To consider ski holidays outside of school holidays?

[oblada]

I'm sure it's been done to death but still... What do people think and do and spend? The prices are extortionate during holiday time and it would be our first ski holidays (I've skied as a child for many years but not in the last 15yrs and husband and kids have never been) so would prefer an easy 'package' sort of thing to make it more relaxing. Then once I know the scene I can try to save money by booking things separately and I'll do it during the 'proper' time then. I am French as well so scope to save up if I go with family, not well known places etc. How much do you spend on ski holidays? We have 3 kids 7, 4 and just under 2 at the time of the holiday I'm considering. I know the school shouldn't fine me as it would be 5 days and the threshold is 10. Also my middle one won't be in mandatory school yet (but she will be in school as summer born baby). Oldest will be Yr2.
Thoughts?

The school can fine you after 10 absences not days so 5 days takes you to that point due to morning and afternoon registrations

Are you sure it’s 10 days not 10 sessions which is 5 days?

It varies from local authority so check on the website for your LA what their policy is. In Cambridgeshire they fine after 6 sessions (so 3 days). If it’s the money itself you are concerned about - well it’ll be £120 which I’m sure you’ll more than save by going in term time. Or is it the ‘thought’ of getting a fine?

I'm planning on booking our first ski holiday this year. I'm hoping to spend between 3-4k for a family of five in school holiday time. How much is your budget? Have you actually priced it up in holiday time?

Btw I have no objections to missing school if the kids are already doing well, my family used to miss about 3 consecutive weeks a year to go on holiday and we have all done well academically.

Go at Easter and go high.

Waaaaaaaaay cheaper than Xmas or Feb HT.

Long days.

Sunshine.

Good time of year for kids to learn.

I'm hoping to spend between 3-4k for a family of five in school holiday time.

Where?! including everything, ski passes, ski school etc? That'll be a challenge, maybe Italy or Bulgaria self catering.

For my LA it's 10 days - 20 sessions - from the website. Of course the fine isn't an issue financially but yes I wouldn't like the 'thought' of it I suppose...
Furano - even at easter I find it v expensive - where do u go?
Livingthegoodlife - 3-4k all in incl spending money would work. Preferably 3k. At the moment looking at flights + accommodation half board coming to about 2k during term time (4k during holidays)...

Currently looking at Bulgaria as an option...

If you're going to go at Easter you need to go high, and even then you're not guaranteed snow.

I would go over Christmas or February and go to a high resort somewhere. Lower resorts are cheaper for a reason - you're not guaranteed good snow coverage and nobody wants to ski on muddy slush.

Do it. We always take our kids out to go skiing. It's not just the cost though for us, we prefer to avoid the french school holidays as we hate how busy the resorts are then.

We're in Scotland though so no fines.

How high do people go? I'm not v clued up on it as although I used to go every year as a child in France we went to low resorts as my parents liked to do the 'boring kind of skying' (cross country) so i used to be on my own on the slopes :)

I would go over Christmas or February and go to a high resort somewhere. Lower resorts are cheaper for a reason - you're not guaranteed good snow coverage and nobody wants to ski on muddy slush.

Christmas is a MUCH more risky time to go for snow cover than Easter!

Places like Val T have their pistes open until May usually.

Do it. We go every year in late Feb/early March and take DS out of school (he's Y2). This year was the first time we got fined, and it was still cheaper than going during school hols.
We always go all-in-one with Esprit, have been to France and Austria.

It depends on where you go surely? I've never had issues with snow over Christmas but every time we've gone at Easter at least half of the lower slopes have been closed due to lack snow.

We've just come back from a week's ski holiday in Les Arcs (1950). The total cost was £3k all in, so including self catering 2 bed apartment, flights, hire car, lift passes, ski hire, ski school and food / drinks for the week. I would thoroughly recommend Easter skiing - this is the second time we've skied at Easter and have found it much quieter and cheaper than half term plus you get lovely sunshine and still plenty of snow if you go high enough.

Allchildrengrowup - where did u book from? Looking at Crystal ski. The esprit website is too confusing for me :)

I am not keen on Easter skiing, too likely to be icy in the morning and slushy when the sun gets gets going, but you can be lucky,

When the DGCs were younger we took them out of school to ski. DH was then a headteacher himself, but different area, different term times and our accompanying pals included another HT and an Ofsted inpector, kids were in French ski school al day including lunch time, and we justified it as educational, no objection from the school.

Now they are older, we would not do this, but it did strike me as ironic that the school ski trip, which they went on and loved, was entirely in term time in January. Naturally the school described it as a "learning experience" not a holiday .