Winter ski trips are a great idea when considering options for a family holiday and the joy of skiing with your children is difficult to replicate. Choosing the right resort however is essential in making sure every member of the family, both young and old has a great time. Here are my top three ski resorts suitable for families when looking for a luxury winter break.
Meribel
This resort is located in the heart of the three valleys and has long been a family favourite and it is easy to see why. The resort is well connected to the neighbouring resorts of Courchevel, La Tania, Val Thorens, St Martin de Belleville and Les Menuires. This gives you a vast ski area suitable for both those learning and those more experienced who want to practice their off piste with a local guide. There are also several board parks for those wishing to practice their tricks. It has lots of choice of luxury accommodation from catered chalets to 5* hotels and serviced apartments. There are many good ski schools to choose from, whether you are looking for group lessons or private instructors. The resort boasts a large ice rink and swimming pool with a flume which are located centrally alongside the resort bowling alley. Other activities include Husky sledding in the forests between this resort and Latania nearby. For the older kids there is great apres-ski with live bands and entertainment.
Les Gets
This quieter resort is located in the “Portes du Soleil” ski area giving access to 12 different ski resorts. A big attraction for this resort, apart from its’ cute alpine village ambiance, is the short transfer time to Geneva airport. This is essential to consider if you have small children in your group. There are good ski schools and nurseries in Les Gets and although the resort has a slightly shorter ski season but boasts a good snow record from mid December to early April. Make your children’s dreams come true when you visit the chocolate workshop, these are held every Thursday afternoon. If you are looking for other activities then the outdoor floodlit ice rink is always a hit and the older ones might like to try tandem paragliding.
Val d’Isere
This is a world class high altitude resort linked with Tignes to make the Espace Killy ski area. Admittedly it has a longer than average transfer time, however if you have older children it is definitely worth the wait. Wide pistes make it perfect for skiing with children and there are great mountain restaurants for when you need to stop for a hot chocolate. The village centre is flat and well laid out and they have a white roads policy which means that the whole resort remains white all season. Take a walk around the centre and see if you can spot the giant ice sculptures located throughout the resort. The market is great for looking for local produce and you can arrange a visit to the farm and see how the local cheese and yogurts are made. The newly built centre du loisir has a choice of pools for those looking for fun along with those wanting to do their lengths. The accommodation choices in Val d’Isere are vast but do your homework so you get one which is located right on the piste to save carrying all the family’s skis too far.
