 Poster: A snowHead
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Mate has asked me where he should take his family skiing in 2013....
I'll need to have a chat to him about whether he wants traditional Alpine village, places where he can do things other than ski etc., but in the meantime I thought I'd ask the  s to see what they thought.
Four complete beginners, mum (not too sporty as far as I know), dad (used to be sporty), 10 year old daughter and 6 year old lad.
No fixed dates, but are planning to take kids out of school, so I was thinking late Jan-early Feb or early March (not February holiday season, although I appreciate that holiday season varies with resort)
Probably go with a TO. Budget not too limited, so was thinking hotel, possibly all inclusive.
Resorts I have heard good things about for beginners are Soldeu (but is snow reliable?), Wengen (hear your wallet scream...), Flaine, Risoul, La Plagne, Alpe D'Huez, Cervinia. Bit of a French bias, I know.
Any other ideas?
Any resorts really geared-up for beginners?
Cheers
Dobby
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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, don't be going to French resorts early March - peak school holidays.
If they have a decent budget, go to Les Get and have lessons with BASS. Late January.
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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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pam w, thanks. Didn't know that FR school hols dragged into March. I am thinking of fourth week in March 2013 (starting about 23 March) for my family (week before Easter)....do FR hols run that late (or early for Easter)? Would be going for higher resort, probably
Cheers
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dobby, generally French winter holidays are mid-Feb to mid-March (always 4 weeks) so 23 March should be fine. Plenty of website with French school holidays.
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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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Having just accidently spent a week in Arinsal Andorra (please stop it what ever it is you are going to say) I am sure the unless a family grosses over £200k a year then they would be bonkers not to go to Andorra to learn how to ski.
Why?
1. Decent value
2. Food great value (very nice buffet - 5 courses including a drink- €15, burger chips and a drink €9, kids meal incl drink and dessert €6.50) oh and nice Spanish food served by nice Andorran people rather than nasty French slop thrown at you with a Tignes (worse Serre Chevalier) thud.
3. Lift passes cheap - one adult and 2 children passes £150 for 1 week includes all Vallnord
4. Friendly, child friendly resort staff (random helpfulness to kids, stickers, tissues, carrying skis, getting on and off lifts)
5. Tuition- lots of native English speaking instructors- 5 mornings instruction €98
6. Piste area- fine for beginners / families
For the more adventurous- Arcalis must have some of the best (not hardest // gnarliest/ bad boy stuff- just some of the most varied and untracked reasonably steep and snowy and decent drop) lift accessed, accessible terrain anywhere - really.
Why not?
1. No social cachet at all (or is this a why??)
2. Smoking indoors - but less so than Switzerland
3. Longish transfer (take LOTR on DVD) less than VDI
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ed123, thanks for the post. I must say that I enjoyed Soldeu many years ago. The tuition from the Kiwi/Aussie instructors was great, but the transfer was an absolute epic (horse drawn cart, about 5 hours, I think). As for Andorran food, I think we stayed in the wrong hotel.....
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Saalbach.
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Hotel Alaska Selva right at the top of a perfect nursery slope.
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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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French school holidays 2013 during ski season start saturday 16th February and end Monday 18th March - the country is divided into 3 zones and their holidays differ slightly so the whole country is never on holiday at the same time at half terms.
http://www.pratique.fr/calendrier-vacances-scolaires-2012-2013.html
If your UK LEA has February half term as the week commencing saturday 9th February to saturday 16th February 2013, well then you miss completely the French school holidays in French ski resorts....however my bet is that the UK tour operators will still significantly inflate the prices for that week. So if you are lucky enough to get that week as half term, I'd look to book direct with a French operator - the French don't go in for catered chalets much, but they have from tiny self-catering apartments to all-inclusive accommodation.
The French school holidays for Easter 2013 also don't start until saturday 13th April, so if you have Easter as the first 2 weeks of April, it's also a pretty good time to ski in France, so long as you choose your resort for its ski record and know you are taking a chance that there might be less snow on the lower slopes.
