow play after skiing
Mountain top restaurants with views for breaks from skiing
We've stayed in Killington, Tignes, Val d'Isere, La Rosiere, Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Davos, Mayrhofen, Ischgl, Kitzbuhel, Zermatt, Val Thorens. Most of these achieve at least 8 ticks on the list, Killington struggles, still achieving more than 5, and one achieving only a single tick the week we were there - La Rosiere. This has some excellent family friendly chalet operators, but not otherwise particularly child friendly.
Top of the kids resort list is Grindelwald, followed by Kitzbuhel, the best pool has to be Mayrhofen with it's black run slides, then Davos with the outdoor pool. Best kids fun runs are Murren and val d'Isere (Boursat and Grand pre).
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 4-11-08 22:35; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Jane L, One other factor may be "traffic free" or at least absence of busy roads in resort. Zermatt, Wengen, Saas Fee and others ban motor vehicles (with a few exceptions) and have slow moving electric only vehicles 
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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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It depends on the family - age/interests of the kids, etc.
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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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For me/us,family-friendly means :-
Easy to access ski school/nursery pistes
Choice of ways down from 'the very top' as our boys call it - confidence gained from skiing long runs down to the village or lift station, with parents - they don't care if it's all blues/greens!
A good ski school or at least a choice
Other things to do - swimming pool perhaps, or a nice village with playgrounds, cafes, shops
Easy access to a tobagganing piste after lifts close
Pedestrianised village centre
We've found La Tania, met most of these criteria, as well as Les Gets, Le Seignus (Val D'Allos), and (we think/hope) Samoens will in January 
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Serfaus, Austria is very child orientated. Large ski areas for kids up the mountain and in the village for the really small ones. Plenty of Kinder Hotels with kids play areas, kids pools and child care. Transfer time is ca 1hr 30 min from Innsbruck airport. The village has a small tube system and only delivery / local vehicles are allowed in the village.
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Serfaus is a wonderful resort for families. The ski school even has it's own cable-car - exclusively for use of children in ski school (not parents!). Up at the Komperdell you'll find the 'Kinderschneealm' - a world for children with magic carpets, dinosaur land, fairytale village, children's restaurant, specialist ski instructors and much more. Children can join ski classes from the age of 3 and the ski school also offers private tuition for younger children. After skiing families can enjoy sleigh rides, tobogganing, snow-tubing and mini-skidooing, to name a few!
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http://www.crystalski.co.uk/destinations/austria/serfaus/serfaus.html
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For us, it has been a resort which is not so large that there is the chance that someone can get lost. We found that Puy Saint Vincent ticked all the boxes on so many levels but the small and safe part was the main one. Other activities has never been high on our list as we ski or just relax - but I suppose a few other things to do is always good. What we like about Puy, and would look for in similar resorts, is the fact that we feel as though we're all playing in the same "park". We often bump into our children while they are in ski school, and we always know how to get back to the village quickly if we have to. Having been to a variety of other resorts over many years I would say for a family this small/safe/contained factor works well (for us).
I wouldn't like to be in a huge resort with vast numbers of guests since I think it would be overwhelming for the children. I like to know roughly where they are, to see what they're doing (from time to time) and to know where everything is quickly in case we need it. I'm sure some will say these things are not that important and that it's better in Val Thoren or some other large resort, but as I say, for us we like the proximity that a small contained resort gives. No walks to the lifts, all the runs come down to a central point, so no real chance of getting lost, friendly locals who (in my experience) seem to look out for the Brit children who are so obviously on their hols.
I'm certain as my two get older we'll graduate to a different resort but for the last few years as a family the small is best approach has been all we needed. I've also heard from other families who say they just ended up going up and down one or two small runs with their children in the PDS rather than touring all round, so with families, miles and miles of piste may never get used. Keeping it small and simple while they're young makes sense (for us!).
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I do like 10 am starts for children's lessons. The extra time to get everyone or have half an hour on the slopes before the lesson ready makes a big difference. The popularity of St Gervais and Les Gets for families stems I think from a medium size ski area with scope for some wider excursions for parents alone in the morning or as a family after lunch.
