Snow: Where to ski/snowboard with young kids this year? Any good chalets?

After a bit of humming and hawing we’ve decided that we should try and go on a ski/snowboard holiday this year with a few mates and our two kids (who will be 3y10m and 8 months old).

The eldest went with us to the Dolomites last year and did private skiing lessons which she loved. She is very keen to go again.

We’ll take alternate days on the hill or looking after the baby – so we’ll need a nice kid-friendly chalet, ideally a short walk to town and the main resort.

Any recommendations for private chalets that might fit the bill before I default to Crystal/Inghams etc? (we’re late booking I know!)

Europe. Somewhere with an English speaking ski-school and those fun kiddy areas with moving carpets, inflatables, ski roundabouts etc. And hopefully some decent skiing/boarding for the grownups.

Alpe d’Huez was good last year with a 4 year old. Piou Piou has a tow rather than a carpet but they all seemed to cope with it. Quick transfer from Grenoble is a plus. Can’t recommend any chalets, sorry.

Cheers shifter.

She did manage a button tow up a green run at the end of the holiday last year with an adult helping her.

But no one going this year skis, so magic carpet would be better.

We went to Val D’Isere with 2 3.5 years olds early this year, and loved it. They were in lessons every morning and had a great time.

We were in a YSE chalet called Gnellets – going for a different one next year as head height was limited on the top floor!

http://www.yseski.co.uk/products/1375-9255/les-gnellets.php

As above, quick transfers are pretty much a must have with children!

So……Serre Che!

Bubble/cable transfer up to mid stations with magic carpets and great places for lunch (Such as Aravet and Serre Ratier). Short transfer from Turin, and some excellent food. Not a mad party town, but very small friendly village feel for everyone. Great playtime areas, with terrain parks, feature parks loads of great kiddy/beginner friendly cruisy groomers and some sublime treeline skiing as well. Or larking about on your poncy tea tray if you must! 😉

Ski school – http://ski-school-connections.co.uk/ I cannot recommend this lot highly enough. Davina and her little helpers are truly excellent.

Cheers Markie.

So……Serre Che!

How did I know you’d say that Flashy? Have you got shares? 😉

I’ll take a look though (I hope you realise you are staring at your own future here 🙂 )

If you fancy Val D’isere which I think is brilliant 🙂

Give http://www.simplyvaldisere.com/ a shout ask for Kim and say Baz sent you 🙂

Was there last week and it was amazing for early season.

I’d recommend http://www.chaletmorzine.com/ but I am not sure how much (if any) availability they have left this year – but they are perfectly set up for kids, even have a large garden on a slope for safe sledging for very little ‘uns.

Chalet Morzine looks excellent. They even have games roooms, toys and baby equipment. As well as a hot tub.

Sadly they are almost completely fully booked 🙁

Might be worth looking at Avoriaz? Everything on your door step once there including indoor pool etc. Not chalet accomodation though…

Indeed, Graham, and the future looks gooooood.

😀

No idea re chalets, to be honest, as we always stay at the Plein Sud. Lovely little hotel, a real family feel to it, and some truly epic food.

Sadly they are almost completely fully booked

Yeah, they have been almost fully booked for a while – still might be worth considering for next year/summer… 😉

Lovely couple too – she’s English, he’s a French ski instructor.

Ski Famille we’re using them for the fifth time this year. Excellent childcare, and good local slopes for your elder child. 360 ski school have been good for our eldest for the last two years.

Hi Graham – we may be able to do something for you in one of our Sainte Foy chalets. Magic carpets, kids’ club, etc. English speaking instructors and we have chalets right on the edge of the piste. Slopes are quiet, whih is great for kids. And the riding is awesome.

http://www.whiteroomchalet.com

Oh, another great thing about Val D’Isere when you’re there with he little ones – the Centre Aquasportif!

I think it was free once per day with your lift pass, and the kids loved it – we went there pretty much every afternoon!

There’s a ferocious current that sweeps round the figure 8 island on the right, and all sorts of bubbles and jets of water. Ace. There’s also little grotto with a slide where one can pretend to be a mermaid.

There’s a climbing wall in the same building, if there are any older kids with you – the 5 and 6 year old with us just loved the pool…

http://www.centre-aquasportif.com/espace_plage.php

stevomcd: hmmm.. kid’s club and potentially some backcountry… you’ve piqued my interest! Will check it out.

Markie: yeah that looks good.

I kinda wish I could take them out to Slovakia, but multiple flights and 3+ hour transfer would be a nightmare.

Shame, because the Tatralandia water park there[/url] is proper awesome!

