Anyone taken a toddler to a ski resort before??

[Neney1]

We're off to an (as yet) undisclosed french ski resort in Feb 09 (most probably Chamonix!!) Having never skied before (or even been abroad) with a baby before, we are very in the dark as to what to expect, or how to prepare!!

DS will be 16 months old, I'm a novice boarder, and DH is improving. Granny (non skier) is also coming too and may take beginner lessons so between us we are hoping to cover childcare. (Lots of friends are coming too for added babysitting entertainment!!)

Please tell me about your experiences!!
In particular, what toddler kit you needed/took/wish you took/wish you left at home!!!!
What you did for the week,and finally tips to survive the journey!!

Hi, how exciting! I would suggest that if you have a baby backpack you take that with you, as it can be much easier getting around than with a buggy, particularly if you are lucky enough to be somewhere with lots of snow. A sled is also great for a little one.

Otherwise, just the usual "sensible" stuff - plenty of sun cream and sun glasses for the little one, mittens and a couple of hats. I found an all-in-one suit quite good for DS in the snow, just make sure it has a zip up under the legs for easy nappy changing! Snow boots can be bought quite cheaply at Decathlon.

We also found that at that age our DS tired more easily than usual because of the altitude, so had to adjust bedtimes etc a bit.

Don't know how you are planning to travel, but we found driving much easier than flying - a lot more space for a sled and the like, and could take all the usual stuff (travel cot, nappies etc) without having to think about buying/arranging in the resort.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know!

ah bonjour

you'll have a fab fab time - Chamonix is lovely and the skiing is absolutely world class, but be prepared that it has lots of separate areas, so you may want to hire a car. The bus network is fab, but a bit complicated with skis/toddler/ski poles etc etc. If you're using the buses, you can do somethings to make it easier like leaving your skis at the lift station (you can rent lockers at most of the lift stations).

If you're going to Chamonix, where are you staying - do you know?

Backpack for most resorts, definitely a yes but Chamonix town is actually on the valley floor so there's not usually tons of snow in the town, and if there's a big dump of snow it's cleared really quickly so you should be good to get a pushchair around.

If you're flying, it's a short flight and transfer from Geneva only about an hour, so it's an easy journey - take lots of snacks and things that ds can play with while sitting on your lap, as it's such a short flight the seat belt light is on for a good proportion of it!

Chamonix is a proper town (rather than just a ski resort) so there's a massive supermarket, you can buy pretty much anything there so don't worry that you won't be able to get stuff.

it's one of my favourite places, know it really well, have a great holiday!

I took a 2 year old and had to use the nursery and he wasn't happy. If you have granny you will be fine.After that experience I took my mother while he was little and he had a fantastic time. He loved being pulled around on a sledge. Hatcams suggestion of a backcarrier is good. You can hire sledges.Have a great time!

Your ds will need proper snow boots if you can get them rather than wellies. Or at least wellies with the elasticated "skirt" thing inside them. Snow just goes inside normal wellies.

Hope you have a good time.

I would sort out your babysitting arrangement before you go, as you may find that the people you are going with aren't expecting to babysit.

There's a 60 second interview on childfriendly.co.uk about Child Care in the Alps and the various options. Hopefully should give you a few tips!

Don't spend a fortune on snow boots. Mothercare, Asda and sainsburys were all selling them by january this year - Mothercare ones were only £10.

L

We 've atekn ds (now nearly 8) every year since he was 4 months old - except the year he was 2.5 (or was 3.5?).

The first year we used a nanny, but in subsquent years, until he was old enough to go into ski school (age 4), we put him into the Ecole de Ski Francais creche. Even once he was in ski school, he still then went into the Ecolde de Ski Francai nursery in the afternoons - where they do provide a degree of ski coaching (not really relevant for your ds).

Ds was fine in the creche - but then he was a sociable wee boy used to going into a child minder.

Ds had plenty of snowsuits and mittens/hats and we got sunglasses for him. We also bought a wee sledge for him to play on, to have fun in the snow.

Book a holiday with a company that has childcare facilities. We went with Premiere Neige this March. They have loads of chalets in Sainte Foy, France, which is a really small family resort. We love it, we never need to worry about losing our 3 boys because its such a small resort. PN have a creche as well as private nannies who can look after your kids through the day or babysit at night (I'm sure even Grannie will want a night off!). www.premiere-neige.com