All family ski holidays are different. We’ve helped lots of families make the most of their time together in the mountains. We also fondly remember our own first ski trips as children and with our own children. We aim to make everything as easy and comfortable as possible for you so that you can relax and enjoy your holiday.
For the first of our family ski holidays, Serre Chevalier turned out to be an excellent choice! It’s a great place for kids to learn and there’s so many pistes for advanced skiers too. It was easy to get organised with ski rental, easy to get to the slopes and get the kids off to ski school. Everything we needed was on the doorstep.
It’s a big step if you’re keen skiers or boarders, taking the children on that first trip. Family ski holidays are supposed to be fun! To ensure this we recommend the following tips to those thinking of braving the snow with their children this winter:
Top Tips for Great Family Ski Holiday
- Choose a ski chalet easily walkable to ski lifts and ski school meeting point. Chalet Claire is less than 500m away – perfect for little legs.
- Rent a ski locker by the lifts and ski school significantly reducing the hassle of getting around in ski gear. We recommend Phillipe Sport 15m from L’Aravet and can arrange this for you.
- Gôuter! Snacks are essential on family ski holidays! Keep plenty of cereal bars in those handy ski pockets and get ready for a well deserved chalet gôuter (or afternoon tea) provided for hangry kids and skied-out grown ups.
- Check the chalet arrangements for kids tea. We know – kids can be tricky eaters however skiing requires calories! See our kids menu which can be modified for your stay.
- Organise your ski passes in advance. It’s no fun to spend the first part of your family ski holiday in a long queue with your children. At Mountain Oaks we can help you with this.
- Finally, have a back up option for day four. Because skiing is a little tiring, we’ve found young skiers and sometimes their parents, are worn out on day four. Some may require an indulgent alternative option to keep them ski happy for day five. We recommend a spa experience at Les Grands Bains, at Monêtier Les Bains, 10 mins by car/bus up the valley.
Claire helping one of our first guests on their first red run.
Guests finding their skiing legs.
Making it Easy
We’ve taken our kids on eight family ski holidays and worked a season before we decided to move to the Alps longer term. Certainly, we know all about the wonders of fussy, awkward, difficult, irrational and stubborn children. We also know that being cold, hungry and strapping massive planks onto your feet to ‘have fun’, isn’t easy for a lot of kids! But this is your holiday too. We pride ourselves on our vast experience and are here to cater for your family’s needs. We want to make it easy for you to have a great week on the slopes. Tell us about you and your family, and we can offer our honest advice about how to get the most from your holiday.