Latest posts for the topic "Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??"

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 21:36:57 GMT

Hi - I'm skiing with my wife (beginner) and two kids, who will be 5 and 7, who have both done two weeks skiing. Okay it's a long list of boxes to tick so here goes: we'd like reasonable snow security, good access to a fair amount of intermediate/beginner terrain, good care for the kids... and it goes on...

ANYWAY, has anyone been somewhere with kids of this age, ideally a hotel, that they would really recommend??

Thanks!

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 21:45:54 GMT

A friend of mine has 4 kids of various ages and goes to saas fee every year and loves it

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 22:04:32 GMT

Thanks John Saas Fee has been recommended to us... if you happen to chat to your friend in next few days/weeks wd appreciate any accommodation or travel company tips.

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 22:07:57 GMT

I'll see him tomorrow, will find out name of hotel and who he books with

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 12:29:02 GMT

Hi, I'd recommend Mark Warner in Les deux alpes.......
Upside;
Really good location - ski in ski out
Kids ski school 100mtrs below the hotel
Ski hire & lift passes in the hotel
Hotel etc pretty good too, service & food better than average.

We've done the last 2 years there with absolute beginner (wife) and 2 kids (now 6 & 11) who got the bug after 1 week and have progressed really well in and out of ski school.

Downside;
Long boring green back to resort from best slopes - most others to resort are black.....I'd suggest gondola back down for beginers although the Valentine is ok so long as it's not too busy at the end of the day.
Price at Xmas with MW will be steep although we have paid cGBP500 HB for wk 2 January for the last two years

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 14:14:12 GMT

Not mainstream but I would suggest Levi in Finland, just returned from a fab week out there.
loads of other activities as well as skiing for the kids.

Reindeer Rides, Snowmobiles, husky rides and more.

Staying in the K5 chalets self catering but they are attached to the K5 Hotel which is great.
There is a dedicated family area with some good green runs from the top of Levi.
Went with kids aged 5 and 3.
Also went with another family who had a 12 year old and 7 year old.
We all loved it and will probably go again next year.

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 14:31:53 GMT

check out Esprit. We stayed in one of their chalets in obergurgl and it was a darn near perfect holiday, one of the best we've ever had actually. They've got quite a few chalets and hotels in several resorts and it's all based around families.

good luck :thumbup:

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 15:14:01 GMT

Caron-a, Litteloaks and and snowplough, thank you all - it will all go into the Big Book of Possibilities and me and OH will then discuss our views and preferences... and then she will pick the one she thinks is best....

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 15:18:09 GMT

Timeforabeer wrote:Caron-a, Litteloaks and and snowplough, thank you all - it will all go into the Big Book of Possibilities and me and OH will then discuss our views and preferences... and then she will pick the one she thinks is best....

Know all about that!!!

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 15:45:02 GMT

my husband doesn't know anything until it's time to book/pay. even then he never remembers where we're going and quite often asks as we're on the way to the airport :roll:

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 15:47:01 GMT

caron-a wrote:my husband doesn't know anything until it's time to book/pay. even then he never remembers where we're going and quite often asks as we're on the way to the airport :roll:

Oh how I love being laid back :lol:

At the risk of being offensive.... women love to organise things anyway, don't they???

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 15:50:22 GMT

I am a natural organiser which, mr a says, is why he doesn't bother :twisted:

by the way, as snowplough says, Mark Warner are a good company. I've been on many of their summer hols but not a ski one yet. we will do one day

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 16:57:02 GMT

There is a very complex algorithm of trust and responsibility at play here... Basically she wouldn't trust me to tick all the boxes she would want ticked so she organises it, and it is therefore her responsibility if she doesn't like it... which she appreciates, and I am happy with.

Tho I have indeed been in many coversations, caron-a, where for example I am bluffing that I know where we are going the weekend after next, or at 'Whitsun half term' - or indeed when Whitsun half term is....

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:04:33 GMT

Have been on many Mark Warner sun holidays but I think they have cheapened (is that a word?) by keeping prices at the same level over the years (allowing riffraff in) but charging for everything that was previously included.

Winter is different though......wine included, ski hosting (no need for a map) for varying levels of skill and best of all the activity based childcare.

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:09:33 GMT

snowplough wrote:Have been on many Mark Warner sun holidays but I think they have cheapened (is that a word?) by keeping prices at the same level over the years (allowing riffraff in) but charging for everything that was previously included.

Winter is different though......wine included, ski hosting (no need for a map) for varying levels of skill and best of all the activity based childcare.

We can't have that allowing riffraff in, what ever next )

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:11:23 GMT

Timeforabeer wrote:There is a very complex algorithm of trust and responsibility at play here... Basically she wouldn't trust me to tick all the boxes she would want ticked so she organises it, and it is therefore her responsibility if she doesn't like it... which she appreciates, and I am happy with.

