Anyone done a summer alpine holiday??!

[kb101]

I am contemplating a summer holiday to the Alps with dh and 2ds (they will be 3 years, and 1 year).

Has anyone done one? Are they any good or will it be dire for the kids (and therefore all of us!)? We would get some form of childcare I think.

Thanks.

[LIZS]

We've done plenty, ds was a year on first one, but your kids are on the younger side to get the most from it. Where were you considering ?

[GrinningSoul]

i've never tried them but [.kinderhotels.co.uk/ these]] look tempting....

[GrinningSoul]

i mean this oops

[ConfusedMover]

I've been here www.galtenberg.at/en/hotel-galtenberg/hotel-galtenberg-sommer/ in the winter and I'm sure it would be a lovely summer destination. Just remember that you might not get 7 days of hot sunshine.

[debinaustria]

Summer holidays in the Alps are great , and you could get 7 days of hot sunshine, but in the mountains it is variable!

[kb101]

Thanks.

LIZS we were thinking of somewhere with shortest transfer time, so somewhere like Morzine, possibly.

In the winter the resorts are heaving with skiers, are they similarly busy in the summer or more like ghost towns?! So can't imagine a ski resort in the summer with mountain bikers coming down pistes instead of skiers!

[LIZS]

They're not as busy but the larger ones like Chamonix are still bustling, Morzine would be quieter. chsosoe somewhere where they have thinsg like summer toboggan runs, kids trails for walking paths, indoor pool (weather can be dicey or lovely), lots of mountain lifts or trains etc

[Elphaba]

I fancy Chamonix because my mum and dad have been there in the summer and it looks fabulous - ours are just a little too young yet to get properly walking though.

Pre-children we went to Obergurgl in Summer (Austria) - that was fabulous too and in a 10 day holiday we had blazing sunshine, spectacular thunderstorms and then woke up one morning to about 3 feet of snow - I kid you not!! It was brilliant!!

[AbbeyA]

Morzine was lovely-we went when youngest DS was 5yrs. We went in August and had good weather, they were able to go in the outdoor swimming pool every day. (some of the hotels had indoor pools)You can go up the mountain in a cable car.These resorts have to attract people in the summer and so have a range of activities.
I would also recommend the Italian Lakes-again we had brilliant weather and were in the outdoor pool every day. Swimming in the lake was a bit like being on the beach with lovely clear water(stony but can wear plastic shoes). We went to Riva del Garda and it was very family orientated-whole families with babies, toddlers, grannies etc out walking in the evening.We took in the outdoor trampolines every evening (very safe-ground level)and a great favoutire with DCs.

[LIZS]

Agree we've done Lake Lugano several times , lots to do with little ones in the area. Stayed here which is very family orientated but may be a bit germanic for your taste !

[IlanaK]

We have been in the autumn with Kinderhotels and are going back this spring. They have hotels all over Austria in the mountians and on lakes. It is wonderful! Their hotels lay everything on for kids, have spas for adults, loads of outdoor stuff to do.

As for transfer times, we flew last year to Klagenfurt (Ryan Air one penny flights) and the transfer to our hotel was about 20 minutes. This year we are flying to Salzburg(Ryan air again one penny flights) and the tranfer is 30 minutes.

I don't think you would get less than that!

[AbbeyA]

From Riva we got a boat across the lake and went up the mountain in a cable car. We alsowent to a very good water park with slides etc for all ages.

[ScienceTeacher]

When we've driven to the South of France, we've always come back via the Alps. Our routine is to spend a couple of days in the Italian Riviera and then head up to the Italian Alps past Turin and Aosta.

Courmayeur, on the Italian side of the Great St Bernard Tunnel, is gorgeous. It is very pretty and gentile. Through the tunnel is Chamonix, which has loads to do in the summer.

Last summer we spent 10 days in a ski resort in the USA (Vermont). It was wonderful. The children were all in their own clubs ('daycamp') and much of what they did involved climbing up and down the mountains, as well as the usual games and swimming.

