 SNOW
PATROL - a beginner's guide to booking a family ski trip
A skiing holiday can be a fantastic break for a family, if well planned
… Read our checklist to get the most of your time on the slopes!
Begin at the beginning
You finally have both the time and the money to take your family on
a skiing holiday. Fantastic! However, before you grab your goggles, there
are a few things to think about to make sure your holiday is fun for everyone.
If you have never been skiing with children before, remember that you
are going to have a different experience! The après-ski scene probably
won't be an option as, even if you can find childcare, do you really want
to face the next day with a crashing hangover? As long as you go into
this with realistic expectations, however, you can still have the time
of your life!
 Who's
looking after the kids?
The question about whether to organise childcare is more crucial on
a skiing holiday than most others. You will probably all be at different
levels of skiing ability and will want to spend longer on the slopes than
your children so it is worth looking into the childcare options available
at your chosen resort.
Whether you opt for full-time or part-time childcare will depend on
how die-hard a skier you are. If skiing is your favourite sport, and you
only have one week in the year to practise it, you might want to book
full-time care. Don't beat yourself up about this - your kids will not
have a good time if you decide to stay with them then get irritated by
having to stick to the nursery slopes. However, if you are looking forward
to spending time with your tots on the slopes, part-time childcare could
be a good option.
Creches: Some companies seem to get better write-ups for their
childcare than others so do look at websites, ask a travel agent and quiz
your friends for good recommendations. If you hear of a recent, good experience
chances are you will have one too. Don't be afraid to ask the holiday
company for their ratio of carers to children and when the sessions end.
Also ask if the staff speak English or not!
 Holiday
company Powder
Byrne runs a special crèche called 'pb' in many of their resorts,
in which children, aged 6 months to 3 years, are looked after and entertained
from 9.00am till 4.00pm while their parents ski. All the nursery nurses
are qualified and happy to discuss any requirements with you before you
arrive on holiday.
Likewise, Mark Warner
also has ample provision for families, with a team of NNEB-qualified nannies,
recruited through UK agency Tinies, to look after your children, with
a ratio of one nanny to three children, aged from 4 months to 12 years.
Nannies: An alternative form of childcare is hiring a nanny, either
from home or locally, although this is an expensive option. When hiring
a nanny, make sure everyone knows what is expected of them, eg the number
of hours they will work, days off, babysitting duties, who they will eat
with, etc? They might also be keen to ski so it's good to make arrangements
early on so everyone is happy. If they get evenings off, you might want
to consider whether you want them to come back at a certain time and be
relatively sober, after all they are looking after your kids the next day!
Grannies: Many people ask the grandparents along on a holiday
- usually with an ulterior motive! Having trustworthy relatives means
parents can go off happily and play! Many grandparents won't mind in the
least but, again, it's important to discuss what everyone's expectations
will be for the holiday. It is worth remembering that, while tour operators
have fantastic crèches and play centres on hand, grandparents won't have
this luxury. Check with your resort that there are suitable playgrounds
and other child-friendly activities so the little ones won't get bored.
DIY childcare: If you decide by choice or financial necessity that
you don't want childcare, understand that you will need to make some big
compromises on your holiday. If you want to get everyone on the slopes,
try to remain positive and upbeat about it - kids can be put off skiing
for life by an overbearing parental instructor! Chat to your partner about
how you can divide your time so you both get a break but also consider ways
in which you might be able to have some time together, if even for a beer.
Ski Schools
"The biggest problem with ski schools can be the language," says Betony
Garner, from the Ski Club of Great Britain. "If you find that the ski
school instructor doesn't speak much English, you do have the right to
ask that your child be transferred to another class. Some UK tour operators
have now set up ski schools purely for British children and these are
well worth considering." Among these are holiday company Powder Byrne,
which runs special 'Yeti Clubs' for children aged 4-9 years. The ski instructors
are all qualified in childcare and tuition and offer small classes, divided
up according to ability, with one adult per seven children.
Another problem to be aware of is the timing of classes. Unfortunately,
some of the classes for children might not coincide with adult lessons,
making you late for a class or having to leave early to collect your child.
"In some places they will organise children's lunches, which is great
for you but again, make sure you know," advises Betony.
If the weather is too bad for skiing, most resorts have indoor recreation
if the weather turns bad.
Top destinations
Top on your list of criteria should be a child-friendly resort, with
short transfer times, close to the lifts and with good nursery slopes.
For a holiday that is even more stress-free, look for a car-free resort.
The following countries and resorts were recommended to us by the Ski
Club of Great Britain:
- Andorra
Grandvalira
- Austria
Alpbach, Kitzbuhel, Mayrhofen, Niederau, Obergurgl, Saalbach-Hinterglemm
- Canada
Lake Louise, Mont Tremblant, Whistler
- France
Les Gets, Avoriaz , Morzine, Alpe d'Huez,
Les Arcs, Flaine, Megeve, , La Plagne, Valmorel, Vaujany
- Italy
Selva Gardena, Cervinia.
