Advice from the experts please...

[geordieminx]

Dh is wanting to go skiing at the end of April, not sure where.

He is adamant that ds(3.9) and I should come too.

I can ski (ish) although I am a real fair weather skier, no wind/snow/poor vis

Ds hasn't skied before, and if I am honest isn't that fussed on the cold.

I really don't want to stick ds into nursery all day evert day, and would be happy for dh to go off and get his fix, but will there be plenty for ds and I to do? Which resorts are better? Or are we best just staying at home and letting dh get on with it?

Is it a bit daft taking a non skiing nearly 4 year old on a skiing holiday?

Apologies for the rambling, any thoughts/ general musings would be appreciated

It'll be a case of wherever still has snow and is open. Most resorts will close by Easter. Maybe somewhere with a glacier like Zermatt or Val d'Isere but even those will be very quiet by then. tbh unless you are into walks it may be a bt if a let down entertaining your ds.

It wad Val Thorens Dh was looking at?

Tbh I was surprised that there would still be snow (23rd-28th April?) but once he gets an idea in his head he's like a dog with a bone. Wasn't particulary cheap either £800 for self catering and lift pass, flight/food/transfers on top of that.

But of course I am the bad one for mentioning these things

Val d'isere has a lovely swimming pool. You need bigger resorts like there or Chamonix. No idea what snow will be like as latest I've been is end of March and some of the lower down runs were a bit grassy at the bottom by then.

But why don't tou put DS in morning ski lessons? If you get him good clothes he'll be warm and will have lots of fun shuffleing about in the snow with other kids. Check out Esprit Ski or Mark Warner.

I think I'd find it hard to keep entertained for a whole week of not skiing. In the main season there is stuff like husky rides to do and you could go sledging but I bet in April you can't do those. I broke my leg skiing once and was bored out my brain for the rest of hte week.

£800 each?

No, £400 each for hotel and passes.

Gah he is getting on my nerves now.

I'm not really fussed on the idea of just the 2 of us going either, a whole week of wall to wall skiing isn't my bag.

Gonna be at least £2k all in I reckon, which could be a hideous waste of money if there isn't even any frikkin snow. Grr

I've said we can book for next season, when ds will be 4 1/2, and we can get him to escape for a few wee lessons in the mean time but no, we have to go at the end of April.

2k and the rest. We paid £999 for 3 of us to go in a catered chalet in Jan. So we only had to buy lunch and lift passes, still cost us over 2k. You can't have lunch for much less than £35 for 2 and thats having hte cheapest thing on the menu.

Does he want you to go to do the cooking?

And our £999 inc flights and transfers as well. If the £800 doesn't then look into the cost of that as it can be very expensive. If you're driving the AA reckons it costs £500 to drive there once you've paid petrol, tolls, european insurance/breakdown.

Link here which seems reassuing about snow.

www.valthorenschalets.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/05/easter-ski-holidays-in-val-thorens/

Saying that in 11 years of skiing when I was in France in January it was the worst/least snow I've known. I know that was 2 months ago and I don't know if there's been much snow since but if there isn't a good early base then I'd have thought the snow wouldn't last as long????? Friends who went skiing in Feb said the snow was still pants.

No, the £800 doesn't include flights food transfers or ski hire.

We are in Scotland so would have to fly so at least £400 for 2 flights, transfera £100, food... Well as you say it's no cheap, and I'll be bollocksed if I'm eating pot noodles on my holidays, so easy another £100 per day for 3 meals each.

He reckons £30 each to hire boots and skis for a week?

It's all the other wee bits too isn't it?

Val Thorens is lovely! It's where we always go. There is a good kids club that will have him up and skiing in no time at all, and as you're up so high they do have snow that late on. We went at that time 2 years ago and had fresh powder practically every day. If you google you can have a look at the webcam on the main slope.
There is a toboganning slope in the middle of town for the kids (and grownups!) to have fun on. There is also a good indoor sports centre with loads of things to do.

I never have to hire adult skis but child skis and boots were £65 this year. I would think adults would be more. Ski holidays add up. I wouldn't go and not ski, its too expensive to go and not make the most of it. Unless I was minted and liked going to spas or something.

In principle I have no problem with us all going, maybe putting ds into ski school of a morning, and doing other stuff in the afternoon, but I just get the impression that he is clutching at straws and is desperate to get away anywhere as long as it's now.

Agree there is no point in going and not skiing at all.

I think he has seriously under-estimated how much it will all cost. Dh is old school army, and used to traveling with a rucksack and surviving on a packet of crisps and a skinned squirrel. I however am a-snob-- used to nice food and hotels, and also have a bit more of a realistic idea of how much things cost. He thought I was joking when I said £100 a day for food/drink/incidentals.

