hi i just recently booked to go la plagne (france)in 2009 with my wife and little boy after much consideration regarding where to go.We booked thru crystal ski as they have 200 pound discount off.they also have discounts for kids we got free child place

Hi

We go at half term for our first skiing holiday and opted for Bulgaria. Only downside is the long transfer, but we booked last year with crystal and did get a free and discounted child price. For a family of four, including learn to ski etc etc and half board in a 4* hotel we've paid about £2000, which didn't seem at all bad.

Pam

If you want to go skiing half term week you should avoid package holidays like the plague in my opinion. It's loads cheaper to book flights and hotels yourself on the web.
From my experience you can save several hundred pounds per person that way.

As for where to go, I've only been to Austria so can't speak for other areas, but you will find the Austrian locals (and more importantly ski schools) very friendly and helpfull.

From experience Munich is a good airport to fly to, several Austrian resorts are within a couple of hours by train or even quicker by taxi.

thanks for replys guys

hi, i go sking every year to Andorra, and find its great for all ages, experienced or beginers. My fav. resort is Soldeu-Tarter. Good hotels , wonderful wide slopes and lots of english as well as spanish people. Excellent english ski school. Prices are much cheaper than france or switzerland.and of course cameras, cigs etc are cheaper. Check out the hotel Nordic, its my favorite...1st class.
whatever you do , enjoy yourself.

Can suggest Livigno in Italy - excellent ski school, reasonably priced accommodation , good restaurants and once you have sussed out the ski bus, easy to get to all the slopes - downside is the long transfer from Bergamo but can be worth it as it is great fun and has duty free shopping.
Flaine, France - again good ski school, almost ski in and out, good restaurants and great slopes but very quiet at night as all the French just eat in their apartments.
La Thuile, Italy - reasonably priced accommodation and easy access to the slopes - some good restaurants and nice atmosphere.
Make sure you choose a resort where there are plenty of beginners slopes and not too many drag lifts!!
Enjoy yourselves wherever you choose.

thank you for your replys will keep loggging on to check for more all help appreciated

You can fly to Munich and head in a different direction - to the Bavarian Forest. Skiing there is half the price of the Austrian resorts. The Arber mountain has excellent facilities, and the whole area is very family friendly and easy going. The main village for the Arber is Bayerisch Eisenstein, with a railway station directly in the village. And there are British owned apartments and B&B in the village. Try googling!

An alternative to Bay. Eisenstein is Zwiesel. Slightly closer to Munich and hub of the Forest transport network, although I do accept it isn't as directly connected to the world cup run at the Arber.

We have travelled to many European resorts on skiing holidays and prior to having our child, the transfer time didnt really matter. However, when he was 3 and we were taking him for the first time, we found Passe Tonale in Italy to be a great resort for both quick transfer (1.5 hrs max) and also, the level of training available. Our 3 yr old was using the button lift on his own by day 4 and skiing confidently by the end of the week.
My confidence has never been that great either (red runs maximum) and I found the slopes at Tonale to be excellent for building my confidence up. Coupled with the whole resort being on one road and everything nice and local to the ski school, I couldnt recommend this place enough.
Add in high altitude and snow sure location and you are away!!!!!!!! We stayed at the Hotel Paradiso.

And it wasnt expensive either - unlike its neighbour Madonna di Campinigno (sp?) which is apparently, quite swish and priced accordingly!

however... a word of warning about the Hotel Paradiso.. I believe it may be under new management and from reviews in 07, it looks like its gone downhill big time!!!!!!

Hi All!

I am also looking to book a skiing holiday for February next year - lots of discounts available at the moment!

Like the original poster we are a family of 3 inc a 14 year old. None of us has ever put on a pair of ski's, but its something we have always said 'one day' we will do it! (much like the island cruise we have been promising ourselves!)

We want a good value destination suitable for total newbies and a resort that has something to do other than just skiing (trying to edge our bets for fun things to do if the skiing doesnt go down well - hahaha) and also a good selection for eating out etc.

So if anyone could point me in the right direction of a resort and/or recommended a hotel/lodge that would be great!

Many Thanks.

Joolz........think about what you want out of the ski holiday?

Is it

Alpine scenery
to learn to ski
spa/pool
shopping (tax free???think Andorra)
excursions?

then you have a clue as to where to start.

You must factor in the following

Ski passes
Ski school - essential booking if first holiday
Equipment hire

its not just the price of the holiday.

We have skied in Austria, France, Italy, Lapland.

I first went with my husband after a disasterous honeymoon led to money back from our tour operator. I refused holiday vouchers!! no way was I travelling with them again! Valentines Day was approaching and we decided to try another honeymoon. He was already an avid skier and I was a 'want to learn!' so I booked six weeks on a dry slope (not so sure if that was wise! expensive and painful, bore no reflection to the real deal either)...... we did a last minute deal with the TO (oh, to be child free again!!!!!!!) and off we flew to italy the week after!!!!!

We've been most years since, other than when I gave birth - in February, how inconvenient! and our son was 3 when we threw him down a mountain on skis....... we are off to Slovenia in 3 weeks, little lad will be 8 by then!!!! (next week).

My ideal is

Alpine scenery
Good snow
high altitude
Cheap apres ski
long runs
short transfer to resort

Austria fits the bill on most of the above and give me 3 weeks, I'll give you a report on Slovenia, not too far from Austria but half the price!!!!

L2S..... xx

Thanks so much for your time and informative reply!

We would be going at February half term - I know its a busy time but my daughters school is quite strict on holidays in term time.

I would say;

Learn to ski
Short(ish) transfer - dont mind up to 90mins
Pretty setting
Other activities (on snow as well as off)
Family friendly

My daughter has just had her 13th birthday this week - so she is about 10 years behind your son putting his first pair of ski's on! And my hubby is 40 years behind - hahaha.

Let me know how you get on and have a fantastic time.

I'd recommend Finland.

We wwent for the first time in Dec 2006, to a little resort called Yllas (it's actually Finnish Lapland).
3 hour flight from Gatwick, then a 40mins transfer time.
Excellent ski school, quiet slopes, english speaking instructorsand small number of people in classes.
If you can bear the cold (it's variable depending when you go), but with thermals and layers it's fine. Cost for the 4 of us ws £2300, which was for flights, log cabin, half board, ski equipment and ski school, reindeer safari and a trip on the snowmobiles (awesome) !!!

Santa is there too, and you can meet up with him whenevr you travel (not just xmas). We were pleased to combine the 2 together. In fact we loved it so much we returned for Xmas 2007 but just purely used it for skiing. Loved it.
Try Inghams or Crystal they both go there.

Happy holiday hunting :o)

I'd recommend Lapland (Finland) too actually...we went to Levi and it was fantastic. There was plenty of other things to do when not skiinng...I have posted here about our trip.

The transfer was about 15 mins from the airport. They dont come much quicker than that!

L2S

Hi, not long back from Borovets and we'd like to build on what we've learnt so far and go again next year. Only snag is that prices seem to have gone up dramatically even taking into account that our eldest will be twelve, also no free child places.

I think we will have to do DIY, but would feel safer going to somewhere recommended. Basically we would want Feb half term week,with accomodation walking distance from ski school etc, don't mind s/c or hotel. Flights need to be somewhere economical to get to with a transfer time of ideally no more than an hour. We also need a good ski school, don't mind group lessons and would be happy for the children to be with us or in a children's group with a 'child friendly' instructor.

Any recommendations would be gratefully received, along with where to look to book.

Many thanks

Pam