 Poster: A snowHead
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hi all,
have tried to search this but struggling to get the right results. anyone recommend a reasonable mid range tour operator or independant company who would be good for me, the missus and our new baby. Ideally, would like to go skiing for a week end of feb/beginning of march. have looked at usual tour ops but keen to see if anyone has any recommendations. Baby will be 3 months old
cheers
begsski
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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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http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=44933
That thread had loads of good advice and ideas about babies. 3 months is vastly easier than 9 months, provided baby is fully breastfed. No bottles, no jars, no sterilisation, no need to have sore ears on aeroplanes, very little likelihood of upset tummy, etcetc . Travelling with a small, breastfed baby which stays where it's put, is too young to roll off things and too young to need more than two different colour rattles is the easiest thing in the world. You won't have such an easy time again for years. For many, many, years if you intend to have more than one baby.
Best bet is to take a couple of grandparents. Another really good bet is to go with friends with similar aged child and similar ideas about holiday priorities.
Have fun. 
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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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Esprit. Used them until ours were old enough not to need them. Going with them in two weeks as a group of 18 inc my Sis' kids.
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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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As an alternative to Esprit you might want to have a look at .... Ski Famille. Childcare included in infant prices and all the kit you need is in the chalets (cots, sterlisiers etc etc). In the interests of balance you might also want to look at The Family Ski Company - a similar set up that also seem to get good feedback.
http://www.skifamille.co.uk/
http://www.familyski.co.uk/
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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we couldn't have afforded any of those outfits when our kids were little. French resorts are full of families with babies and small children who obviously manage fine on much smaller budgets. I'm sure some of the specialist operators are very good indeed but it's certainly possible to holiday much more cheaply with kids if the budget is tight.
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begsski, From personal experience taking a child of that age on holiday will probably be easier than say an 18 month old, as they can still be kept in the car seat carry thingys. I've taken all my kids on holidays from a young age - think the youngest may have been around the 3 months too. This in the main has been on warmer holidays though. Esprit do get a very good name and have heard good reports about them. One thing that I would maybe add is to take granny or grandpa with you as this MIGHT just work out cheaper than a creche. Plus they will get one to one care, which they will not in a creche. So would agree with pam w, above on all her points.
Good luck with whatever you do as I think it's great when parents do not let the birth of a child impend on their lifestyle - sooo many parents lives stop when a child comes along and it does not (and should not) need to be the way. 
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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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Yep agree with pam w as well and we are going the grand parents route for our trip. They were very happy to come as they love looking after the little fella and feel they don't see enough of him as it is so (hopefully) works out well for everyone.
I found quite a few self catering places, maybe more those managed by an agency, offer cots, high chairs etc. if you need them which is what we've gone for. Actually doing TO flight and transfer (Inghams) as that was least hassle in terms of getting there.
ctskifam, I will have to check you out as well when looking for our next trip
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Don't rule out a DIY option - look at resorts web sites and most of them have a creche. DIY also gives you more flexibility on how to get there - horses for courses but with our tribe, driving has always been easier. Particularly when taking nappies, cots, food etc
Can work out cheaper than an all inclusive package
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Esprit Esprit Esprit
We have been on several trips with them and Really rate the childcare
They will even provide one on one care for disabled children.
AFAIK they will not let you book if there ae no children in the party - ( use total instead)
otherwise - get this months issue of daily mail snow & ski - thereis an article in there and it must list
20-30 different travel organisers with child care
esprits offer page ( usefull for any one with kids )
http://www.espritski.com/Specials.aspx
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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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Lots of good tips above but just double check the minimum age for the childcare if that is what you want as most of the operators take them from 4 months and so your baby would be too young at 3 months, but then you'd have time before the end of the season to wait a month 
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Re-discovered skiing hols after 15 year absence last year, loved it, and actually conceived my now 2 month old daughter on the trip! Planning to take her at beginning of march (she will be 4 months) - opting for a catered chalet with creche - probably through Esprit or the like. Know will cost a bit, but reckon it will be worth it for peace of mind for our first time with baby. Might be mad, but won't know unless we try it! Looking at Les Arcs 2000 - anyone vouch for it?
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You know it makes sense.
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Not so good for week long, or budget trips, but I can highly recommend the daycare facilities at Lake Louise. I have probably told this story before on Snowheads, but I 'found' LL because I was searching the internet for a resort that had on hill facilities for my daughter who was going to be 4 months old when we travelled. LL was the only resort I could find online that catered for children so young (this was in 1995). Since then we have been back every year bar one and both my daughter and son (born 1999) attended the daycare there from age 0.5 to 5. Of course after the first trip we were hooked on the place and eventually ended up moving here for all the other wonderful opportunities, but it was the daycare that got us started.
Throughout this period we have also of course taken our children at every age on a 9 hour flight and tried to entertain them at constantly sub zero temperatures and I can assure everyone that 0.5 to 1.5 is a relatively easy age, 1.5 to 3.5 is the hardest and 3.5 onwards is great because that is when they start skiing! 8/9 onwards is just depressing beause that is when they start out skiing their old man, but fortunately they don't read this forum so will never know I admitted 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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Hi
not sure if you have booked yet but might be worth looking at Neige et ciel in Les menuires France. It is a french hotel but the creche facilities are excellent. This will be the third time we have used this hotel and our daughter was just one on her first stay.
You can book through crystal or first choice.
they have fully trained staff who speak english. The creche is open from aroun 8.45 onwards so you can basically choose when to drop them off and when to collect them
hope this helps
carla
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Poster: A snowHead
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Probablty too late but we have been with both our own baby son and my sisters kids (older girls) - first took our son at just under 4 months which I found was generally the lower limit that most operators accept - but if you go on a quiet week some will stretch it a bit so you might be ok with a 3 mnth old. Crystal etc generally have a 4 or 6 mth limit if I remember rightly.
we have used family ski (very good childcare, chalets ok - some a bit scruffy but perfectly acceptable and a good range of resort options in France), ski2 in champoluc - fantastic - own creche with great care and a fantastic resort in fantastic hotels - first class, and last year we went to a chalet in morzine and got a nanny in from jack frosts to look after 2 one year olds in the chalet - she was great too but a costly option for just one child. I have heard that esprit and ski famille are also good operators too but we have not used them yet.
Another option is local creches run by the resorts - a lot of resorts provide child care too- look at the resort websites - not done it myself but I am sure it would be fine and would give you a better selection of resorts to chose from - not sure if they would have an age limit though?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi
I would also thoroughly recommend the Esprit Ski option. We went with them last year and were so impressed with the set up and childcare that we are going again with them in a couple of weeks time. The creche staff were all trained UK trained nannies and the whole set-up was absolutely geared for families i.e. availablility of organic baby food, sterilisers etc etc. Highly recommend them!
Cathryn
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