Huge with 9 pools (indoor and out) and 5 water slides in winter.
Fully open in summer it has 14 pools and 21 water slides! 😯

A guy I worked with always went to Avoriaz with his kid. It’s still in the huge PdS ski area but you can ski right through the car free town so its easy to meet up. The pool there is ace, too. I prefer Morzine for a bit extra going on but you end up walking a lot and most places aren’t ski in/out. Short transfer, too

stevomcd – Member

Hi Graham – we may be able to do something for you in one of our Sainte Foy chalets. Magic carpets, kids’ club, etc. English speaking instructors and we have chalets right on the edge of the piste. Slopes are quiet, which is great for kids. And the riding is awesome.

http://www.whiteroomchalet.com

Ooooooh

I`ve always wanted to ride the legendary backcountry at Ste Foy, and trying to convince the Mrs that 20months and 3yrs 7 months is old enough for a first ski holiday….

That tow Graham:
[/url]
Towrope[/url] by woldspinner[/url], on Flickr

Appalling photography makes it look downhill 🙁

I`ve always wanted to ride the legendary backcountry at Ste Foy, and trying to convince the Mrs that 20months and 3yrs 7 months is old enough for a first ski holiday….

3 years 7 months is old enough for ski-school!

stevomcd – Member

3 years 7 months is old enough for ski-school!

LOL I know, but the Mrs is still not convinced 🙁

Fully open in summer it has 14 pools and 21 water slides!

3 years 7 months is old enough for ski-school!

LOL I know, but the Mrs is still not convinced [/quote]

3 years and 7 months (or maybe 8 months, in fairness, but if so then our friends’ daughter was 3 years and 4 months)…

As above, ski-school for them in the morning, then lunch, then an afternoon in the pool, great days.

I can vouch for Ski Famille, we went to Les Gets last 2 winters. The nannies are there 8.30 throuugh 4.30 and will take the kids off to ski school and pick them up again, give them lunch etc. then do activities in the afternoon if they want, or you can meet up with the kids and go skiing with them. Last winter just gone I credit them with me and the mrs getting 4 EPIC powder days in the PdS while they looked after our kids. Ready to get out riding at 9am with the kids already fed and off your hands? I wasn’t expecting that. Way more riding than I thought I’d get on a 1st and 2nd family snow holiday. They are better suited for younger families though so this year we’re going self catered.

English ski school a must too – 360 was good but value for money seemed a bit lacking in the early days – didn’t seem to be a lot of actual skiing going on – but they can both ski now so I guess their methods are valid.

http://www.inghams.co.uk/ski-holidays/ski-resorts/laplandfinland/levi/levi-cottages

Really nice here. They have ‘kid’s land’ area for the nippers to learn to ski. Laid back and friendly resort (no massive pistes though, all fairly low key).

We have stayed in the accommodation above a few times and they are well kitted out and pretty close to the main slopes.

given that there’s the odd plug going around, thought it worth mentioning a company i used to work for.

It’s basically a ski holiday search engine – plug in some details such as budget, number of people, location, what facilities you want etc into their form (just took me 2 mins to complete one to see how it’s all working at the mo), and chalets make you offers based upon that – saves searching through loads of sites, looking at chalets which don’t actually offer what you want. doesn’t give you all the big operators, but instead the local, smaller more personal ones.

MBA[/url]

as said, i did used to work for MBA but don’t any more. they’re a top bunch, and (while I’m meant to say it) the site works bloody brilliantly, IMO.

igm – Member
Ski Famille we’re using them for the fifth time this year. Excellent childcare, and good local slopes for your elder child. 360 ski school have been good for our eldest for the last two years.

Either Ski Famille or VIP Ski are both excellent. VIP is a bit pricier from memory but the quality of the chalet’s, the childcare etc make it a very easy holiday.

Les Gets is pretty good for families although a bit of a trek into town from a couple of Ski Famille’s chalets. Val d’Isere is another good option, but the transfer is long.

By the way vintagewino, you weren’t youngwino once upon a time over on the Burton forum were you?

I took my family kids 5 and 8 to avoriaz over easter , great ski area , esf were great and the pool was ace.

http://www.avoriaz.com/mountain-holidays/aquariaz-.php

Haha, busted. We are one and the same. Thought my alias needed to reflect the passing of time. Good to see you!

You too man! I am well and truly living the dream these days, or at least living the reality of the dream!

All the old Burton (drjcv, Dave99, suchick…) dudes are still around on some splinter forum they created after the old one got over-run by kiddies. I swing by about once a year to say hello.

I can recommend Pension Enzian in Saalbach. Very friendly privately owned chalet.

Reviews here

There are always a couple of families there and now Kevin and Sarah have their own kid too.
nice resort too.

Fully booked for next season though so might have to sort it out for the year after