 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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go january, that s cheapest. driving and s/c cuts the cost down a bit.
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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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one crucial question - when? If you avoid the school holidays (and go in around mid January or late March) you can find some good deals.
Your kids and wife are best in lessons all week, even if they've had a few lessons here (and lessons are a lot cheaper in resort than they are in the UK snowdomes, if budget is a key issue).
3 is very young for "proper" learning. 5 is much more likely to be able to control speed on green or gentle blue slopes by the end of a week's tuition. (I have recent experience of this, having just come to the end of a big family holiday, for 28 people which included total beginners aged 3, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 9, 15 and 21).
It's hard work if you have to get them all to and from their ski lessons yourself. And you won't be able to manage 3 beginners on a chairlift, on your own. Our 3 and 4 year olds all got up chairlifts but 1:1 with very competent adult skiers. The littlest one, just 3, had a father who could ski backwards in front of her, ski instructor style, helping her with her snowplough by holding the front of the skis. Might be best for you all to sign up for lessons which begin and end in the same place. Logistically simpler than worrying about whether you'll get back in time, in an unfamiliar resort. But if you're looking for "cheap" you won't be looking to pay for the sort of package where somebody else does all that stuff for you.
It's enormous fun, and very rewarding. Just don't expect to spend much time skiing yourself.  I skied for two hours last week.
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Avoid school holidays. Pick a smaller resort with a cheaper pass. Self-cater. Less well-known places in France like the Maurienne are cheaper than (eg) Val d'Isere. Some resorts do good ski pass deals if you book accommodation via the tourist office. The 3 year-old may be too young for instruction and just need childcare, so bear that in mind. Maybe treat it as a holiday with skiing rather than a full-on ski trip. Hope that helps.
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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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agree with Pam,
just back from Chamrousse (above Grenoble) - drove / s/c - very cheap - lovely beginner resort and some nice runs for the better skier...
I spent the week with my godson (11) on greens / blues and we had a great time...
friends on the trip with their twin 2.5 yr olds found it more challenging - there was no creche where we were, they were too young (3 is okay) for the little nursery group and def. need 1:1 or even 1:2 with competent skiers to do lifts and main slopes - which we did, but we had a lot of very experienced skiers in the group, and the other two children were okay and old enough to do lifts...
but I would totally start them at that age, as long as you don't expect too much from the 3 year old - 5 year old should have great fun...
I would also consider going later in the season (i.e. the late march option) as cold is a big issue for little children and warmer weather makes it much easier
Alasdair
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Matt76, as others have said when? The cheapest week with somebody like Esprit is the week before chrsitmas (15th Dec) in Ferme d'Elisa Chalets (I think that is £1313.40). However this is based on a quick flick through their brochure so I could have made a mistake!!!
They are particuarly good for young children as they have spritelets classes for 3 & 4 yr olds (my eldest did that when she was 4) and my youngest is booked in next week (she is 3). They have kids clubs for the other half a day which my eldest loved last time. For the 5yr old they do Sprites which my 6yr old is booked into for next week.
It is worth bearing in mind you aren't "that early". I booked next weeks holiday in May. I was going to book that week before chrsitmas but had left the best value options too late and what I was hoping to book was already booked - which is why I ended up booking next week (the other end of the season). Oh and I booked next years holiday (flying out 13th April) back in January (I spotted a particuarly good deal for Easter school hols with Mark Warner so I booked it before they realised it WAS a school holiday week and put the price up - which they have)
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The strong euro makes cheap skiing very difficult at the moment.
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thanks for the tips... i was thinking jan or march,
Ideally Les gets/morzine as i know this area well.
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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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| Quote: |
i was thinking jan or march,
Ideally Les gets/morzine as i know this area well.
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Knowing the area will certainly help and there are some very good ski schools in that area, and plenty of SHs with local knowledge who can come up with recommendations. Not the cheapest area, but your family would only need Les Gets passes and you can find some good value accommodation outside holiday periods. I just did a big family holiday - first week of April - and the warmer temperatures made a huge difference. No need to get the kids too bundled up, they could play outside in the snow for hours, and there was oodles of snow. But you can't rely absolutely on that, late in the season.
French school hols end 16 March next year - personally I'd go for one of the following two weeks. Can't advise on good timing for other countries.
We had to do school hols this year - two teachers in the party, as well as a load of school children.
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Matt76,
I've suggested in other threads, St. Jean D'Aulps. A short 7km from Morzine. Book in the La Grand Terche section, plenty of s/c apartments within 100 yards of the Gondola (it is uphill, but little kids could walk it if parents carried the ski's, but also you can leave your ski's at one of the rental places overnight, so you can walk in normal shoes). All the skiing starts after the upload, it's red run back down, there is only one, but you can also download.