- Norway
Geilo
- Sweden
Are
- Switzerland
Arosa, Grindelwald, Lenzerheide, Murren,
Saas Fee, Villars, Wengen
- USA
Smuggler's
Notch, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenbridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone,
Mammoth, Vail
When to go
Your first limitation is obviously going to be school holidays. After
that, you might like to try to book a holiday late in the season, when
the weather is less cold for younger children. If you can be flexible,
avoid the last two weeks in February as European half-term holidays hit
at that time and resorts become packed.
Travel arrangements
To minimise the amount of time you and your family have to be couped
up in a plane, train or automobile (or, worse, coach, with other passengers
to annoy) try to keep transfer time between airport and resort as short
as possible. Alternatively, you could take the Snowtrain (where possible)
or rent a car to drive to resort. Although this can take a long time,
it may be more cost effective.
Choosing somewhere to stay
 Hotels
are always a temptation as they give you a welcome break from making beds,
cooking and cleaning. However, their downsides include lack of choice
in eating times and options and the worry that a screaming baby or toddler
will annoy other guests.
Self-catering does seem the best way forward for families, as Betony
Garner, from the Ski Club of Great Britain, confirms. "Chalets and apartments
are best. Either take over a whole chalet or choose one that is advertised
as a family chalet. Apartments are cheaper but not as convenient, and
someone still has to do the cooking! Resort supermarkets can be expensive,
too." You can hire a catered chalet, whereby breakfast, afternoon tea
and dinner are provided on a daily basis, often with free wine!
Some holiday companies, like Mark Warner, offer a compromise, with their
chalethotels. The advantage of these is the personal service you want
from a hotel but with added flexibility to cope with your little one's
demands! As well as providing travel cots, free beds for children over
two years and potties, there are 24-hour kitchens in the chalethotels
which offer crèche facilities, in case your toddler gets the munchies
outside of normal meal hours!
What to wear
 Children
need to wear adequate protection when skiing, including helmets and goggles
that fit over the helmet. A one-piece ski suit is the most convenient
but perhaps not for frequent loo trips! In addition, if you opt for a
separate ski jacket and trousers, at least your child can wear the jacket
at other times, saving the need of having two.
Mittens or gloves need to be worn at all times to protect little hands
and fingers from the cold, as should hats. A vest and cotton polo neck
underneath a ski jacket or all-in-one should be sufficient most of the
times. On very cold days, more layers will be necessary so pack some tights
and leggings. Sunglasses or goggles and sun cream should be worn even
on cloudy days to help against glare and sunburn. Finally, make sure your
children drink plenty of liquids as being at altitude is dehydrating,
as is exercising in the cold.
To buy or hire?
With all the paraphernalia that is customary for a family holiday, it
does make sense to hire rather than buy. The exception of course is if
you are die-hard snow fanatics and are planning on skiing several times
a season, where buying might be more economical.
The first place to try for ski hire is your local ski shop - see how
much they can kit you out with. If you need more than they can provide,
here is list of companies, all of whom hire out kit.
- Ski Occasions, London - 0208 368 1212
- Ski Togs, London - 0208 993 9883
- Gillian Levy (second-hand ski clothing), London - 0207 435 0124
- Ski Market (second-hand ski clothing), London - 0208 741 7037
- Rivington Ski Services, Bolton - 01204 667767
- Severn Sports/Boardworx, Leeds - 0113 279 1618
- Ski Force, Tamworth - 01543 411422
Your ski holiday checklist
The following items are things to consider taking on your skiing holiday.
Obviously, whether they are essential or not will depend on the age of
your child(ren) but they should provide you with a good starting point!
- A bag for your child, labelled with their name
- Sun cream of at least factor 25
- Ski gloves (not wool)
- Sunglasses/Goggles
- A snowsuit which is both wind and shower proof
- Clothes to layer under suits (particularly vests, tights, t shirts)
- Ski helmet (or hire at resort)
- A warm hat (not wool)
- Suitable snow boots
- Loop-stitch ski socks
- A swimsuit/aqua nappies (if your resort has a pool)
- Nappies and nappy sacs
- Baby wipes and/or cotton wool
- Barrier cream (eg Soducrem)
- A good moisturiser
- Comforters and toys your child is fond of
- Bottles/feeder cups
- Formula milk (most are available at resorts but if your child has
a specific sort it is best to bring some along from home or at least
check with the resort to see if it is available)
- Pushchair
Child-friendly resorts normally provide many items for their younger
visitors, including the following:
- Travel cots for children aged 2 and under
- Highchairs
- Baby baths
- Bottle sterilising facilities
However, it is wise to check just what is on offer so you don't leave
home without an essential item and have to spend your week/fortnight looking
for it!
Where to next?
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