Val d'Isere for a new to skiing family?

[Skidoddle]

We have booked Val d'Isere for Easter to try out skiing with kids 4, 7 and 10. Having now spoken to others it seems most of the terrain is really tricky? We've also heard it will be heaving. Any tips for this resort or which ski school to book?

It is a tricky resort, mostly reds and not particularly nice ones.

However - I’d say it’s more of an issue for newish skiers than brand new because you won’t be quite off doing loads of independent runs yourselves I imagine. And there’s certainly lots of beginner slopes higher up and a gondola to take you back down.

Evolution2 are excellent in my experience and great with the kids. Take a look at their Mountain Academy if you want the kids to do activities in the afternoon - they’re lots of fun but a rest from skiing. (I booked it through a tour operator though so not 100% sure if it’s something you can book direct, but I imagine so).

Have a fantastic time.

If you are new to skiing you will surely be signed up for lessons. In which case your instructor will take you on runs suitable for your ability, or lack of!
However Val d’isere is an expensive resort, and attracts skiers who enjoy taxing runs. If it’s not too late, could you change to a cheaper resort more geared up for beginners?

oh, one big tip - the ski schools usually like sun cream in the kids’s bags and often bags don’t come back each evening (it varies) so you often need one bottle per child and one for the hotel/chalet. I’ve been caught out with this a couple of times.

@TrickyD We went for this one because we are skiing so late and this one seemed high enough to still have snow at Easter. I don't think we can change now so will just have to make the best of it. Any ideas on which ski school is best or how to choose one?

Basically if you are new to skiing even a snowdome is good enough,

All you need is a small area to practice in. You may if you are an aggressive learner get better and good enough to tackle some of the easier slopes by the time you get to the end. But for beginners practically anywhere will be OK.

For beginners therefore I would recommend somewhere cheap and cheerful. Not a place that boasts 400,000 miles of ski runs. High up is always good to make sure there is snow, but maybe not so good for standing around in the cold when you are learning (and when you learn there is a lot of standing around).

If you want to max out the value of your holiday I recommend a few lessons at a snow dome or a dry ski slope. I actually learnt to ski before I even tried on snow and the fact I could do a little bit beforehand helped me get max value out of my time in the resort.

There will be nursery slopes and beginner runs but the resort is more geared up to intermediate/advanced. Probably enough for a starter week and at altitude.

I just looked at Evolution2 and given the age range of your children I would give them a go. We have usually used ESF (Ecole de Ski Français) but they can be a bit hit and miss, especially with English speaking children.

Val d'Isere has made huge improvements to the area at the top of Solaise in the last few years. There are magic carpet lifts and a new rest area. Google Pim Pam & Poum (unlikely names for the lifts) and there are some You tube videos of the area. Have a great time. 😀