6 tips for skiing with children

Skiing with children

Taking your children skiing for the first time can be a magical experience – watching them get the ski bug, building a snowman, enjoying a hot chocolate in a mountain restaurant, or sledging with their friends.  But it can also be a bit stressful, so here we have listed a few top tips for skiing with children.

Short airport transfer

Travelling with children is never easy and some resorts are three hours plus from the airport, particularly during the busy school holiday weeks.   Aim for a resort with a short airport transfer to reduce stress and maximize your holiday time.

Chauffeur service

When you ski with children you normally have your hands full (literally) – your skis and poles, the kids’ skis and poles and often the children themselves, so it’s a good idea to book a chalet with easy access to the slopes.  But beware – a chalet only 50-100m from the slopes can be a nightmare because walking in ski boots for the first time and carrying all your kit is not easy.

There are two options to make your life as easy as possible – 1) stay in a chalet right on the slopes, or 2) stay in a chalet that offers a chauffeured minibus – and make sure it’s a flexible service rather than set for 9am drop offs and 4pm pick ups.

Quiet weeks

When skiing with children you’re often tied to the school holiday weeks which sadly are the most expensive and often the busiest weeks in resort.  Christmas though is a generally quiet time to come skiing, and it feels magical for children to be in the snow for the festive period. The Easter weeks are also a great time to ski when the slopes are quieter than Feb half term, and you’ll normally enjoy some sunny Spring conditions.

Getting a head start

Skiing for the first time can be quite a strange and difficult experience for children, so it can be really beneficial to allow them to try it out before your first holiday.  There are many dry slopes and excellent snowdomes around the UK these days that provide a very realistic and safe introduction into skiing.  A few lessons at the snowdome will ensure they get off to a flying start on day one of your holiday.

Other activities

For many children skiing from 9am to 4pm is much too tiring, plus the weather conditions sometimes restrict little ones from being on the mountain all day.  If you can it’s a great idea to book a resort and/or accommodation with other activities on offer.  Indoor pools, ice skating rinks, cinemas, bowling alleys are all great options for fun off the slopes.

Ski with friends

Skiing is a fun and exciting new experience for children but even more so if they have some friends to share it with.  Family ski holidays work really well when two or three families with children the same ages join forces and hit the slopes together.  Not only is it great fun for the kids snowball fighting, sledging etc but the adults get to enjoy a bottle of wine together around the fire in the evenings… happy days!

Click here for more information about our family ski holidays in Chatel.

Notes:

Chatel is only 90 minutes from Geneva airport and at NINE & TENNE we provide immediate private transfers with our fully serviced packages, together with an ‘on demand’ chauffeured minibus service within resort.