Ski/snow holiday

[shivbo2014]

I was hoping for some advice, please! We are thinking of booking to go to Morzine in February half term. I have never been skiing, nor have the kids partner went about 20 years ago. I don't really want to put the kids in a ski school all week. I wanted to spend the time as a family, maybe doing other activities. I'm not sure what, though? Sledging, husky rides, that kind of thing, maybe? I have absolutely no clue about these kinds of holidays. I'm a lie on a sun lounger for 2 weeks in Greece, kind of holidayer usually. I was thinking of booking some family lessons at Hemel Hempstead snow centre and see how we go but is there an option of skiing a bit and doing other activities in Morzine or is there anywhere else anyone could recommend. We do want it to be a ski resort as my partner would definitely like to sk and the kids, and I would want to try as well. Sorry for the rambling. I'm just feeling totally clueless!

Ski schools are booked by the week unless you opt for a private instructor and juts have a couple of sessions.

skiing is hard and can be dangerous so ski school for beginners would be a must for me. Ski school in the morning and afternoon for activities?

morzine is quite low so you’d be a short shuttle up to the slopes and better snow. But is good for having more on offer as you have described.

I personally wouldn’t spend the ££ on a ski holiday if the intention isn’t to ski much.

Thanks for the reply! We definitely do want to ski, but I just can't imagine the 4 year old, especially will want to do it all day. Don't mind spending the money if there are other fun things to do! Do you think booking a full days private lesson for all of us for 1 or 2 days when we arrive would be OK? Planning on doing a day or two lessons here as well in January.

Ski lessons are just a few hours in morning or afternoon usually, so there is time for other stuff if you want.

Plus for the very young ones, ski school is a lot of playing in the snow with some skiing, rather than full on lessons.

Check out what ski schools are available. Some of the international ones will probably run morning or afternoon only sessions - which is likely enough for the 4 year old. Maybe check out something like simply-morzine.co.uk/info/ski-and-snowboard/ which gives you the options available.

I would say you have left it quite late for Feb half term which is the busiest week of the year. As you are novices you might be better booking a package through Crystal or somewhere like that where there is likely to be other newcomers and they have other evening and late afternoon activities like sledging.

Ski lessons are typically only morning or afternoon (generally morning is better for conditions) so you will have plenty of time to do other activities around it. You really need the full week! Your 4 year old will probably pick it up surprisingly quickly but it is good to have some taster sessions so they get used to the basics.

I would consider a chalet holiday with built in childcare. We have used family ski and esprite when the kids were little. Fantastic wrap around care if you want it and takes a lot of the pressure points out of the equation. Like taking them to ski school or putting on their ski boots (hell).

In terms of a family friendly resort that’s not at the scary end of the scale price wise we LOVED les arcs and le plange.

This is very similar to my plan @shivbo2014
My partner has been on skiing trips before and loved it - but I'm not so sure. However I would like to try snow shoeing , cross country skiing and the spa in the hotel! We are going to Les Gets (not that far from Morzine) for 5 days at the beginning of March. Not sure how you plan to get there but we found the website snowcarbon.co.uk really useful in finding out about what the various resorts are like , what else there is to do, transport links https://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/ski-resorts/morzine/morzine-village

Ski school lessons will be in the mornings, then meet for lunch and do other stuff together in the afternoon. So it’s easy to mix it up if your legs don’t hurt too much!

Proper lessons every day should be non negotiable as it’s great fun but only once you master the basics because it has the potential to be very dangerous if you don’t learn properly. 1-2 lessons, even private ones, at the start of the week with no prior experience is just a really bad idea. You’re either going to end up stuck on the nursery slope and not seeing any of the mountain, or you’re going to be liabilities putting yourselves and everyone else at risk because you’re pushing outside of your ability. Kids learn a bit differently to adults- lower centre of gravity, no poles if they’re very young, no fear 🤣, are generally quicker on the technical side but have less stamina so really you want to do lessons separately. Kids ski school for them, adult group lessons for you guys would be best and meet up at lunch time! If there’s an English ski school rather than ESF they’re usually more fun and friendlier.

Snow dome lessons as prep are also a great idea. You can figure out the equipment, learn to stop and maybe even do basic turns but they’re by no means a substitute for the real thing- my 5YO reached the top level of their kids lessons but is very much still a beginner skier by anyone’s classification (can only ski greens and easy blues, doesn’t use poles, snow plough turns).

Signing up for daily ski lessons really restricts your time. You don’t necessarily need to have daily ski lesson to have fun, getting a taste might be enough. I live in the alpes and when non skiing friends come over, we tend to book them two private lessons, day 1 and 3 depending on the age mix, these can be family lessons. Inevitably some get the bug, practice outside the lessons and progress and others don’t take to it at all and do other stuff. A lot of people on here are focused only on learning to ski properly but of course there are lots of other things to do and a winter rather than ski holiday is just a different kind of fun.

While ESF has a bad reputation with Brits, I’ve had nothing but positive experiences across many resorts and levels. They are extremely good value for money, esp for private groups.

Im pretty sure Morzine has a big ice rink and swimming pool. You can try cross country skiing, snowshoeing… You can also get the cable car up to Avoriaz and do horse driven sleigh rides and there is a big water park up there. Not sure about huskies in Morzine but these are VERY popular so definitely need advance booking. Some places also organize snowshoe hikes to igloos where you can have fondu. Plus, the towns normally have lots of activities organized for little ones.

https://www.morzinesourcemagazine.com/ is a good source of info

Have you priced up a week at February half term and looked what’s available in terms of accommodation and lessons? It all gets booked up very early.

