Skiing holidays for beginners..

OK, I think I'm going to start at the end of your post. Skiing short breaks aren't ideal because most of the package/tour op deals are for a week. As a beginner, package deals are good because there is a bit more hand holding in terms of booking your lift pass, equipment hire, ski school and sometimes childcare for you. We go on lots of ski short breaks but we book them independently and I'm not sure that is the right solution for you as it might just cause you stress as there'll be lots of new things to deal with. I would recommend as a first trip you go with a tour op, and this usually means for a week. You'll also find that ski school etc. usually runs for a week, so there are lots of reasons why this is easier.

In terms of where to go, the choice is vast. I would suggest with kids you go somewhere with ski-in ski-out accommodation, to avoid having to carry loads of equipment to and from the lifts/bus stop every morning. There are lots of child friendly resorts but as I have not skied with kids I am not in the best position to recommend specific ones. Have a look around online, try ifyouski dot com for resort reviews and search for family-friendly. I post on a forum called snowheads dot com which is really very good and I think if you post your requirements then a number of people will have ideal suggestions.

If you're thinking about Feb half term, you will need to be quite quick, as it books up quickly. If you can avoid half term, do it!

Most companies offer family friendly options, but again someone on Snowheads will be able to advise. I have heard Ski Esprit often mentioned as being good with families, so that might be a place to start.

Hope this has been at least some help!

D

I just did my 3rd yr skiing this yr and have to say I am absolutely loving it.

I would totally recommend a week - 2 weeks would be too long I think and 4 days not enough - bear in mind that even going to France the travel time is quite high because even the closest resorts have transfer times of 2ish hours from the airport (it has been more like 4 each time we have been) so when you add in the travel to the airport in the UK, check-in time and flights etc. the best part of a day is gone. Generally for a week skiing you get 6 days on the slopes (minus another day if you do trans-atlantic). I have been to Val D'Isere and Meribel in France and one in Austria I can't remember the name of and can recommend all of them.

We have found doing it independently just as easy as getting a package - we have always booked ski hire, lessons etc. in advance on the internet. Definately have lessons - ski school is always good fun or you could maybe do half day private lessons or something! I think you should decide on a few basic things first and then work on it from there

e.g. do you want catered or self-catering? Do you want to be in the resort centre or a small way out? (bus services are generally good serving the surrounding areas so we have never found the location much of a problem), big hotel or cosy chalet?

HTH!

Delia thats really helpful thank you so much. You def sound like you have done this before! Im going to have a good look at those websites and fingers crossed i will find something perfect. Im quite nervous that im trying to find something perfect and me or H will end up with a broken bone!

JK2B, thank you very much. You have given me lots to think about. Tbh i dont really know alot about what to do yet, but have had offers of babysitters for a week so we do have the option to go child free now. Hmmm lots to think over. Its exciting though, i know H would love it.

I learnt to ski as an adult and echo what others have said about getting a package - it just makes life a lot easier until you know the ropes

We went this year with our baby and went with Mark Warner - great childcare, great organisation around transfers and sorting out ski school and so on and good accomodation (a bit out of the way in our resort but with lifts during peak hours to the nearest lift / ski school start point) - all in all very easy although not cheap

As a beginner the key thing I'd be looking for is a good English language ski school - it really helps to have someone who can explain things in many different ways until you find what works for you. Also beg and borrow kit just in case you hate it - nothing worse than spending money on stuff you might not use a second time

Have great fun !

I learned to ski with a 1 week trip to Deux Alpes in France. Have skiied many places since, but I still think that is best for a beginner, as there are really long easy runs from the top of the glacier, so you are not restricted to short runs down the learner slope, even if you are a novice.

Thanks both. Am off to google mark warner and deux alpes. Im excited but trying not to tell H anything about it as i want it to be a surprise.

Still convinced ill be coming home broken!

Avoriaz would be a good choice - it's a no car resort, just about all the accommodation is ski-in-ski-out, very snow-sure & there's access to a massive ski area, Portes du Soleil. Some great beginners run there, some nice long, gentle farm track. Meribel is another great choice - the Altiport had some excellent green runs. Inghams and Erna Low might be worth looking at.

One tip if you're an absolute beginner is not to buy a whole area ski pass, in some resorts, beginners slopes are free to use or at least you do not necesasrily need a ski pass for lifts on those runs. In Val d'Isere, the village beginner slopes are free to use.