As to off-piste activities, I have never found them a prerequisite unless the weather is really lousy.
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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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| johnnyh wrote: |
| I'm certain as my two get older we'll graduate to a different resort but for the last few years as a family the small is best approach has been all we needed. I've also heard from other families who say they just ended up going up and down one or two small runs with their children in the PDS rather than touring all round, so with families, miles and miles of piste may never get used. Keeping it small and simple while they're young makes sense (for us!). |
Very true - we now only buy the local area pass, where there is a choice of that and the whole area pass, as it simply isn't used. We found three or four runs in La Tania last season and basically skied those all week. The one time we strayed a little, because the then 8 year old was feeling 'brave', turned into a bit of a nightmare and it took a long time to get him down! For us now, sticking with where they know and feel confident is more important than mileage and I dare say it won't be long before we are branching out again
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Plenty to do other than skiing - try Disneyland or Butlins
Good choice of runs, including trees and runs set out for children - Why should they have specific runs?
Child friendly lifts for blue / red runs - what defines a child friendly lift?
Learning areas up the mountain, not at the bottom - just so it is easier for them to get back to in bad weather, no doubt
Friendly times for kids lessons - Is this like happy hour?
Interesting village with plenty of walks - If the little darlings have the energy left to want to walk, they are not skiing hard enough
Space away from the main slopes for bum boarding / snow play after skiing - resorts tend to cover hundreds of acres, so don't see the problem
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Been skiing on holidays with the kids since they were born . Different things become more or less important at different ages, the one thing that for me is always important is cost. Paying for a awhole family as opposed to just one or two multiplies apparently small differences dramatically. This becomes progressivly more important as children get older and pay a higher proportion of the adult price and exams make taking children out of school l to benefit from lower prices less appealing.
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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: |
Plenty to do other than skiing - try Disneyland or Butlins
Good choice of runs, including trees and runs set out for children - Why should they have specific runs?
Child friendly lifts for blue / red runs - what defines a child friendly lift?
Learning areas up the mountain, not at the bottom - just so it is easier for them to get back to in bad weather, no doubt
Friendly times for kids lessons - Is this like happy hour?
Interesting village with plenty of walks - If the little darlings have the energy left to want to walk, they are not skiing hard enough
Space away from the main slopes for bum boarding / snow play after skiing - resorts tend to cover hundreds of acres, so don't see the problem |
Agreed that whilst 'plenty to do' may not be necessary, SOMETHING is good. Adults have bars for apre ski
If you need to have the reasons why children should have runs away from the main, perhaps manic, general runs, you may not have seen the carnage that can happen when unthinking adult skiers plough into a nursery slope class. I don't believe that normal runs should be set aside for children, but nursery and ski school areas should be
Friendly time for lessons means (I think) friendly for the parents It's not always easy to get even one child up, washed, fed, dressed and out to ski school for 9.00 a.m
A resort MAY have hundres of acres, but most of them won't be suitable for bum-boarding, toboganning or making snowmen etc - the areas such as are in La Tania are a good example of a suitable spot. The lifts close, and the village centre nursery slope/home run can be used for playing on sledges etc and parents can watch whilst enjoying one of the adult play areas - the apres ski bars and cafes
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You know it makes sense.
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Quiet pistes with considerate lifties and other skiers, compact and quiet town/village, handy slopes/buses, great ski school, cheap family/child lift passes, but most important of all-Other like minded kids that they can play with safely outside in the snow or inside.
10am starts, swimming pools!!!! we had both of those in Kaprun one January, but do to no snow in the town we had to trudge up to the glacier. The crowds, pushing and shoving both on buses and in gondolas was quite horrendous.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Anniepen, It was the mere suggestion that parents may leave children to play unsupervised whilst they enjoyed the bars and cafes which stunned me - whether expressed in a facetious or playful manner or not
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Guvnor, I didn't say unsupervised, I said "parents can watch" - La Tania (which is the resort I was talking about) is an excellent example of a family-friendly resort in that it is pedestrianised at the centre, the nursery slopes end there and then become tobogganing slopes. The apres ski cafes and bars fringe these slopes / tobogganing runs and parents are likely to be crashed into by their children, on sledges etc., so close are they to their children. I did not suggest they be left unsupervised and nor would I
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 5-11-08 20:47; edited 1 time in total
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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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A Tapas bar?
