Mumsnet Talk

I am interested to know how often/how long other families get to ski each year. I would class myself as an enthusiastic skier, and would love to take us all away for a few weeks per season (if money allowed) but I can't get all the winter school holidays off(and never christmas, because of work rotas etc).
So at the moment we are taking them out of school for 1 week before half term, but i am wondering whether to take them away the last week before christmas, as they don't do much at school then anyway (on my observations this year), and then maybe a week at easter.

DD is 5 and Dts start school next year.

We go one week per year as a family, last 3 years it's been a week at the beginning of April. The kids have to ski as part of school in UK equivalent of Years 6 or 7, so when thye pass through those years, they get a 10 day trip with school. We've also paid for them sometimes to do school holiday trips with youth groups which are great value at around 500 euro for the week. So we all go once, some go twice. This year I'm sneaking off for a few days with our eldest to ski the Chamonix valley, all I pay for is ski pass and boot hire, so it's me going twice this year. Skiing is just so expensive, we couldn't afford more than one annual family trip, we do everything dead cheap, still works out 300ish per head before ski school.

It frequently goes through my head that we should go for redundancy, take the money and buy a chalet in the Alps and run it as a business.

thank you for your reply. mine aren't old enough for ski trips with school - would i try and go away at the same time? i ask myself - probably would try if they all went!
we don't go away in summer really - camping in wales in the holidays - so i don't mind 2 weeks sking if we could fit it in, but it may be me and DH have to consider trips separately or leave kids with gps (which would be controversial for all except GPs i think!).
or that last week in december - i am sorely tempted for this year, but i doubt it will be cheap.

you do know a lot about ski holidays though - you would make a great advisory service/TO. I'd book with your recommendations!
ps chalet holidays are hard to make money on i think.

we took our DD 7 out of school for the last week before Christmas to go to Chamrousse in the French Alps. Self drive and loads of snow- she didn;t miss much at school and learnt a new skill. This week is very cheap as few want to go away then, but the resorts are newly open, equipment newly serviced and her ski group had 6 children and 2 instructors who were as keen as mustard...we are going the same week later this year. Went with Erna Low self catering.

My inlaws live in Morzine so we are so, so fortunate to be able to stay with them frequently.

We go a couple of times, but we don't pay for accommodation, so it's cheaper and flexible -e.g we go thursday-tuesday, for example, and the flights are cheaper. We've just done 6 days together, probably will do another week at Easter and maybe a weekend just adults!

i rather fancy a thursday-tuesday thing, i guess if you don't pay for accomodation then you can be flexible (i think that's where the difficult point is for most skiers).
tiredmama, i first thought you were lucky to have in-laws in the mountains, but i guess every time you go you are expected to ski, and you can't do much else in winter up there, so no wonder you are a bit fed up of skiing with them.
i think i am going to try and sweet talk DH into december trip - he might just be persuaded. i rather fancy chamrousse, it's supposed to be very kiddie friendly isn't it?

We normally do one two week trip a year, but this time doing 2 separate long weeks, so slightly more. Once dh and older dc fitted in an extra weekend.

Dh leave and school holidays are our limiting factor.

which 2 weeks did you take when you took them together? and where did you go? i am planning a long trip to canada for my 40th (a few years away) when the kids are bigger and the thought of the flight doesn't make me cry.

Normally school Easter holidays or last week of term and first week of holidays if Easter is late. We go to Canada - Big White, Silver Star and Banff - usually do two places in a fortnight.

We did one week in France (ST Foy) and managed a few times in Scotland as we are only an hour or so away from the slopes.We are going to France next weekend.

Last couple of years it's just been a Mon-Fri trip before Christmas. We were due to go Sat-Wed before Christmas this time.........sadly the snow at Heathrow put paid to that.

chamrousse was great for our group 2X7yr olds and 1X9 year old- loads of green and blues and great instructors too.
We went Sat-Sat and our friends Mon-Mon

who did you go with? where did you stay? did you get a pool? cheers

I assume you mean sunnylabsmum?

Went with Erna Low to Ecrin des Neiges and there was an indoor pool but we didn;t use it as so busy skiing- hope this helps. We had the apartment for 6 as I hate the idea of people having to sleep in the lounge- had a separate double bed room and another room with bunk beds- very spacious with a balcony and good views. Could ski almost to the door once we worked out where on the piste to stop and DD managed this also on day 2!!

It looks very nice at Ecrins des Neiges, fancy there myself
www.soleilvacances.com/lecrin-des-neiges-chamrouss e

or this residence Domaine de l'Arselle with an OUTDOOR pool, buildings look strangely similar to the other one

www.mvacances.com/fr/location-vacances/vacances-mo ntagne-1/le-domaine-de-l-arselle-172.html

our friends stayed at de l'arselle and they were in one of the buildings right oppostite the bottom of the slopes at 1700. This consists of I think 8 separate building spread out along the road- some nearer to the slopes than others. The Ecrin des neiges was 3 larger buildings and alongside a slope.Ski independence also goes to this resort and residences

2x to French Alps.
Jut been last week and already booked for 31st March at start of the Easter hols.

We are lucky in that we have a little house in S Alps. We try to go twice a year (usually just after Christmas and Easter). I don't like Feb half term - too busy. This year not sure what will happen at Easter as school holidays so late - start on 8th April! Don't want to take boys out of school as we will have additional childcare issues during holidays! Also we are moving house in June, so may need to store holidays and dosh!

I'd be out there all season if I could!

Once a year usually because of cost although this year we are going twice which DH would like to make a regular thing. We like to have a summer holiday too though so need to leave some budget for that!

Am so with you, I would love to ski as much as possible however as expecting DD2 in May, I seem to have completely done myself out of any skiing at all this season. Found that it was great to take parents along when we just had the one as they loved that they could spend time with the little one and we enjoyed the freedom to go and ski without worrying.
It is very expensive to go but when they are little at least you don't have to pay for ski passes. There are some great lesser known resorts that don't charge a premium and that are very child friendly like Pralognan, Chamrousse (as mentioned above) Notre Dame de Bellecombe etc - sorry worked for years in the French Alps so don't know as much about the other countries.

come up to scotland! the snow was fab last year and is good this season too. My neighbours with older kids go almost every weekend and last year DH skied right up to the last day of May. Its not as glamourous as the alps but the scenery is amazing.

which resorts do you reccommend for small children in scotland? i do rather fancy going, any ideas for hotels/b&Bs/yhas also?
cheers
(we're in manchester so it is feasible for us)

Aviemore is busy (not so bad if you have your own gear) but has lots of hotels etc, and other activities too (beautiful forest walks ). the nevis range near fort william has shorter queues, Glen Shee is good for beginners. The downside of Scottish skiing is strong winds which can close the tows. We usually go for the day so haven't tried out many hotels. the Macdonald resort has good leisure facilities (cinema pool soft play spa gym etc.) but some of the rooms are a bit basic. Check out footage on youtube or the webcams to see what the views are like.