three valleys skiing & childcare

[lucy01]

We want to go to courcheval/meribel skiing in January but Crystal have suddenly decided not to do a kids club in Courcheval and I desparately need other options.

Have looked at Scott Dunn and the like but would prefer not to have to take out a second mortgage for a weeks skiing.

We have been with Mark Warner a couple of times before but I personally think they are over rated (childcare good but accomodation lousy, staff ok, etc) for what they charge.

Are looking at Simply Ski but has anyone been to the 3 valleys with a company with its own childcare - we have two girls (will be 23m & 4) and the eldest one needs ski school am/childcare pm.

Desparate to avoid going back to Val or La Plagne/Les Arcs. What to do some mileage and not have to worry about the kids - this is my holiday

have you thought about hiring a nanny out there? this is what we've done for the last few years and it's worked well for us. I can't remember the name of the companies we've used - there have been a few - but the nannies have all been qualified and experienced. They will do ski school drop off/pick ups etc.

Lucy - appreciate what you say about Mark Warner - but we went to Merribel/Mottaret with them last year - can't remember the name of the chalet hotel...but I really thought it was worth every penny. I think it's a realtively new hotel that they've over - complete ski-in ski out - so close in fact that you get people skiing past your balconys. Rooms not shabby and central areas - bar and restuarant better than I expected.

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alibubbles

went skiespirit last year to chamonix and it was so bad that I pulled the children out of the creche (found little one screaming all by herself, elder one got out of the hotel and they didn't know she was missing, general care awful (staff more in it for themselves), badly run chatel hotel with very little regard for health & safety

let this be a warning to people - the fire alarm went off one night (not a drill) and they were so disorganised. i had to go back in to get my children from the bedroom (they do room listening), no one knew who was responsible for this, told us to walk through the dining area (past the kitchen which would be your main source of fire in a non-smoking hotel), no check of how many children in and out and no co-ordination of meeting points. Luckily the fire was in the staff quarters as if it had been in the hotel god only knows what would have happened. I am still waiting to hear back from them over this and other issues. spoke to the resort manager the next day and she said "doesn't matter it wasn't a real fire in the hotel and we have learnt from this and are using it as a drill" !!!!!! from so called family specialists I would expect a fire drill to have been practised more than once before they open.

Thought of nannies but would quite like the children to be with others rather than just themselves (selfish of me I know as I want to ski not spend the whole holiday with them!)

Lucy - I know what you mean about the SkiEsprit place in Chamonix - we went 2 years ago and didn't rate it much at all. dd was only 6 months old at the time though and her childcare was OK but not great, i.e. they kept forgetting to give her her afternoon bottle, were crap about providing pureed food, etc. More disppointed by the state of the hotel to be honest. Rooms cramped and very shabby !

Hope you find what you're looking for.

Skibeat ? Think they go to meribel ? Going with them next year - first time with baby but childcare facilities look good.

skibeat

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We have had a fantastic time with Ski Esprit in La Rosiere for 2 years running.

We went with Neilson to Norway last year and were very impressed with the overall service of the staff - plan to book again with them this year. Geilo has a really sweet 'Troll Club' which was very high standard child care provided locally (fluent English) would highly recommend

We went to Courchevel (Le Praz) with Ski Esprit in March and had a great time. The accommodation wasn't particularly great - we were in a large chalet hotel and the rooms were quite small and the food was OKish - but we hadn't booked until about 6 weeks before hand so couldn't really complain. We were just chuffed we'd got somewhere in the 3 Valleys in March! I was very happy with the childcare DD received, she was in a small creche with about 5 other babies/toddlers and 2, sometimes 3 nannies or assistants. Other families we met were pleased with the tuition and care that 3+ age range had as well. We hadn't been on holiday with DD before and obviously concerned about childcare but she had a great time. I'd certainly recommend Ski Esprit from my experience. Would have gone next year but no 2 on the way in Feb!

alibubbles which one is he going to ?

bitten the bullet and taken out a small mortgage - have booked mark warner in january in val. not too expensive as have managed to get the kids accomodation & travel for free (yipee). know that won't have to worry about them and will pretty much be guaranteed snow (on my knees praying).

2 holidays booked now - going to la manga at half term. decided to just go for it and put it on husbands cc (tight git wouldn't agree to a holiday unless i did it this way!)

can't wait.

extra bonus - nanny has agreed to do a weekend so we may go sans kids in march

We went to Val with VIP ski last march. Be warned your 4-yr old may not take to ski school - ours hated it. It was too cold, there were too many of them, and they did not even take kids for a wee during morning so by lunchtime she was desperate! We pulled her out after first day. We then saw her group every single morning and there'd always be at least 2 of them howling!

Mind you, my husband and my best friend (fab skiers) both said they loathed and detested ski school as kids so maybe it is just a rite of passage? I was scared she'd be put off for life though. Will give it a miss this year and try again when she's 6.