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Is yours an active family that’s a little tired of the sun, sea, sand and watersports available on a typical beach holiday?
How about hitting the slopes for a ski holiday somewhere stunning like the French Alps instead?
The scenery is spectacular, the air is fresh, the food is terrific, and skiing and snowboarding are fantastic fun.
Sounds good? Take a look at these three hassle-free steps to a fab family ski holiday.
There are hundreds of ski resorts to choose from, so you’ll need to narrow down your selection according to the key criteria for your family.
If you’re all beginners, look for a resort with ample and accessible nursery slopes, ski lessons for all levels and a good choice of expansive green and blue pistes, while a mixed ability group might want red and black runs too, not to mention off-slope opportunities. A snow-sure resort means conditions are good throughout the season, a car-free resort offering doorstep skiing and an efficient lift system is also a good bet, and a range of off-slope activities and amenities is a bonus.
Don’t forget about the ease of access from major airports, too. For instance, a Geneva to Tignes transfer can be quite efficient and convenient, making your journey smoother. Look out for Alpine resorts like Les Gets, which have Famille Plus Montagne accreditation – this is a good indicator that most of the aforementioned family factors are fulfilled.
Each resort’s ski season can vary slightly, but the ski season across Europe lasts roughly from early December until late April. You might have to fit your snowsports vacation around school holidays, but there are also a few other factors to consider.
Skiing in December means that you’ll enjoy the magical ambience of ski resorts when they’re decked out delightfully for the festive season, and if you choose higher altitude resorts like La Plagne, snow conditions can be good. Meanwhile, January is a traditionally quiet time on the slopes, and conditions are usually excellent, making this month a reliable choice for first-time families, while snow conditions peak in February, and this coincides with half-term holidays. March is also a reasonably quiet month, and snow conditions remain decent, but if April sounds better, try to pick the start of the month when long days and warm conditions are pleasant, but there’s still sufficient snow coverage.
If you’ve just started skiing, it’s best not to splash out on expensive gear until you’re sure you’ll embrace it as a pastime and are able to get out onto the powder regularly.
But when you’re holidaying with a family, organising ski hire, ski passes, and ski lessons on top of arranging flights and accommodation can mean hours of head-scratching hassle. However, you could contact a ski package provider, and they’ll parcel everything your family needs into one convenient, customised bundle.
If you don’t want to forget any essentials and you’d like to start skiing as soon as possible after your arrival, pre-arranging every aspect of your break makes perfect sense.
And voila! Hopefully, these three simple steps have whetted your appetite for a family ski break.
This is a collaborative post.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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