Top-Tips for a ski holiday with children

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Maybe this is your first time going on a ski holiday with children or maybe you are a seasoned pro! No matter what, this article can help provide insight (or jog some memories) about what you need to think about in advance so your holiday goes as smoothly as possible. Get ready for some insider mum-in-the-mountains Top Tips…

Before you go any further, think about your budget and when you will be able to go on a ski holiday. You’ll need to make sure you have enough money for your accommodation, getting to resort, food, lift passes, ski or snowboard lessons, childcare, equipment hire and other activities like bowling or swimming. To give you an idea and depending on where you go and what you do, a family ski holiday for 4 people (2 adults and 2 children) can cost anywhere between 3000€ and 10,000€ onwards.

If you can, avoid those peak weeks, it’s often more expensive and there are more people on the slopes. My favourite times to ski are January and March. I also think April, the end of the ski season, is great as the weather is warmer, days are longer and there are often plenty of fun on-slope family activities and events to do, especially around Easter time!

With OSC, we understand that every holiday is different and our aim is to fulfill your individual wants and needs. We’re here to chat through all possibilities so your holiday is one to remember.

Top Tip 1 - Choose your ski resort wisely

When going on a ski holiday, you need to take into consideration what each resort can offer you and your family. Some ski resorts are better than others for family-friendly deals and activities. Sometimes you’ll find some options offering babies for ‘free’ and others offer family promotions on lift passes. Some places also have better accommodation options for families with younger children, providing easy access to the slopes or ski school meeting points.

It's all about the Famille Plus
All our ski resorts have been chosen thanks to their high-end skiing or snowboarding opportunities, fantastic accommodation and excellent services. In fact, Les Menuires, Meribel, La Plagne, Courchevel, Val Thorens, Le Grand Bornand, Tignes and Val d’Isère all hold the French Famille Plus seal of approval. This means they’ve gone out of their way to create and offer activities, services and entertainment adapted to families.

Purpose-built and practical
If you want an easier life as a ski-mum-on-holiday-in-the-mountains, it's not always about being in the 'prettiest' of ski resorts. Saying that when everything is covered in snow it's beautiful everywhere you look! You'll find a purpose-built ski resort often offers the best ski-in/ski-out holiday experience. For example, Les Menuires, Val Thorens, La Plagne and Tignes are purpose-built winners in my eyes! And Courchevel is also another great option for a more 'chic', ski-in/ski-out holiday. Each of these resorts has been built to make any parent's lives easier, that's for sure.

Lift pass family deals
Did you know you can save money on lift passes by simply being a family? Fantastic hey! In La Plagne, they offer a Paradiski ski pass deal for families of 4 or more, saving you up to 25€ per person. In Tignes - Val d’Isère, brand new this year, lift passes are free for under 8s, meaning you can literally save hundreds on your family holiday. In the 3 Valleys, they offer a family pass deal for 2 children and 2 adults from 300€ per person, saving a massive 75€ per adult. The Grand Bornand also has a Duo Pass deal allowing parents with children younger than 5 to share their lift pass, ski time and childcare.

If you have any questions, make sure you chat with our holiday specialists. They will fill you in on any special deals available for you during your holiday week.

Top-Tip 2 - Think about how you will be travelling to resort

Travelling with children can sound like a nightmare, but it really doesn't have to be. Just remember to take plenty of deep breaths, it won't last forever…

Plane, car or train
If you are travelling by car, which is now a favourite of many winter sports enthusiasts since Covid, then plan your trip well with plenty of stop-offs along the way. You can load your car up with water, snacks, plenty of toys, books, pillows and blankets. Make it as comfortable as possible as it can be a long drive. If it's nice and comfortable (and your little one is like mine) then the car journey will make them drift off to sleep in no time, meaning you can drive without being distracted… well at least for a little while.

From previous experience, I loved travelling with younger children on a train. What's great is you can get up and walk around, which is ideal for a change of scenery. Depending on the train, you can sometimes ask to be in the family carriage. This can mean slightly larger seats with toilets and changing facilities nearby. It's also nice knowing everyone else is in the same situation as you... with children!

Planes are not bad too and don't shy away from them. Many of our ski resorts are only a few hours away from the airport. Changing from car to airport, to plane, to resort, can help break up the journey. If your children are old enough to understand, be clear about what to expect during the transfer day. Then make sure you pack your hand luggage well with plenty of easy access and all important entertainment items.

If you’ve got the budget and you need a transfer from their airport or train station, then a big suggestion of mine is to book a private transfer company. They will pick you up straight away and take you directly to your in-resort accommodation. We know you’ll very much appreciate this after a long day travelling.

Travelling with babies, toddlers and older children
You may not think it, but babies are pretty easy to travel with! So don’t let having a tiny tot put you off a ski holiday. Depending on how you choose to travel, make sure you have plenty of milk, food and snacks, plus their favourite toys. Babies don't need much else so you can travel relatively lightly. Plus, if you’ve forgotten anything, don’t worry, there are plenty of shops in our ski resorts.

Toddlers can be a little more challenging to travel with, they want to walk, touch and sometimes taste everything. Be patient, breathe deeply, the travelling is only one day. Make sure you have plenty of small and easy-to-entertain toys and books for them. You may also allow them to watch something on a tablet. If so and you are flying, save this until you’re on the plane, it’ll be a life changer being able to keep them happy in one place for a longer amount of time.

With older children, they’ll be able to choose their toys and entertain themselves. Give them a backpack and let them fill it! They'll be happy, plus you don't have to do it! Win-win! One big tip is to make sure you have fully charged all electrical equipment and/or have extra batteries. Sometimes transfer days can be longer than expected. And please don’t worry if they do spend longer than normal on a screen. Remember, next day they’ll be doing something completely different and with lots of fresh mountain air.

