 Poster: A snowHead
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I want to take the kids on their first ski holiday next year, I'm thinking Easter for the warmer weather, less crowds & better VFM.
There's a few threads about at the moment asking for advice for next year, but here are my specific requirements:
-Reliable snow in first week of April, week commencing 30th March 2013.
-Driveable from the UK with car on summer tyres, so probably French Alps, want to stop off at Disneyland Paris on the way. Switzerland is off-limits on cost limitations. Maybe Aosta Valley or W. Austria.
-Self-catering accomodation near to lifts and ski school for 5 & 7 year old kids, I would consider half board if it offered VFM (like kids stay free in parents room), any recommendations?
-Good english-speaking ski instruction for little ones.
-Enough skiing for intermediate adults to ski and then meet up after ski school, it doesn't have to be a mega-resort, in fact I'd rather it was a more low-key traditional resort with better VFM.
-Is there anywhere that offers free lifts for beginners? Magic carpets and a couple of lifts to progress to, I'd like to avoid shelling out for a full 6 day pass while the little ones aren't going to get the full benefit. Maybe some resorts offer free skiing for little ones. Italian Dolomites resorts offera free pass to under 8s with every adult pass, is there anywhere closer that offers that??
-Budget? I know it ain't gonna be cheap, but as little as possible, so any suggestions as to how money can be saved on this type of holiday, without ruining enjoyment are welcome.
I was thinking about Montgenevre as it fits a lot of requirements apart from it's a bit of a schlep to drive there. Cervinia was also on my list, but it is an ugly place and a bit south-facing.
Thanks for any suggestions/recommendations!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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luigi, there is a free lift in La Tania village centre on the nursery slopes there. You can also buy day passes as/when they progress with their instructor or if you want to ski with them yourself - this year's prices here http://www.latania.co.uk/skiing/passes.htm
La Tania is a great resort for families and mixed ability groups, and you can easily do the Disneyland Paris trip en route (we've done it  ) - we don't have s/c accommodation for a small group such as yours, but can recommend some if you want to PM me. We CAN offer a catered solution with a family suite and child prices if that works. Again, send me a message and I'll get back to you
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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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Luigi, you need to think beyond saving a few euro by looking for free passes for children or buying beginner passes for a few days and bigger area for rest of week (which might end up more expensive than a 6 day bigger area pass). If looking at passes in isolation, I'd look for resorts where there is instead a family offer. Plus if you have a 5 and 7 year old doing ski school, they might be required even as beginners to have an bigger area pass because you often have to take a bubble even to the beginner areas, especially later on in the year, so need a pass from the start.
I'd look in fact into ALL costs, as you might find a good deal on a family pass, just to find ski school or accommodation is really expensive.
You can certainly do where we ski with Summer tyres in the week you are thinking of - it's a couple of minutes off a dual carriageway/motorway, it's Les Houches, closer to Calais than la Tania. We've done it 3 times, a family 6 day pass for 2 adults and up to 5 children under 18 is €474 and fingers crossed as usual for April that price might go down to around €375 like in previous years. ESF ski school costs as little as €108 for 6 days of 2 1/2 hours. Adult ski hire €75, child ski hire €35, you can get ski-in-out self-catering apartment for 4 with a swimming pool and also next to the ski school meeting point and bubble lift for that week this year for €600, if willing to go one stop on the ski bus and go without a swimming pool, you can get a self-catering apartment for that week this year for €450. So the same week this year, ski-in-out apartment + family pass + 2 children ski school + 2 adults 2 children ski hire could cost (if the pass price goes down as hoped) €1411 which is around £1176. Then you would add on travel costs.
There are plenty of other smaller resorts in the northern Alps. I love Peak Retreats website for its information about resorts.
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luigi, La Thuile in aosta valley would prob fit your requirements, they will need to go up the gondola to get to the skiing at that time of year wildnoon, suggestion of les houches is ok, but its a bit low for that time of year.
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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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luigi, Flaine - except fails traditional resort criteria. We've been there at this time of year a few times now (resort charm is lacking but it ticks many boxes at that time of year). Stay in Flaine Foret (try P&V appts, roomy and excellent value and can also be booked via Erna Low who will price match. Ask Erna Low to take off the inclusive flexiplus tunnel fare and book with tesco clubcard). Right next to either chair link to rest of Grand Massif and also pistes down to Flaine Forum or access up into Flaine bowl. Good instruction available with http://www.flaine-internationalskischool.com/
Don't worry too much about free lifts as probably better value to get family 6 day and the little ones will be zipping around before you know it anyway 
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La Rosiere - good for beginners, not the most expensive lift pass, Ski collection do a range of apartments.
Les Saisies - pretty resort, lots of easy slopes. We used the ESF and the instructors spoke in English to our children and in french to the others in the group. ESI also run lessons in this resort but we used ESF as the lessons were longer. We stayed in le hameau de beaufortain (through Peak retreats).
Montgenevre is a great resort but not the easiest to get to. If you are thinking of booking Apeak (international ski school) morning lessons book now. They have told me they get booked up a year in advance for school holidays. ESF are also supposed to be very good there.
Puy st vincent - Cheap resort, Snow bizz ski school very good, but a long drive. We went there mid March a few years ago and had good snow.
wildnoon - Les Houches sounds good but is it snow sure enough for early April?
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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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La Norma.
There aren't that many places with carpet lifts. Two that I've been to are Les Menuires and Oz-en-oisan. But tbh our kids were just shy of 4 and a bit younger when we used them. At 5 you can probably bypass them. They are quite limited and really ideal for real toddlers IMO. I haven't been to La Norma before but I am going 31st March this year. It seems to meet all your criteria. The accom and lift pass are cheap, it's smaller but it's got altitude, accessible, lots of S/C. Will report back here after if you can wait. The only thing I wouldn't be sure about is ski school. And ours won't be using so won't be able to help on that. Part of the reason for going is we felt last holiday (Paradiski) it was expensive and the kids (4 & 6) don't require that size of ski resort.