Thanks all, some great advice! I have had a couple of prices for 2 days private lessons for us as a family so think we'll do that and spend the rest of the time exploring everything else, as it seems there is quite a few things to do there. Then if we enjoy it we'll maybe spend a bit longer on the actual skiing next year. We have had a look at some package deals but will also check out the ones mentioned here! If anyone else has any tips on what to bring on a snow holiday, that would be fab? Any other tips? Thanks again 😊

in terms of kit-

base layers- Uniqlo are good
goggles
helmets- you can rent theses
proper ski socks
waterproof gloves
ski jacket and trousers
buff/gaiter for neck
snow boots for playing in the snow

sunblock- heavy duty stuff!
sunglasses

Just to give a different point of view, people usually do ski most days starting out, mainly because then you get to see a little progression and enjoy seeing some new places on the mountain and feeling you are getting somewhere and can enjoy it.

As pointed out above a week of morning lessons gives you plenty of afternoon time to do other things and enough time to see improvement on skis and enjoy lunch on the mountain etc. 2 whole days of a lesson for beginners is quite a lot all at once. you will likely be tired at lunchtime, have something to eat and do something else in the afternoon.

also odds on the kids will prefer skiing to a snowshoe hike anyway!

Agree with @ididntthough also legs get tired quickly skiing so 5-6 sessions of 3/4 hrs is preferable to 2 full days.

I'd be worried about a 4yo keeping up with adults in the same lesson... they an pick it up quickly but get tired more quickly.

Our first year, DDs were 4&5.... they started in the same group but 5yo DD quickly outpaced her sister and the group split after a couple of days.

I think you'll struggle all being in the same lesson. My youngest was fearless and completely gung ho when she was little so often got put in groups with older kids but she was so little that she didn't have the weight to get over the flat bits!

Morning lessons in groups for all of you would work out better I think then you could do other things in the afternoon. Some of you might get the bug and want to practice again in the afternoon.

That being said this is the Ski forum so most of us are pretty hardcore and can't imagine wanting to do anything except ski all day!

My youngest was fearless and completely gung ho when she was little so often got put in groups with older kids but she was so little that she didn't have the weight to get over the flat bits!
Same here, and stamina was an issue too. We went to Snowmass/Aspen when she was 5 and she alternated between skiing with 6-7YOs and hanging out in the daycare with the 4YOs. Thankfully they were very relaxed there and happy to let her do whatever meant she was having fun, one of the instructors wisely said that the worst thing you can do when they’re that age is push them too much.

Mine did morning ski school which suited us as we had the afternoons for some fun time in the snow or chill time as they will get very tired. The first day is especially tiring as it will be an hour ahead so a 9am start is really 8am for you and it takes time to get used to putting on all the kit and getting to the where you need to be on the mountain (in fact I used to be exhausted by that before I'd even done any skiing 😂)

Just to add when mine were little there were lots of tears and they were quite clingy at the ski school drop off so you might want to factor in a 5 or 10 minute hang around whilst you settle them and can leave - not all kids take to it and are bombing down the mountain at a 100mph with a smile on their face.

Thanks all, we're going to stick with family lessons but will do it over a few days instead of a full day as I do think that might be too much for 4 year old. Dont really want to put them both in seperate lessons, would rather give it a go all together, think the kids will prefer that. We've also got 2 sets of private lessons booked here for January. We are happy just giving it a try this year I think and next year maybe spend a bit more time actually skiing. There seems to be lots of other things to do so I think we'll enjoy it!

"Family lessons" are really not a good idea. None of the ski schools that I have worked in would consider offering a mixed lesson for small children and adults together and I'd question any school that did.

Children and adults learn in completely different ways and naturally have different motor skills and physical characteristics and abilities. In addition, parents get distracted and worried looking at their kids, or get over-effusive and disrupt the lesson, the kids are distracted by the presence of their parents - and the instructor has to try and make sense of the whole situation and keep everyone safe while trying to actually teach.

Kids do best at kids' ski school - where they can be taught by specialist children's instructors, in special kids' skiing areas and in the company of their peers.

Adult beginners go to adult ski school lessons - private or groups - likewise with instructors who are experienced in teaching adults, on terrain that is suitable for adults and as far away from the children as possible so that the adults can concentrate on their own lessons.

You won’t be able to ski as a family in a lesson with your 4 year old. It’s not safe. Sorry. I misunderstood you.

lessons with ESF/other ski schools are 9:30-12 for 5 days. They stop for a hot chocolate midway. It is by far the best way to get your children to ski!

I would contact ski schools initially and ask them about what your options are.

I would 100% put kids into ski school. I don’t know why you wouldn’t? It’s a tried and tested formula!

I would listen to @Havanananana who has expert advice. You can’t do private lessons with a 4YO, it’s truly a terrible idea. Ski school will typically be 5 days 9-12ish so leaves 1 full day at the beginning or end depending on whether you arrive Sat or Sun, and every single afternoon to do ‘other stuff’ of which there really isn’t that much as it’s first and foremost a ski resort and your 4YO isn’t going to be doing shopping, long hikes, cross country skiing or boozy lunches.

Agree, kids do much better in group lessons with other kids; the instructors make it a lot of fun, aside from the fact they learn differently to adults for the reasons mentioned by @Havanananana. I really wouldn't go for a 'family' lesson - fine for parents and kids to ski together in the afternoons when they're a bit more competent, but stick with separate lessons until you/they have reached that point.

Thanks again everyone, spoken to a few ski schools and they do family lessons for 4 hours per day. Over a few days with just us 4 will be fine for a taster. My partner can ski so he will be on hand to help with the 4 year old. We're not taking it too seriously just giving it a go. 4 year old definitely isnt going to want to be in ski school all week. There are lots of other activities we want to try while there, skiing isnt the whole focus. Like i said its just a taster this year and perhaps next year we might do a ski school. Thanks all!