Family Skiing with Ski Collection

Only the best for your family…

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. For example Val Thorens  is a large resort that offers excellent ski possibilities for all types of groups but not all the residence in the resort would be ideal for families due to their location to the centre of the resort and what the residences themselves offer. Alternatively, La Rosiere is an excellent family resort and any of the residences we feature are all ideal for families. It is for that reason that Ski Collection have researched our extensive range of resorts and residences that we feel are best suited to providing families with a perfect base for their holiday, we are able to offer advice as to the best available option available to you and your family. Another consideration is that if your children are of school age then school holiday availability in the popular family resorts get extremely 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 say the Southern Alps or Pyrenees 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.

For resorts in the Paradiski, Espace Killy and 3 Valleys ski 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 or the Pyrenees, it is worth considering the transfer time between the airport and resort, with the Southern Alps and the Pyrenees 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…..

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 will more than likely 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 door step skiing, this is an added benefit especially for the children, as they will probably have some difficulty in walking in their ski boots and you will certainly be left carrying an armful of ski equipment to the nearest lift. 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 traditional villages. These villages offer excellent ski opportunities but can have their own disadvantages in that because they have not been developed with the skier in mind the location of amenities may not be ideal. 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 door step skiing. An excellent example of such a resort would be Arc 1950.

Ski schools and ski hire…..

Your children will no doubt require some level of ski lessons, it is therefore important to consider the location of ski schools to your residence. As highlighted in the previous section, the carrying of equipment is often left to the parents and therefore the location of the ski hire shop should be a consideration. Many of our residences either have a hire shop within them or very close by.

Alternative activities available…..

You will be surprised at how much energy children will have (even after a hard days skiing) therefore a residence that has a pool will be a god send, as will any sort of games room. Some resorts offer other activities such as ice rinks, husky dog sledging, snow shoeing and bowling alleys. These are all excellent alternatives to skiing if the children get tired of the slopes on any day.

The resort that we feel is our 'best family resort' as voted for by our reservations team is La Rosiere, view our review of the resort.

Select here to view Patrick Thorne’s review of La Rosiere.

We have listed below the resorts and residences we feel best match this criteria, 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. You can also look here at the resorts that have been awarded the Famille Plus.

Our Selected Family Resorts & Residences

Call us on 0844 576 0175 or email us at reservations@skicollection.co.uk to book your family ski holiday today!

Family Skiing Updated 26/01/12