Dobby, there are hundreds of resorts in France which the British rarely frequent and plenty which are much cheaper than ones that British tour operators tend to concentrate on such as la Plagne or Alpe d'Huez that you mention! I'd look for a resort which does family lift passes at under 500 euro a week. I'd also look at French operators rather than British ones. Or for a British operator which doesn't rip you off, try Peak Retreats - their website contains plenty of info on how to find good family deals, but I'd always compare even their prices with booking direct with the French operator of the accommodation.
Here is just an example of what you can get in France if you booked with a French operator. Cap Vacances offer self-catering, full-board and all-inclusive (that includes lift passes) prices. Here is a hotel of theirs in Morzine, a pretty looking resort in the north Alps, not far from Geneva airport, shorter drive from the UK. For the first week of April 2012, 2 adults and 2 children aged 6 and 10, all inclusive (remember that's ski passes included) would cost you €1128, that is less than £1000. Ski hire should cost €200 for 4, ski lessons around €500 for 4.
http://www.capvacances.fr/vacances-club-haute-savoie-morzine.html
and here is what Peak Retreats says about Morzine
http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/morzine.htm
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sat 3-03-12 11:14; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Have a look at Passo Tonale in Italy. Its cheap, you can get a learn to ski package with TOs, most of the hotels are across the road from the ski school meeting place and there are some nice, gentle blues to practice on.
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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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Paris holidays start 2 March for two weeks that's when the pressure comes on in France. Makes the traditional lad's trip from 9 March a bit problematic.
Main Dutch holidays (including Amsterdam and Rotterdam are from 16 Feb which is the same as most UK half term.
I predict a bit busier than this year for France at least. If you could manage to do 9 Feb that would probably be quiet and not too expensive. 2 Feb even better and often the snow at it's best.
Sorry - a bit French focussed but that's the area I know best.
St Jean d'Aulps worth a look. We have friends who have been there the last two years and it has worked well. Especially as the nursey area for absolute beginners is right at the top of the gondola so 1600m rather than village level.
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I'm all in favour of small French resorts (having spent the last ten seasons in one). However, it can mean that group lessons will be largely in French (the instructor might speak english, but if most pupils are Francophone, that's what they'll be speaking most of the time).
On the other hand, private lesson can be very cheap.
dobby says the budget is not too limited, so something like Club Med might be worth a look (see chemistry's enthusiastic and comprehensive report on their holiday in Serre Chevalier).
absolutely definitely don't do France in early March. It would be crazy to take kids out of school only to land up competing with all the French kids!
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You know it makes sense.
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Yes if you are lucky enough to have a 9-16th February half-term and not 16-23rd February (seems like that is most common week in England 2013), then I'd go for that week. The Dutch do indeed like skiing in France too, so with 1/3 of France on half-term on 16-23rd February too, and even more on holiday 23rd Feb - 16th March, those 4 weeks (16th Feb - 16th March) will be the busiest in France. But even cheaper will be the first UK schools Easter week saturday 30th March - saturday 6th April - French and Dutch all in school that week, the French resorts will be full of UK children. Just cross fingers for another good year of snow 2013.
Pam W is right that in the smaller French resorts, the group lesson are more likely to be in French, but if you choose your week wisely, eg 9-16th Feb or earlier or 30th March - 6th April, then there will be far fewer French speaking and far more English speaking clients. We ski in Les Houches (family of 2 adults and 4 children ski pass is just €474) which is part of the Chamonix-Mont Blanc ski areas, it's a small resort but actually very popular with Brits, especially ones who travel independently. The ski classes our children were in for the last 2 Easter weeks have been a mixture of French and English speakers, either the instructor has done the classes in English and French, or the groups have been split into one English and one French group - this is for the children's classes. Class sizes are not going to be huge if you use ESF (main and cheapest French ski school) in the Easter first 2 weeks of April.
