Is this a crazy plan? Take dcs skiing at Christmas.

[sunnysaturdaydaffs]

DH and I don't ski, and sadly can't start due to dodgey knees.

I'd like to take teen dcs though.

Would it make sense to get a chalet in a nice ski town, then arrange ski school for the kids. I guess I could deliver them there and pick up.

I've read lots of ski threads, we usually do air B and B rather than hotels.

Any suggestions for resorts for ski and non skiers?

Depends on budget. Ski days tend to be shorter and colder at Christmas. Saas fee in Switzerland has good facilities for skier and non skiers, is car-free and lots of apartments and chalets to rent. "Last Christmas" video was recorded there!

the budget is that DH doesn't want to spend 'too much'. Which is annoying. Will look at Saas fee now - thanks

“Not too much” may be an issue in Saas Fee, or any big resort that would have good facilities for non-skiers 😬

French or Italian resorts are probably more economical e.g. Les Menuires, Puy St Vincent, Briancon.

I spent a week pregnant and not skiing in a ski resort and it was very boring. I am not sure I’d pay Swiss prices in particular for this experience. Christmas can be a pain to travel as well and it’s pricey. My first suggestion is send them on their school ski trip if they have one?! If you are keen to go as a family, I’d consider Easter. It’s cheaper and quieter and sunnier and much nicer for non skiers to get a lift up for lunch on the terrace etc in the sunshine. Personally I wouldn’t go for a purpose built French resort (eg Les Menuires) unless I was skiing. The good thing is the convenience but they are sadly pretty ugly. Better go for an attractive village with some nice walks if you fancy that sort of thing.

I have heard people talk about very good skiing in Poland without the massive price tag of the more dominant areas in Switzerland, France and Italy.

But Italy is a good one - the Dolomites are great.

Unfortunately nice towns tend to be very expensive…you can ski in Slovenia, it’s much cheaper, I think because the ski area is tiny. But possibly better for non skiers.
TBH I agree with pp -ski holidays for non-skiers sound very boring.

You could stay in Saltzberg and have a day or two skiing (there are buses that go up to the slopes)

Tough one, there are some great resorts for non-skiers (St. Anton off the top of my head, it even has a train station right in resort if you fancy popping to Zurich or Innsbruck for a city day) but cheap it is definitely not

Thank you all, this is such great info.

Right so basically in order to have a nice holiday for the non skiers, there is no way of doing it cheaply. That makes sense.

So basically look at Saltzberg, St. Anton, but it's gonna be pricey.

How about The Italian one, Cerevin?

Or maybe I just take the kids to Chile Factory in Manchester for a weekend.

Cervinia links to Zermatt but is £££. You need somewhere snowsure too, as although recent winters in Alps have had early snowfall it is by no means guaranteed. So access to a glacier suitable for beginners or a high altitude resort is required. Skiing from Salzburg or Innsbruck is possible but a faff. Seefeld might be a good balance but check snow history.

Wow - it really is like a secret club. No wonder the people at work go on about skiing so much. Not only is it £££ it's also like a game of Jenga crossed with Trivial Pursuit.

Ok so the husband likes glaciers - forget the cheap places. Any suggestions for this:
So access to a glacier suitable for beginners or a high altitude resort is required.

Thank you wonderful people, I think you've saved me from a very expensive mistake.

Espace Killy (val d’Isère and Tigne) there is a glacier. Tignes maybe better for beginners. La Plagne also but not my favourite area personally. there is a Glacier near to Mayrhofen - all big resorts so should be some things for non skiers to do. I’d probably go for Mayrhofen if I were you.

Kaprun/Zell am See is close enough to Salzburg for day trips and airport but has access to glacier and activities for non skiers, if a bit spread out.

What you are asking is eminently doable. You just need to know the secrets and how to find them.*

Assuming that you want to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel, and that you are happy to organise travel yourselves, then I would recommend Austria or Italy rather than France or Switzerland. Pretty villages that are not purpose-built resorts but actual working, breathing places where people actually live have a much better atmosphere than the French mega-resorts. Prices are much more reasonable than in France or Switzerland. But - don't be tempted by cheap places such as Bulgaria. There are reasons why they are cheap (and the reasons are not good).

Have a look at this old thread: >www.mumsnet.com/Talk/skiing/3893018-First-time-skiing-how-does-it-work
particularly the post from @TeetotalKoala about 9 posts down.

I know Austria really well, so can suggest somewhere like Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Ski schools are excellent. There are walks, snow-shoe hikes and sleigh rides for non-skiers. Zell am See is a short bus-ride away for a day out in a bigger town (but Saalbach is far better for skiing). Every cabin lift has a restaurant at the top - non-skiers can buy a special cut-price pass to use the lifts so you can meet the kids for lunch or just find yourselves a hut or terrace for a long lunch. Plenty of accommodation in the villages - apartments/B&B/hotels - in all price ranges. Easy 90 min. transfer from Salzburg airport, which has numerous flights in winter from the UK (including Manchester) and Ireland. High enough to be guaranteed snow (the beginner pistes are up on the mountain rather than down in the valley) but not a glacier. Speaking of which, what does anyone want to do on a glacier in late December when the temperatures can be minus 20 and there is nothing for non-skiers to do except stand and freeze? Don't think of Salzburg as a ski destination - it's miles from any resorts and is only really the entry airport. Get your accommodation in an actual resort such as Saalbach, so you've only got 5-10 minutes walk to the lifts.

