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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Ski/snowy holidays

27 replies

Banrion · 09/09/2023 10:50

Hi my kids and I have never done a ski holiday before. They're 8 and 11. I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for somewhere that isn't too far from the airport and has fun things to do other than skiing. I'd like it to be easy as it's just me and the kids. My DH passed away during the summer and I want to book a holiday for just after Christmas as something to look forward to after Christmas as obviously it'll be a tough one this year. I've looked at France and it definitely seems to have the fun stuff but seems to be very far from airports. And expensive. Someone recommended Solden to me. That seems to be easily accessible and a nice distance from the airport but I'm not seeing much fun stuff for kids there.
So if anyone had a resort they could recommend and even better the name of a hotel I'd appreciate it.

OP posts:
aSofaNearYou · 09/09/2023 11:02

Being honest, if you are skiing you won't really need other fun things to do. The skiing will take up all of your time, especially if you need to learn how!

MinnieMountain · 09/09/2023 11:10

You might be better off asking in the Ski topic on here OP. Or the Snowheads forum.

wobbleinprogress · 09/09/2023 11:15

We were in a similar position- we used Sno who were really helpful. It is very expensive but it was a good idea.

Original poster
Banrion · 09/09/2023 11:15

Oh god. I didn't know there was a ski topic. I'll have a look at snow heads forum too... thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Banrion · 09/09/2023 11:19

aSofaNearYou · 09/09/2023 11:02

Being honest, if you are skiing you won't really need other fun things to do. The skiing will take up all of your time, especially if you need to learn how!

I was thinking we won't want to ski every day... I'd like to do other things too. I know when people go on these holidays it's normally skiing every day but I was hoping for somewhere that might have other choices. I saw some places with tobogganing or carriage rides and thought it'd be nice to do things like that too. And maybe some shopping. Solden appealed because I thought we could spend a day in Innsbruck maybe.

OP posts:
Clymene · 09/09/2023 11:30

Skiing is expensive and time consuming. Hiring equipment, buying lift passes and booking lessons takes several hours and costs £££. Which is why most people go for a week and every day.

If you've never skied before it will take you a while to get it.

Ski resorts are full of ski bums and empty during the day so you might be better off basing yourself somewhere which isn't a ski resort and then travelling to one for the day?

I'm so sorry about your husband Flowers

Original poster
Banrion · 09/09/2023 11:33

Thank you for your condolences. And for your advice. I might look into a snowy place like innsbruck rather than a ski resort. I'll ask in the ski chat too just to see what they suggest. Thanks

OP posts:
TropicalTrama · 09/09/2023 11:47

So sorry for your loss x

I don’t think skiing is best done half heartedly tbh. It’s expensive, not just the holiday itself but the lift pass buying all the clothes and hiring the equipment. And it’s hard! As first timers you need a week with a daily lesson with kids in separate lessons to you, to make any progress. Then you’ll be pretty exhausted afterwards so maybe a swim is nice, but you’re really not going to want to do a lot. I would go skiing or not go skiing. Maybe try a lesson in one of the UK snow dome places to see if it might be for you then decide?

Original poster
Banrion · 09/09/2023 11:56

Thank you.
I didn't realise all that was involved evidently 🙂 I just wanted us to do something a little different over the Christmas holidays as a bit of a distraction. And I thought we'll go somewhere snowy and try a spot of skiing. I may need to rethink 🙂

OP posts:
Clymene · 09/09/2023 11:59

I have no idea about this company (I am a skier) but I think you want a snow holiday rather than a ski one: www.inntravel.co.uk/winter-snow-breaks

Clymene · 09/09/2023 12:02

www.inntravel.co.uk/winter-snow-breaks/austria/inntalerhof

This place seems to do what you want - indoor pool, tobogganing, snow shoe hiking, sleigh rides, cross country and downhill skiing. And not far from innsbruck.

LIZS · 09/09/2023 12:09

Try somewhere like Seefeld. Very pretty, close to Innsbruck, easy skying (beginners don't need vast pistes) and non ski activities including indoor/outdoor pool and cross country skiing. Even Solden would have space for tobogganing but is a bit more hard core skiing.

DibbleDooDah · 09/09/2023 13:35

I can HIGHLY recommend this trip. You can also ski in this area but there’s so much else to do to. All meals and activities included (drinks extra). It was one of our best ever family holidays.

https://www.canterburytravel.com/lapland-holidays/new-year-lapland-arctic-adventure/?tc=LAA7P-27-12-2024-MAN&fy=2024

Canterbury Travel do the Lapland Santa trips, but as it’s after Christmas there is no sign of the man in red.

Lapland Arctic Adventure | Canterbury Travel

Come on an amazing 6 nights Lapland Arctic Adventure with the Lapland experts - Canterbury Travel. Extended experiences - snowmobiles, reindeer & husky safari, snowshoeing and much more. Want to know more?

https://www.canterburytravel.com/lapland-holidays/new-year-lapland-arctic-adventure/?tc=LAA7P-27-12-2024-MAN&fy=2024

PuttingDownRoots · 09/09/2023 13:43

Unless you book private lessons, ski school tends to be set hours every day.