DJL's mention of the nursery ski area being at the top of the mountain rather than bottom is especially useful if skiing at the beginning of April. The nursery areas at Les Houches are also at the top of the mountain.
I'd also book as beginners somewhere preferably either right next to ski lift / ski school meeting point or a max of 200m walk. It kills having to carry your own skis, even worse if you have a tired child and you end up with their skis too!
If you can afford Club Med, then go for it. There's Esprit Ski which are similar I think to Club Med. But for around half the price for the same sort of package (albeit in French), you could stay with a French company such as Cap Famille.
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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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We did our first family ski holiday in Obergurgl. Easy to book as TOs go there and so does Ski Esprit.
- Very family friendly resort.
- Short transfer from Innsbruck.
- Great ski-in/ski-out hotels (eg Edelweiss) right outside ski-school meeting points and so do not have to worry about carrying skis for the little ones or having difficulties to walk in ski boots for children.
- Ski school very good - both group lessons and private, and most instructors speak very good English.
- Small enough resort that ski school (at lower levels) take everyone back to main village at lunch time and so can still meet up for lunch with family if in different lessons.
- 2 kiddy nursery ski areas and one nursery slopes, plus a couple of nice blue runs on the mountains for beginners.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Soldeu is a hell of a lot easier to get to from the Spanish side now that the lovely EU has straightened out all of their windy roads! What used to be a 4 hour journey in 2002 is now a 2.5 hr trip from Barcelona. The problem is that many of the tour operators still fly you into Toulouse and then take you by coach up a few French goat tracks. If you make your own way out there there are lots of buses direct from Barcelona airport to Soldeu, and hiring a car is nice and cheap too.
The Grandvalira ski schools are excellent, with guaranteed English speaking instructors, and lots of wide open blue runs to learn on.
As for the food, you have to know where to look, but the Pyrenean cuisine is fabulous. There are about 3 or 4 restaurants within striking distance of Soldeu that are excellent; Borda del Rector (http://www.bordarector.com/carta2010_FR-ING.pdf) Borda del Horto, Cort de Popaire being ones I can think of. Fat Alberts is often mentioned as being typical of Andorran cuisine but in my recent experience if you went there expecting local cooking you would be disappointed - nice restaurant, fantastic bar upstairs, but average food. My mouth is watering though just thinking of Borda del Rector!
Edd123 has it spot on about the place (although I have never been up that neck of the woods, Soldeu is my hang-out.) And it will have changed beyond your memories of it if you haven't been for a while. Andorra is changing fast atm.
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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: |
if you choose your week wisely, eg 9-16th Feb or earlier or 30th March - 6th April, then there will be far fewer French speaking and far more English speaking clients
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in some places that might be true but in the small resorts I frequent you won't find more than a handful of English speaking clients any time. I have done two week-long courses very much off peak and been the only non-Francophone both times.
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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,
I think you'll find that most resort slopes are fine for begginers, all ski school in Europe are used to 1st timers, it's our bread and butter.
The other "stuff" you're looking for is the real question. If you're looking for a BIG resort, try Val D Isser, nice looking resorts, most small ones in Austria or maybe Zermat or Madonna Di Campiglio, Cheap - anywhere but france,
Can I make a suggestion that many people will disagree with.
Go on to the internet and find a nice looking resort (try Thomas Cook Neilson Crystal MarkWarner, etc), then look at the price to make sure it's OK, and then go down to your local travel agent and book it. If you spend all year looking at this and that to make sure everything is perfect, it won't be. Just find somewhere you like to the look of and book it.
Also, if you're all bigginers, it may be a good idea to have a hour or so's lessons in a big fridge in the UK. Then at least you'll be used to wearing skis and maybe have a little more confidence. There are a few people on here that work in fridges, so you could trying posting some questions about the best time to go, cost, etc.
The main thing is not to frett over every little aspect. Find a nice resort, in budget, and book it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Wayne, great advice,
dobby, don't really know what you mean by 'budget not too limited'!!
Skiing anywhere with kids is fantastically expensive really.