'tis true. I won't let graham get anywhere near a travel internet site / brochure!

that's a shame about MW, snowplough. I haven't been on one for about three or four years. it's also a shame to hear that they've closed many of them including my favourite, Paleros :cry: best waterskiing ever!

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:14:51 GMT

Riffraff seem to be everywhere these days (even j2ski), thought I saw some in a mirror just last week but couldn't have been!

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:25:55 GMT

snowplough wrote:Riffraff seem to be everywhere these days (even j2ski), thought I saw some in a mirror just last week but couldn't have been!

I hope you glared at the riffraff and waved your fist screaming out riffraff :mrgreen:

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 18:42:29 GMT

Alpe d'Huez ?

Lots of easy greens in main bowl round town - ok it's short on Alpine charm but there is fantstic skiing and and things to do of piste.

My kids were gutted we didn't go there and did La Tania instead this year (loved the chalet in LT but found the village a bit quiet and limiting).

Dave

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 20:36:01 GMT

Any views on Les Arcs 1950? Newish one built by Intrawest.. and also anywhere in Italy that might suit? thinking of Selva Gardena....

Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 20:43:20 GMT

Timeforabeer wrote:Any views on Les Arcs 1950?

absolutely yes!!! I skied over for lunch one day and we'll go back and stay there. Not quite as disneylandish as Mont Tremblant looks. JonG is the man in the know in this area.

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 22:48:37 GMT

:DHi ,

Arc 1950 is a great location to stay in the Les Arcs side of the Paradiski ski area, there is a 6 man chair at the edge of the resort which takes you into the middle of the pistes and lifts for the Arc 1950/2000 sction ,also from the resort you just have to take the chair up and over the ridge to access the !600/1800 and Peisey-Vallandry ection or the easy blue/green down into Pre-St-Esprit and then the chair at the bottom to access the afformentioned section.

Also just a short ski and telecabine ride away is the excellent Aiguille Rouge sector with its 7km descent down to Le Pre,although this run is mainly black on the top to middle section and red towards the bottom it ends with a meandering track down to the bar/restaurant Le Ferme, also this run just above Le Pre diverts off round the mountain and takes you back down into Pre-Saint-Esprit just below 1950...you can also miss out the black section by taking the chair up from 2000 and starting the run halfway down from the top....and confident intermediates with care should find this ok if a little knackering.

If you click on the link below you can see and use the interactive webcams for Arc 1950 and the wider Les Arcs area, just click on a picture then click on one of the camera symbols, the views can be panned round etc by using the scroll bars at the bottom and side of the picture..

http://www.lesarcs.com/Webcams-GB-Les-Arcs#b

The only thing i would have against 1950 is that if you wanted to go anywhere else (for an evening meal etc ,or to shop for groceries etc down in Bourg-Saint-Maurice if self catering) it is a good 25 - 30 minutes by car or bus, although there are good places to eat and drink, the better restaurants are down in Bourg in my opinion, and also a little cheaper.

If you would like me to send you some information on the Les Arcs/Bourg-Saint-Maurice area , lift pass prices ( these will only be this seasons prices , next seasons should not be much dearer if at all) etc just send me you're details on the pm facility and i will fire them off to you.

To be honest i think you will be hard pushed to beat anywhere in the Paradiski/Les Arcs area which has some of the best skiing available anyhere and is very underated in my opinion.

Hope some of this helps... :D

Jon.

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 23:04:45 GMT

:DHi again,

Sorry mis-read the ages of the nippers,sometimes the brain is not connected....doh!

The runs around 1950 ,including the afformentioned run down to Pre-St-esprit "Cascades" is a lovely gentle gentle wide blue idesl for beginners or novices, in fact the runs from the "Marmottes" & St Jacques are easy blues with slightly varying gradients.

The St Jacques chair is free on saturdays and sundays,this is accessed via the small bubble telecabine " Cabriolet" that links 1950 with 2000 from the top head to the right and its the first lift you come to on the left just down the easy track from the top.

Sorry about not putting this in the previous reply...

All the best

jonG.

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 16:21:27 GMT

JonG - really useful advice, thank you very much. OH has a phobia about purpose-built, I will have to simply lie about it til we get there.

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 19:36:18 GMT

Hi,

Although 1950 is purpose built it has been very well done, and it does have a newly built feel to it which will after time begin to feel more traditional s it naturally ages (if this makes sense).

You will have a great time I am sure...the whole area is a gem. :D

Jon.

Re:Skiing with the kids, Christmas 2009 - ideas??

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 19:47:11 GMT

What about Flaine? Not the world's prettiest but excellent for families, close to Geneva so short transfers.

Not many hotels (Crystal have the Totem I think) but loads of apartments, most with easy access to the slopes.