 Poster: A snowHead
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Mrs Louis(e) is back after time off having the two girls (5 and 2 y). She is willing giving this family ski thing a go with a few demands and questions:
She always was a cautious skier but after 3y off she really wants to go to a resort with easy greens/blues to get her confidence back. The flatter the better. Also willing to go for private lessons. Her technique was ok-ish, just a confidence thing.
Child care: Take the grandparents along to provide or go with a specialist company like Esprit Ski ?? Plan is to put the 5y old into ski-school, she seems keen.
How the heck do you all afford going away during half-term?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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How the heck do you all afford going away during half-term?
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we all either Rob banks - Or work for them so Robbing You by proxy 
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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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Having been in a similar situation regarding skier confidence (she can ski really well but doesn't believe it herself  ), we went to Alpe d'Huez and had private lessons from Mel at Masterclass. Exceedingly patient and helpful; in the course of a few days the missus had certainly improved - and most importantly, felt that she had as well. A d'H has loads of easy greens / blues in the main bowl where you can find your feet again.
As it was a last minute deal, we ended up in the Ski Esprit chalet Mariandre (even though we had no kids with us). Impressed with the child care, some of the kids didn't want to return to their parents at the end of the day!
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I can highly recommend Esprit with a 5 yr old I would also seriously looking at taking them out of school we did that when our daughter was in yr R and will be again this year she is now in year 2. Our head master was happy and I had a chat with him about suitable term dates before booking for this years.
Next year I have just booked up with Mark Warner as they had a better deal for second week of Easter school hols than Esprit and as my eldest will be going into Juniors next year and if I can afford a school Holiday week I really should do it 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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Yes yes yes to taking them out of school at age 5, mainly for cost reasons but also because half-term is really not a good time for nervous skiers because it's so busy. Jan would be nice and quiet although maybe a bit cold for the 5 year old. Family operator at half term, you are talking either fully booked or in the region of £3,500 not including lift passes and hire gear.
Esprit are great at the childcare but v expensive IMHO and the accommodation (with some notable exceptions) is a bit pants. Beware the escalating cost when you call them up and add on kid's clubs, lessons, room supplements, flight supplements, lift passes etc etc etc. How's about someone like Ski Famille? They sometimes have good last-minute deals. Failing that someone like Ski Magic in La Tania - they seem quite reasonable and I think the resort is suitable for nervous ones but have never been so can't be sure.
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Slovenia - Somewhere like Vogel resort, smalll resort mainly blues and easish reds, gondola up and down so no crazy run home at the end of the day. No crowds on the piste. Great ski school for your 5 yr old, you can get a private instructor for your Mrs for €100 per day ish. cheap lift passes and accomodation.
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Take them out of school. Les Saisies would be an ideal confidence-building resort, lots of very scenic, gentle skiing, pretty town, etc etc etc. Private lessons inexpensive (€52 for 1.5 hours, I just booked for a friend) and no problem with ski school for kids. BUT, no tour operators - though Peak Retreats have some very nice apartments here, as do Erna Low. Otherwise it's straight DIY. There's a big choice of apartments, very convenient, all price ranges.
Take grandparents. Most kids here are looked after by grandparents, including me.
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pam w, your Grandparents must be getting on a bit Pam
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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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5 and 2 year old?!
I'd be tempted to leave them at home with the grandparents and go on your own.
Much cheaper.
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Oh; take her to the Courchevel area, La Tania is good and cheap, the greens round there are plentiful.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, that also means that somebody has their MIL out with them. I am sure your are a lovely MIL and break all the stereotypes of course
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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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I went to VT last year and we went over to Courchevel once or twice, I seem to remember it being very open and with large areas very much like this photo: http://s0.fast-sfc.com/system/images/2219/large/Courchevel.jpg?1260436454 seems pretty perfect for building confidence
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 10-01-13 16:30; edited 1 time in total
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that also means that somebody has their MIL out with them
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well, my son in law, a sports teacher without much spare cash, didn't seem to mind his mother in law providing private transfers to and from Geneva airport, chalet catering and child care for a 9 month old baby and 2 year old. In fact he seemed quite pleased. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Yep I would be pleased as well. My MIL doesn't drive and has made it very clear she would NEVER go on holiday to somewhere cold.
We have gone with my parents once with our daughter but it did prove a bit tricky to trying to do swap overs etc.
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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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it did prove a bit tricky to trying to do swap overs etc
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yes, I think the logistics are very important. You need somewhere with accommodation very close to slopes, and preferably where you can park near the "front de neige", with somewhere to meet for a drink, or drop off for ski school etc etc. A sleeping baby is better off in a heated car than out in the chilly winter air.
