Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • Child friendly ski resorts in Europe
  • marcus
    Free Member

    Last time graced the slopes with my precence (ooh some 15 years ago), I judged the quality of resorts by the length of piste available quality of the bars, etc. How things have changed. Now looking to get back on the slopes for a trip over new year next winter (2014/2015)but with a 4 year old and 6 year old in tow. Looking for suggestions for a child friendly resort with plenty of ‘other’ activities for the kids and wife, who my not want to ski 10hrs a day, every day. Thoughts would be appeciated. Cheers

    mattjg
    Free Member

    Les Gets is popular for families.

    Don’t go to Chamonix unless you have a car, you’ll spend forever getting busses up and down the valley.

    Flaine’s good for all around skiing in basically a huge bowl but I bet a zombie zone for culture. I only ever went on day trips.

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    blurty
    Full Member

    It’s not cheap, but Val D’Isere was the best place for kids that I ever found. Plenty to do, lovely place (swimming, gear shopping, restaurants, sledging etc)

    I must also say though that, like you, I was worried the 1st time I took the kids etc. In the event they loved every minute of it. We were on one of the 1st lifts every day & were chased off by the Pisteurs every eve.

    Have a great trip!

    lucien
    Full Member

    Italy better than Franch IMO for kids – less strict and “let ’em die” – look at Bardonecchia, great resort, plenty of gentle skiing, nice town, short transfer.

    globalti
    Free Member

    For family fun you need a first-generation resort, which is an Alpine village that became a resort. The one we love is Megeve, which is only an hour from Geneva airport but is an exciting place for kids, on the slopes there’s lots organised and in the town there are all kinds of things to do as well as an excellent municipal swimming pool. Most of the area belongs to the Rothschild family so it’s carefully managed and it’s not a lager-lout resort. We’ve skied there twice or three times and liked it so much we even went back in summer, when it was also excellent.

    The skiing isn’t too bad either and there are some decent Selfs on the slopes for filling up with spaghetti:

    mattjg
    Free Member

    Megeve, good call.

    Ecky-Thump
    Free Member

    We much prefer Austria or Italy for Family ski trips.
    My recomendation would be Kronplatz. We must have been back there about 8 or 9 times now since the kids were little.
    Always well managed snow. Massive lift capacity (all very modern and seldom any queueing). Good food & drink. Good child freindly ski schools and facilities too.

    Ischgl would probably be a good all round choice too but I have no experience of the ski schools there.

    eskay
    Full Member

    Take a look at Levi in Finnish Lapland.

    Ro5ey
    Free Member

    Don’t forget is not so much where you go (although a skiing in/out location is much better) but WHEN you go.

    Little rippers get cold quick and learning to ski in the sun is much better than when it is actually snowing !!! So go towards the end of the season when the weather may well be kinder to you.

    crispo
    Free Member

    Wengen in Switzerland.

    Resort is car free, so nice and safe for little ones. There is nursery slopes in town plus some others higher up that you can get the train too. There’s an outdoor rink for ice skating and there is more sledging than you could do in a week!

    Lots of nice cruisey blues and reds for rebuilding confidence on.

    Not the most lively night life but a couple of après ski outdoor bars and loads of good mountain restaurants!

    surfer
    Free Member

    I would choose Austria as they tend to be more picturesque and less purpose built. Ellmau is nice

    Edukator
    Free Member

    I’m not sure what you’d do with kids in Ischgl, the pistes are up the hill. I’ll add Val d’Isère or Tignes to Megève as places with things to do other than ski.

    J-R
    Full Member

    We took our 4 and 6 year olds to Austria because they had all day ski schools, whereas in France the ski schools were only half day. Then poor mum is not very happy when you want to leave her with the kids every afternoon.

    We went to Saalbach for several years in a row when they were young but I am sure other Austrian resorts are similar from this perspective.

    howsyourdad1
    Free Member

    Sweden is fantastic for kids. Sällen or Hemsedal (strictly in Norway). They reall focus on children there but i would go in march if you can as it warms up then.

    Austria is my favourite ‘european’ county to snowboard in. Cheaper, much more relaxed, fantastic dirty food, endless snow. Try Obertaurn from Salzburg. I always avoid France now. too busy and expensive.

    shifter
    Free Member

    Wherever you go, pick digs near the slopes. You’ll be carrying lots of gear every morning so choose wisely!

    Markie
    Free Member

    Last season we went to Val d’Isere with two three year olds, a five (maybe he was four?) year old and a seven (perhaps six?) year old. It was fantastic!

    There is an amazing pool complex for when skiing is a bit much, easy strolling and a big ‘beginer kids’ area.

    Ace.

    captain-slow
    Free Member

    Check out La Rosiere in France. High enough to be snow sure, small enough not to have to worry about traipsing around and very focussed on families. Think we went there three times in all.

    Avoid Chamonix like the plague for families…

    globalti
    Free Member

    Yes La Rosiere is a nice little resort but an experienced skier will find it very limited.

    captain-slow
    Free Member

    Actually rereading original post la Rosie re would not have enough non skiing activities. Val d’isere would get my vote, but it won’t be cheap.

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Short transfer times FTW with kids…

    hammerite
    Free Member

    Will you be looking for any childcare while you are away? If so might be worth looking at some of the ski childcare companies… Ski Famille or the like. Never been away with anyone like that, but have used Crystal’s service in the past, would sometimes ski with Jnr in the afternoon, sometimes he’d be desperate to be collected by the staff so he could go snowballing/bum boarding with the other kids.

    Although we prefer Italy/Austria now, we really liked Alpe d’Huez for Jnr’s (and my) first ski holiday. Wide open green/blue runs close to town easy for first time skiers. Don’t underestimate how tired the kids may get, but, if they do want to go out and about you have an outdoor pool, ice rink, lots of shops and a pretty good leisure centre.

    buzz-lightyear
    Free Member
    lorax
    Full Member

    Hafjell in Norway is great for kids – very child-friendly, good ski school, and the right mix of slopes. It’s small, and the skiing is nothing compared to a big French resort, but we really like it. The food isn’t great, and the booze is eye-wateringly expensive, but our kids (now 10 and 12) love it and don’t want to go anywhere else.

    We stayed in a ski-in/out apartment last year which worked well, but next year we’re going to the Hafjell Hotel. They do a great full-board deal where kids go free for room and food, and they provide vouchers for lunch at the mountain restaurants.

    It’s a couple of hours drive from Oslo airport, or take a train to Lillehammer and a bus or taxi to Hafjell. We’ve stayed in Lillehammer in previous years, but now prefer to avoid the 15 minute drive in the morning and stay in Hafjell itself. The Hunderfossen winterpark across the valley is well worth an evening visit.

    bearGrease
    Full Member

    but I bet a zombie zone for culture

    Flaine does have a Picasso in the centre of the forum, along with other modernist pieces and the forum was designed by Breuer.

    I guess all depends on your definition of “culture”. Drunken Swedish girls in bars?

    OP: Flaine is a good place for kids. No slog to the slopes, nice and sunny and a large snow creche. It’s also a realistic sub one hour from Geneva.

    hammerite
    Free Member

    Alpe d’Huez also has the reputation of being incredibly sunny as most slopes are south facing – good for deep midwinter, not so great if you’re planning to go in April.

Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)

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