Please help Avoriaz or Les Gets with 5 year old

[madmax11]

Hi first time taking dd skiing next winter (early I know but if I don't book I'll chicken out of it!!) Have found lovely ground floor of a chalet in Les Gets for our party of 4 adults (2 couples) and dd but ESF the only ski school that really suits our needs morning lessons and possibly lunch but they don't seem to get good reviews. Have looked at Avoriaz and school des enfants offer the same but I'm finding it hard to find a good 2/3 bedroom chalet or apartment in Avoriaz. Can't seem to get best of both worlds. Has anyone used ESF or village des enfants recently and used them over lunch and can anyone recommend accomm in Avoriaz suitable for 2 couples and a child other than the normal 1 bedroom, bunk bed in an alcove and sofa beds. Sorry a lot of questions but I just want to get things right ski school is the deciding factor if we book! Thanks in advance.

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

What about Les Gets, ESI plus a part time nanny with Jack Frosts?

[ChalkyC]

We used a ski school called 360 degrees in Les Gets - really good (used by ski famille chalets so lots of English kids). Les gets is lovely and family friendly. I've not stayed in avoriaz but obviously it's a lot higher and more snow sure.

[waddleandtoddle]

I went to Avoriaz at the beginning of the year with 5yr old. Loved it. Ski in/ski out and no traffic as cars are banned. Villages Les Enfants is right in the centre of the resort and makes getting kids to ski school simple. There is also a centre parcs type pool if you want to skip skiing for the day. Wouldn't recommend Villages Les Enfants for lunch, particularly as it is so easy to get back to the park. There is also a 100% English ski school just round the corner, but I can't remember the name. Lots of children in Avoriaz. Try Airbnb for accommodation - we stayed in an apartment, but by staying with a local we got free passes for the lift up to Avoriaz and tips about short cuts so we avoided the £20 to get somewhere on a sledge. There is also a Club Med, but don't know your budget.

[madmax11]

Thanks for getting back to me with all your advice. If I can decide which ski school I prefer for my dd I can decide which town to stay in? So many different reviews for different schools!

[massistar]

I've been to both and loved them both. Avoriaz is great for kids because of the ski in/ski out, no cars and horses and carts etc. It also has a swimming pool and the beginners area is lovely. But it is primarily small apartments and we tend to go in a big group to a catered chalet so Les Gets is better for that. We used the Snow Institute Ski School in Les gets who were fantastic. Personally I wouldn't use ESF. Avoriaz Alpine Ski School are also very good. BASS always get great reviews but are eye wateringly expensive.

[juneau]

We used ESI in Les Gets when DS1 was 5 and it was excellent. He made really good progress and was very happy. We never liked ESF and when you consider that they choose their teachers by their ability to ski fast, rather than to teach or have any affinity with DC you can see why their instructors are so hit and miss!

Personally, I'd stay in Les Gets. Not only is the ESI good, but the village is much nicer. Avoriaz is your typical high altitude base without a lot of character, whereas Les Gets is a pretty mountain town with good amenities, supermarkets, lots of restaurants, etc. A much better choice with young DC.