[Lilymaid]

We have spent lovely summer holidays in Samoens (not far from Morzine but more scenic). It is around 1 hour from Geneva Airport and accessible by road by autoroute all the way from Calais until the last 20 miles into the valley. There are some fantastic places to stay there.

[jb3]

IlanaK I am really interested in going to one of these kinderhotels as they look fab in brochure but my main concern is that the kids activities and clubs will all be in german and I know from before the kids shy away from these clubs if no one can talk to them in english! what do you think?

[IlanaK]

Well, I have read that complaint on these boards from other people. OUr experience when we went last year was that the nanny in the kids club spoke very good english. Some, though not all, of the other families there also spoke english. However, we went totally off season so there were only a few other families there - most with very young children. The nanny was able to really concentrate on our boys (my oldest son was 6 and the oldest one there as germans/austrians would never take their kids out of school - ours are home educated).

I would guess that if you went in peak summer holidays and the majority of families there were german/austrian, then it may be an issue.

However, I have to say even so, it is one of the best holidays we have had (and we have travelled extensively) and we are so looking forward to going to a different one in May.

[LIZS]

Very likely the activities would be mainly in German tbh . There should be some English speakers among the staff but it won't be a dominant language

[ScienceTeacher]

If you are after a predominantly mountain holiday, rather than specifically European, I would urge you to price compare going to the US. Obviously you have the upfront cost of transatlantic flights (iro £500 per adult), but after that it is very reasonable for luxury, unbeatable children's programs and English speaking.

[trockodile]

IlanaK -which one did you go to? Which one are you planning to go to? (If you don't mind me asking). We are hoping to go to SportHotel, Achensee in May. Speak some German, and DS (nearly 3) is learning so don't mind the language thing. Anything we should know?

[IlanaK]

We went to the Sonnelino in Carinthea last time. Its a 4 smiley. This time we are going to www.kinderhotel-zurpost.at near Salzburg. Its a 5 smiley. Our criteria is that Ryan Air must do 1 penny flights to the nearest airport and that it has a short (30 minute or less) transfer time! We also wanted one on a lake. The Sonnelino was right on a large lake and had the most amazing view. The one we are going to this time is on a very small bathing lake but also looks picturesque.

If you speak some German, you will be fine. My husband speaks some too (though I don't speak a word of it) and they were so appreciative of english people actually trying.

No tips really as I think each hotel is different. It was just good fun. Oh wait - I would take plenty of English bokos to read. There was no-where to buy anything like that. In fact, on the day we left, I gave my enlish novels to another english couple that had just arrived and hadn't brought anything to read! We also took our portable dvd player - mostly for the kids, but it came in handy for us in the evenings as there were no english channels besides CNN. We are not night owls really so settled down to a film in the evening in our hotel room once the boys were in bed (I know some would say really boring, but we enjoyed it!).

[trockodile]

Thanks very much-hope you have a good time.

[sophy]

We go to the Austrian Alps every summer. Fabulous for kids, but weather can be a bit variable, especially second half of August.

[annasmami]

Has anyone been to the Kinderhotel Sporthotel Alpina in St Johann near Salzburg?

After fabulous holidays in other Kinderhotels - Hotel Alpenrose (Lermoos) and the Hotel Baer (Serfaus) - we were thinking of going trying out the Sporthotel Alpina this summer. Any experiences?

[ConfusedMover]

Can't help you with that one but can recommend the hotel we went to in February (this year) for skiing www.unterschwarzach.at/index.php?id=57&L=2 It's in Hinterglemm, had a major refit last year and we would definitley try to go in summer if we can.

[katwith3kittens]

Chamonix is lovely in the summer for little ones. Theres loads to do even if they are not up for huge hikes. There is a fab tree climbing thing close by which my two loved ( but they were 9 and 6 at the time !)