Esprit Ski Trip with 1 year old

[Juls]

We are about to go on a ski trip (Selva Val Gardena) with Esprit for the first time with dd. Have any of you been on an Esprit ski trip before? We'd be grateful if you can relate your experience.

We're planning on leaving dd at the in-house creche all day while we're skiing. How did your babies cope with it? Did Esprit's childcare meet your expectations?

Funnily enough we have just skied with Esprit over Christmas. We took dd1&2 and ds who was only 1. Ds went into the creche every day which he cried about as he has not been to nursery or anything. But I know that he was safe, warm, looked after and fed, and my advice is get on and enjoy your skiing.

There was one mum there who was having horrid time as dd was upset, but she was hanging around outside and everytime her dd calmed down she would go back in and the crying would be MUCH worse. If you have a mobile phone which is enabled for Europe leave the nannies in the creche your number and they will always call you if there is a problem.

Go and enjoy yourself - you deserve it!

We had a FAB experience with Espirt last year, and are going again with them in 5 weeks time (hurrah!)

Last year went to Austria (Kaprun) with the two DSs who were then 20 months and 4.5.
DS2 was in the creche all day and was absolutely fine. Yes, there were a few tears on the first couple of days, but that was normal at the time, and the staff were great and used to text me to let me know he'd settled OK.
The creche room itself was a bit pokey, but they took them out to the park/ for walks and also in the garden (we went in April, so it was mild in the valley). The staff had my utmost confidence and DS2 warmed to them rapidly. I think Esprit invest a lot of effort into recruiting the right staff with the right attitude, and it shows.

Don't worry, and have a great time!

Am currently thinking of booking one of these - Mo2 what was kaprun like? Where did you stay? It is worryingly low - do you get snow in the village?

CD, I'd have the same misgivings. We went there one year at end March and the village slopes were closed - limited to Glacier and upper slopes of Zell am See, resort runs were really patchy. My parents went in January a year or two later and also had no snow at village level and couldn't cross country ski at all. Probably ok if you go high season though.

Hmmm that rules that out then.

Ideally i want top childcare on site and ski in/out so can pop back during the day and see her. Anyone? Oh and interconnecting rooms so we don't wake her up when we go to bed!

has anyone used resort childcare? Dd's godfather has big chalet in Villars we may be able to have and there appears to be a local nursery thing.

I went with ski esprit to Puy St Vincent one year. Not a vast ski area but fine for intermediates like me and if you take the car you could visit other areas. Apartments were large and child care was excellent. Resort is at 1600 so snow pretty reliable except at end of season. Everything leads back to resort so easy to pop back at lunchtimes (in fact you can't really help it!!). Also very good for first time ski-ing children.

I have also been to Val d'Isere with Mark Warner. Childcare excellent and snow pretty reliable but due to size of area not so good for popping back at lunchtime. Hope this helps

CD - we thought Kaprun was fine, and actually had a great time, but you're right, it IS low, so there was NO snow in the valley in April and the only skiing was on the glacier, so once you were 'up' the mountain you stayed up!

It seemed a bit weird because DS2 (then 20 months) didn't see any snow close up, and in fact one day when we came back the nusery kids were playing in the garden in T shirts it was so warm.
We didn't mind though because everyone was happy....

This year we're going to Neustift which sounds even better - will report back!!

Thanks Mo2 and Joanna3 - looks like I may have a recurrance of Glandular fever so may take the beach option instead!