Saying that, if you are all novices you might not be able to practice between lessons so other stuff might be necessary anyway!

Ski resorts also tend be a long way from airports due to mountains (skiing is limited at Christmas due to snow fall, so its higher up resorts only).

Maybe look at Scandinavia instead and try nordic skiing?

MinnieMountain · 09/09/2023 13:47

Have a look at UCPA family weeks. They’re based in hostels in France.

Setyoufree · 09/09/2023 13:56

I'm sorry for your loss :( an activity type Christmas is a great idea. If you're skiing, you'll be in ski school all day all week anyway, but maybe a hotel with a pool so that you've got fun stuff to do outside of skiing? Some resorts will have things like sleigh rides and snow shoe trips etc? Check out Austria, somewhere like Kaprun or Obertauren might be good?

3WildOnes · 09/09/2023 13:56

I wouldn't advise just turning up and having a go at skiing. I think you would all end up very frustrated. You really need to book on ski lessons which are usually for 3hrs every morning. You would then usually stop for lunch and then ski together as a family in the afternoon, practicing what you learnt in your lessons.
You couod look at hiring a private ski instructor to teach you all as a group for a couple of days but I think you would be looking at paying £400 per day for a private instructor.

moresleepthanks · 09/09/2023 14:12

Ski is very full on and exhausting.
DH didn't get on with it at all, I did a bit better than him but not great. DC loved it.

But it is exhausting, all we could really do was eat and flop into a pool afterwards.
Also it wasn't a family break because DC are off doing their child lessons and adult lessons were in a different place/time.
Also the cost of ski gear is quite high for a one off trip.

Now only dc ski and we adults do other winter things. Also dc are slightly less exhausted at the end of day as they have learned to ski. They still complain a little about the pain but they expect it now.

I think a Nordic activity trip is a good idea.

Silkiebunny · 10/09/2023 11:54

So sorry for your loss.

I have been skiing with no previous knowledge and kids the same and DH an experienced skiier. You really would need lessons and have to hire equipment. I didn't enjoy it that much. There's a lot of getting it wrong before you get it right so if you are going through a challenging period I am not sure its the best choice.

We had a wonderful Christmas trip to Lapland one day for 3 nights (or maybe 4) that was really good and a package and included husky sledging, Christmas meal with fireworks and santa and reindeer, reindeer sledging, snowmobiles, crossing artic circle and at hotel we had swimming pool with jacuzzi etc. That was amazing. We did a package. Very easy and all loved it.

We have been to Hintertux in Austria flew to Innsbruck and stayed at the Kinderhotel which was great but we did have car hire from Innsbruck to Kinderhotel, after that just walk to cable car, can visit ice palace, little bit of skiing (though its not beginners), beautiful mountains, lovely food, was half board. There are lots of similar places in Austria that may be easier to get to.

Original poster
Banrion · 10/09/2023 14:15

Thanks so much to all of you. I should have mentioned the 4 of us actually did 2 nights in Lapland a year and a half ago. I wonder if there's post Christmas packages I'll look it up. I don't want to go away for Christmas as I think that might make everything feel so different. Plus we love Christmas eve and santa at home. But I'm just thinking something different for straight after so that if we all feel a bit rubbish we can be excited about the trip.
So I now realise we can't just go to a ski resort and dip in and out of lessons! I thought we could go somewhere snowy and that it would be similar to Lapland but cheaper but I've looked at a couple of places now and it's on a par or even more expensive. I'll look at some of your suggestions now. Thanks again.

OP posts:
Burnamer · 10/09/2023 14:20

Depending on where you live, could you try a taster ski lesson at one of the indoor places in England? Manchester, Castleford, Milton Keynes I think? There might be others.
Im an avid skier and agree that if you’re doing a ski holiday the majority of it will be taken up with skiing. Morzine is a good family resort with fun options but if you’re going to the expense of being in a ski resort and paying for lessons and kit hire, it makes sense to make the most of it.
Do you think your kids would enjoy learning to ski?

cheezncrackers · 10/09/2023 14:22

So I now realise we can't just go to a ski resort and dip in and out of lessons!

Well you can, it's just that you'll need to book private lessons if you want to do that. If you want to do ski school for yourself/kids then it will be six mornings/afternoons/full days. You don't have to turn up for every lesson, but if you don't then the rest of your group will progress and you may then feel out of your depth as they get more confident more quickly.

But you can go to a ski resort, rent equipment and book a ski lesson for a morning and see how you feel about doing more. The only issue is that going the week after Christmas it will be really busy and ski lessons get booked up in advance, so if you want to do them on a more ad hoc basis you might find that availability isn't great, but in a smaller resort that might be less of an issue. But the big French/Austrian resorts will definitely be busy that week.

cheezncrackers · 10/09/2023 14:25

There might be others.
Hemel Hempstead Snow Centre

Also there are dry slopes in lots of places and they're cheaper than indoor snow zones. You can rent equipment and book lessons at all of them and it will give you a chance to at least see how you feel on a pair of skis.