I had a great time in Andorra (I have to admit that I had a fairly good deal I think with flights/transfer/hb and lift passes for 1 adult and 2 kids at about £1700 at half term) at the price. Our pre booked ski holidays (2 adults, 3 kids) are so expensive that I actually make a point of not actually working out how much thy cost (everything paid for separately, flights, transfers, chalet, instruction, passes, crech etc etc ted etc...lunch). This is not so much down to ability to pay rather natural frugality / thriftiness (my mother was brought up in the War etc ect).
So if you have at leads the budget sufficient to pay for a small car to drop for a learn to ski week- which is about what t should cost, then I would look at Esprit- excellent with kids (mine would crawl over broken glass and hot coals to go back). Very good ski holidays for (English) families with kids - less stufty than MW (and no singles/ couples), better organised than Crystal, lots of fun and games and some very good child care staff.
That said be careful with France (I have skied in France every year at leads once for about 15 years) as it is easy to feel that value has dropped off the menu (unless you go somewhere with massive natural value - Chamonix - which is a pain with kids but doable if you love skiing).
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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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Whistler in B.C., Canada has a great set up for families. There are even areas set up just for kids (Blackcomb region). Lots of Whistler condos available for rent.
Good luck...
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La Plagne has plenty of nice gentle blue runs in the home bowls, cant speak for the lessons.
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Chiesa Valmalenco Italy ...ideal family beginners resort....with gentle nursery slope at 2000m and easy progresson slopes, ski deals include 7 days Hotel ..ski pass and equipment hire included. www.bellaskiitalia.com
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ed123, isn't skiing with a family expensive? We try to make up for the skiing with a camping holiday in the summer. Two weeks camping in France at about half the cost of 1 week's skiing...but wouldn't miss skiing with the kids for anything. I think that Wayne has the right idea, and that ClubMed or Esprit would suit the family in question.
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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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dobby, Esprit is very very good -
Chalet Hotels- better food, more kids for your kids to play with- but you might not spend that much time with your kids! Childcare (eg coco club- always on site)
Chalets- atmosphere possibly better.
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Hello.
Please have a look at Tripadvisor hotels in Obergurgl,lots of family reviews, then check your dates with Inghams/Crystal TOs.
We leave it fairly late to book as we are no longer tied to school holidays and prices to come down significantly.
Most hotels are 4* with lovely pools,free afternoon tea, childrens club facilities. Close to the lifts/ ski schools/ski hire/ ski home on blue run.
Having done chalets in France and Austrian hotels if you can afford it go for a good hotel.
Also think about your flight times....if you take an early flight out you may well have a VERY early start from the hotel....something to think about.
have a lovely time.
Vx 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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never had a problem in 5 holidays with Esprit when our little boy was < 6
never had a problem in 4 holidays with Crystal mainly since 5 years old he is now 8 - go whizzclusive - great for the kids as its like esprit.
I can recommend flaine - but not for the first holiday - save it for when you are a bit better
la rosiere is a good balance, so is la plagne, or vallandry , peisy ( same sort of area)
i can recommend Scheffau - but is a bit of a slide down to the lifts usually from the village - so probably not good fo the first week either
give andorra a miss until the kids are older and can look after them selves - still think too many gung ho types go there.
I also know of several people who rate Obergurgl but i have not been there yet, but i have heard great reviews.
Geilo - was also good but a bit small
i can also suggest that Claviere ( italy) / Montgenevre ( france) - is a good place as its lots of variety - italian side cheaper.
a good call is to look at the broschures for both crystal & esprit, list out all the places that have what you want ( and also do the whizzclusive package with crystal) as these will be the places that lots of families go to so there will be kids around to meet up with and play/have fun with and plenty of families
on the slopes too.
if you dont want to book with either of those - at least you know the family places to go to .
take a look in the sports direct sale and get the basics as they will be sooo cheap that its almost give away - and wait until closer for the kids gear as otherwise it will be too small.
I hope that what ever you do you have a great holiday
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FAQ
