Club Med - opting out of full-day ski school

[ChazP]

Hi there,

We’ve booked to go ski-ing with ClubMed for the first time next year. Previously we’ve gone with companies that only offer half day ski school for the children (they’re 6 and 9), and we would then pick them up after lunch. That has worked really well for us as a family.

I know that Club Med offers full day lessons for the kids, but I’m really worried that will be too much for them. On the other hand, I’m worried that if we picked them up early each day they would fall behind in their group. I’m less concerned about our daughter, but our son is basically a total beginner.

Has anyone skied with Club Med? Have your kids done full days or have you been able to get them early?

Thanks

We didn't ski with Club Med, but last year DS2 opted out of one morning as he was shattered and wanted a lazy morning.

Lessons with the school we used were the same price for 4, 5 or 6 days so it didn't cost us anything.
We used to meet them for lunch every day and a couple of the children only did mornings as they skied with their parents in the afternoon. I got the impression that the school were pretty flexible about it and it didn't seem to hold the group or individuals back at all (I saw them on the runs several times).

Ours were 6 and 8 (total beginners) when we did it and they coped fine with full days (apart from DS2 having that one morning off). They made it fun and it was in two two hour blocks (10-12, lunch 12-1, 1-3). They'd then carry on skiing on the nursery slope until 4.30 when the lift shut.

DS2 did miss the races on his morning off but that was just bad luck. They were scheduled for the afternoon but were switched to the morning at the last moment because of the weather report. He was gutted to miss it, but got over it (and is determined not to miss it next time).

Would you ski with them in the afternoon so that they could practice what they'd learnt in the morning? As that seemed to be mostly what the afternoon was about.

Club Med skiing is fantastic. The instructors are/were all ESF. They are great. Dip in and out as you want.

They normally do a snow garden so DC's can relax a bit.
Do your DC's speak French?

Depending on where you go though, there may be a mountain restaurant for lunch (which are fabulous, but not back at base)

I worked for them in London for years, feel free to ask me anything! I have been to most of the villages.

Thank you, both. Billie, I’ve PM’d you.

Rhubarb, the plan is that at least a few days we’ll ski with them in the afternoon, although the hotel has a really nice pool so I suspect we may want to swim a few times too.

I’m glad the ski schools seem flexible. I’m finding it difficult to figure out how to balance it for our youngest child. The oldest will be fine, but our 6 yr old is quite clingy in new situations and I think he’ll really hate the idea of spending whole days away from us...which I kind of get, given it’s supposed to be a family holiday!!

I think they'll be fine just doing half days then. And an afternoon in the pool sounds lovely. Ours had a pool but it was always heaving from 5pm once everyone finished skiing. DH and I had a morning off one day to use it in peace and it was fantastic.

My then six year old can be the same and we were amazed at how well he went to ski school.

Again I have not skied Club Med but when we first took our kids skiing we chose half days as we felt it would be too much. When we finally tried a full day operator we realised how tailored these all day packages are to kids at each age. Few kids can ski 9-4 all day long at that age. So there are loads of stops, a long lunch, and for little ones often chances to rest and have a sit down in the nursery area etc. I’m sure Club Med is the same. By all means take them out a few afternoons if you think they need it but they will likely have a lot of fun so I’d advise deciding when you are there. It also gives the grown ups such freedom knowing the kids are having fun to have a good lunch or ski in further reaches of the resort etc.

not sure which Club med you're going to, but most of them build in quite a long lunch break back at the hotel, eg 11.45 to 2, so the kids have a bit of time to recover....