Ski holidays. How do they work?

[Scramble]

Might not be for a while yet but always fancied a ski holiday with the kids.

But how does it work? Say I see a hol for £239 pp, what do you actualy get?
Does it include any equipment, passes or lessons? How much does all that cost?

How do chalets work or do most of the deals you see mean hotel type accomodation?

Someone please give me the idiots guide to ski holidays.

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Thanks Surr3ymummy- may try that next year -I like the sound to fthe underground parking as the parking situation is the main reason I am flying rather than driving this year. We always used to drive pre-kids, and noe the DC are 10 & 8, will go back to that in the future.

[hatwoman]

that's a great site surr3ymummy - thanks

[Surr3ymummy]

Oh and on arrival the agency give you a discount voucher for the ski hire shop in the street below the apartments.

[Surr3ymummy]

The apartment is in the Residence 1650 block located in Courchevel 1650. There are a number of apartments available for rent from the local agency - here who do speak English. The one we usually stay in is 734 Euros for a week in Jan - sleeps 5, and has a double room, a separate (very small!) cabine with bunk beds for the kids, and a sofa bed in the lounge (although we don't use that). The other residents generally are French. Parking is available in the carpark underneath the building for around 60 euros a week. They also charge you an end of stay cleaning charge of about 50 euros I think.

The drive down from Calais takes about 8 hours. We've got our eurotunnel tickets for about £150 this year, but I imagine it varies depending on when you book. In the past we've stayed in some very cheap motorway hotels and got to the resort in time for breakfast on Saturday and a full extra day skiing .

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Surr3ymummy - sounds fantastic - can you post details?

[Surr3ymummy]

Scramble - We stayed in an apartment in Courchevel 1650, which was ski-in, ski-out, and so easy for the ski school. 1650 has some lovely wide green (easy) runs, and a drag lift, so no requirement to go on a chair for some time. We drove down, as well which saved money, but have also tried the ski-train which gets you extra time skiing. The apartment was great - in a block, with a small supermarket on the ground floor (where you can buy those whole roasted chickens), plus there are lots of restaurants - including cheaper pizza places, and some nights we just had pasta etc in. There was a Patisserie opposite for pain-au-chocolat for breakfast, and a lovely South facing balcony. My DDs are 12 and 10, and have taken to it really well. DS is only 16months so we're going to a chalet this year with the in-laws, but in a few years we'll be back in the apartment again.

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Hatwoman, the time they had all day lessons in Austria, DH was also there so we had the luxury of long lunches, (tho' he could not ski so did hangliding instead )
I actually like skiing alone, ( and sitting with my hot choc on a cafe terraces with my book ) but in La Rosiere with Ski Esprit they had ski guiding which was terrific fun and took me out of my comfort/lazy zone. The ski guides were variable - one of them, a loud double-barrelled public school type boasted that he had blagged hs way to the job and had minimal experience amounting to a week's ski trip when he was 13 (he managed to crash into a glass-plate restaurant window one lunch time - luckily only his pride injured - so after that I took care to go wiith the other...
I have found in the past with Mark Warner in Les Deux Alpes and Silver Ski in La Plagne thatthe ski-guiding was VERY flaky - if there were say three guides and 20 people, two of them would go woith the 2 'expert' - loud middle aged male skiers so they could enjoy more challenging the skiing themesleves, and the other one would be stuck with the 18 intermediates...
TBH I would rather the children skiied with their instructor than with me, but we pootle bout in the afternoons - usually DS1 acts as the guide and re-traces the route he covered in te morning in class.

[hatwoman]

just thinking about your post Mrs Guy - do your kids have lessons or do you all ski together? bit lonely for you if they're off on their own

[hatwoman]

last year we took the plunge with strangers - it was like a cross between a large chalet and a small hotel. we were a group of 3 families and then there were 4 more - all sitting together for meals and sharing the same sitting room - I was really nervous about it - but it worked really well - the kids in particular loved it - lots of new friends. two families (who came together) were a bit up their own arse and unsociable but the others were all really nice.

