Family new to skiing. Tell me what to expect pls.

[highheelsandbobblehats]

We've booked to go to Rauris in Austria in February on the recommendation of a friend who has taken his family there for many years.

Husband and I are both 37, DC are 8 and 6. None of us have skiied before, or visited a ski resort.

We're all booked into a local ski school and will have full day lessons (9-12 and 1-3, lunch is taken together so that we can eat as a family which I like).

So my question is then what? I've seen apres-ski banded around and Google tells me that that's essentially hitting the bar after a day on the slopes. Is this an adult only thing or do children go?

We hope to have an hour or so the slopes after ski school finishes to either ski as a family or use their toboggan run etc. I'm aware it'll be dark early though. Does it all shut down when it gets dark or will there be a chance the toboggan will be lit up?

We're not in a hotel resort, but have chosen a SC apartment in the town (5 minutes from the ski lift). It has a pool, so the DC have that if everything stops at 4pm.

Any information, advice and tips would be much appreciated. I'm fairly spontaneous in the moment and can be flexible about how the day goes, but I'm a planner too and I like to know the ins and out of everywhere we go when we plan a holiday. Helps with the spontaneity when you have all the information!

Thank you in advance.

I have only skiid alone and not with my kids (actually twice in Raurus). By the time lesson finishes and you do another run, or find the kids and do something. Then stop off for a drink on the way back to the apartment (apres ski then is for everyone), then make your way home. We used to get washed/clean/dry, have one more drink in the bar, have dinner and then crash. Skiing is exhausting. Lol. And I was a youngster! I'm sure many will come along and tell you different tales as plenty party late too.

After a full day of skiing as beginners you'll definitely be ready for a bit of a break at the end of the day. Ideally find a ski hire place or lockers near the slopes to leave your skis and boots, that way it's much easier to have a hot chocolate before heading back to the apartment.

Great to have a pool to stretch the limbs and have a splash before dinner. I'm always pretty tired when skiing so an earlyish dinner, bit of a relax then off to bed.

Agree with PP; you’ll be very tired after full day lessons. You’ll probably stop for a beer / coke / cake after lessons, then maybe do one more run and head down. Try to hire your skis and boots from a shop right by the lifts as you then change into comfy snow boots /walking boots at the shop and leave your gear there on heated racks overnight. Even 5 mins is a real pain to walk in ski boots, especially for children.
You may then (exclaiming in bliss at how light your feet feel) get a new lease of life and stop off for another drink, perhaps at a bar you can watch skiers coming down. Kids will play in the snow with other kids, sledding on their bottoms or building snowmen (same thing happens at lunch).
Wander home via the mini-supermarket to pick up a roti chicken and salad for supper. Showers/ hot baths for all. Collapse in a heap. Take movies on a laptop or a couple of compact games for the evenings. You might find you don’t even swim more than once or twice.
You’ll love it; it’s the best holiday ever.

My top tip is - don't shower in the morning. Just eat breakfast, put on suncream, get to your lesson. The time to shower is that break between 4:30 - 7:30 after the slopes close and just before going out to dinner / apres ski. You can potter about, go for a swim, get a massage / sauna, or just collapse on the bed. Ski holidays are awesome - you'll love it!

We're all so excited. We're a pretty active family and eldest DC in particular is a daredevil. We think that this might be just the sort of active holiday we have been looking for.
Thank you for the replies.

You’ll be knackered. You’ll get back to the hotel and there will be cake, which you’ll be ready for. You’ll shower, change and chill for a bit, have dinner and head for bed. This is not how it’s done in your 20s but no worse for that frankly.

Buy your factor 50 sun cream in the uk before you go! It costs a bomb in the resorts

I would also suggest you have a family lesson or two, or even a ‘ski-in-a-day’ course at your local dry slope or indoor snow centre before your holiday. You will find it makes your holiday more enjoyable as you will already know how to handle your boots and skis, how to get up when you fall over, and just what it ‘feels’ like IYSWIM.
Have a look at the resort website to learn about the toboggan runs and other activities you might like to have a go at, often there are things like snowshoeing, folk nights, curling and ice skating, etc.

Oh my other top tip - pretty rubbish but there we go- is buy several pairs of childrens ski gloves from Decathlon in advance as you'll pay £3 a pair rather than £35 in resort when your DC loses one. Ditto sun lip salve and sun cream and bring lots of snacks.

Sun cream is something I always buy plenty of in this country having been stung abroad before (15€ in Santorini once!). But well reminded that j need to take it. Good shout on the ski gloves. That's the reason I buy the Wilkos 2 for £1 pairs as mine are always losing them. Where do I get them for £3 a pair?!?

