 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All
Hope to be booking a week in mid-Jan for the family (two intermediates who cannot be fagged to do more than the blues and reds), a 9 year old with a week under her belt and a completely newby 7 year old.
We want a good school for the kids - last time we tried ESF, but that didn't work out too well (maybe the 7 years old was too little at the time - 4 years old)
Any suggestions?
Simon
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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dobby, have a look at La Rosiere, go to www.laroseire.net for lots of info. La Rosiere is Ski Espirit's most popular resort in the Alps so is very child friendly and the skiing should suit you although there's some more challenging stuff if required. You'll find that Les Galopins will look after your little ones very well. their details are on the ski school section of the website.
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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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Les Arcs 1800.
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Either la rosiere or les arcs mentioned above would be good resorts in terms of being good for beginners and intermediates, although if you go for la rosiere book the children in for lessons plus lunch to give yourselves time to get to la thuile and back.
I would also add montgenevre. The international ski school Apeak is very good there and there is a good size beginners area and a green run down from the top of the mountain. It also has a couple of telemix lifts so if you have a beginner you can take them up in the gondola until they are confident on the chairlift. montgenevre is also very good for intermediates. We went there this year with my sister who was a complete beginner, and children aged 8 and 5 and had a fantastic week with lots of snow!
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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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Courchevel 1650 and the New Generation Ski School, or Les Gets and the BASS ski school.
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Hi,
What about La Plagne? There are plenty of cruisy blues and reds for yourselves and a selection of good ski schools. Have a look at Reflex in Plagne centre or Evolution 2 in Montchavin - Les Coches who do a max of 8 in a group.
Best wishes,
Heather
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dobby, from experience - we have been to Vallandry last few years which is part of Les Arcs domain.
Kids are currently 10 & 8 and have used ESF last few times and they have been fine, but you also have access to New Generation and Darentasia who we have also used and were good.
Resort if quieter with a dedicated sleging slope for kids
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I would look carefully at lift pass and ski school prices in the above resorts. Some of the larger ski areas are a lot more expensive for a family of four and if you have any beginners in the group you will not be able to make the most of the area.
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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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Remembering of course that Les Arcs does a family lift pass for 4 people
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Given that any resort in mid-January should have snow ( otherwise there is a bit of a problem) then any resort should do.
Given that January is ( in my experience) cold then I wouldnt go too high.
That only leaves the question of affordability, ski school and personal preference.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The "good" ski schools tend to be a lot more expensive - BASS is quite expensive but we were very pleased with tuition for my nephew, many moons ago (and ourselves, too). If you really want to prioritise the quality of the ski school (and personally I think that's far more important than lots of other aspects of resort choice) then most of them are in France and, inevitably, in bigger resorts of the kind which get lots of Brits.
On the other hand, if you go to a small resort which doesn't (like Les Saisies, where we have an apartment) you could probably get private lessons for much the same cost as group lessons with BASS (54 euros for 2 hours for 1 - 3 people) and I could recommend a couple of instructors who are great with kids. Could get you off your intermediate plateau too! 
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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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[quote="pam w"] "If you really want to prioritise the quality of the ski school (and personally I think that's far more important than lots of other aspects of resort choice) then most of them are in France and, inevitably, in bigger resorts of the kind which get lots of Brits."
This is not necessarily the case. Snow Bizz in puy st vincent are very good and this is a very small resort. Apeak in Montgenevre is excellent and montgenevre/claviere area is I would say medium sized. Both offer lessons in English.
I think BASS are more expensive than the above ski schools and I think the lift passes for portes du soleil, les arcs and espace killy are all more expensive. Prices of meals out etc would be more in the well known places like courchevel, espace killy, although nowhere is cheap with the current exchange rate.
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snowymum, yes, all good points, but the OP didn't say he particularly wanted a budget answer - though no doubt he doesn't want to spend more than is necessary. There are loads of ski schools which offer "lessons in English" but are not necessarily good. Certainly group size makes a big difference - I've seen ESF groups of 14. 
There's a lot to be said for private lessons, especially for younger or more nervous kids who won't necessarily blossom in a big class. Or, for that matter, for very keen and sporty ones who want to progress faster.
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You know it makes sense.
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Pam - Agreed budget is not mentioned. However even if budget is unlimited I would personally find it frustrating to go somewhere like 3 valleys and hardly cover any distance due to coming back for ski school. I think it is also easier to keep track of the children when skiing with them in the afternoon in a smaller less crowded resort. However I'm probably in a minority in thinking this as lots of family ski operators are based in the big name resorts and they don't seem short of customers!
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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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Thanks, all. Last time we went to 2 Alpes - adults loved it, but the kids less so.
I think that the problem with the ESF school for the 4 year old was that she was being a wuss and French ski instructors don't do wusses! Get up, kid and ski.
That and not being able to understand a French accent under a ski helmet.
Cheers
Dobby
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Poster: A snowHead
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4 is very young. I think you're allowed to be a wuss when you're 4. It's the adult wusses who get up my nose. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
French ski instructors don't do wusses! Get up, kid and ski.
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Too true 
+1 for APeak, Montgenevre and Snowbizz, Puy St Vincent both schools excellent.
Also look at Ultimate Snowsports in La Tania, very good British instructors at very fair prices for the 3V.
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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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dobby, have a look at family friendly ski ing in la tania and then use ultimate snowsports.
We stayed with family friendly and i think they do offers in january
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Pam, you are right. 4 years old are allowed to be wusses. She'll be alright this year (especially if we can find a pink ski suit and colour coordinated helmet....  )
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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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dobby, it was a pair of pink goggles that really did it for my grand-daughter! It was very dull weather (last christmas) and she wore them on the top of her helmet the whole time, but she still loved them. She was very apprehensive about going up the chairlift - it was my offer to go with her and take pictures she could show her teacher which finally did the trick.
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| chrisb wrote: |
dobby, have a look at family friendly ski ing in la tania and then use ultimate snowsports.
We stayed with family friendly and i think they do offers in january |
They are very helpful (family friendly) and doing offers in January, some good deals , Les Gets with Ski famille another good option, allowing adults some ski time, and hot tub time if you go select chalet!! Les Gets has a great beginner area and the kids should be happy skiing with the adults in the bowl.
p.s is the school cool about the kids missing time???
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Hi Dan
the school is very cool about a week out - it's a Welsh Assembly Government thing - they let you have a week a year, no worries (tidy, as they say around here). After skiing once at half term, I decided that a week out in January would be far cheaper and the slopes far less crowded (and the kids don't get cold, so January is no problem).
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dobby, how very civilised.
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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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Saalbach, with Furstauer Ski School.
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dobby, Anywhere in the Sportwelt Amade will meet your needs. Wagrain and St-Johann-Alpendorf have masses of skiing at all grades and instructors in buckets full who not only speak good English, many of them are English. They have chosen to qualify using the Austrian system and undergo weekly training when not with clients. I can recommend from long personal experience the Rot-Weiß-Rot Skischule (http://www.rot-weiss-rot.at/) who have literally years of experience teaching English speaking clients. The two owners are also National Examiners for the Austrian Ski Association, so their instructors have to be trained to a very high standard.
The villages are very charming and both offer a wide range of hotels in all price classes, as well as lots of B&B or self-catering accommodation.
St Jo is only 60 minutes via the A10 motorway from Salzburg airport and Wagrain is a wee bit longer, simply because it is tucked away in the mountains and the country road to it is slower.
I've skied there in every month of the season and have always found good snow even in poor years elsewhere. It is a real gem of an area.
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