Top-Tip 3 - Pre-book your childcare & ski school

How old are your children? Depending on their age, depends on what they’ll need… babies, toddlers, under 5s, older children or teenagers. It’s so important to get ski school or childcare pre-booked in advance, as if you wait until you are in resort you'll most likely be disappointed.

First of all, ask yourself, can your children ski already? Will you be skiing together? Or will you take it in turns to look after them? A general rule of thumb and a great way to think is... it’s a holiday for everyone, not just the children, therefore any child below 3 will need some form of childcare throughout the holiday. Childcare allows parents to have that very much-needed time off to relax and enjoy themselves too.

Childcare in resort can be hard to find
For the younger children who are not skiing, sometimes the local creche has space for holidaymakers. Contact them directly as soon as you have confirmed your chosen ski resort. If this is not an option, then you’ll need to outsource and our OSC experts can help guide you here…

Share childcare
You may be on a joint holiday with others who also need childcare! First of all, fantastic idea as your children will enjoy being with others the same age. Secondly, a great tip is to find a private nanny who will come to your in-resort accommodation to look after the children in one place and at the same time. We have contacts with local trustworthy companies that we can provide information for upon reserving your holiday with us!

Ski school
From 3 years on, many children are ready to join ski school. We have a strong partnership with the excellent English-speaking ski school Oxygène. For younger children, we suggest doing a morning slot, between 2 and 3 hours, depending on the resort. This way they can eat lunch afterwards and sleep or relax in the afternoon.

From 5/6 years old (again depending on the resort), you can book your little ones into a Lunch Club with the ski school. They’ll get collected from the meeting point after lessons have finished, have food and then play until 2-2.30ish. If they are not tired, they can then join afternoon ski school, which also means they’ll be absolute pro-skiers (well better than their parents) by the end of the week.

For teenagers, they probably won’t want to be anywhere near childcare (or their parents for matter of fact!). They may want to join in on a teenage group lesson like Pro-rider with others the same age. Or you may be able to get them to ski with you in the afternoon. If not, don't worry, lots of our ski resorts have bowling alleys, swimming pools and ice skating rinks they can go hang out and be 'cool' in. Or, why not leave them to their own (electrical) devices and you can enjoy your afternoon on the slopes? It’s a holiday for everyone after all.

Top-Tip 4 - Choose the right accommodation for you and your family

When it comes to accommodation, we have a great selection of family-friendly hotels, chalets and self-catered apartments. It really depends on what you want and your budget. Here are a few of my favourites...

The 4* Hotel Araucaria in La Plagne has the best games area, entertaining children from young to old, plus a few adults too! It is also situated directly on the slopes and only 100 metres or so away from the ski school meeting point.

In Méribel we have the family-friendly 3* Hotel Eterlou, open during both the winter and summer months. A family-run business, this hotel is ski-in/ski-out, located metres away from the ski lifts and right next to the ski school meeting point. It also has a games room with a table tennis and football table, perfect for older children!

In Tignes, we have the super Chalet Tango and Chalet Charlie which can be rented out either individually or together. These chalets are a heaven for your little’uns with 2 aviation-themed bedrooms - Air Force One style!

Self-catered accommodation is also a fantastic option too, especially if you have a more limited budget. Self-catered also means you do not need to worry about your children if they are fussy eaters, as you can prepare everything they like - this is one less stress, that’s for sure!

In Le Grand Bornand we have some brilliant self-catered apartments and one in particular is Le Roc de Tours in Chinaillon. You are right on the snow front, perfect for easy slope access and not having to carry your children’s skis far. There are also plenty of child-friendly restaurants and local shops.

When booking self-catered accommodation, if you have young children, look for one with a washing machine. We all know accidents can happen and being able to wash clothes and bedding is a lifesaver in itself.

Top-Tip 5 - What else should you pre-book in advance?

To make your life easier, pre-book as much in advance as possible. You can sometimes save a little money too! For example, ski hire is often cheaper, plus we have some deals with in-resort ski equipment companies allowing you to save even more money whilst still enjoying a great service.

Specific activities should also be booked in advance. If you know 100% you want to do something, such as dog sledging or parapenting, let us know and we will help you every step of the way to build your perfect family holiday. If you leave it until you arrive in resort they can often be booked up and we don't want you to be disappointed.

Top-Tip 6 - What you should pack in your suitcase

Last but not least, below is a general what-to-pack checklist for your children. You can also read our article What to pack for a ski trip for more information…

Ski clothing

Base layer thermals - long johns and tops
Thick jumpers or a fleece - zip-up is best
Warm ski socks
A ski suit or jacket and trousers combo
Ski gloves or mittens - mittens are better as they keep hands warmer and are easier to get on
Neck scarf or buff - one you can pull up over the mouth on cold chairlifts
Sunglasses
Goggles
Helmet - if you don't have one, don't worry, you can rent one in resort

Everyday clothing

Jumpers and long sleeved tops
T-shirts
Trousers
Socks or warm tights
Underwear
A warm jacket
A warm woolly hat
Scarf
Après-ski gloves
Winter/waterproof boots
Another pair of comfortable shoes or trainers

Accessories and extras

Sun cream - factor 50 protection UVA and UVB
Lip balm - if using it on the slopes make sure it is also a high factor with protection against UVA and UVB
First aid kit - including children's paracetamol, plasters and pressure pads. There are pharmacies in resort but they can be expensive and have long queues
Toiletries - toothpaste, toothbrush, shower gel and shampoo
Favourite toys and comforters
Any favourite snacks that you can pop in their pockets - just in case they get hungry on the slopes

I hope you’ve found this article useful. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to seeing you on the slopes of one of our resorts very soon…