Help me find a ski trip that gets us home by 10am on Christmas Day!

[QueenofWhatever]

Please help me lovely skiing MNetters. I really want to go skiing with DD (5, nearly 6) this season.

I don't live with her Dad and she is due at his from 10am Christmas Day until Tuesday, 2nd January. She finishes school on Friday, 17th December. BTW her Dad is not known for his flexibility and would not be willing to flex on dates.

In theory I have a week with her, but I can't find anything that comes back on 23rd/24th. Any ideas?

I'm an experienced skier and she hasn't been before so I would plan to put her in ski school. My ideal would be a chalet but I know they're wary about taking 'strangers'. Would be willing to go self-catering. I think I have a budget of 1000-1200 pounds .

I next have her for a week in 12th April, but I'm not confident of the snow by then.

Thank you!

Loads of options if you book your own flights & accom. For example we're going 18-22 Dec via Munich to a hotel I booked. Which airports can you fly from?

Any recommendations of which sites I should look at? Bristol airport is my ideal but would do LHR, LGW and Cardiff or Bournemouth. However I then have to factor in the cost of parking and travel time.

The Family Ski Company have availability going out on 18th for 1334 pounds (my pound sign no longer works!) and then I could come home on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. However, I would need to book my own flights, buy lift passes, ski school for DD and ski rental. It's all looking a bit close to 2000 pounds for five days skiing which is a bit pricey for me.

Any views on going in April? I have more flexibility on dates and it's cheaper, but not convinced the snow will be that good.

iglu.com or pick a resort and book independently? Look for flights first then where you can easily get to. We've been early April several times and been really lucky with snow but wouldn't leave it any later than 2nd week as if it is warm and the snow is going resorts will start to shut down lifts.

Hi Skiworld have some very cheap self catering flying out on 18th Dec. for 8 days so you would need to book your own flights to come back eary. Cheapest I saw was £125 pp courcheval.
We ofter go the second week of the school easter hols. Alway very high and always so far fab snow and crowd free.

OK, so far you can go outbound Bristol-Innsbruck on Sat 18th for and inbound Salzburg-Bristol on 23 Dec for £338 (for the 2 of you).....I'll be back with hotel ideas later.

Ignore my last post! Should have been a return flights to Salzburg for £338 (from LGW) for 3, out on 18th and return on 23rd.

Arrrgh, clearly no future as travel agent........that should have been Bristol-Salzburg............will be back later with hotel ideas.!!!!

These all have availability.

To compare flights look at Skyscanner.

orienteerer - you've done a sterling job as my own personal travel agent, thank you.

I'm using an old Mac and it's so out of date I can't use lots of sites properly. I can't even look at easyjet as it won't let me use drop down menus, very frustrating. I'll have to wait until I go to work tomorrow.

It also means I can't look at the Ski Amade site you linked to. I learnt to ski in Austria as a kid and it's very family friendly.

However the thought of going on a chalet holiday is very tempting, no cooking, everything arranged for you etc. It's a shame so few accept individual people with kids.

I stayed at this hotel in Seefeld before Christmas in 09. They do some good packages and will certainly quote for 1 adult & 1 child. It's half board plus afternoon tea, indoor pool, spa plus kids club included. Very short walk to ski school. Only minus was the price of drinks (solved by popping to the local supermarket). Seefeld is a very easy 36min train journey from Innsbruck.
Off to think of more .

If you can fly to Sion then postbus/train will get you to Saas Fee and can recommend here which is very family friendly, sociable and flexible on dates.

Thanks for all your help, I think there is some vicarious trip planning going on here...

My main issue is that it's just all so expensive and it seems to work out at around 2k give or take a bit. A lot of the advertised deals are based on two adults, but just don't come up when you search for an adult and a child.

Maybe it's just me but the hotels linked on this thread are all 100 euros or more a night. I just find that quite expensive even though they do look nice.

I also had a flyer from DD's holiday club today. They can take her toboganning, climbing and the panto for #60 that week, which seems a good use of money. No skiing for me though, bah.

We have a house about 20 mins drive from Les Orres. You can do a holiday cheaply...2 x flights to Marseilles (can do Nice which is better from Bristol but is a longer drive). For a week that would cost less than £500 I guess including hire car. We rent our place out for £350 a week - but so far only friends / family. I am thinking about expanding at the moment. Sounds like you have decided against skiing this year - shame because the snow looks fab at the moment. Send me a message if you change your mind. If DD is under 6, she gets free lift pass.

Apologies in advance for the blatant self promotion but I have an option that could work for you - although possibly not for quite as long as you want.

17th December for 4 nights in a twin en-suite room in a very nice ski in / ski out catered chalet in Les Gets (See Grand Mouflon on the Ski Famille website).

Transfers (but not flights) from Geneva included as is childcare if you need to make use of it. £695 total for the two of you.

The snow's looking good too ...