Coat..................
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Agree with practically everything here.
I'll add Vallandry to the suggestions for a good family resport
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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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Lifts I would have thought would make a difference.
A lack of old 'whack your thigh' chairlifts and drag lifts I would say is something that families prefer. Lots of gentle drag lifts, fast chairlifts and gondolas. Especially if you have younger children.
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I think the points johnnyh made about a small, compact, area where it's easy to get back to the centre to meet after lessons is very important. Being able to sit in a café within site of the lift where they finish lessons - and where they can play in the snow, or ski round the nursery slope whilst you have a coffee or a beer is very pleasant. Having a dedicated, and safe, toboganning area for littlies is also important. In January it's soon dark and cold once the lifts closed and it's nice to be able to take them to a safe slope (ie not too steep, safety net at the bottom, no skiers or boarders on it) during the day.
I believe Valmorel has a separate area which is great for beginners of any age, who can get very spooked by faster skiers and boarders. That sounds a good idea too.
If you are driving, being able to park a car right by the lifts is also very useful - then spare clothes, drinks, snacks, cameras, skis, toboggans, etc can all be left in it and easily retrieved. Or a sleeping baby can be left for an hour within eyeshot of the café. In places like Valmorel, even if you can find a place in a car park it will be both expensive and some way from where you are skiing.
Friendly lifties - yes, I'd vote for that too. They can be helpful for old lady beginners on snowboards, too.
Our resort of Les Saisies has most of those things, but is too small for a pool or more sophisticated facilities of that sort. On the other hand, there is an "adventure" area where kids over the age of about 6 can go and do heroic things on rope bridges, crossing snowy ravines etc. Very well organised and well run, with all equipment supplied and qualified supervision. They also do kids outings to build igloos - but that's all in French, as are the group lessons, which is a drawback with small French resorts. Private lessons are cheap, though.
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Often it seems to be a euphemism for "a bit flat" and/or small.
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johnnyh, you going back to PSV again this year?It really is a great family resort isnt it.We are back for the fifth time over New Year
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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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Ski convenience ie ski-in/ski-out accommodation does it for me.
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Anyone have suggestions for me - we are a family of one advanced skier, one advanced boarder (that's us parents) and two total beginner kids aged 10 and 12, very sporty, who want to learn to board.
Our criteria would be:
- short transfer
- not too expensive
- ski in/ ski out
- picturesque surroundings/ old atmospheric village?
- good ski school for young English speaking boarders
- not too big, as in above posts, for safety and orientation
- some other activities eg skating, toboganning
- somewhere good for early teenagers, not a place for toddlers
- somewhere my husband and I (more advanced) can still enjoy the skiing
that's the basic list. We want to go at either half term, late Feb, or Easter. We would not want to go to more advanced places like Meribel, Chamonix, Val D'Isere, Verbier. Would probably find most Swiss resorts too exy. So have been thinking Austria, but not St Anton/Zurs/Lech, but places like, say, mayrhofen, Kitzbhuel, Zell Am Zee, Saalbach, etc, or Italy, such as Monterosa?
Any suggestions most welcome!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Jane L wrote: |
Top of the kids resort list is Grindelwald, followed by Kitzbuhel, the best pool has to be Mayrhofen with it's black run slides, then Davos with the outdoor pool. Best kids fun runs are Murren and val d'Isere (Boursat and Grand pre). |
Jane L, I found your post interesting and helpful - are your kids skiers or boarders? and are you skier or boarder parents?
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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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Oh, Jane L, another question - what would you recommend as best budget/ or at least, more reasonably priced, resort for your family?
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We want to go at either half term, late Feb, or Easter.