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Hatwoman - that is also my fear re DS 2 sliding out under the bar on the chair lift!
I alwyas go with just the DC as DH's knees are shot so skiing is too painful for him. We usually stay in a hotel, but last year were in a shared chalet with stranges in la Rosiere. The week before we went I was dreading it thinking they'd be couples from Putney who all knew each other - in fact ironicaly two of the fasmilues were, but were very nice and we had a good time, so are doing a chalet again this year.
Dh And I used to do shared chalets before the Dc and have always enjoyed it - more friendly than a hotel.

[Scramble]

Skiing in Scotland can be great, I went twice can't remeber which slopes and DS been to aviemore with Scouts, going in March again.

I like the idea of sending them off to ski school and just pretending they don't use the tows or lifts, I could try that .

Perhaps I will save up for next year then, Legoland is more than I can cope with right now [sigh emotion].

[tortoiseSHELL]

(Just realised, the chalet is for 5 of us, not 4!)

[tortoiseSHELL]

8 and 11 are good ages. Last year I took mine up for the first time - ds1 was 5, dd 3, and it was VERY hard work! Worth it as they loved it, but I didn't take them on any tows as they were just too small, so had to walk back up the hill each time, carrying their skis! Another good reason for ski school!

[tortoiseSHELL]

Scramble, I take my kids to Scotland each year. It's a bit of a gamble, as you can end up with no snow, but usually there is some. We go Easter time, when it is either fantastic or not great, February is cold but slightly more reliable.

It is LOADS cheaper, there is a sledge park (depending on which resort you stay at - we normally stay in Aviemore), there is loads to do if you don't ski,

I teach the kids myself, although this year is looking pretty good so far in terms of snow, so I may put at least one of them in ski school.

Price wise - we pay about £500 for a chalet for a week for 4 of us, no flight costs, but petrol costs - one tank gets us there, so £50, then ski hire/lift passes on top of that (I have my own equipment so obviously no charge, but kids need to hire) - lift passes are about £18 a day - you can get weekly passes, but I wouldn't do that in Scotland as the weather can be very unpredicatble!

There is a saying among skiers - if you can ski in Scotland you can ski anywhere - and it's true - it isn't the Alps, but there is a unique atmosphere and camaraderie among Scottish skiers (by which I mean people who ski in Scotland!).

[LIZS]

dd(6) has skied 2 weeks so far and has yet to be taken on a chairlift. Depends on how resort is set up but most instructors would use drags or gondolas first. It is a scarmble to get sorted in the mornings but much easier with over 7's (who can even help carry equipment!)

[hatwoman]

Abbey - it doesn't stop me. we go every year. I just pretend they don't go on chair lifts

[bubbleandsqueak]

hi scramble, I live in a ski resort and my kids have been skiing since they were 3 years old. a lot of people come to ski non stop for the whole of the week they are here and some don't, its really up to you what you want to make of it.

Overall a skiing holiday is not a cheap option although there are many ways to keep the price down, you can buy passes from 1 day to 6 days, imo to get the best out of the holiday one should always have a couple of lessons unless either you or the kids are already expert.

A lot of families go self catering in small apartments which allows you some control over the budget plus its also nice, say if you have another family along that you each have your indivdual space and are not sharing it with lots of people you don't know.

usually there are other activities besides skiing, snow related to course like sledging or building snowmen, or ice skating. I find that its great to have a mix of both especially if you have young children as they can sometimes find 6 days of group lessons a little tiring.

All in all its a great experience and that you should go for it.

[AbbeyA]

Scramble, aged 8 and 11 is a good time. I started much earlier because I love skiing but under 7 is very hard work, after that they can manage to carry skis and cope much better.
I can see your fears hatwoman, when you see a class of 3 year old being fed onto a chair lift it seems frightening, however they always put them on with an adult.
You don't need to worry about the lifts, they start on the nursery slopes with very short drag lifts and can be seen immediately when they fall off so the instructor can just ski down and help them. You can practise on thse lifts on your own with them. There is usually a very short chair lift to try first. They won't go further up the mountain until they have the basics.Children don't have the same fears as adults!
I have always gone with a package tour when I have be on my own with DCs, this may work out more expensive than booking flights, hotels etc on the Internet but you have the security of someone being in charge. They will also organise your lift pass for you and give you vouchers for the ski hire shop and explain everything to you.You also get to know other families and you can see the rep if you have a problem.
It is a fantastic holiday (as long as you all take to skiing)you never have the prospect of being bored-you put your skis on in the morning-stop for breaks and keep going until the lifts close!
I should think that you could see a Good Ski guide in the library, I bought one very cheaply on Ebay and it is a mine of information. My main advice would be try and get a hotel near the nursery slope and have English speaking ski school.Any ski class I or DSs have been to have been very friendly and other children would say if a DC had fallen off a drag lift.
Go for it-I think people like Crystal and Thomson do special beginner packages and they also have recommended resorts for children.

