 Poster: A snowHead
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Trying to organise a holiday for my family (and some friends).
I have a daughter who will be 4 in Feb 2006 and we're hoping to find an apartment for a week during the UK school holiday Christmas/Newyear 2005/2006.
However the main controlling factor is whether we can find a good English speaking creche for our daughter who will be 3 years 11 months around Christmas.
Would be nice too if there was an option for her to try skiing - but I don't want to presurise her so thats not the main concern.
Can anyone provide some advice on child care facilities in various resorts that would suit?
(fyi We used snowkidz creche in Les Gets a couple of years ago and were very pleased - but would like to try some other resort this time.)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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John Lonergan, welcome to snowHeads  .
Not having kids myself, I can't offer expertise on this - but I believe Mark Warner are generally recommended. They operate in a good number of resorts.
HTH, Alastair
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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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John Lonergan,
Junior ski schools tend to operate very much like a creche. Lots of "playing" and having fun on skis so I wouldn't have thought your daughter would feel pressurised. Not sure what minimum age normally is though - could be 4.
I think Courmayeur has a creche at the top of the cable car. Handy to visit in the middle of the day's skiing.
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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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We used ski esprit when my eldest was that age and from that experience would thoroughly recommend them. The week we went, there were other families with kids the same age and the nannies were great. The kids had the run of the chalet while we were out skiing, riding the bikes around inside, playing in the snow, making the afternoon cake for when we got back. She loved it.
I would have linked to their website but it appears to be down at the moment. If you need their phone number, then I think they are officially esprit holidays and they are based in Fleet, Hampshire.
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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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Hotel Alphubel in Saas Fee. Great creche and all day entertainment for children. Ski area for kids included magic carpet should they want to do that.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm with Ray here. We've tried both Mark Warner and Ski Esprit. Mark Warner is great for older children and teenagers, but for little kids you need Ski Esprit. Their site is still down. We went with Esprit to Courchevel and Montchavin. I would recommend Chalet Mont Blanc in Montchavin:
1. The nursery is in the chalet. The Ski Esprit nannies used to join us at Breakfast, so we just left Rosie and Tom munching and chatting at the breakfast table. They never really noticed our “goodbyes”. Our kids regarded the chalet as "home" and didn't feel abandoned. This is far preferable to trekking off to another chalet with hats, boots, gloves, teddy bear, whatever: a whole host of stuff to get lost.
2. The chalet is right by the the slopes so you can whiz in and out easily. Ski Esprit has some lovely chalets in Courchevel (Le Praz) but they all involve quite a trek to the lifts.
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John Lonergan, it was very rude of me not to say welcome to snowHeads in my earlier post!!
I would also suggest the Panda club in Argentiere. It didn't work for us as our children were older at this point, but I could see that it would be very effective for the younger children and those thinking about starting skiing. They would give your daughter a taste if she was ready.
You may also wish to revisit this thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=2484&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc
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Re chalets - note that I mentioned we'd prefer to use self catering apartments to keep the cost down.
Don't companies like Ski Esprit concentrate on Catered Chalets?
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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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| On Mon Oct 31, 2005 at 12:55 am John Lonergan wrote: |
Trying to organise a holiday for my family (and some friends).
I have a daughter who will be 4 in Feb 2006 and we're hoping to find an apartment for a week during the UK school holiday Christmas/Newyear 2005/2006.
However the main controlling factor is whether we can find a good English speaking creche for our daughter who will be 3 years 11 months around Christmas.
Would be nice too if there was an option for her to try skiing - but I don't want to presurise her so thats not the main concern.
Can anyone provide some advice on child care facilities in various resorts that would suit?
(fyi We used snowkidz creche in Les Gets a couple of years ago and were very pleased - but would like to try some other resort this time.) |
I see no reference to "using self catering apartments to keep the cost down". The use of the term "apartment" is ambiguous, and easy to mistake for accomodation in general.
(That nice Ray Zorro is much more diplomatic than I, and not nearly so pedantic).
John, my opinion on creches is well known. If part of the holiday "home", then OK. But if the creche involves a trek to another strange building full of strange kids (probably all talking a strange language), then not OK.
If you are trying to keep the costs down and go self-catering, then why not go self-childcare as well?
Back in '94 we stopped using Creches and went out with friends - another family with similar aged kids - and shared the childcare. The result was less skiing, but a lot happier kids making for a lot happier time all round.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Nice impression John must be getting about the forum. Forget about whether appartment is ambiguous or alternative parenting advice, anyone know a good English-speaking creche in pds?
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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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SkiEsprit at £900 per person to go with them is rather more than I hoped to pay.
Any other options folk?
There must be some good experiences?
We stayed in Les Gets a couple of years ago and Snowkidz were English and were great.
Must be some other reasonable independent child care facilities?
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One alternative frinds of ours have used in the past (3yrs ago) is to bag a 'spare' space in a UK operators creche. It's gotta be worth a few phone calls to Espirit etc etc. One operator charged them less than the price in the brochure as the creche was under occupancy anyway and they helped to fill it!
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You know it makes sense.
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John Lonergan, no experience of the creche facilities but I've stayed in the Crystal Family Hotel in Belle Plagne (the Turquoise). All British staff so no language problems for the sprogs. It is right on a couple of blue pistes so easy to get back to pick up your daughter. You might be able to find a self catering nearby (BP is mainly 3/4 storey apartment blocks) then you might be able to buy untaken space (if any) in the hotel's creche.... 2 'mights' I'm afraid. And you could get into a chicken and egg situation.
At least BP is fairly snowsure for Xmas / New Year being at 2000m and if you can fly to Chambery or snowtrain to Moutiers the transfers are quite short. HTH.
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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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John Lonergan (and TwistBarbie), sorry, I was a bit stern and petty. (is pds paradiski or portes du soleil?).
Vaujany is meant to have good child care arrangements. Some comments here and here.
We went to Vujanay some years back and stayed with Ski Peak in the hotel Rissiou. It was very child friendly then with gamesroom for the kids. I note the gamesroom is not mentioned in the recent hotel write-up. We didn't use any of the childcare arrangements as our two were skiing all day by then, but comments from guests suggested they were happy with the set-up. The creche was on the way to the lifts, so most convenient for start and end of the day.
(can I come out of the corner now?)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hello John - if you're planning a DIY holiday then consider St Francois Longchamp - they have a nice little nursery/creche and if you choose your [ self catering ] accommodation carefully then the nursery is only a couple of minutes walk, at the foot of the slopes. We drove there so not sure how easy access is if you intend to fly.
Taking Jonpim's view, next year we're trying a Thomson (yes, a package deal - the first in several years!) chalet hotel in Alpe d'Huez with on site creche run by 'qualified' British nannies. Could be worth looking at although for xmas/new year may be booked up ?
Wouldn't hold out too much hope on finding a 'spare operator space' at that time of year too.
Or if you can go at a less busy time then I've heared very good things about the Esprit hotel Alpin in Scheffau, Austria - there were some good free/reduced kids deals for January when I was looking a few months back.
Hope you find something suitable.
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FAQ
I guess we didn't read your post well enough. 
