Feb half term ski holiday

[DarkAndDusty]

Wise skiers of MN, can you please give me some tips for planning a family ski trip in the Feb half term? I've been researching online but getting a bit overwhelmed with all the options and don't know the market very well so would be very grateful for any recommendations or general advice!

We are 2 adults & 1 child, who will be skiing for the first time so needs lessons/other kid friendly activities. Happy to go anywhere in Europe. Don't want to self-cater so would need a catered/all-inclusive set up.

Any suggestions of where to go? Or good travel agents? I'm hopeless

I really wouldn't go to Zermatt as a beginner. It's horrifically expensive for a start and the skiing is fabulous but you won't be able to do any of it.

Honestly if I were you, I'd wait until next year and go somewhere like Saas Fee or Alpbach

Saas Fee is a glacier resort, it’s a big transfer from Geneva, it’s very high, north facing so cold, expensive because Switzerland. It’s one of my favourite places, summer and winter! On the plus side, it’s small, good for beginners and families, very beautiful.

Zermatt no, it’ll be so expensive when you get there. Of the 2 Val T would be the best choice- yes you won’t be able to ski the vast domain but that’s fine, book lessons, enjoy the non ski stuff in the resort, pack your thermals and it’ll be lovely! I disagree that you should wait for next year and/or only go to a tiny resort. All the kids in my family have learned in Val d’Isere, I’d never recommend it as a beginner resort, but the adults like it so they have to tag along!

These guys have a good reputation if your children are young u8 www.skifamille.co.uk/chalets/?search=eyJkdXJhdGlvbiI6IjciLCJkZXBhcnR1cmUiOiIyMDIzLTAyLTExIiwiYWR1bHRfcXVhbnRpdHkiOjIsImNoaWxkcmVuIjoyLCJjaGlsZF9hZ2VzIjpbNSw4XX0%3D

Would second @Winter789Mermaid , Ski Famillie are great, particularly if you need childcare as well. We are going with them for a second time this New Year. But they might not have anything left at half term now.

@DarkAndDusty , are you set on a package holiday or would you be happy to book flights, hotel etc separately? The problem with going at UK half term is that it’s the busiest week of the year for most big name resorts in the Alps (France and Austria sensibly stagger their half term holidays by region). The pistes can get dangerously crowded which isn’t much fun, especially if you are a novice / beginner. If you are happy to go off the beaten track, it will be less crowded and better value for money.

E.g. Jasna in Slovakia. Lovely quiet little resort 45 mins drive from Poprad airport.

Wizz Air flights to Poprad from Luton, Sunday – Sunday half term, with luggage are currently at £1070 for all three of you.

A quick look at booking.com shows you could stay at 4 Hotel Grand Jasna for £2169 (double room with camp bed) or 4 Noc na Chopku for £3389 (proper family room)

(We self-catered here: www.tmrhotels.com/chalets-jasna-collection/sk/ubytovanie/chalets-jasna-collection-zahradky/ , which I’d definitely recommend if you consider SC in future – it was basically a proper two bedroom house, with the hot tub & sauna on the ground floor. Not totally SC as they bring you a continental breakfast each morning)

Our boys also enjoyed Tratralandia water part which is 40 mins away.

Another option could be Zakopane in Poland (fly to Krakow). I have only been in the summer so I can’t comment on the skiing, but the restaurants were great!

We did our first skiing as a family last year in Tignes. The teaching was great and plenty of nursery slope but still good for the grown ups.

we stayed in Tignes Le Lac and it’s cheaper but easy to get to the lesson meeting point.

Lol, sorry for random bolding! I was trying to say the hotels were 4 star

Zermatt is seriously expensive and will be really busy in half term. The options for beginners are not worth the cost and time to get there. Try somewhere like Laax which is an hour from Zurich if you want a Swiss resort, or maybe Soelden or Obergurgl which are 1-1.5hrs from Innsbruck if you want Austria.

Also remember Feb can be bitterly cold and not much fun for beginners/kids if they're not expecting it. Higher resorts can easily be -10 or colder.

Morzine in France is very popular but has lots of non skiing activities too. Probably too late for 2023 but book for 2024 season!

I was about to suggest Morzine. Great for beginners. Lots to do in town.
Tignes is not good for beginners.

I prefer Les Gets over Morzine specifically for beginners and children, but the villages are next to each other so you can stay in one but go to ski school in the other one. But yes for this year, most of the reasonable options are booked.

I see Kinderhotels have already been suggested and would definitely meet your brief.

We went here a few years ago and amazingly it has availability for half term: I know the time we went people said they had booked two years ahead for the half term week.

www.sporthotel-achensee.com/en/

It would be just under €5k for the three of you for the week including all food, childcare and ski school for your child. The price also includes adult ski guiding groups, which are basically skiing lessons for adults. You can also pay extra for 1:1 tuition (or 1:2). The ski lift is by the hotel, so about three minutes walk from the lockers, and the nursery slope is in the hotel grounds. It was full of British kids when we went.

The only things not included are ski hire, lift passes, your transport, and alcohol. From memory the booze is not any more expensive than a pub. Nearest airports are Innsbruck and Munich.

I have skied every Feb in the last 10 years except 2021 and it has never been bitterly cold. The reason it is the most popular week is it's the best compromise of weather, length of days and a decent snow base. Val T would be absolutely fine. Sure it's a bit bleak but so are lots of resorts. I can't imagine many people would feel altitude sickness except perhaps up at top of Cime Caron and beginners wouldn't be skiing off there anyway.

I don't think Sauze is the best place for beginners (it was my first ever trip, and have been back 5 times so I know it well). Only 1 blue in the whole resort (apart from a couple of very flat roads which are useless for beginners as you need speed).
But if you do go there, you don't need to get the lift from town - you can get the bus to the other lift that takes both skiers and foot passengers.

I agree about Kinderhotels in Austria. However, my absolute top pick for skiing with young dc is definitely Geilo in Norway. Dependable snow, very child-friendly, the slopes aren't crowded, lots of easy green ones and other activities nearby like husky sleigh rides through the forests. My dc loved it when they were small. It may be a little late to book for Feb half term tho, we usually book about a year in advance.

Why dont you try Passo Tonale, Grand Paradiso for HT week with Crystal. HB with loads of facilites for kids and grown ups right on the slopes. Good prices online at mo.

Have a look at SkiMed. Hotels in various locations. Prices look higher than other types of ski trip, but it includes ski lessons, lift pass, full board at the hotel including all drinks, entertainment for kids in the evening plus some insurance. No expensive mountain lunches and drinks to budget for.

We have skied for many years in all sorts of accommodation, but love SkiMed, which we book through SkiLine.