[hatwoman]

much as I love ski-ing and want my kids to grow up doing it as much as possible and much as my comfort zone is so big that in fact I can't usually find my uncomfortable zone I have to confess that I have to shut my eyes and stick my fingers in my ears when it comes to my babies on chair lifts. (hat leaves computer with fingers in ears singing and blocking all images from her mind. it's enough to make me want to make them obese then they wouldn;t be able to slip through...)

[Scramble]

Thanks again for all the info, big learning curve, it all ads up I know, passes and all that are expensive esp whe you multiply it by three. DD is 8 and DS is 11.

It is def something I want to do with them, but I can see it being quite stressfull, worrying about getting the right clothes, the right classes and getting a good place to stay, not to mention falling off tows and other stuff that makes my neck tense up so much my head might fall off, but I want to let my kids do as much as possible and challenge my comfort zone when I can.

[AbbeyA]

Good ski guide will also tell you which places have other options for activities other than skiing. When my mother came she enjoyed trips out, to places like Innsbruck, for the day. A hotel with a swimming pool is good but they do tend to be more expensive.

[AbbeyA]

You don't say how old the DCs are, age makes a difference. I also think that you said it was just you and the DCs. I have been with just me and DCs. Chalets may be fine if you have a big group but I have never wanted to do it with just 3 of us as you don't know who you will get!
I took my DS from the age of 2 but he was miserable in the nursery. I then took my mother who was a non skier and she took him to and from lessons. We found a group to go with one year with lots of children and that was ideal and his skiing came on enormously.
Going with my brother and family has been the best option but we find it difficult to have the money at the same time. It is expensive.
I last went with 2DSs when the youngest was 10 and they were able to manage on their own in class, we all had different classes in the morning and met for lunch and skied together in the afternoon. They were old enough to carry their own skis which is helpful. Make sure that you pick a resort with English Speaking instructors, they are generally very good because falling off a drag lift half way up is fairly common.Also get a hotel near the nursery slopes so that you don't have to walk far or contend with ski buses.
I love it.Get the Good Ski guide-it will recommend resorts for children.

[Clary]

no it won't include equipment or passes or lessons.

Ski pass upwards of £100/week; lessons prob similar; equipment maybe £30-50/week. Haven't been for years tho so my figures may be out of date.

It will include flights and transfers, accommodation and meals if stated (ie HB/chalet/hotel) but at that price I'd suspect SC (which would be fine with the kids anyway).

Chalets give you all yr food often inc tea as well as dinner but are more like a giant house party than a hotel - you do have to get on and there may not be en-suite bathrooms for example. Some people prefer this, some don't.

Some resorts are better than others for non-skiers - you need to check this out with the resort itself.

lol at tyaca ski-lite, sounds fab actually

[Scramble]

Don't think I have the stamina to ski all day even with a long lunch .

I used to go to the dry slope for 3 hrs a week, 15mins skating did me in the other week.

[Scramble]

It does sound good, I am quite happy to be seperate from kids, just a bit worried about how they would cope following a group around, I suppose DS has done a bit of snowboarding , he has been away twice with the scouts, DD hasn't skied or boarded but very sensible and quick to make freinds.

I know I would get very stressed about all the arrangements and who goes where when and worry a bit about them getting seperated and lost.

I think I will leave it for this year and let DD do the ummer school week at the dry slope to see how she gets on, finances are tight this year so I will have to wait anyway.

Thanks for all the info, I might pick up a few brochures to see who does what. .