But my daughter and son in law would simply not be able to afford an "Esprit" style holiday. My daughter, at the age of 4, was looked after a lot by her grandmother on a 2 week holiday in Austria, many moons ago. My mother looked after her in the mornings, during the first week, and got lunch ready for the rest of us who were in ski school. I did the evening meals - we ate in the whole time, no money for restaurants and the apartment had good cooking facilities. In the second week Alex decided to join the ski school, leaving my mother free to potter up to the "front de neige", have a coffee and cake, watch the kids skiing etc. The accommodation also had a half outdoor swimming pool, very warm, which my mother enjoyed hugely (though the large naked German men changing in the same place were a bit of a shock..... ).
My mother came camping with us in Kenya - she slept in the back of a Cortina Estate. I guess we have a tradition of multi-generation holidays and of looking after ourselves.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Like Nick_H I found Alpe d'Huez ideal for this and it worked for my wife. You can avoid chairs by taking the gondola to the first station and the area below has a good range of steepness with no nasty steps from bearable to impossible..
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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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Half term can be dodgy for snow coverage (especially for us cross country folk who need it everywhere !)
There are some nice gentle runs on the Hasliberg at Meiringen, Switzerland and access by two different routes of gondolas. My five year olds group was taken all over the place using them and then if she gets her nerve up there are slightly more taxing runs as well. Fairly high up so half term melting snow may not be so much of an issue. The ski school seems good too.
Ref paying for it all at half term we have given up and just take the kids out of school in January but we do teach them German and always check what they will miss that week.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Louis, www.snowbizz.co.uk private lessons for the Mrs. with Bob, 5 year old in Juniors, 1 year old with the Pink Ladies. Job done.
pam w, wish you were my MIL 
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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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Louis, La tania and Courchevel for building confidence, some good family operators. One that is often missed is Family Friendky Ski ing who have chalets and a hotel in La Tania. Good child care. We have stayed with them and I told them 4 years ago that their website was rubbish and it was not coming up on Google so people often miss them. Worth a look
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks all, lots of info to look into
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Definately go out of school half term (take a few reading books if that eases the conscience ?!).Puy St Vincent with Snowbizz is perfect for everyone. Everything is very close making it easy to pop back for lunch etc. Superb ski school and child care run by Snowbizz. nice tobogan area and playpark.
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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 Pam's suggestion of Les Saisies would be ideal. There are some lovely gentle runs near the centre of the village. If the grandparents are willing to come I think that would solve the childcare issue. If not there may be a resort creche. We stayed in Le Hameau de Beaufortain booked through Peak Retreats which is out of the main village but ski to and from the door. They have other apartments in the centre of the village.
If you want somewhere with childcare Montgenevre and La Rosiere also have some nice easy runs and both have good ski school / childcare options.
Puy St Vincent / Snowbizz - ideal for the kids in terms of child care and ski school. However not as easy in terms of skiing for your wife as the places above. From my recollection some of the blues have steep sections. It is not what I'd describe as a cruisy blue resort.
I would also recommend looking at the first week of the Easter holidays this year (rather than half term). The accommodation costs are much lower at Easter and the slopes will not be so busy.
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Alp D'huez
La Clusaz
Valmorel
Montgenvre
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Breckinridge, USA. Superb easy, wide and flat runs on 2 of the 4 peaks, awesome, as they say over there!!!
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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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If the grandparents are willing to come I think that would solve the childcare issue. If not there may be a resort creche.
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Les Saisies currently has very little in the way of "childcare" outside the ski schools. One or two independent "nourrices" - who might speak little or no English. That equates to child-minder, I think. There is a big new sports centre being built for next season with pools, gym, etc and I think there is some talk of a garderie. It's a very family oriented resort but the traditional French family ski holiday has not involved paying someone else to look after your kids. You see lots of obvious grandparents with littlies. Often v competent skiers but I enjoyed watching three generations recently on a free beginner rope tow near our apartment. "Mum", in snowboots and with baby in a carrier, was trying to help grandpa and grandma, on skis, wobbling their way down the gentle slope, obviously complete beginners but having fun and from what I could hear of Mum's instructions, she was spot on. Then there was a little girl of 4 or 5, enjoying lapping the grandparents and taking herself very competently up the rope tow.
It was a lovely scenario and I thought it could serve well as an example of what a "family resort" should be about.
But all resorts compete, and try to provide what their clients require (a coup de bull to make any slightly tricky pistes easier, chairlifts to replace drags, a swimming pool, etc etc). I expect paid childcare will come.
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Louis,
As others have suggested, with kids that age, either leave them at home or take them out of school holidays.(I did for 4 years)
l'Alpe d'Huez, has masses of gentle terrain and stuff to progress to, but for somewhere a bit different look at Colfosco (or Corvara). Very flattering slopes abound, and the scenery is a touch special too.
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