Family skiing in French Pyreenes

Hello
I am looking for some advice. We are a family of four and have booked flights to Lourdes for 1st to 8th Feb. I am having real difficulty in getting a quote for a full ski package to include lift pass, lessons, ski hire and half board accommodation. We have skied in Andorra and Austria and this type of package is easy to get. I have tried N-py but they cannot offer a full package nor have they quoted for ski lessons, despite calling them 3 times and emailing! I also tried ESI ski school but they are not doing group lessons until the school holidays. We need group lessons, firstly to keep the price low but also so our teens can meet others that might ski with them after lessons. Myself and my partner are not at their level so would not be in the same group.
Does anyone know
1.where we can get a package or at least a quote for lessons, ski hire and lift pass?
2.if anyone else is in the same position and might team up that week to make group lessons (We are 2 adults and two teens ages 14 and 16 boy and girl?
3.if we would be better to try the Spanish pyreenes for full ski packages?


Would appreciate any help/advice you can offer.

Reply from Dobby, posted to another thread...

Dobby wrote:You tried e-mailing the ski schools directly? It's not school holidays AFAIK, so you may have trouble getting a group lesson with other teenagers, but I would have thought that most ski schools would offer adult group lessons.

I get the impression that the French like to DIY-it and not go for package holidays (happy to be proved wrong). I have not seen any UK TOs offering packages in the French Pyrenees.

dobby wrote:I have not seen any UK TOs offering packages in the French Pyrenees.

I think there were a couple of smaller operators going there a few years back but I'm not aware of any now; Spanish Pyrenees likewise, but the OP has already booked flights anyway.

Skifamilylennon - do your teens speak any French? I'd be surprised if somewhere like Ax or Les Angles didn't offer group lessons with ESF, at least, at that time. I'd suggest emailing the Tourist Offices directly?

Otherwise, don't dismiss private lessons; you/your kids may find a couple of hours personal tuition is more effective than a day in a group setting, and leaves them with more free time to ski where/how they like?

Thanks for responses. I will try ESF now and see what they have. The private lessons work out very expensive and also I am not sure that free skiing would work? Visions of then going off piste and bashing into trees etc.

I think you are correct re the French preference for DIY....They are learning French in school so lessons in French would be great.

February is high season so you are unlikely to find any packages. The tourist offices sometimes organise accommodation + lift pass packages at the beginning and end of the season, but ski hire and instruction aren't included, so you will almost certainly have to purchase each component separately.

In the smaller out of the way resorts there is very little demand for children's skiing lessons outside local school holiday times as most of skiers are French. The ESF might offer mini group lessons (classes of 6), which will cost more than the normal group lessons, but less than private lessons. The local ESF website should have details.

The package skiing holiday is a British invention, it predates the WWW and the budget airlines, before then organising a diy skiing holiday wasn't as easy as it is today.

Most French skiers ski in France, organising a holiday is pretty easy they just have to book some accommodation and drive to the resort.

Hallo,

We've been skiing in Cauterets for 11 years as we have a place there.

A few pointers about Cauterets and Luz:

1) There are relatively few English people there, even in the high season. This year you might get lucky in the Half Term as so many of our friends have been out there now and fallen in love with the place that they are all heading out there in Half Term - we prefer easter.
2) I've only used Private lessons through ESF. I would recommend ESF over ESI.
4) Recommend you use an online ski booking package: We hire from Tony Sport (Ski 2000) in the village and their kit is great
5) Have fun.

Thanks again everyone. As always life intervenes and my daughter and partner cannot travel. So it is me and my 14yr old son solo. I have read all your advice and think it will work well. Just for your info, something I came across by accident....if you book your flights via Lisbon you can get a free NPY lift pass for any of their resorts. It so happened that I had booked our Dublin flights via Lisbon so we have benefited from this offer. It remains for me to book. our accommodation in La Mongie and lessons and gear....here we come!!! I hope some of you can jump on the lift pass offer