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sophia c, if you want to go at half term February 2009 you might find that there are now very few options available, certainly in the better known resorts and anywhere popular with British skiers might be very crowded. The other times would probably be better. What do you mean that Swiss resorts would be too "exy". Sexy? Easy? Likely to bump into old flames?
Some of the most atmospheric resorts with genuine picturesque villages would tend to be low - and with less "ski in/ski out". As ever, there's likely to be some compromising with your wish list - e.g. Mayrhofen village is not ski in/out.
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You know it makes sense.
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exy in Strine (I'm an Ozzie) is expensive - but your inventive "exy's" are far more intriguing!
Yes I'm probably after something that doesn't exist but I guess I've been spoilt in the past, skiing amazing places, so I am quite fussy and prepared to dig around until I get some good ideas..
Problem is, I'm not a boarder and neither are most of my ski friends, so that's why I'm interested in forums like this. This trip is really about introducing the kids to somewhere with wow factor but not too overwhelming for their first go...
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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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sophia c, OK! I've learnt a new word. Skiing in Switzerland does not have to be exy. I don't know anything about Switzerland but there are plenty of Snowheads that do and could probably make some good suggestions. What about dates? Easter 2009 is a little late to be sure of snow in low resorts though there are plenty where Easter snow will probably be fine. There are Austrian holidays too in February - and Italian - as well as French and British. There are various threads on snowheads giving some details. I suggest you decide on a date soon as that will greatly affect the options.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lack of gangs of rowdy swearing drunks roaming the streets would be high on my list.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hmm.. yes, I guess that is an issue, now that I'm no longer one of the rowdy roamers myself! That's where you need insider recommendations for accom to avoid the rowdy spots.
Yes, will have to get dates pinned down...
There are quite a few resorts mentioned above that I will look into, though, while people talk about their criteria, I'm not always sure what your ages/standards you are, or whether boarders or skiers? Sorry I'm new to this forum...
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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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Our kids thoroughly enjoyed Val Thorens in April a few years ago, so please don't discount large high resorts. Particularly good were the ski school they were in, which because of the larger customer base were able to tailor their facilities with specialist instructors specifically to children. Rather than simply having the kids bit as a neccesary add on as in some smaller resorts.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Wed 17-12-08 11:13; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sophia c, Are you excluding Lech on the cost? Have taken kids to Oberlech and the absolutely loved it, especially the toboggan run through the woods down to Lech which is open till 10 at night. Would consider Saalbach and Kitz before Zell am See
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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 wrote: |
| Been skiing on holidays with the kids since they were born . Different things become more or less important at different ages, the one thing that for me is always important is cost. |
T Bar, how old are your kids now? do they board or ski? and where do you go that is well priced but great??????
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thanks guys, all helpful.
Boredsurfing,
Yes, I love 3 Valleys too but kind of thought the kids could graduate to that later as such a vast area, would be worried about them going off together (aged 10 and 12) and getting lost or on a red/black run. ... just thinking of the main drag down into Mottaret, back side of Val Thorens, and that run is way to hard, crowded, and dangerous for our beginner kids, quite traumatic at peak time even for advanced skiers! How did you contain your kids in Val Thorens?
Boabski,
Yes, I used to teach in St Anton and would take intermediate groups to Lech/Oberlech for one day of the week and they always loved it as so much easier terrain than St Anton, but that was 15-odd years ago.. so am a bit out of touch now. will add it to my list as at least then Huzzie and I could ski Zurs! and it is all very pretty.
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sophia c, That was the ski schools job  The even took them over to the park in Meribel as their last day treat!
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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 think one of the major factors with kids is cost. They are often more expensive than adults.
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brian
brian
Guest
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sophia c, you could try clicking the '.' in my sig. I think it meets most of your criteria except it's in Switzerland, but it's way cheaper than the likes of Verbier/Zermatt or the big French areas.
Available on either week beginning 28/2 or 28/3.
</pimp>
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FAQ
but we're off to Stuben for half the price 
(our kids loved it there this year and will be making at least a couple of visits this year 