Going to Chill Factore is an excellent idea. There used to be a "Ski in a day" course which is well worth doing to check that the kids actually like it. Alternatively, a few shorter lessons will put them ahead of everyone else once they arrive in resort.

DIY is really easy if you know the ropes. If you don't want to spend £1800 on the latest designer ski suit (you don't), there are perfectly good ski clothes at Decathlon or Trespass - or borrow some from the secret club members at work! Buy proper ski socks and ski gloves, and ski thermals. Decathlon or Aldi are your budget friends. Everything else you organise in resort - skis, boots, helmets, ski school, lift passes etc. Your hotel/host will know exactly where to send you for all of these and you won't need to pre-book at Christmas.

*P.S The secret club meets over at Snowheads.com

I came on to auggest Austria too, and probably Easter rather than Xmas if you want a nicer time for the non-skiers.

Try Soelden or Obergurgl in the Tirol region. Its an easy transfer from Innsbruck airport and they are both high and snowsure. Also less popular with Brits than other places so you feel more like you're on holiday than when surrounded by half of Surrey in the French Alps.

Havanananana has some really good advice above. Almost all my kid’s ski gear , and a lot of mine too, comes from decathlon.

I would recommend Austria or Italy rather than France or Switzerland. Pretty villages that are not purpose-built resorts but actual working, breathing places where people actually live have a much better atmosphere than the French mega-resorts.*

^^

Not sure what happened with the formatting there. Was meant to say France has best choice and cheapest for self catering accommodation although prices to eat and drink are higher in resort.
Also lots of French/Swiss resorts are real towns where people live year round. We lived briefly in Morzine and my son went to the lovely school there 🙂

Try Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It has glacier access, big ski schools and is a town with things to see and do. And you can do day trips to Munich and Salzburg. Its not wildly expensive, but skiing is never cheap.

Go to Finnish Lapland!
Teens go skiing and you can hire a snowmobile and go off for a ride.
Or go to see huskies, reindeer etc.
much better for non skiers

Alpe d huez and les deux alpes are good.

Alpe d huez has the bucket lift and the DMC lift which take you to the ice rink, swimming pool and restaurants.

They also use to have an ice sculpture thing worth a visit too (Google will confirm if it still exists)

It also has great ski schools, a good beginners slope and also use to have a snow park and bum boarding park etc. (again google will confirm as I lived and worked there over 20 years ago!)

But it really was a great resort and has things to do if you didn't ski as well.

If you are happy to take them everyday - you could stay in Bourg St Maurice (or close by in the valley). - you can then drive them to where they want to do - you are about 20 mins drive from most of the ski places round there. - Much cheaper and I guess more for you to do

That is a real faff though. Beginners are usually better staying near or on short transfers to ski-school meeting point and nursery slopes. Teens will quickly become independent in getting ready leaving you free to go off elsewhere and meet them for lunch or late afternoon.

Christmas is expensive, just because is Christmas and you don’t get the best snow or temperatures - you need a high altitude resort to get good coverage
non skiers would be better on a bigger resort, which can be expensive or down in The Valley, and then you have to take Loooong lifts to get up - not very convenient if you’re waiting to enjoy the non skiing town while the kids ski
saying that look at the big French resorts, and if you manage to find something in the bigger central resort you’ll be grand!
but for budget, after March, near ester you get better deals
only downside, after covid, accommodation prices have rocketed, and unless you have a car (to bring food from a bigger town- not in the mountain) - mountain supermarkets are also quite expensive

We've been skiing in Cervinia the week before Xmas for 5/6 days and it always worked out well. I'd have been happy as a non skier there. Also Les Arcs 1950. But then I can't think of anything nicer than sitting in a nice bar or restaurant with my Kindle, an open fire and a hot chocolate watching the world go by, even as an avid skier!

I personally would need attractive village for this to work and feel christmassy not 60s concrete horror of some french resorts like some of PP have said. That said, Les Arc 2000 is pretty ugly but works well for other things to do when you're in 1950 and there's a short cable car connection that runs until 11pm (or used to, pre covid, haven't been since)

None of these places are cheap, for sure. That being said, you'd save 2 X ski passes compared to when we go as a family of five which is £1000+.

The ways to save are book your own flights (in advance) or, even better, drive and accomodation - going direct to a hotel and asking for their best price for a large booking has saved us a bit in the past.

I really don't think it's possible to go skiing for 'not much' though. And I question how practical it is to introduce teens to skiing if one of the adults doesn't also ski maybe?