To book a ski resort holiday....even though I can't ski

[threesecrets]

And basically because I want to get the atmosphere, take a toboggan and enjoy the snow with my DD? I am genuinely considering booking a ski resort for 4-7 days as a winter break. I can get half board for £650 which seems pretty reasonable to me!

Sounds good to me. I once went on a ski holiday with ten friends and only four of us went skiing.

I’ve done it. Tried skiing with the family and I decided I hated it. So every year I would go with, but enjoy alternate activities while the crazy people slid down a mountain

Aldi have their ski event on. My DCs went skiing with school and Aldi & TK Max ski clothing & goggles were recommended for quality & price.

Just for info: salopettes are traditionally high waisted with braces. Ski trousers have a normal or slightly higher back to ensure a snug fit. There is a difference if you go and buy them.

I ski but haven't been able to several years, and go anyway. It's fine. The only thing I'd recommend is to pick a larger, older or lower resort - so Avoriaz, for example, is a big modern French resort, loads to do (I've been there as a non skier) but make sure you stay in the main village not one of the offshoots, or you might be a bit stuck. Zermatt in Switzerland (expensive though!) is a beautiful traditional village, worth a visit any time of year. Villars, Gstaad, Leysin similarly (less expensive, still Swiss prices). The Austrian ski areas above Innsbruck are charming and you can get down into the city on the train (another place I've been as a non skier).

Actually, if you can find somewhere with a train, that's a good sign for a non skier.

Few ski hotels do full board as they assume you'll be out for lunch. That's normal.

Salopettes (high waisted with shoulder straps) or a one piece are better for kids and sledging as you get less snow inside. Definitely buy or borrow proper warm waterproof gear (wash in waterproof stuff for anything second hand) or you'll both be miserable. Boots especially - do not use wellies! Take sand toys if your kid still enjoys them at the beach - they're great in snow but resorts never sell them. You can rent sledges and all ski gear, including helmets.

We did a ski holiday earlier this year and just learned to ski in this country by taking lessons at indoor snow slopes. Having lessons when you get there is also an option.

Having said that, I'm sure you can enjoy yourself just going for nice walks, sledging, frozen lake skating and taking in the scenery. You can also do cross country skiing as an alternative to walking around.

To be honest, tobogganing (i.e on a toboggan run, rather than just messing around with a sledge) is one of the scariest things I've ever done! You'll be far safer on skis!

Definitely not at all unreasonable to book a holiday in a ski resort though, it's fab.

We did this last year. Never skied before but our mate could get us free accommodation at a resort so we went for it. We only did three days skiing as that was enough. We didn't bother with lessons, just sort of made it up and it was fun. I could go down a red run by the third day.

I’ve skiied in Courmayeur with my folks for about 20 years. My Dad and I would ski early in the morning and finish in time to meet my Mum for lunch. My Mum can’t ski but we had such a lovely time when I was little playing in the snow and pottering around the town together; they’re some of my most cherished memories. It is a lovely, accessible resort with a top notch ski school and a really nice little fun park for tiny sprogs (with a travellator-style ramp, much less exhausting than side-stepping as I had to do when learning!). It’s definitely not a cheap option but it’s a wonderful place.

Yes go for it but defo research the resort first. Some are just set up for skiing and offer not much else, some are full of drunk uni students. I dont really have any suggestions because ive only been to the above resorts 🤣.

But you'd defo have a better time if you werent dealing with drunk students

Increasingly resorts have other facilities like pools, spa, cleared paths, ice skating, toboggan runs etc and have activities aimed at families and non skiers, a legacy of poor snow seasons. You can often book taster ski sessions with equipment included but do check availability for peak weeks like half term which can be manic for skischools. Seefeld in Austria is a pretty spot, close to Innsbruck, medium size. Zell am See is larger and has lakeside views near Salzburg but nursery slopes are higher up. Both good for non skiers. Saas fee in Switzerland is traffic free and has a mountain specifically for non skiing activities as well as extensive nursery slopes.