Reccomendations for skiing 1st week in Jan 2011

[Willabywallaby]

Hi,

I've just started thinking about booking skiing next year. Had a lovely week in Les Gets with Ski Famille this March, but we are stuck with school holidays from September... .

I don't fancy half term (FIL always moans it's too busy so will never go then), and it's too long to wait til Easter.

We are lucky to have DS1 off until 10th of Jan 2011, so am looking at leaving 1st/2nd Jan 2011. I would do Ski Famille again, but they're booking long weeks to include New Years Eve at megabucks.

I've had a quick look at Ski Esprit Austria but would like smaller catered chalet with in house childcare for our 2 year old and suitable ski school for DS1 who will be skiing for the second time.

Any ideas?

Thanks

oh, and it will definitely be me, DH, 2DSs, MIL, FIL, and possibly another adult, so at least 3 rooms, one with interconnecting for DSs.

[greygirl]

i have no idea, i am sorry. i would try the usual suspects for a small chalet (they all have them) and see what you can find, maybe with a private nanny?

la rosiere also seems to have tonnes of family chalet compnaies, so you could goole that and see what you find.

[greygirl]

google, sorry.
also though, re-consider easter - it might be a bit of a way off but it will be warmer, cheaper and you can eat mountain chocolate without feeling too guilty!

[Willabywallaby]

But it's 3 months after January and I need an excuse to take the week off! Will google tbough, thanks.

[greygirl]

yes i understand the 'can't wait for your ski fix'. i would love to have a weekend in january, and 2 weeks in feb/march, but school terms are just not convienient!

so we are taking the last week in jan (which was fab this year) and i willtry and encourage everyone to consider going away again at easter (and obviously try and scrape the cash together some how!)

[Willabywallaby]

The ski fix is for DH and FIL, not me!

I just like to have regular holidays.

So are you going to La Rosiere in Jan?

[Willabywallaby]

Ski Esprit brochure arrived, but since I fancy Austria (we always go to France, FIL likes to drive if possible) there's not much on offer.

[Willabywallaby]

Any more recommendations?

[PatriciaHolm]

here?

Would have to share, but lovely resort with good skischool.

[Willabywallaby]

First glance looks good! Could possibly round up 20 people. DH is one of 5 children. Thanks

[Willabywallaby]

Just getting excited about Chalet Marigold and it was booked yesterday , but will look at their other chalets.

[Willabywallaby]

They have no chalets available that week and are doing the same as ski famille with a long week to include NYE .

Back to the drawing board........

[greygirl]

i am not going to la rosiere, i am going to puy st vincent with snowbizz (self catering flats but there is a catered option. i don't really like chalets myself but that is a whole other thread it would be cheaper than a chalet, and they can offer you flats close together i think).

lots of people rave about la rosiere as a family destination, which is why i suggested it.
austria is wonderful, i loved zell am see when i went, i am not sure about chalet availability though. have you thought about other options such as hotels? austria has some great small hotels.
or switzerland - verbier is a terrific resort if you don't mind the cost, there are loads of chalets there.

[Willabywallaby]

So we're now up to 7 adults, 2 children. Austria seems to be kinderhotels.... Although there is Mark Warner. Not v good at this holiday searching.

[orienteerer]

Does it have to be a chalet? The hotel option would give you loads more choice plus nice things like indoor pools & full scale childrens play areas.

[HopingForSnow]

VIP Ski have a flexible nanny service so you can choose your hours (for the occasinal lie in!) and plenty of chalets of different sizes (definitely go for a chalet for afternoon tea if nothing else!). See what offers are on just now as it is still early.

[Willabywallaby]

Have looked at VIP since have friends/family who go with them. Nanny would be cost effective with 2 but 5YO is £50 of brochure price and 2YO only £100!! Bit polypence I think. SIL thinks chalets are lovely but they went with the sister of the owner this season so got special treatment.

[natation]

Does it really really have to be a chalet with a nanny too?

We have been twice to this resort, Les Houches, last time booked through Peak Retreats, got to say this copany is fantastic and even if you don´t book with them, the website is great for jsut choosing a resort. In Les Houches all accommodation is either on the slopes or 2 minutes walk, the jardin des neiges is near, the gondola, the village creche which takes children from 18 months if they are not skiing and also older children if they are doing half-day skiing and half-day child care. Our own children spent the day at the creche outside the ski season, it was cheap and the children loved it there.
www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/les-houches.htm

[Willabywallaby]

Been spoilt with the in chalet nanny now, and for me it's the way to go. Or at least a creche in the building.

Put DS1 in a car to a creche when he was 18mnths old, it was heart breaking see ing his face crumple.

Just had a look at Ski Famille for 9/4/11 and it's £4000 for the 4 of us without travel/hire/lessons/passes etc.... I'm starting to think it's not worth it! Just have to break the news to DH now...

[natation]

www.peakretreats.co.uk/les-houches/mgm-apartments/le-hameau-de-pierre-blanche.htm

You don't necessarily have to drive to child care, a short walk is quite feasible. This place in Les Houches (not where we stayed) is a 2 minute walk on the same completely level street to the village creche. The jardin des neiges for the under 5s skiing is almost next door, except later on in season where you instead walk another 2 minutes to the Les Houches gondola and the 3 to 5s are bused a few minutes along the road where they take the cable car to the mountain top jardin des neiges.

This accommodation is so near to the gondola and creche and jardin des neiges, it's easy to ski in the morning, go home for lunch, have a swim in the pool, go back out in the afternoon. No car needed at all, unless you want to do a shop at the supermarket which is 2km away, even that is accessible by free bus.

Loads of other resorts similar to Les Houches which itself is great for flight connections to Geneve or even train.

[natation]

PS I have no idea where you are travelling from, but flights on 1st/2nd Jan to 8th/9th January from London Gatwick to Geneva are only £50 or less each at the moment X 9 = £450.

Accommodation for 4-6 at the cheaper apartments in Les Houches (Hauts de Chavants) is only £561 per apartment X 2 apartments = £1122.

A return transfer from Geneva to Les Houches for 9 would cost as little as ?39 (£33) each X 9 = £297.

450
1122
297 +


£1869 = flights, transfers, accommodation for 9 people first week of January

You can buy ski passes as family groups, can get the prices down to around ?120 (£100) per head for 6 days. For ski school, buy 60 days in advance and get 6 half days for a bit less than £110 per head. You can opt for a Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass for 500++ kms of skiing if you want, the kids and beginners would be happy with the immediate area.

But this is just one of many places you can ski in France for cheap, or Austria for that matter. It takes a bit of research, but cheap does not always mean crap, les Houches is walk-in-out skiing in many places, cheap lift passes, it's where the ski instructors from all over France do their refresher training, it's where the British junior ski team do their training too (god I hated that group, well their leader, so rude and kids pushed incredibly hard).

Good luck with your search, don't give up.

[Willabywallaby]

Thanks for all of that! We're close to bournemouth airport but ILs are close to Bristol so have done both. I do try to avoid Gatwick if possible. But FIL always keen to drive, he's got a 7 seater voyager that has done the trip a few too many times so DH is even thinking of doing a test drive of a newer one just for skiing!

I did look at peak retreats, but was put off by the non in house crèche. Not entirely happy with a village one. One on site would be as far as I would go from in house nanny.

What would be your suggestion for cheaper Austria?