@FadedRed I've mentioned to my husband about doing a ski in a day course as I think it would be beneficial. He's flat refused to do it. I'd prefer to be in the same group as him when we go, so now I'm not doing it. It's because the friend that recommended Rauris (actually his colleague) goes on about how they all learned to ski there in a week, so he doesn't want to spend money on lessons twice.
I'll show him your comment.

Are the kids having their own lessons? If so, you could get them a few lessons at a dry slope.

Take calpol/nurofen. It is impossible to buy in Austria without a prescription!!!!!

Best family holiday, you will love it! Don't overload the kids with fleeces and too many layers. If it is sunny it gets really hot!

Also recommend a snow dome first. We went to Hemel Hempstead and it made such a big difference to the first day actually skiing .

Decathlon is the place to buy decent, but cheap ski gear particularly for DCs.

I think it's definitely worth having a day learning to ski here before you go. I skied for the first time as an adult, and I don't have additional needs, but it is a lot to take in - what the gear is, how it all works, slope etiquette, how to actually ski... And that's before you add in helping the kids with all their stuff. In a foreign country. First day in the resort can be very busy as well.

Strongly recommend looking for TripAdvisor reviews, for Facebook pages relating to the resort, check ski forums etc for inside knowledge that could make your life a lot easier.

Aldi are quite good for ski stuff too; I forget when they tend to bring it out but it goes quickly.

After you come down from lift and store your skis and boots, find somewhere for cake/ crepés and a drink. Then it’s Shower and chill time followed by dinner. DH and I would have a drink on balcony (supper wrapped up) then you will be in bed. One thing I will say is don’t feel bad if by the end of the hols you just want an afternoon to chill it really can be tiring especially for your first time. Enjoy!

I would try for a real snow practice e.g. hemel rather than the dry slope. I found dry slope skiing much harder than on the snow.

On Ktay point above we got a lot of our ski gear at Aldi but we were there for opening and there was a big crowd, all after it, so if you want it get up early.

You can’t learn to ski in a week. Particularly not at 37. Unless you are supremely coordinated and have perfect conditions all week. Kids will be better than you at the end of the week, particularly if you have daredevil/sporty kids. Beginners can’t “ski as a family”. At best you can take a few turns down the nursery run together but more likely your quads will be screaming and you’ll want a break! If someone falls, who picks them up?! Some après is fine with kids! Despite all this you will have a great time but don’t overstretch yourself. I highly recommend a beginner lesson at a snow dome also - absolutely not doubling up; you will get much better value from your expensive holiday if you do.

If you can persuade DH you’ll enjoy it so much more if you do some Snowdome lessons before you go- you’ll be able to see so much more if the resort rather than spending ages on the nursery slope and you’ll crack the basics like getting skis and boots on.

Apres-ski is essentially post ski drinking. There are always certain bars you probably wouldn’t take the kids to but it’ll be fairly obvious which ones those are. It’s perfectly normal to go from the slopes and straight for a drink and get the kids a hot chocolate whilst you have a hot wine or beer!

Definitely see if you can rent from a shop nearby the lifts and store your equipment there. 5 minutes is ages in ski boots whilst carrying your skis!

It’ll all shut before it gets dark (the resort might offer night skiing but this will be a separate thing and generally isn’t for absolute beginners). Early season the last lifts up are often about 4ish allowing ample time to ski down before it gets dark. You’ll likely be exhausted after lessons and eager to head straight to the pub or the hot tub!

It’s the best holiday, I’m sure you’ll love it

You should be able to ski by day four and be heading up those mountains,coming down blues and easy reds.
It's the most wonderful holiday and I prefer it to a beach holiday now ( just takes me ages to save so i can go every other year).
Have a great time

Oh,and dont be disheartened when your DC come flying past you on day two! They pick it up so quickly and have no fear at all 😄

I love skiing but found it tricky to learn. And I was nervous in a group 1on1 lessons were much better. If you find the first couple of days really tough going - don't worry. It will all suddenly click on day 3 or 4 (hopefully) and you'll be wizzing down! It becomes lots of fun. I found cross country more enjoyable when still getting the hang of it. Good luck! Oh and wear a helmet, as my mother always reminds me.

Thank you all for your fantastic replies. I will offer to pay for the ski in a day lessons myself (I've looked and locally to me in the summer they are £75pp and £95pp) as he's said he'll go if he doesn't have to pay. I haven't put a penny in for any of the actual ski holiday so I'm still getting the good end of the deal tbh.

Reading your responses and enthusiasm has made me excited to go all over again.