 Poster: A snowHead
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We've had our snow this season  so now turning my thoughts to booking for 2013/14 and want to investigate / compare other options for our then 2.5 and 4 year olds.
I know of Mark Warner and that's about it. Unfortunately the take a granny option isn't for us so we're kind of reliant on tour operators facililties, snow clubs etc. Are the mainstream operators with kids clubs available like Crystal worth looking at or is a family specialist our best bet for their ages? Advice / suggestions greatly appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Snowbizz in Puy St Vincent always seems to get enthusiastic reviews - you could do a forum search.
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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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always29, I think Ski Famille have a reasonably good rep, though I have no personal experience. Always used Esprit to be honest and never found them wanting in any area - which is really what you want.
There is probably info on Ski Famille on the site if you use the search function.
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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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There are lots of alternatives and others will be along to suggest them shortly i guess. Let me turn the question on its head a bit first. Why not Esprit?
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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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ansta1, may be the reason that I am going with somebody other than Esprit for next season (I am going with Mark Warner) and that is cost. I am getting a school holiday week, an equivalent package for a good £1000 less.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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NickyJ, that's interesting. And if I am not mistaken, you've generally been a fairly strong advocate of Esprit. Do their prices seem to have risen quite a bit? Or are other companies being more competitive?
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I am a supporter of them but for next season Mark Warner are doing low season prices for the week beginning 13th April whereas Esprit have ramped that week up as it is a school holiday week, with my daughter moving up to a new school (which I haven't had confirmation which juniors school she has got Into yet) I was trying to get a school holiday week. If you can take out of school for the week before Christmas or 12th Jan then for those weeks Esprit comes up a bit cheaper.
I am going with Esprit this season in April and really looking forward to it. I will still consider them for the following season but I will also look at other options.
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always29,
This list is a few years old, some companies have gone and there are some missing but it will give you a guide of what's out there.
UK Tour Operators
Phone numbers and email addresses
Airtours Ski 0870 2412642
Alpine Elements jobs@alpineelements.co.uk
Chalet Snowboard 0208 133 41 80
Info@chalet-snowboard.co.uk
Club Med 020 7348 3333
clubmed@compuserve.com
Collineige Ski 01276 24262
Info@collineige.com
Crystal 0870 8880028
overseasrecruitment@s-h-g.co.uk
Equity Total Ski 01273 298298
Travel@equity.co.uk
First Choice 01273 677777
skijobs@firstchoice.co.uk
Flexiski 08709 090754
reservations@flexiski.com
Huski Chalet Hols 020 7938 4844
sales@huski.com
Inghams 020 8780 4444
reservations@inghams.co.uk
Le Ski 0870 754 4444
Recruitment@leski.co.uk
Lotus Supertravel 020 7295 1650
alice@lotusgroup.co.uk
Mark Warner 020 7761 7300
Recruitment@markwarner.co.uk
Mountain Rooms Debbie@mrooms.co.uk
Neilson 0870 241 2901
skijobs@neilson.com
Powder Byrne 020 8246 5310
Enquiries@powderbyrne.co.uk
Silver Ski 01622 735 544
Karen@silverski.co.uk
Ski Activitiy 01738 840888
recruitment@skiactivity.com
Ski Barrett-Boyce 020 8288 0042
Kerry@skibb.com
Ski Beat 01243 780405
Alex@skibeat.co.uk
Ski Chamois 01302 369006
skichamois@morzine1550.freeserve.co.uk
Ski Equipe 08704 445533
ski@ski-equipe.co.uk
Ski Esprit 01252 618318
Recruitment@esprit-holidays.co.uk
Ski Famille 0845 64 437 64
Recruitment@skifamille.co.uk
Ski Hillwood 01932 290700
Sales@hillwood-holidays.co.uk
Ski Olympic 01709 579999
Info@skiolympic.co.uk
Ski Peak 01428 741 144
info@skipeak.com
Ski Scott Dunn 020 8767 0202
Ski@scottdunn.com
Ski Total 020 8948 6922
recruitment@skitotal.com
Ski Val 01822 311200
reservations@skival.co.uk
Ski Verbier 020 7385 8050
info@skiverbier.com
Ski World 0870 420 5912
recruitment@skiworld.ltd.uk
Snowcoach 01727 833141
Info@snowcoach.co.uk
Thomson 0870 606 1470
overseasrecruitment@s-h-g.co.uk
Virgin Ski 01293 617181
YSE 020 8871 5117
Staff@yseski.co.uk
Last edited by After all it is free  on Wed 23-01-13 16:29; edited 1 time in total
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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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ansta1, we've just come back from a week in St Anton where the childcare / nursery and our accom were in various locations and the organisation wasn't the best compared to previous Esprit trips but then my husband was proper sick for half the week and this was the first time one of them was skiing as opposed to just using the nursery for them so I was running ragged with the boys & probably sensitive hence the query about alternatives.
Chasseur, that's one of the ones I've seen mentioned a lot - thanks for the reminder!
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always29, it wasnt a loaded question just curious as to why, by the way are you Anna? (again not loaded just checking to see if i am correct?)
