As the winter holidays approach parents probably plan to take their children on holiday. Some will want to escape for a week into the summer, visiting one of the resorts in Thailand, the UAE or Egypt. In contrast, others will decide to experience the delights of winter, enjoying the fresh mountain air, snow and skiing.
If you choose the second option, then this article is for you. We have tried to cover all the essential aspects of winter holidays with children, from planning to choosing the resort and hotel to the activities programme.
Buy a package tour or go on your own?
Travelling with a child, especially abroad, is a big responsibility for parents. By buying a holiday through a travel agent, you are handing over some of the organisation to the travel company, so you can concentrate more on packing or preparing the entertainment part of the holiday.
The travel agent will recommend and book a hotel, shuttle service, take you to and from the airport, and offer a ready-made excursion programme. Of course, the cost of the agent's services is included in the price of the tour.
There are some disadvantages to package tours. For example, if you take a charter flight, you may miss the departure or arrival time, as flight delays are expected.
One of the disadvantages may be the transfer arrangements: the bus will often take you to several other resorts, and the journey may take longer than if you and your family had travelled to the resort on your own.
Making your travel arrangements will take more time, but you can save a lot on airfares by booking a low-cost flight in advance, choosing connecting flights or nearby airports, and choosing your departure time.
The only catch is that you must organise transport to and from the resort.
How do I get to the resort?
As ski resorts are rarely within 100 km of the airport, it is sometimes necessary to use several modes of transport.
This problem can be solved by hiring a car, but this always adds to the travel budget. In addition, in Europe, using a child seat in the car is compulsory, which also significantly impacts the budget.
Tip: If you do not plan to hire a car and public transport is not part of your plans, check with your hotel reservations to see if an individual transfer can be arranged. Another option is to find a transport company in your destination city that offers this service.
When organising your travel and holidays in European ski resorts, it is essential to speak at least English, as buying a train ticket or booking a car can be problematic without it.
The resort's location near the airport is also essential for holidays with children. As a general rule, the closer, the better. In this case, the transfer will be short, regardless of whether you get a car or public transport.
When choosing a holiday destination with children, find out if there is a train station nearby. That can make the transfer easier.
Looking at ski resorts in Austria or Germany, for example, Ski Welt or Kitzbühel are good options, as are German resorts near Munich Airport, such as Reit im Winkl or Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Tip: Before you go, check the resort's official website for details. There should be a 'how to get there' section with all the public transport options.
Choosing the best time to go skiing with your children
When we go skiing, we always check the weather forecast websites. Whether or not there will be enough snow during the holiday season is a question that often worries tourists.
To avoid disappointment during your winter holiday in the mountains, here's a rule of thumb: in December and January, choose a high-altitude resort, and in February and March, there's usually enough snow everywhere to consider any ski resort.
If you are on holiday in April and May and still want to ski, the choice is limited to resorts close to glaciers (e.g. Stubai, Kaprun and Dachstein in Austria, Passo Stelvio or Bormio in Italy, La Grande Motte in France).
Note that the journey from your hotel to the glaciers will take longer than the normal pistes. For holidays with children, we recommend the period from the second half of January to March, when you can easily find the best accommodation, taking into account the short transfer time, the guarantee of snow and the operation of all the tourist infrastructure.
How to choose a ski resort?
When choosing a ski resort for a holiday with children, there are a few things to consider:
- Resort infrastructure. Ensure the town/village has a supermarket, hospital, restaurants, pharmacies, and leisure facilities such as a swimming pool or ice rink.
A special mention should be made of the availability of a hospital. Skiing can be a dangerous sport. Unfortunately, sprains, bruises and fractures are not uncommon in ski resorts, so choosing towns and villages with private or municipal hospitals is highly recommended. First aid is a critical consideration when choosing a resort for a holiday with children.
Tip: For a relaxing holiday, ensure you have special ski insurance for all family members before you go, which covers the costs of treating sports injuries and the usual medical cases.
- Ski school. If you plan to send your child to a ski school, find out in advance if there is one near your resort. For some tourists, the availability of speaking your language instructors may be a prerequisite for choosing a particular resort.
- Hotel location. The most convenient hotels for a holiday with children are as close as possible to the lifts and resorts — so you do not have to waste time and extra energy travelling.
If you need help finding what you want for the price (consistently higher), look for hotels and apartments that may be further from the slopes but have a bus stop nearby. Regarding budget, the principle is simple: the further from the mountain, the cheaper.
Hotels with a ski-in/ski-out system (located on the mountain, with ski-in/ski-out access) are worthy of special mention. The convenience of skiing is their main trump card, but there is another side: getting to the rest of the facilities can be inconvenient.
So if you plan an evening out to the pool, restaurants, shopping or just a stroll around the town or village centre, check the distances and think about the logistics.
Many resorts have good hotels with "children's" infrastructure, away from the slopes, but with a free shuttle service to the lifts as a bonus for their guests. That can also be a good alternative for a family holiday.
Tip: If you're staying for a short time and don't plan to hire a car to get around, it's best to find accommodation within walking distance of the ski lifts (ski in/ski out). However, if you stay longer and visit neighbouring resorts, walking distance to the lifts is pointless.
- Slopes. When choosing a resort, look for easy and gentle slopes suitable for families. If you plan to ski with a child, it is not the total length of the slopes that is important, but the availability and length of the blue slopes — in most cases, this is where you will be skiing.
- Children's activities at a ski resort. Although you will find the basic winter activities on the mountain — skiing, sledging — and in the village — skating rink, sleigh rides, curling, ice hockey, etc. — you should also look for excursions and leisure activities that will be of interest to children as well as adults. Ski resorts close to major cities tend to offer a more varied and exciting programme of excursions.
We hope that Kidpassage's advice will help you organise a great, quality holiday in the mountains.