For a comfortable apartment for 4 people, outside of school holidays, expect to pay 350-500 euro. One of the apartment complexes has it's own indoor swimming pool. For the larger apartments, where we had 8 people in there, we paid 800 per week during school holidays, with a swimming pool, the kids loved it! (I found rentals on the mediahols web site). Ski school was a bit less than 100 for the week, 3 options to rent gear at the base of the Gondola, also slightly cheaper than Les Gets, ski passes for the family will also save you approximately another 100 for the week compared to Morzine or Les Gets. There is one small supermarket at the base of the Gondola, but I went down the hill (about a 10 minute drive) to a very large Carrefour to do a big shop. We also came back to the apartment every day for lunch, had hot chocolates and crepes on the mountain, the kids which were older than yours, they went swimming at lunch as well, then skied the afternoon being the last ones off the mountain. (and they still had energy over!)
Though not a big place, plenty of mountain to keep you all entertained for a week. A couple years back, 4 of us skied, with rentals, lessons for the kids, + accommodations for 1000 EUR for the week, during school holidays. Outside school holidays, you could do it even cheaper. We drove our own car there.
Just wanted to add, from the top of the mountain, there are fabulous views of Lake Geneva. Some of the best scenery to date even after Megeve on a bluebird day with Mt. Blanc in the background...
Also consider the Combloux area connected to Megeve, very kid friendly and there is a small selection of s/c apartments next to the ski school. I haven't stayed there, I've skied there though.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you book les Gets, give the tourist office a call to get accommodation and passes together. They did us very cheap ski passes last week, but don't necessarily promote the fact. La Turche may be cheaper, but there's not much there after the lifts close. I'd agree with Pam on the timing. Warmer is better for small kids, but April is a gamble.
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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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Matt depending on the resort you choose it is unlikely you will have t take the kids on a chairlift to meet their ski group...would kind of be a bit weird to make a complete beginner to that. My son (now  started aged 6 learning with ESF and despite everything you may hear to the contrary they are very good and by fat the best value, they do mixed language classes. They usually have a drop off point at the bottom of any lift. The esf also run the piou piou club for little ones like your 3 year old, they are great with them, basically it is a nursery with a snow garden and they get to learn to wear boots and skis!. Get your wife into all day ski school and you will I promise get time to ski. PM me if you like, I've done it as a single parent so dont be put off. Les Gets in FRance is a very familiy friendly resort and if you go cheap season wont break the bank. Try chaletsdirect solutions room to get a bargain and fly with a cheap airline. Sorted!
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| Quote: |
4 of us skied, with rentals, lessons for the kids, + accommodations for 1000 EUR for the week, during school holidays
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including lift passes too? that would be an excellent deal..
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You know it makes sense.
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| boardiac wrote: |
| Quote: |
4 of us skied, with rentals, lessons for the kids, + accommodations for 1000 EUR for the week, during school holidays
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including lift passes too? that would be an excellent deal.. |
Yes, including lift passes, that was also about 100 euro p.p.w. with a 'family pass'. It isn't as much as a good deal, those are the prices in the some of the smaller resorts. They don't have the name, the real estate is cheaper. No much apres-ski... but we were talking about family places, right?
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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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HeidiAmsterdam,
So about 350 for the apartment, 400 for 4 x lift passes and 200ish for 2 X ski school?
I can see 2 x kids ski/boot hire online is about 75.
This is sounding attractive.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| musher wrote: |
HeidiAmsterdam,
So about 350 for the apartment, 400 for 4 x lift passes and 200ish for 2 X ski school?
I can see 2 x kids ski/boot hire online is about 75.
This is sounding attractive. |
Yep, that's what I paid. We were in an apartment of 78 square meters and 3 bedrooms which we shared with another family. 7 people in total, a bit squished, but not too bad. The apartment complex had a swimming pool as well. It was an uphill walk of 5 minutes to the gondola, where we uploaded to the top, a red run down to the bottom. Close enough to eat lunch in the apartment.
The only thing is, there are only 2-3 black runs, and at a certain point, we just needed more challenges, and more km of pistes. A lot of the return guests, would ski at there, then a couple days at Morzine as that was only a 15 minute drive.
I think I found the place on mediahols or you can contact these people: http://alpeslocation.com/ I think I saw one apartment on owners direct that bigger
http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/franceb/FR5766.htm
I wouldn't pay the listed price though, I'd offer them 600 GBP and they should be happy as clams.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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+1 for St Jean d'Aulps. One of our lads trip regulars has been there the last three half terms. Just works for beginners.
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