Skibeat - any recomendations?

[MrsGuyOfGisbourne]

Am already planning next year's skiij=ng as unaccountably failed to book for Easter, and am at those who still have shi hols this year to take ( am suffering severe withdrawal symptoms already from Courchevel two weeks ago...)
Like the look of Ski beat - any experience of thsi company? I do (sometimes)look @ other dedicated skiing websites, but always trust mumsnetters for best advice

Have been with Ski Beat twice to Les Arcs and plan to go with them again next year. Chalets have been good with great food. Have used private nanny and afternoon kids club and really pleased with both. Friends have used Ski Beat creche and the children didn't want to leave!

We've used SkiBeat 3 times to La Tania - they're very good. Also have friends who went with them to La Rosiere who liked them.
La Tania is a great base for the 3 Vallees - fab snow & weather this year - and you can go by train. Food, creche & nanny service very good, chalets a little basic but very clean.

But then if you were at Courchevel you will have skiied down to La Tania, non?

Should have been 'n'est-ce pas?"

Thanks - will be booking with them (tomorrow!) for 2009. Not only was their website and brochure very friendly, but they replied to my email very rapidly nd helpfully. And I am seduced by the exciting idea of taking the train...
Did not ski down o La Tania, but did see it twice while we had a lenghty detour and wait there on the Crystal (Finest -ha!) transfer coach - under other circumstances would have found it a thoroughly delightful place

Think the daytime Eurostar looks great and will be doing this next year (not keen to repeat the 4 hour transfer back to Grenoble Airport!

Would advise against overnight ski train - did this last year - a nightmare with young children!!

I've done the Daytime Eurostar about 5 times now; it's very easy and the 25 minutes transfer is bliss! Think the overnight train would be fine for older children as someone in our chalet did this with their 8 yr old & even managed a bit of the disco!

We have just got back from our second skibeat holiday. They are a fantastic company ! This year we were choosing between skibeat and Esprit but decided to go with skibeat as we'd had a good time with them before.

We've just been to La Rosiere - CHalets only 2 years old, Creche purpose built so huge. Also have been to La Plagne - creche tiny so wouldn't use it for an older creche childer but was fine when we went there with dd when she was 1.

This year when booking I called Esprit, hung on the phone for 10 mins and then spoke to a call centre. Then phoned skibeat - phone picked up in first few rings and spoke to someone who knew the resorts, chalets, creches.

Am planning on Les Arcs with skibeat next !

Oh yes - we are thinking of looking at eurostar next time in order to avoid the 4.5 hour transfer back to grenoble we had yesterday..... (but, skibeat did get us there quicker than most other companies on our flight !)

Just got back from La Plagne with Skibeat and went with them to Les Arcs a couple of years ago. Food was amazing both times (they have a Select Service in some chalets - highly recommended) and the chalets are nice...but the creche in Les Arcs was nothing better than average and I was very underwhelmed by the one in La Plagne. Very hard to get to, tiny, staff seemed quite uninterested in babies/children and never (never!) took them out despite the fact the weather was lovely. We took our 3 year old dd out after 2 days and sent her to ski school.
Can't recommend the daytime Eurosar highly enough - the most fantastic way to travel, I'm never flying to the Alps again...even with 2 small children it was a breeze.

Creche children were out and about alot on our 2 visits to Les Arcs - two of the nannies were on their second season in same resort so nice to see familiar faces. Only downside is they don't have any childcare options for older children - not that our 8yr old minds, just means trying to match her energy levels to ski all day!

Glad to hear positive stories about the daytime Eurostar, we are booking tomorrow (les Arcs again) and will definitely be going for Eurostar this time.

I am looking at Ski beat but it doesn't seem great for kids over 7. Any experiences anyone??

Hi Crunchie - we went with ski beat a number of times but have stopped now the children are over 7. I think it's probably the best company we've experienced for pre-skiing children but it doesn't really cater for older ones.

thanks all - have just booked with Ski Beat for la Rosiere next year - already counitng the days...

ooh great - are you in one of the Papillon chalets or the new ones ? Hope you have a great time. Am slightly jealous as we won't be going next year as pregnant and due in march (but prefer to be pregnant !!) but we had such a fantastic time with skibeat in La Ros this year so hopefully you will too !

Wheelybug -thanks! we sahll be in a Papillon chalet. She said there was a 50m walk uphill to the slope, which doesn't sound too bad if it is only 50m . I like the idea that they let us in after 9 on the first day and offer a room to change/shower on the last day till 4pm - so as we are friving will hopefully get in 8 days skiing...

It isn't far at all to a little cut through (skiable) to the main slope down to the Les Echerts Lift which gets you on the way to most places.

Great about the 8 days skiing ! We thought about training it next time but Skibeat have started flying to Chambery I see which makes the coach transfer a bit easier than the dreadful one to grenoble !

Let us know how you get on (when you going ?)/

We are going 3 Jan (DS1 on hols till 13th, will have to take DS2 out of school ), but as is half the price of Feb half-term and MUCH less crowded have gone for it... We are driving because last time we had DREADFUL transfer (Crystal 'Finest' - ha! - was supposed to be Chambery flight then the day before we had to pay final amount was changed to Lyon), and I promised the DC we would not be herded about like cattle again... Also we can have leisurely drive down, stop when we feel like it, and actaully enjoy the journey, as well as hiring skis in Moutiers or similar - half the price of hiring in resort
Also - unsure which otehr airline will go out of biz before tehn?

I don't blame you going out of school holidays - the next time we go dd will be in school and we have decided that taking her out of school for a week to go skiing.