Family ski holidays for families that don’t like chalets??

[tailsandscales]

Does this exist??
We’re just back from a week with Esprit (first and last holiday with them) and were very underwhelmed. Aside from all the problems we had with this particular Esprit holiday, I just don’t think chalets work for us. We want to ski together in the afternoon and eat together in the evening but also want an evening kids club for DS (5) who is very sociable.
In the past we’ve travelled with Snowbizz. They were great but I don’t want to go back to Puy St Vincent. We’ve also done DIY but not much opportunity for DS to make friends.
I have no idea where to look for our next ski holiday. Any suggestions very welcome!!

I paid €2200 for one week, one adult and one child
That sounds very reasonable! Is that just accommodation?

I mean is transport included as well.

Yeah, just accommodation. EasyJet fly to Innsbruck though so, booking far enough in advance, I got return flights for both of us for inside of £300 total which I was pleased with. (I think that could've been cheaper still if I'd been more flexible with flight times but I just can't be doing with early starts or late arrivals!)

I did also pay €80 each way for airport transfer, and about €60 for DS' ski hire, so prob total holiday cost in the region of £2500 for us.

NellWilson, we spent Christmas there a few years ago too, and had a lovely time. Was there snow? We had a green Christmas and really felt for them as they were clearly anxious about the ramifications of less snow.

OP, I asked our friends about February half term skiing at the Sporthotel Achensee. They paid under 4k for four of them including ski school but without transport. They drove.

Would a "chalet hotel" suit you? Larger than a chalet, so you tend to sit for dinner with your own family / group, rather than sitting alongside other guests, but they might have some entertainment for children

www.inghams.co.uk/ski-holidays/accommodation-options/chalet-hotel

NellWilsons and Youcanstayundermyumbrella that’s promising, thank you!

The thing we really don’t like about chalets is that you can’t eat evening meals with your children, and I believe this is also the case in chalet hotels.

Inghams website says "Children of all ages are welcome in all our Chalet Hotels on all dates. We serve a separate High Tea at 5:30pm for children aged 10 years and under with an appropriate menu. However, parents may elect for their children (10 years and under) to eat with them at the adult meal times on payment of a £39 per child per week supplement"

I feel very strongly you shouldn't be paying extra to have a child eat with their family 🙄

SueSueDonahue Maybe the evening meal served to adults is more fancy / expensive than the high tea served to children?

@allthgoodusernamesaretaken that's sort of the point. Who wants their kids served cheap nuggets stuck with other kids early when they should be having decent meals with their family trying something new?

The (kinder) hotel I take mine to charge a sliding scale depending on the age of the child, but the children can have anything they like from the adult menu as well as the safe fallbacks of sausage and chips and ice cream if they must 😬 My little one gamely stuck into goose on Christmas Day. She decreed it "like duck". So that was good!

It is only the Brits who put their kids to bed so flaming early on holiday. Being the only British family in the hotel for the past seven or so years, mine have thankfully managed to slot into a continental family lifestyle.

We end up coming home each time and looking for jobs in Europe 😂

I guess it comes down to "why go anywhere if you don't want to embrace the lifestyle"? The British are in the minority of those families who go skiing.

I presume British people who want kids to have early tea must be in the majority, otherwise why would it be offered? Seems a bit mad though as chalets usually have afternoon tea left out so that would tide the kids over until dinner. I think in a smaller chalet if you take the whole chalet the kids can also eat with you. Think they might have to eat the same food though, hence the additional cost (though I hope it’s added to a child price).

Ski Crystal
Or some of the Hotels in Flaine that have their own kids clubs but the kids may be mainly french

SueSueDonahue I think it's good that Inghams are giving people a choice. Some people prefer separate meals for their children.

We have stayed a few times in hotels which are fine for kids - often have a buffet style dinner so everyone can get exactly what they want, when they want it - with it opening from about 7pm
We have travelled - post Esprit - with Crystal and they have largely been fine - we don't need the reps much and you're free to do what you want when you want to during the day too!
You can book lessons then do your own thing in the afternoon - eg we have stayed here at least twice - www.crystalski.co.uk/ski-resorts/france-ski-holidays/tignes/belambra-club-diva-tignes-val-claret/ - it's not the most luxurious of hotels but good location and the food was fine.

Hi - Clubmed sometimes have very reasonable prices if you book early. They will release next season end of Jan. We booked when they first released and paid £3600 for a family of 4 ( including flights, transfers, food, ski hire,ski passes, kids/ adult ski lessons and mini club) - so it is fairly good value. One of our kids was under 4 so couldn't do the mini club/ski school but if he was older it would have been £4200 for 4 all in. We went pre- Christmas week

Why don't you just book independently? We are off to Andorra few hakf term, family of four costing £4200 all in

Flights £600
Hotel inc half board for week 4 star £2100
Transfer, ski hire, 5 days X 3 hours lessons for kids, full grandvalira lift pass including mountain lunch £1500

So we're basically full board. Ski school one of the best in Europe apparently, all English speakers etc. it's amazing. Only cost us £3100 self catering for half term this year

Can't stand chalets and the whole adults vs kids idea

Andorra is a lot cheaper than the Alps. Equivalent, even in Italy would be over budget. DH hates Andorra so it’s not an option.
We’ve done DIY self catering but not much chance for DS to play with other kids.
We just need a hotel with a good kids club. If it could also be ski in/out, 5* with soft play, splash park and very cheap that’d be ideal 😂
Local ski school etc will be fine for him. Don’t think little kids care or even notice if other kids are English or not.

Saas Fee looks so lovely but the lift pass prices!! On the other hand kids pass is free for under 7s so this might be the time to do it!
ITsmeq Thanks for the tip. If DH decides to ski I think clubmed could work for us. Do they all have kids clubs or are there some that are family hotels?

Also look out for Robinson clubs which iirc are part of TUI.

www.robinson.com/en/en/resort-holiday/

We have gone with Neilsons in Austria more than once. Zell Am Se and Saalbach. Really lovely hotels, great food and a pool. £2,500

I know you have said it's not for you but just wanted to say that we spent a week with Family Ski over xmas and thought they were brilliant. Both kids had an amazing time in kids club and we took our our daughter when we wanted so she could ski with us in the afternoon. We shared a chalet with two other families and everyone got on brilliantly - kids and parent alike. And our hosts were just outstanding. We are looking to do the same next year. They often have deals I have noticed so if it is something to consider, keep an eye out (not sure when you plan to go)

We found the ski school in Obergurhl really good for age 4-6yr olds very gentle style compared to France including afternoon crèche for little ones or supervised cooked lunch ski all day options too which we just paid for on one morning so our DD was supervised 10am-3.30pm allowed us to go over to the other mountain. Lots of different hotels options in the village it’s easy transfer from Innsbruck. Lift pass free for our 6yr old this year.

our DD was supervised 10am-3.30pm

This seems to be the only option from my internet searches of Austrian and Italian ski schools. We just want morning ski school so we can ski as a family in the afternoon.
skigirl I do agree about Austrian ski schools, in general being good for young kids. I learned in Austria tho, so maybe that’s just nostalgia. 😄

I’ve been looking for ages now and still not found anything that ticks all the boxes and is in budget. 😪
Saas Fee was looking good but ski school website says they take children from age 7.
Has anyone been with under 7s? What did you do for ski school??
Or does anyone know of a kinderhotel or similar in a resort where you can book morning only kids ski school?

Ds did skischool in Saas Fee from just before 5 with Swiss Skischool 3 hours am. There are younger kids in the Ski Kindergarten