Best resorts for ski-in-ski-out? What are you favourites?

[anneyc]

Needing advice from seasoned family skiers..

We are fairly new to the family skiing scene. The kids will be 14, 12, and 10 next Feb half term, we've done basic skiing at Centre Parcs kempervennen snow dome, then progressed to Centre parcs ski resort at Winterberg.
Now ready to progress to a full on Alpine all bells and whistley ski holiday! We will be driving.
Essential requirements:

Private self catering ski -in ski -out type accomodation
Ski store/boot warmers
Restaurants close by
Good ski school for morning lessons for the kids
Desirable requirements:
Lots of blue and red slopes with cosy pit stops etc.
Somewhere picturesque and atmospheric. Avoriaz looks good?

The ski company's all seem to quote with flights included- any recommendations for those that don't? Is it easy enough to book everything myself?

Thanks in advance

After reading all your requirements I was about to recommend Avoriaz! It definitely ticks all your boxes!

We always book ourselves. Try Pierre et Vacances for apartments. Flights to Geneva with Easyjet and transfers right up the mountain with Skiidy Gonzales. Avoriaz Alpine Ski School for lessons.

Les Arcs is also brilliant, different levels : 1600m, 1800 and 2000. 1800 is where the village is and you can ski in and out, great for kids of all ages and all levels. Erna Low Travel do good packages

Oh, and Erna Low specialise in driving ski hols with the Eurostar.

We went to Bansko, Bulgaria last year and we were really impressed! Lovely place and really cheap as well! The flight might be a bit more expensive but other than that its definitely worth it!

Agree with FlyChickie, love Les Arcs, stay in 2000 and then can use 1950 and 2000 as the bubble lift runs till 11pm.

Drive each year, have really lovely modern self catering apartment (book direct with them) with pool, sauna, ski in and out. Great skiing for all, lovely long blues and reds. Nice bars and places to eat, perfect family holiday, booked already for 2017 !! :)

Yep, apologies for the misinformation! 1950 is the village, not 1800

Gosh I would have said that Avoriaz is the least picturesque ski resort ive been to. Though it was 15 years since I was there so maybe it's changed?

La Plagne would be good.
As would Courchevel (but expensive)
Tignes would be good
Les arcs/plan peisey
Montchavin
Val d'isere is a possibility, if you picked the right accomodation there is some apartments next to the nursery slope. Your main problem though is that the blue run back to resort from the main run network is a nightmare if you're not very experienced so you may want to take the cable car back.

Val thorens, purpose built resort, very good ski in / out hotels, n lots to choose from, u can ski around the complete resort

I love Avoriaz and I think it is picturesque, just not in a traditional Alpine way, but in Feb half term it will be expensively and very busy with big queues for all the lifts and crowded pistes.
As you don't need a big ski area and are booking independently, I'd look at smaller, lesser known resorts which will be cheaper and less crowded in Feb.

Personally I'd avoid the well known French resorts like the plague in the school hols. Tbh, after 7 years of skiing in France we started avoiding it altogether even before we had dd.

Pre-dd, Andorra was much nicer (quieter, pistes kept in better condition, nicer apartments, better restaurants, far better ski instructors and other skiers a bit less arse-y. And cheaper).
Next year we're trying Austria (Lech) for the first time (need a short transfer for a travel sick dd...). It'll be busy no doubt but it can't be worse than Val d'Isere/Tignes...

Finding boot warmers in self catering might be tricky but Decathlon is your friend
www.decathlon.co.uk/boot-dryer-id_8375022.html
Am over excited about this purchase

Just to refresh this thread... We went to Les Arcs 1950 in the end.. fabulous resort, very picturesque, great apartment, easy ski in ski out, booked kids in to ski school.. just outside the apartment, ski rental shop next door. Evening ents. for kiddies. It was all very easy and convenient. The only downside about Les Arcs we felt, were the restaurants.. not much choice for vegetarians.. unless you like fondue 🤢 but the supermarket was great and a short walk away. We drove and left the (rubbish rear wheel drive) car at the bottom of the mountain and took the funicular up.
Am now looking to book next years trip- have to decide whether to return to Les Arcs, or venture to somewhere new! Would love to hear views on resorts that compare favourably with Les Arcs 1950?!

Marking

Citykat.. must get those boot warmers for next year!

We've driven to St Sorlin des Arves a few times , lovely little resort, pretty quiet in half term compared to the main resorts and plenty of ski in/ ski out