It is the holiday that stands out most in my mind as a child. A shimmering white valley with ginger-bread style chalets dotted around the mountains. At every turn, we would find hot-chocolate cafes (with actual real chocolate) and we discovered exciting new meals like Raclette (a pot of melted cheese you can dip bread and potatoes).
Each day we would come back from the slopes, rosy-cheeked and delirious with the adrenaline of having mastered snow plough. We thought we were AMAZING. To be honest, after two days of lessons at snow school, we were surprisingly amazing. In the evenings, we crunched through the snow en famille to the nearest restaurant and munched happily on whatever local dish was being served, exhausted but delighted with ourselves. I've been dying to bring my own children skiing but felt it was a little out of our reach financially.
But we were delighted to be introduced to the very affordable Pierre & Vacances - a company that has been around for almost 50 years. Many of the continental Europeans are very familiar with this travel company which has over 200 destinations in 10 countries.
The draw of Pierre & Vacances holidays is that they focus on the entire family. Most of the ski resorts have free meals for children under the age of four and have smart facilities for little ones like baby back carriers (when available).
The company creates a bespoke package to suit each family with flexible arrival times and special 'à la carte' services. The company has really great deals on at the moment for skiing between December and March.
If you are looking for a last-minute deal for Christmas, there are promotions on the village of Avoriaz in France (Les Portes du Soleil), where for each adult pass you get a free child's pass (5-15 years) which is valid for the duration of 5, 6 and 7 days.
In Les Arcs, also in France, there is one free child's pass with every two adult passes, and in Valmorel, an amazing resort at the Le Grand Domaine Tarentaise slopes in France, they also have a free child's pass with every adult's pass (5-7 years included). In the nearby Chamonix, where the unforgettable 'Mont-Blanc' stretches elegantly into the sky, ski lift passes include admission to excursion sites and access to the nearby swimming pool, skating rink, museums and sledging on rails. Yes, sledging!
The list goes on... there are also fantastic Easter deals for all the family to some of the most impressive ski slopes in Europe.
Most of the ski resorts are close to shops and villages for that all-important buzz in the evenings. The accommodation is quiet at night which is important for those with young children and so everyone gets a good night's sleep after an exhilarating day on the slopes. The staff are helpful, friendly and most do have good English. An important consideration for families is how far the resort is from the airport. For the most part, the villages are within an hour or two from the main airports (Lyon, Geneva) and a lot of the accommodation includes a kitchenette which is invaluable for saving on breakfast or a quick pasta dish in the afternoon for your hungry little mountain dwellers.
When you start researching ski-holidays, you hear about the importance of 'ski-in and ski-out'. It means that you can stick on your skis at your accommodation and ski directly onto the slopes, something that is very important when you have little ones rearing to go and you don't want to trek for miles carrying your gear. The views at most of the Pierre & Vacances are also breathtaking. There is nothing better for the mind like waking up to the early sunlight dancing on the mountain right outside your window.
The beauty about Pierre & Vacances is that there is a huge emphasis on the happiness of the entire family. They also focus on the 'doing more together' which means they make sure that the preservation of the environment in the region you are staying in is prioritised.
A family ski-holiday is something really special. The cosiness of being in a kind of permanent state of Christmas with candles, ice-rinks, pine trees and snuggly log cabins is the stuff of dreams...or memories. Either way, it is an unforgettable experience for all the family.
Save up to 20% on your stay right now.