90? each for ski hire... He said £30

The man is a fool

Go to Chamonix, or more precise, to Argentiere which should still be open at the end of April. The lift passes Mont Blanc Unlimited (MBU) are reduced for the end of April, 375 euro for 2 adults for the week, they also include tourist rides as well as ski lift passes - tourist rides such as Aiguille du Midi, Mer de glace train, Mont Blanc Tramway. You could rent a studio apartment at the Cristal residence for 500 euro for the week. Sport 2000 in Argentiere has ski hire for adults from 49 euro and 33 euro per child. you could fly to Geneva (could be as little as 300 euro for the family), transfer about 90 minutes, with ChamExpress at 50 euro return per person. So you could do a weeks skiing including flights, transfer, apartment, ski passes, ski hire, for less than 1500 euro for the family. £800 each is just incredibly expensive, especially for end of season.

Chamonix would definetly be cheaper than 3 Valleys, more to do in Cham as well.

Definitely check the snow situation. It's generally been pants in France since Christmas. They may have extensive snow cannons, but even so, without any decent snow for months it'll be poor conditions. Food (and drink - 5E for a beer..) is generally expensive in ski resorts too. Ski hire will cost you something like 80E for a week for adults skis, half that for childrens.

Hi
We often go the week before you are thinking of going, always High, Pick somewhere with a glacier and Summer ski area. We have been to tignes , La plagne and Neustift. Marmotons in tignes was good the year we used it as a sking nursery. You could do that for 1/2 day for your son. you ski with Dh then Have some time with Ds in the afternoon. we usually find last minute chalets the cheapest way to go. So you get breakfast , tea and evening meal with wine. You can the survive on picnic lunch rather than mountain resturants. Shop around for ski hire on line. It is usually way cheaper than booking it through the tour operator. Sport 2000 often have good deals. Alpine elements have some deals that include lift pass for late season but dont be tempted by Les Gets of Morzine as they are very low. Also check out iglu ski.

Another option, look at skibed and drive down

Christ it would take 10000 years to drive from scotland.

It's not the actual cost per se, more its a lot of money for a rushed trip, without ds, given that they snow might be shit.

Would much prefer to book for next season

I haven't read through all the posts, but we took DC with us when DS had just turned 4. We went for 4 days. DH couldn't ski because he had dislocated his knee 2 weeks earlier, so I taught them both, 4hours in the mornings only - no ski school, other stuff in the afternoons. They both loved it and by the end the 4yo was just starting parallel turns.

It was great - I loved teaching them (they are waaayyyyyyy better than me now) so it is not too young!

You would have to go somewhere really high altitude for snow at the end of April. We are going to the Mont Blanc area next week (31st march) and according to my older grown up son who is already there the snow is not so good. There is snow at the top of the runs but at the bottom its patchy and slushy :(
If you do go then your DH will realise going so late in the ski season is a bad mistake cos there is not much snow. On the other hand if you and little one are not fussed bout skiing....you can swim, walk, etc. in the resort. Plus little one can try a bit of skiing and be warm as its April.
Dont forget the suncream !!!!!

Chamonix would be a good bet - more for you and your DS to do, and there is glacier skiing so there will be snow although it could well be rubbish.

I think that price sounds like a vast amount for what you are getting tbh. Look around online, and maybe go for a catered chalet if any companies are still running that late in the season. I've paid £5-600 for a nice chalet with breakfast, afternoon snacks etc and dinner included - and that included flights - at around the end of Jan.
I know the euro is stronger relatively, but last winter we stayed in a four star hotel half-board and lift passes, flights included for £700 per person.

www.hotel-grands-montets.com/uk/index.php
Hotel Grands Montets is virtually next to the cable car in Argentiere (Chamonix valley) and normally this resort is open until mid May - it's the "Chamonix" ski area which stays open the longest among the 5 areas. The hotel has a pool and health suite and children's room. If you stay in the Chamonix valley, you get a free bus/train pass for public transport so you can take the trains or buses for free throughout the valley. You can choose Chamonix pass or the MBU pass which covers all the skiing plus the tourist cable cars / trains.
There is much to do in the Chamonix valley apart from skiing. The forest adventure parks in Les Houches might also be open by end of April, great fun for a whole day, or the St Bernard dog farms, or the Emosson barrage in nearby Switzerland, or visit to the Abricotine factory in Martigny!! I could go on and on about how good this area is for non skiing things. But I'd possible book flights at a good price and wait until a week or two before booking accommodation, unless you are happy to do alternative activities other than skiing, in which case somewhere in the Chamonix valley is perfect.

Here's the forest adventure park in Les Houches - in fact there are 2, one for children only accessible from the bus which runs from Argentiere to Les Houches, the other child circuit is next to the adult circuit, up the hill from les Houches, there's also an animal park up that hill. The price is for all day entry, 16 per child and 20 per adult. So it is possible to ski one day at Argentiere, then the next go on this forest circuit. We'll be in Les Houches in a few weeks and fingers crossed they'll open this circuit if the snow is not great for skiing. If your almost 4 year old is tall enough, he should be able to go on the circuit.
www.indianaventures.com/index_fr.php?page=parcours