Family Ski Holidays France
Skiing with the family is such a rewarding holiday especially when you have planned it right. It's extremely important to choose a resort that is geared towards families and children, as not all resorts are! Of course, within resorts, there are a number of different residences that are more suited to families than others.
Choosing the best options for family ski holidays
Val Thorens is a large resort that offers excellent ski possibilities for all types of groups but not all the residences in the resort would be ideal for families due to the facilities on offer. La Rosière is also an excellent family resort and very popular with our clients and all the accommodation is suitable for families.
Remember: If your children are of school age then school holiday availability in the popular family resorts get booked up early, so it is worth bearing that in mind if you want to guarantee a specific resort or residence.
Travelling to the resort
When choosing a resort it is worth bearing in mind how you are planning on getting to the resort.
For resorts in the northern Alps such as Avoriaz and Flaine, the self-drive option may be a good option as the drive times are much less than the Southern Alps resorts.
The benefit of self-drive is obviously the flexibility it affords you with not only time but also the amount of luggage you can take. We have lots of information and tips about driving to the French Alps.
For resorts in the Paradiski, Tignes-Val d'sère and Les 3 Vallées areas then it is worth bearing in mind the ski train which takes you to the heart of the Alps to either Bourg Saint Maurice or Moutiers and only a relatively short transfer from the major resorts.
If you prefer to fly and this is an excellent option especially if you are interested in skiing in the Southern Alps, it is worth considering the transfer time between the airport and resort, with the Southern Alps resorts offering relatively good transfer times and costs to the majority of resorts. The value for money these resorts offer are an excellent reason to consider them for a great family ski holiday.
Suitability for ski ability
Is the resort suitable for everyone's ski requirements? It is not necessarily the case that all members of your party will be beginners, therefore are there enough challenging runs available to those more competent? There are resorts with a relatively small ski domain which in turn links up to larger domains offering a much wider range of runs to those of all abilities.
Residence location important for families
The location of your accommodation is another important consideration for a number of reasons. First of all how far is the residence from the centre of the resort?
Although your accommodation may be self-catering you may still like to go out in the evenings to the local restaurants and entertainment venues. Therefore, somewhere that is only a short walk to the resort centre is a real benefit.
Is the residence offering doorstep skiing? This is great for children as it's not fun to walk too far in their ski boots and you will certainly be left carrying an armful of ski equipment to the nearest lift! We are talking from experience here! Else, look out for the local bus transfers. Many accommodations that don't offer doorstep skiing will have a bus shuttle service which stops near the property. These are easy to jump on and off.
The majority of the resorts that Ski collection feature are what are referred to as purpose-built resorts. This simply means they have been developed primarily as a ski resort rather than being a traditional village resort. The traditional villages offer excellent ski opportunities but can have their own disadvantages as they were not developed with the skier in mind. This is where purpose-built resorts come into their own. There are some resorts that are car-free with everything you need close at hand and also benefiting from doorstep skiing. An excellent example of such a resort would be Val Thorens and Flaine.
Alternative activities available for family ski holidays
You will be surprised at how much energy children will have (even after a hard days skiing) and we know from experience that residences with pools are much loved by the little ones, as are those with any sort of games room. Some resorts offer other activities such as ice rinks, husky dog sledging, snowshoeing and bowling alleys. These are all excellent alternatives to skiing if the children get tired of the slopes on any day.
Our handpicked selection of the best ski resorts for families.
The resort that we feel is our 'best family resort' as voted for by our reservations team is La Rosière. Stay at Les Cimes Blanches, Lodge Hemera, Chalet les Marmottons, Les Balcons de la Rosière and Le Refuge.
We have also listed below the resorts and residences we know are great for families. However, the best way to ensure that we can best match the resort to your needs is to call us and discuss your specific requirements.
Other fantastic family-friendly resorts include Tignes 1800, Sainte Foy and Les Deux Alpes.