I only have experience of Esprit or DIY with our lot, but there are lots of people who rate Mark Warner.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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always29, Snowbizz. Proper personal service from a family run firm. Nuff said 
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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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We used this company for many years when ours were young, and only stopped going with them as we wanted a resort change!
www.familyfriendlyskiing.com
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ansta1, no, am not Anna! Now curious as to why you ask!?
kitenski, they do look like a good set up. How did you find the sorting your own travel? We're close to Gatwick but then also picking up day eurostar from Ashford wouldn't be impossible. Elder son would need ski school though so would need to plan that too.
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You know it makes sense.
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always29, i know that someone called Anna didnt have a good time with Esprit in St Anton recently but i dont now what or why and always nosey about these things.
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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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I have always gone with Esprit. However, last time I went a family said they had used Club Med. They said it was a lot more expensive but more luxurious.
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Poster: A snowHead
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ansta1, do you know where the were staying or more about there issues? We are going with them to St Anton in April.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We're sending our 2 1/2 year old to the new esf nursery in alpe d'huez (not chosen ski lessons but they are an option). Will write up a review once we get back. We're DIY'ing so there were only a couple of options.
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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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NickyJ, fraid not, but will pm you the very little info i niw, am assuming its a chamexpress exposed type affair to be honest.... ie had an issue which may or may not be fault of company and want to make a big deal......
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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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always29, we flew into Geneva every time and they picked us up, no problems at all!!
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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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always29, our kids are older now but that's given us the benefit of loads of hindsight. We went with Esprit once and had a good time, but our best trips were always DIY affairs to North America. A few years ago, a trip over there in the school holidays with childcare was significantly cheaper than a European equivalent; that advantage has since been eroded by a combination of Air Passenger Duty, negative exchange rate movements and rising oil prices. It's not as expensive as you might initially think, though, as many US and Canadian resorts give very generous discounts to youngsters.
Based on your experience of St Anton, I'd take a close look at a small family-oriented resort like Panorama in British Columbia. The upper village is tiny and traffic-free so parents don't get run ragged and surprisingly young children can be left to roam free without danger. And the Canadians understand childhood - there's a large outdoor swimming pool, a play area disguised as a fort hidden in the forest and a full programme of evening activities to keep the kids entertained. Having taken the family both to St Anton and to Panorama, I'd say that provided you can make the financial side work the latter is an incomparably better choice for a trip with young children.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jonny Jones, what time of year did you goto NA? Care to share some more specifics around cost, who you booked with, transfers, lift pass, ski school etc etc???
many thanks,
Greg
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kitenski, since the kids were old enough for it to matter we've always travelled in school holidays and usually gone to NA. We always DIY it - flights from Expedia or equivalent; accommodation from American Ski Classics, Ski Independence or direct from the resort; a dirt-cheap SUV from an online broker instead of faffing with transfers; and, most important of all, discounted lift passes booked in the UK. One year we snagged a staggeringly cheap (<£400 each) last minute bargain with Inghams but that's not something you can rely on.
Regarding costs, this year we're stretching half term slightly to get 10 days skiing in Jackson. Flights will be £580 each, accommodation (two gigantic rooms in a 4* hotel with an outdoor pool inc breakfast) £220 each and car hire £310. That's £860 each for the base holiday - but we'll have 67% more skiing than on a standard week-long trip. A 10-day adult lift pass is expensive at £322, but kids get free passes up to age 14 which softens the blow somewhat. We'll have to buy food, but eating out in NA is generally pretty cheap. Sadly, all of those prices are much higher than 4-5 years ago, though.
We haven't needed ski school for a few years, but it does tend to be more expensive in NA. It's better value, though, IMV as it's much better run - small classes of usually 3-4 kids with groups decided each day according to ability so kids progress frighteningly fast and graduate very quickly. My kids were typically hammering down double black runs (simultaneous steeps, bumps, powder, trees and rocks) by their fourth week, for example. We've had good (but not recent) experience of childcare, too.
I'm a few years out of date saying this, but by some margin the best ski school that our kids ever went to was in Panorama. That's measured both by rate of progress and child happiness.
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Jonny Jones, have you ever been at Easter??
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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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| kitenski wrote: |
| Jonny Jones, have you ever been at Easter?? |
Not to NA. I'm not a fan of Easter skiing: it's too hot for vigorous exercise and I loathe spring snow conditions.
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Has anybody ever used http://www.kinderhotels.co.uk/index-en.html ? We stayed in one for a summer holiday a few years ago in Austria and it was brilliant for kids. I always thought they looked ideal if travelling with younger children.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We have been with Ski Famille to Les Gets and would recommend them although we are trying Family Ski Company in Ardent this year so will be interesting to compare.
I have read lots of good things bout Snowbizz so might try them next year.
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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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ansta1, when / where was Anna staying in St Anton - I thought it was my perception but wonder if they do have issues this season beyond the week we were there, would love to see the pm too.
Jonny Jones, husband is a big fan of NA and Canada so I am sure we'll be there as soon as they are old enough to appreciate it or we are mad enough to contemplate taking young children on a long haul flight.
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always29, not really sure to be exact, but there are a couple of people not happy in the last couple of weeks, most of the comments, discussion has been removed but certainly Anna and Miranda i think were not happy with St Anton and Esprit. As of right now i do not know why or which property.
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