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Near La Norma, there is also Aussois, then a little further Val Cenis. These resorts also have plenty of self catering accommodation, cheap lift passes, cheap ski school. Here's a place in Aussois I fancied staying but have never been.
http://www.goelia.com/residence-vacances/aussois/goelia-les-flocons-d-argent.147.2.php
There are also the resorts in Les Sybelles which are not so well known to the Brits and plenty of self catering - St Jean d'Arves, St Sorlin d'Arves, Le Corbier etc, not sure what it's like to drive there on Summer tyres.
Snowymum, Les Houches is in the Chamonix valley and on paper it is low, but because of Mont Blanc apparently, altitude can be lower here but with better snow records than other valleys of the same altitudes. There a plenty of snow making at Les Houches. Last year was a disaster for the whole Chamonix valley, the only time with crap snow in the first week of April and everyone travelled along the valley to the only station open which was Les Grands Montets (it's on a glacier) so it wasn't a complete disaster. If the snow is going to fail, the Chamonix valley at least has plenty of other attractions. Snow levels look fine again for Les Houches this year and should hopefully stay open to mid April. If you are driving, you can always wait until a few weeks before so you know what the snow is like and then book.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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not sure what it's like to drive there on Summer tyres.
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I really wouldn't get hung up on this, together with all the other difficult criteria to juggle. A large number of the French visitors to these resorts will also be on normal tyres, as are the majority of Brits who drive to the Alps. You just need to be very competent with your chains, and ready to put them on at the earliest hint of trouble. Yes, winter tyres makes things easier as you'll be able to manage better without them, and they are also generally better for winter driving (before I get jumped on by the winter tyre fascists) but they're not Essential to Salvation.
A sensibly driven car with normal tyres, leaving plenty of room behind the car in front, knowing how to drive in snow (staying in as high a gear as possible etc etc) will be a lot safer than one with winter tyres and an impatient driver taking the mountain bends a little too fast.
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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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Wow, thanks for all the great advice!!
I'll look into all those options, hoping that week won't be too busy as it doesn't coincide with any French School Holidays, just fellow Brits, but those off the beaten track resorts shouldn't be too bad for crowds.
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We are giving Val Cenis a try this Easter, a mixed ability group of 9, and we got a cracking deal with ski hire and lift passes in self catered Bonheur du Piste for under £400 per person including overnight ferry crossing.
I don't know how costs break down as I've not organised the trip, but good value if they can keep that 220cm of snow for a few more weeks.
According to their web site resort closes on 22nd April, here's hoping!!
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You know it makes sense.
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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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There are places in Whistler, B.C., that often include lift packages when you book through them. There are also designated slopes for kids and teens by Blackcomb Mountain (all in the same complex). Good luck!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Whistler by car from the UK might be a little tricky. I wouldn't call it VFM either to travel to Canada to ski.
Bartezki enjoy Val Cenis - can remember seeing those apartments in construction stage. You're just outside Lanslevillard, but in fact with development, you might now actually be in the village!!! You're right next to a télécabine, £400 for a week, whoever organised is a very money savvy.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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wildnoon, Yes it's a really good deal, been looking at the excellent interactive piste map, and apartments look really well positioned, just wondered if you went to any of the other numerous ski areas in the valley while you were there, and if so which would you recommend as must visits. I have earmarked Valfrejus, only because it's supposed to have one of the best mountain restaurants in the area.
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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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Hi Luigi, you mentioned good snow - we get asked about that all the time so we made a couple of graphs, first of the ten most popular resorts to show their average snow depths over last 3 years at Easter, and then second (click the second tab) the ten resorts which have had the best snow on average over the last 3 years at Easter.
Some of the resorts which made the "most easter snow" list are there because of a bumper year, which might be more of a statistical outlier, so you might be looking at a more reliable bet if you go for one where all 3 recent years were strong...
The tab for top ten "best" (ahem) ski resorts should read "most popular" so we better get that fixed... but you can see that the normally terrific Austrian options of Kitzbuhel and Mayrhofen are not known for still having huge snow depth at Easter.
Agree with wildnoon that Chamonix is great, especially if you're driving, because the roads all the way there are major and kept open in most conditions - then you can get around the various ski areas either with ski bus or your car - I was lucky enough to have a little flat there years ago and can testify to reliable snow high up the Grands Montets very late in the season.
Easter can be tricky price-wise because often more-snowsure = more-expensive
If you're trying to minimise the cost of a family trip at Easter without going low and risky with the snow, maybe check out the super cheap s/c spots in Avoriaz and that's nice and high!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sno, this is a thread from 2 years ago 
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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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sugarmoma666, but you must admit that the Grand Montets is the perfect spot for a 5 year old beginner? 
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sugarmoma666, But it's a spam opportunity isn't it
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No Claude B, - if it was a spam opportunity I'd have 3x links in my auto sig... but I made my auto sig not linked some time ago.
However, yes, I realise it was asked for last winter.
I was researching useful info to add to our Easter page and came across this thread - since I've been flat out with work I haven't posted for a while (its our busy season ) I thought I'd contribute, as nowhere else online has snow depth graphs for Easter.
Come on Pam, there's plenty of easy bits on the Grands Montets - and you can go higher up the bus route to Le Tour where the blues are super easy and the reds are like blues and the whole hill is really cruisy. I really don't buy all the arguments that Chamonix valley is no good for beginners.
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FAQ
